15 classics that stirred controversies when first released

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ― Ernest Hemingway
Many authors land in trouble for penning down their unconventional thoughts that are far ahead of the times. Be it E.L James, Taslima Nasreen, Salman Rushdie or Arundhati Roy, the list of authors who attract controversy each time they launch a book is endless. There are many books which on release were thought to be scandalous and were banned either for talking about sex or portraying women as strong characters; but later they were held as path-breaking literary works! Here's a list of few bestsellers which stirred controversies initially but you must definitely add to your reading list.
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Author JK Rowling created a fantasy land of witchcraft and wizardry for children by publishing her first book in the Harry Potter series in 2001, and the rest as they say is history. While the best-selling Harry Potter series completed 20 years of publishing this year, few people know that it landed in a controversy when it was published. The reason: many parents and religious groups thought that the series inspire kids to try occult and witchcraft, taking them deep in the unwanted fantasy world. The Harry Potter books were also criticized for being factually incorrect.
(Picture Credit: Harry Potter books from Bloomsbury/ Facebook)

This novel is set in a dystopian world in the year 1984 which is ruled by a totalitarian government. No one is free and safe in this world to live or even love according to their wish. The world is seeing the ruins of World War II and is dominated by the Big Brother. This book was in controversy right from its publication and still remains so, as it is said to be unnatural and intense. But one cannot deny the power of this novel which was written in 1949.

The story revolves around a middle-aged man named Humbert Humbert who ends up being sexually involved with Dolores Haze, his 12-year old step-daughter. Lolita is his private nickname for Dolores. Originally written in English, this book stirred up a controversy when it was published in 1955 due to its forbidden subject.

Jane Eyre was first published in 1847 under the pen name "Currer Bell" and was a big hit. But when people came to know that the novel was actually written by a woman (Charlotte Brontë) it was considered a "naughty book"!

This 1951 classic was originally published for adult readers but the book is now popular among adolescent readers too as it touches upon a few teenage-issues like teenage angst, identity, loss, sense of belonging. The story's protagonist Holden Caulfield is also considered as an icon of teenage rebellion. While The Catcher in the Rye was included in Time's list of 100 best English-language novels written since 1923 in 2005, it has also been censored and challenged for the protagonist's use of vulgar language, sexual references and questionable moral codes in the story. The American Library Association also features "The Catcher in the Rye" at number 10 in its list of "The 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999".

This 1928 novel by British author Radclyffe Hall landed in controversy for portraying lesbian love as natural. The story revolves around Stephen Gordon, an upper-class Englishwoman, who falls in love with Mary Llewellyn. Their love is disapproved by the society and they face social rejection and isolation.

First published in 1971, "The Anarchist Cookbook" gives instructions about how to manufacture explosives and other harmful and destructive items. Penned by William Powell, the book was written as a protest against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. So clearly, this book was opposed by the Government and anarchist groups. It was condemned for sharing the formulas for making dangerous bombs and other explosives.

First published in 1900, this children’s novel by L.Frank Baum was considered scandalous of its time for depicting women as strong characters. Yes, you read that right! Set in Kansas, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz chronicles the adventures of Dorothy, a young farm girl, and her pet dog who are swept away from home by a cyclone. Since then, the novel has become a huge success and has been adapted to Broadway musical and a musical film too.

First published in French, Candide by Voltaire was considered as scandalous for its blasphemy as it spoke about the imperfections of life. This 1759 novella was banned after being secretly published and the rest as they say, is history. Since then, the novel has inspired many authors for its insightful and witty depiction of human. So much so that Candide is considered as one of Voltaire's magnum opus!

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is a fictional account where characters reveal an unspoken truth about Christ's divinity and celibacy, which have been concealed by the Catholic Church for ages. Clearly, the book landed in a controversy for its fictional take on the Roman Catholic Church's history and representation.

This 1748 erotic novel tells the story of a young woman Fanny, who is a sex-worker and in search of real love. 'Fanny Hill' or 'Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure' is written as two letters by Frances "Fanny" Hill, a rich Englishwoman, wherein she describes her scandalous life. The book was written by John Cleland when he was imprisoned, and soon after it was published he was prosecuted on the charges of “corrupting the king’s subjects”. No wonder then, 'Fanny Hill' was far ahead of its time and was considered a scandalous book written in the 18th century.

While author Alice Walker won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for her novel 'The Colour Purple', the book is frequently targeted by censors for its explicit content and depiction of violence. It also appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000–2009 at number 17. Set in Georgia in 1930s, The Colour Purple's story revolves around the lives of African-American women in the USA.
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This modernist novel written by Irish author James Joyce is about the encounters of Leopold Bloom in Dublin, Ireland on a regular day (16 June, 1904). The novel also draws a parallel with Homer's poem Odyssey. While Ulysses has attracted much controversy since it was published-- be it the obscenity trial in USA in 1921 or prolonged textual "Joyce Wars"-- it is also considered as one of the greatest literary works in literature because of its detailed characterisation and puns.

One of the most controversial books, Salman Rushdie’s "The Satanic Verses" is also considered as one of his best-known works. It was first published in the year 1988 and is partly inspired from the life of Muhammad. The book is still banned in India for allegedly being insulting to the Prophet.
(Picture Credit: salmanrushdie.com)

Author D. H. Lawrence's novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was first published privately in Italy in 1928, and then in France and Australia the next year. But, when the book was published almost 30 years later in 1960 in the United Kingdom, an obscenity case was filed against its publisher Penguin Books! The reason: the story revolves around the relationship between an upper class woman and a man from the working class and has explicitly describes sex. But, Penguin won the court case and sold nearly 3 million copies of the novel.