[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Sorcerer stone v Philosopher Stone WAS: Hermione

[Child Of Midian]

From: HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com [mailto:HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of sistermagpie



Magpie:
JKR is the one who came up with sorcerer's stone so she presumably doesn't
think it's nonsensical. Neither do I--what's nonsensical about it? It's the
name of the object Voldemort's looking for in the American edition. What's
the big difference between a sorcerer and a wizard? I think sorcerer's stone
sounds better, personally, than wizard's stone. So of those two choices I
think JKR (in this case) made the right choice. Somebody looking up "Deathly
Hallows" wouldn't have found anything either. It didn't need to be based on
a real thing, it's just that in the case of the first book it was.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've never heard / read that JKR came up with the U.S. title (not saying
it's not true, just saying this is the first I've heard of it) generally
when you sell the rights to your book, especially foreign rights, you have
no say in the title it's sold under in other countries - you may even find
out you signed away (or are being expected to) rights to the title you came
up with all-together in lieu  of what some marketing VP comes up with.

As for "Sorcerer" what doesn't make sense is why wizards, that don't call
what they do sorcery and don't call themselves sorcerer's would name
something sorcerer stone. When I read the book, unaware that there was a UK
title, I wondered why they chose that title, it made no sense to me. So when
I say what I say I say it from personal experience as a U.S. reader going
"huh?" at the title of the book and stone.

Either way, I really, really despise changing titles and narration to fit a
different English audience. Part of the experience should be experiencing a
British novel. Imagine if they re-wrote Dickens!!! As someone pointed out to
me, years ago when this all started, The Philosopher's Stone is something
steeped in deep mythology that turns up in other works, it's something you
could say "what's a philosopher's stone?" when you see the title, go look it
up and find out, the sorcerer's stone, OTOH was not ten years ago. It also
insults the fact that JKR is obviously very well versed in mythology of all
sorts as it permeates the pages of all the books, especially the early ones,
and to find all of her references but the U.S. title are rooted in other
sources makes little sense. 

Personally, I think from the title that it should have been "You're a
sorcerer, Harry. And you'll be going to the finest school of sorcery in all
of England, Hogwarts!" The culture JKR has created is not one that speaks of
Sorcery or Sorcerers, so the terms, though they might fit our blanket
concept of magic-users, or spell casters, don't fit JKR's world.

 

md

 



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