Russian Orthodox Church: 'Lolita' and '100 Years of Solitude' Incite Pedophilia
A senior Russian Orthodox official says that two historically celebrated novels justify pedophilia and should be banned, it was reported Wednesday.
"Lolita" by Vladamir Nabakov and "100 Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez are being targeted by Father Vsevolod Chaplin, who says that the Russian government should investigate and limit the use of the books, Associated Press reports.
The books "romanticize perverted passions that make people unhappy," Chaplin said.
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"Obviously, the popularization of these novels in schools will not make our society more morally happy," he was quoted by Interfax as saying.
However, Mikhail Shvydkoi, a Kremlin envoy for international cultural co-operation, disagreed. Banning the books would badly hurt Russia's image, he said.
Nabaov and Garcia Marquez are no strangers to book bans. "Lolita" was first published in France by a pornographic press in 1955, according to Time Magazine. French officials banned the book about an intellectual pedophile for being "obscene." Soon after, England, Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa also banned the book.
It is now one of the most-read books in the English language and a common addition to high school reading lists.
Garcia Marquez experienced a ban of his most recent work, "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" in Iran, where it was renamed "My Bad Sweethearts" after it sold 5,000 copies there.
As for the Russian Orthodox Church, the AP says the book ban is their latest attempt to impose religious norms in a country that once rejected religion altogether.
They have also been trying to stop Russian women from wearing revealing clothing.
