US Insanity and Translations

[sffcorgi]

No: HPFGUIDX 42785

--- Yr Awen groused righteously:
> ...the publishers felt it necessary to change the title of 'Harry
> Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' to 'Harry Potter and the
> Sorceror's Stone.' Argh! Was the first not catchy enough?

O Spirit of Inspiration, I have just spent a good bit of time 
searching for the interview with Arthur Levine, the American editor, 
in which he said -- I wish I could quote, but I couldn't find it 
again -- that 'Philosopher's Stone' sounded 'too "Indiana Jones"' and 
therefore he came up with 'Sorcerer's Stone' because he felt it was 
more in keeping with the tone of the book.

The absurdity burned its way into my brain pretty concisely, though.  
<utterly disgusted look>  And he makes a lot more money than me, I'm 
quite sure.

This was the best reference I could find about the title-change where 
it relates to the decision:
http://www.kidsreads.com/harrypotter/jkrowling.html

Corgi
Dicentra Appreciation Society