BANNED BOOK SUMMARY

From Here to Eternity BY Jones, James

The book was censored PRIOR to publication. The publisher wanted the word "FUCK" removed. Jones refused. He did cut down the number of uses due to fears that the Postal service would refuse to deliver the book as salacious.

The publisher also wanted the homosexual scenes removed. Jones toned these down, but wanted to remain true to the events he witnessed during his service.

A really good article about this can be found at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/11/10/was-a-wwii-classic-too-gay.html by the author's daughter. Well worth reading.


Why was the depiction of homosexuality so frightening to publishers? The National Organization for Decent Literature (NODL), a Catholic group formed in Chicago, first targeted magazines and then paperbacks. NODL objected to “the lascivious type of literature which threatens the moral, social and National life of our country.” In 1947, NODL recommended that church members visit retailers every two weeks armed with a list of “harmful” titles. If they found books on the list, they informed the manager. The result? Widespread intimidation and boycott of booksellers. From Here to Eternity was blacklisted by the NODL in 1954. The religious group stated publicly its belief that certain books on its list—including works by William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, my father, and other prominent authors—were too advanced for youthful readers and should be kept out of their hands.