Ever since mankind first opened their mouths to communicate, people have fought to prevent the spread of ideas. Nearly every thought that goes against the flow of G-rated “normality” has proven objectionable to some people somewhere, who then feel they must outlaw the statement before it can infect the minds of our impressionable youth. And because of their ubiquity, books are among the most popular of these censorship targets. Even James Joyce’s Ulysses—named by Modern Library as the best novel of the 20th century—was barred from the United States for 15 years after its content was deemed obscene. Join Barnes and Noble’s Banned Book Club for this month’s discussion of Life of Pi , a story about a 16-year-old boy who sees no fault in being a Muslim, a Christian and a Hindu simultaneously. Written by Yann Martel, this story about faith and tolerance of all religions won the Booker Prize and caused a great amount of controversy, not only for its religious claims, but also for the plagiarism scandal surrounding the tale.
Wed., March 11, 7 p.m., 2009
