Booklist Review

This volume in a four-volume series (originally published in 1998 and updated in 2006) examines books banned due to religious content. Other volumes in the series address books banned for their political, social, and erotic content respectively. The text begins with a list of works discussed. As with previous editions, entries are alphabetical by title. Author, literary form, date, and country of publication are listed, followed by a summary of one to four pages. Censorship History for each book is the heart of the book. Most entries run 2 to 4 pages, with some exceptions (The Satanic Verses runs 10 pages). Writing is balanced for such a touchy subject. Thorough further-reading lists are included after every article, with a complete list at the end. Indexes are excellent they include author, title, and lots of geographic locations (Iran, Texas, Vietnam) as well as some subjects (Catholic Church, the poor, witchcraft). However, a comprehensive index would make it easier to determine if an author is found elsewhere in the set. Most public and academic libraries will want to own this resource, but some may have to decide whether the new material (about 40 titles across the four volumes) makes it worth replacing the previous edition.--Gooden, Susan Copyright 2010 Booklist