After receiving some parental complaints, an Australian principal pulled Stephen King's The Body from an eleventh grade class due to the sexual content and replaced it with Robert Cormier's We All Fall Down, which is one of the most disturbing books I'VE EVER READ.
And which also has plenty of sexual content, but whatever.
Okay, what? He trade a demon for the devil right there. This is an 11 grade class, they should be able to handle it The Body by King.
Posted by: E_I | 09 February 2007 at 04:27 PM
I think it's ironic that SK's banned book is being replaced with a Cormier book, given that Cormier was one of the most often censor-challenged writers of the 20th century.
Posted by: Meaghan | 09 February 2007 at 07:15 PM
The Body has sexual content? I don't remember that. I just remember a lot of vomit.
Posted by: Nancy | 09 February 2007 at 09:03 PM
It's almost like the Australian principal is trying to send a not-so-subtle message to the complainers.
-Christina
Posted by: Lurker | 10 February 2007 at 05:54 PM
It's been a while since I've read "The Body," but I don't remember any sexual content in it. In any case, the sexual content in King's books (and I think pretty much all of them have sexual content) is hardly erotic, but no matter; at this rate, and given the silly arguments in favor of banning books, I wouldn't be surprised if some parent or teacher came along and pointed to Harry Potter as being sexual, what with the wands spouting magic spells and stuff. I'm just saying.
Posted by: Brandon | 12 February 2007 at 12:58 PM
Maybe the Australian principal has a fantastic sense of humor, and is guessing very few parents out there have read Robert Cormier? That would be great.
Ditto on your thoughts re: "We all Fall Down," talk about bleak, geez. Stephen King wishes he were as dark as Robert Cormier.
Posted by: Sarah | 12 February 2007 at 04:59 PM