Students at Chicago’s Antioch High School might want to get an early start on their summer reading this year—'cause one of the assigned books is a sexy starter of suburban ruckus! Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was listed as required reading for the incoming freshman class, but nearly got the axe when complaints were raised about the award-winning book’s language and edgy content. Said parent Jennifer Andersen: “There are so many great stories out there without the vulgarity—why bother with this book? I don't believe we need to swear at our kids to get them engaged."
A bunch of kids, when reached for comment, said, “Huh? What? Sorry, we weren’t listening—some dude over there just said the F-word like FIVE TIMES!”
Administrators at the school decided in favor of keeping the book on the list, a move that warms the cockles of your SparkNotes editors’ little literary-freedom-loving hearts. And to celebrate the triumph of Alexie’s book over adversity, we’ve compiled a list of our own favorite “vulgar” books. Check it!
Romeo and Juliet: Teen romance, sex, and suicide. Vulgar!
Crime and Punishment: Murder, vodka, and Russian people. Vulgar!
The Catcher in the Rye: Holden Caulfield visits prostitutes and swears a lot. Vulgar!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: R.P. McMurphy gets lobotomized. Vulgar!
The Grapes of Wrath: Openly describes people eating "fried side meat." Vulgar!
Twilight: Vampire-human pseudo-sexual relationships, depiction of vampires as "sparkly." Vulgar!
The Old Man and the Sea: Graphic depiction of an old man fishing. Vulgar!
The Lord of the Rings: Graphic depiction of rampant hobbit foot-hair. Vulgar!
Animal Farm: Two words: Talking pigs. Sooo wrong. And vulgar!
The Cat in the Hat: Cat is wearing a hat, but nothing else. Naked cat! VULGAR!!!
What’s on your summer reading list? Anything vulgar?! Tell us in the comments!
P.S. Watch out for naked cats.
Topics: Books
Tags: twilight, censorship, today in books
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