Banned books week: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Speak is a realistic, gripping and believe it or not humorous young adult contemporary about a young girl working her way back to life after being raped. I chose to read this novel by author Laurie Halse Anderson because it was under attack by a Wesley Scroggins from Missouri State University, back in 2010, for being filth and

material that should be classified as soft pornography.

UK cover.

I'm taking a different approach for this review, in honor of banned books week, by addressing the issues that has been called out as problematic in Speak in an article by said Scroggins back in 2010. All quotes in this post are from that article, you can read the entire ordeal by clicking here.

Soft pornography, Mr. Scroggins?

I am terribly sorry to have to be the one to inform you about this, Mr. Scroggins, but you are criticizing the wrong book here. I think you might have confused this excellent read with some other novel you might have read. Had this article been published in 2012 I might have believed that the novel in question was Fifty Shades of Grey and that you just got the two novels mixed up in your article. There is no pornography what so ever in this novel. There is however a short, nothing very graphic, scene where Mel, the main character, looks back on the night she was raped. If someone confuses this with pornography it says a lot more about them, than teachers putting this novel on their curriculum trying to set focus on such an important matter.

Is this what high school is supposed to feel like?

As the main character in the book is alone with a boy who is touching her female parts, she makes the statement that this is what high school is supposed to feel like. The boy then rapes her on the next page.

So here is the real deal. Mel is outside taking a bit of fresh air, regretting that she ever tasted beer, when this handsome older guy shows up and takes her into his arms. He gives her a great kiss and for a few seconds Mel is in 7th heaven. Mel lets her mind wonder and thinks about how great it would be to start high school with an older boyfriend to looking out for her. A perfectly normal thought for a girl on her age! Unfortunately this handsome boy turns out to be a beast, someone who wants a hell of a lot more than just a kiss. The beast does not care how Mel struggles to get away from him.

Schoolteachers are losers, adults are losers

News flash!

It is not unusual for teenager to be in conflict with adults and thinking that they are stupid and so on. In my world that was perfectly normal at least. Not that we thought everyone were looser but some, that is also the case for Mel. Mel's character feels genuine and if she is a bit more negative than you're average teenager that might be because of what she has been trough. Want a word of advice? Look up the word empathy in the dictionary.

Speak is a story that will speak to your heart, soul and mind.

For the reader Speak carries several important messages. Here are the ones I took special notice of:
A) IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, NEVER! No matter if you couldn't find the word no, the other part should still know the difference between a girl(or boy) that is terrified and a willing participant. If the offender didn't stop then it is still not your fault.

B) If someone you know starts to change personality all of a sudden or does things that is out of character for him or her pay attention. Do not turn your back on the person, he/she might need you a whole lot more than you might think. Let them know you are there as a confidant and a friend, parent, teacher, coach or what ever your role in that persons life is.

C) If you have suffered rape or abuse of any kind find a person whom you know and trust and try telling them.

The importance of daring to shine the spotlight on real problems

I want to salute every author out there daring to write about things that can happen in the real world. Sadly bad thing happen and even though writing about it doesn't fix the problem it it goes a long way to make people understand more and be more aware of these things.

Speak is an important read for young boys and girls alike. You get to travel inside the head of a young girl who suffered rape. You get to see how she struggles with high school, friends and trying to cope with what happened to her. The reader is never sure of what the outcome in Speak will be, it is not difficult to understand that life isn't easy when you're trying to survive and have a hard time thinking of a future that is more than five minutes away.

A dysfunctional family Mr. Scroggin wrote.

Mel's family is slowly falling apart and apparently has been falling apart for years. They have no common ground anymore and all three(mother, father and daughter) are leading their separate lives. No, this isn't idyllic family life, but sadly loads of kids live in families like the Halse Anderson portraits here. Is it right to try to convince young adults that everyone is leading a perfectly happy life at home? So the ones that comes from families outside this norm should feel even more alone? NO! What is important is the hope seeps of the pages in this story, things can get  better if we try.
So there you have my voice, a mere reader, against a professors voice. I know, I know, the BBW ended yesterday but time just got ahead of me is all.

Movie

Did you know that Speak also is a movie with Kirsten Steward(that was before her time playing Bella!) playing the main character, Mel? I did not know that. Now I would love to see the movie, I'm sure it cannot have been an easy adaptation. Transferring both the humor and the hurt onto the screen must be hard to get right.

Where did my copy of Speak come from?
I bought Speak during BBW in 2010 to show my support and to give a vote against censorship. However I did not read the novel until now(can you believe it?).

Speakloud - banning books from a Norwegian perspective

First of all I have to say that I'm quite shocked after reading all the well put posts in the book blogging community about Wesley Scroggin's article in News-leader.com and Laurie Halse Anderson's young adult novel Speak. Obviously I had to read it and I was left speechless. I haven't read Speak myself but now I just ordered it to support the author and the case in general.

I think it is very important that young adults has the choice to read about life and banning books who addresses serious subjects like drugs, alcohol or sex is only done for the sake of the adults. Do these people really think that banning these books will make bad things go away? Will it help young adults in any way? Isn't it better that young adults learns that condoms is used to keep them from getting pregnant or getting sexual-transmitting diseases than knowing nearly nothing about sex and having it still but unprotected? I wouldn't want my young adults to go out and have sex with someone but it is impossible to watch their every step. A novel might actually make the young person think twice before making a bad decision.

A book is a great source of comfort for many and I'm sure that books like Speak might be of help to girls who has experienced abuse. Reading about a person that has had the same experience might lessen the feeling of shame and guilt and let them know that when they are ready there are people out there to offer their support, listen and help them get through a difficult situation. I cannot find one good argument to keep young adults in the dark, bad things happen to people all over the world every day and if they don't read it in a book they will hear about it from one place or another.

A Norwegian perspective

I live in country that isn't in the habit of banning books, that is in no way meant as an offense to those of you who live in countries were that happen, and I'm very grateful for that. I do think that the definition of freedom of speech varies a bit from country to country when it comes to legislation, for all I know many Norwegian titles might be banned if they were published in another country. As far as I know no young adult novel has ever been banned in Norway and almost no adult books (no novels banned here now as far as I know). In 1957 a book by the Norwegian author Agnar Mykle was banned due to the sexual content, which was the first ban in Norway in over 70 years. Mykle and his book were acquitted already in 1958. A lot of books were banned by the Germans during World War II, but that was not under normal circumstance.

For those with a special interest I'm quoting a section about this subject in Norway, the quote is from an article about banned books in Norway on Beacon For Freedom of Expression:

Selected cases of freedom of expression versus blasphemy and pornography

The most noteworthy challenge of religious tolerance occurred in 1933, when the prominent poet Arnulf Øverland held a lecture on "Christianity - the tenth plague" ("Kristendommen - den tiende landeplage") in the Students Society at Oslo university. The trial against Øverland remains one of the most outstanding trials on freedom of expression in Norwegian history in peace time. Even though Øverland was acquitted, Parliament tightened the penal code on blasphemy a year later.

The public notion of decency was most notably challenged in the late 19th century by two authors; Hans Jæger ("Fra Kristiania-Bohêmen" 1886) and Christian Krohg ("Albertine" 1887). Both novels were confiscated, though only Jæger was sent to prison. 70 years passed before the authorities once more took penal action against authors on behalf of public decency. In the 1950s and 60s the authors Agnar Mykle ("Sangen om den røde rubin", 1957)(2), the American author Henry Miller ("Sexus" (Danish edition) 1957-59 )(3) and Jens Bjørneboe ( "Uten en tråd", 1966)(4) were all subject to criminal prosecution and the novels confiscated. In each case the sentence of the County Court was appealed to the Supreme Court. In Mykle's case, the majority of Supreme Court voted for acquittal and lifted the confiscation. In Miller's case the majority of the Supreme Court sentenced the booksellers to accept confiscation of the novel, and for the first time in 70 years a novel was prohibited in Norway. From USA Miller wrote a "Defence of the Freedom to Read: a Letter to the Supreme Court of Norway", published in English and Norwegian by J.W. Cappelen Forlag. In 1995 "Sexus" was published by the Norwegian publisher Den norske Bokklubben as part of the series " Library of the Century". In the case of Bjørneboe and his publisher, the majority of the Supreme Court ruled to uphold County Court's sentence of fines for both author and publisher and the order of confiscation. J. Bjørneboe's novel "Uten en tråd" thus became the second - and last - novel in the 20th century to be prohibited.

Today, these mid-20th century criminal trials against outstanding and internationally renowned novelists may seem like tales of the dark ages. At the time and long thereafter, these cases created heated public debate, thus contributing to extend public tolerance, and also helped shift the authorities and judicial system's focus of prosecution from fictional artistic expression to the vastly more serious crimes of child pornography and speculative violent adult pornography.

If you got this far I would like to thank you :) I'm sorry for this long, ranting post but as you might understand this is a subject that makes me want to speak up.