Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds      by Sova, Dawn B.

Of course Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems was unacceptable to some moral watchdogs, but why would anyone object to Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and Little House on the Prairie? Apparently Franklin was too sexy and The Ingalls had more than a few racists too close to their little house. Sova (English adjunct, Montclair State U.) finds evidence of censorship and suppression for well over 100 works ranging from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language to Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Baldwin's Another Country, Griffin's Black Like Me, Lofting's Doctor Dolittle series, Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist, Morris's The Naked Ape and a variety of works by Hemingway, Terkel and Chaucer. Sova gives a summary and an account of the objections, along with biographical sketches of authors. New entries for this edition include Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Walker's The Color Purple. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)