[HPforGrownups] Do the British have a different version of the books than the Americans?

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 1396

At 12:08 09/13/2000 -0000, Helena wrote:

>I am new here, so excuse me for asking a question that may have 
>already been answered in the past...
>While reading the first and second book, which I bought in the US,  I 
>noticed that the author uses the word, "Soccer", to describe a sport. 
>The British use the word, "Football" to describe the same sport, so I 
>am just wondering if the wording was changed for an American version 
>of the books? Or did she write these books with American readers in 
>mind?

Welcome to the club, Helena.

The short answer to your question is 'yes'. 

The American publishers, Scholastic, changed some of the words and phrases
so that they would be more easily understood by readers in the US.  Not
everyone (especially adult readers) thinks that was necessary, but JK
Rowling reportedly approved all the changes herself.  She is said to have
wanted everyone to have a similar 'experience' of the books and the logic
behind the changes was that some younger US readers might stumble over the
British words and phrases.

Arguably, the worst offence was changing the title of the first book to
"...Sorcerer's Stone," because it deals specifically with the Philosopher's
Stone (Nicolas Flamel, the French alchemist, was a real person, who was
involved in search for the Philosopher's Stone).  

Some have commented that there were fewer UK to US changes in the fourth
book, and this was probably because the US version was released at the same
time as the Bloomsbury (UK) edition, leaving less time to make the changes.

Neil








            Flying-Ford-Anglia

 *****************************************

   "Then, dented, scratched and steaming, 
   the car rumbled off into the darkness, 
   its rear lights blazing angrily"

 [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

 *****************************************