Good Quotes from Banned Books

So, what is there to say about Banned Books that hasn't already been said? This whole week has been filled with wonderful posts and lists and general blog-y goodness. In the spirit of the controversial book I'd like to add two cents to the argument, but not my two cents. I figure, who can speak better for these books then themselves? Here are some fantastic quotes from (in my opinion) amazing books that regularly make the banned/challenged list. I hope they make you think, or feel a little sad, or maybe even inspire you.

Catch-22 - Heller

What a lousy Earth! He wondered how many people were destitute that same night even in his own prosperous country, how many homes were shanties, how many husbands were drunk and wives socked, and how many children were bullied, abused, or abandoned. How many families hungered for food they could not afford to buy? How many hearts were broken? How many suicides would take place that same night, how many people would go insane? How many cockroaches and landlords would triumph? How many winners were losers, successes failures, and rich men poor men? How many wise guys were stupid? How many happy endings were unhappy endings? how many honest men were liars, brave men cowards, loyal men traitors, how many sainted men were corrupt, how many people in positions of trust had sold their souls to bodyguards, how many had never had souls? How many straight-and-narrow paths were brooked paths? How many best families were worst families and how many good people were bad people? When you added them all up and then subtracted, you might be left with only the children, and perhaps with Albert Einstein and an old violinist or sculptor somewhere

Brave New World - Huxley

But I don't want comfort. I want God,  I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.

Catcher in the Rye - Salinger

Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles, You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.

Slaughterhouse Five

It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? all there is to say about a massacre, things like "Poo-tee-weet"

The Great Gatsby

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

Now go read some banned books! Or any books, really.