A double dip fight club episode about the unfortunate differences between the movie and its source material. In this episode Rafi is replaced by Thomas, who is a person that knows much about movies. We discuss David Fincher, China, Paradise Lost, A Clockwork Orange, and sigma males — all within the context of Fight Club. Hold on to your fedora as we sail into the abyss. Every sale supports local bookstores. Bookshop is on a mission to financially support your local, independent bookstores. Socially Conscious. Fast Shipping. Huge Selection. https://bookshop.org/shop/bannedbookclub If you liked ..read more

In this episode, we discuss one of the most iconic and thought-provoking novels of the 20th century. "Fight Club" follows an unnamed narrator as he struggles with insomnia and an unfulfilling job, eventually leading him to create an underground club where men can gather to fight. Palahniuk explores themes of masculinity, consumerism, and the search for identity in a society that often feels hollow and oppressive. Join us as we break the main rule of Fight Club… talking about Fight Club. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction/Nick’s thoughts 6:50 About the Author/The film  8:30 Why is it banned? 9 ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Atomised by Michel Houellebecq, who’s been called among other things — France’s greatest literary export, Enfant terrible, provocateur, and a jerk. The story follows half brothers Michel and Bruno, whose lives are sent on painful and seemingly dissimilar trajectories as consequence of their hippie mother’s neoliberal ideology. The book goes on to chart the evolution and spread of neoliberalism in western society, using the lives of Bruno and Michel to illustrate the conditions it creates for modern life — in which (Houellebecq argues) things like living and loving a ..read more

In this spooky halloween episode we review “The Hellbound Heart”, a 1980’s horror novella by Clive Barker. Barker is a banned author/painter/playwright, who’s been described by Stephen King as “the future of horror”. The Hellbound Heart makes it plain to see why — rendering demons, killers, and the prospect of unending torture in a terrifyingly vivid light. When Frank, a suave hedonist - opens the cursed Lemarchand configuration, he’s transported to a world where one experiences pain to a point that they can no longer differentiate it from pleasure. But after Frank manages to escape back to ea ..read more

 In this episode, we review “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert. Published in 1856 - the novel was deemed a threat to morality and caused Flaubert to face charges in the French court - because of the searingly detailed account it gives of protagonist Emma Bovary’s romantic affairs. But the book is anything but romantic - widely considered to be the first ‘modern novel’- Madame Bovary ushered in a new era in fiction by handling its controversial subject matter with a camera like neutrality. The infrequent good, the overwhelmingly banal, and the repulsively ugly details of life are on full ..read more

This episode centers around “Factotum”, written by the infamous and widely imitated Charles Bukowski. As the name implies, Factotum tells the story of a worker’s life, but Henry Chinaski (Bukowski’s self inspired antihero) is not your average worker— unless your idea of an average worker is someone who constantly drinks, fights, philanders, and writes poetry. Join us as we discuss Bukowski’s unique philosophy on work, women, and a system that’s apparently designed to keep the little guy down. If you liked or didn't like this episode, let us know. Leave us a comment and subscribe to our channe ..read more

In this episode, we explore the expanded fictionalized version of Jesus’ life in Nikos Kazantakis “The Last Temptation of Christ”. This story follows the Bible loosely, using Kazantakis thoughts on what Christ must’ve felt before being crucified. It focuses mainly on his struggles of being human in every sense of the word dealing with earthly temptations such as fear, doubt, lust, violence, and reluctance. We explore this banned novel and decide whether or not it is as blasphemous as the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Church claimed it to be.  If you liked or didn't like this episode, let u ..read more

In this episode, Nick takes you through Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Indian Camp” and explains how it can make you a better writer. The deceptively simple story embodies Hemingway’s iceberg theory - the idea that the weight of a good sentence lies under its surface. Indian camp explores themes like death, birth, maturity, and relationships, - getting great mileage out of very few words. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bannedbookclub ..read more

Get "Banned Book Club" by clicking the link below and support local book stores. https://bookshop.org/a/57229/9781945820427 In this episode we're joined by Ryan Estrada - author of the Eisner nominated graphic novel “Banned Book Club” -Not a typo - the book just happens to have the same name as our channel. It also happens to be an exciting and timely book, exploring the dangers of censorship through the eyes of a young girl living under an oppressive political regime in Korea. We talk with Ryan about his story, censorship, and the recent controversy with Maus. If you liked or didn't like t ..read more

Get "Tropic Of Cancer" by clicking the link below and support local book stores. https://bookshop.org/a/57229/9780802131782 In this episode we tackle probably the most banned of the banned books we've covered so far - Henry Miller's infamous "Tropic of Cancer". It literally got people sent to jail. This one breaks every rule of polite society, and also every rule in the fiction writing handbook; no plot, no structure, mountains of adjectives, pages long plunges into intangibles, and overall vulgar self indulgence. But that’s kind of the point. Join us and find out why, despite all that, TOC r ..read more