JRR Tolkien The Lord of the Rings The books are beloved classics, but that hasn’t stopped them from being frequently banned from public shelves. The American Library Association includes these fantasy epics on its list of Banned and Challenged Classics, which describes titles that have been the subject of controversy, banned from use in public schools, or even burned in the years since their release. In many cases, such as The Lord of the Ringsthis is a terrible injustice.
Tolkien Lord of the Rings is a moving and inspiring story in which the most unlikely hero triumphs over evil. It is filled with themes of love and hope, as well as the trials of overcoming temptation and the heroism of self-sacrifice. Lord of the Rings It has often been compared to various religious works, especially the Christian Bible, given their common themes. Despite that, THE Lord of the Rings It was not always easy for all groups to achieve.
The Lord of the Rings books were banned for being “satanic”
Books that contain black magic are often challenged
THE American Library Association lists The Lord of the Rings as a banned or contested book because the series, like Tolkien’s other works, were considered “Satanic” and burned outside the Community Church of Christ in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in 2001. Precisely why they were given this status is unclear, but it likely comes down to the story’s use of magic and general supernatural elements. This tends to be the trend when it comes to banned fantasy titles, as many major series in the genre depict forces of evil and good using magic and spells.
The Lord of the Rings isn’t the only beloved fantasy series to be banned
The fantasy genre is often controversial
Tolkien is often called the grandfather of fantasy. So if his books were banned, it’s no surprise that other books in the genre were also challenged. JK Rowling Harry Potter books have remained firmly on the ALA’s Top 10 Most Banned Books lists for several years in a row in the early 2000s. Similar reasons such as “occultism/satanism“and until”anti-family,“were cited as the reasons. C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia Books were also banned for using magic and portraying war.
The Golden Compass, Ender’s Game and The Giver were also banned – all classics, but all accused of leading readers down the path of witchcraft or general morality.
More recently, Sarah J. Maas’ Cutting thorns and roses books were added to the Banned or Challenged list thanks to these general fantasy themes and sexually explicit content. The Golden Compass, Ender’s Gameand The donor were also banned – all classics, but all accused of leading readers down the path of witchcraft or general morality. So while it’s hard to imagine anyone burning Tolkien’s book Lord of the Rings books today, it’s clear when we look at the fantasy genre that this is an ongoing trend.