book differences

[Liz Muir]

No: HPFGUIDX 40483

Sorry to be late (really) in replying to all these. Vacation time.

Rosie said:
>>I noticed from the differences list that they introduced Dean Thomas
in the Sorting Ceremony in the US edition too, and described him as
black. Does anyone know if this was because someone decided he should
be introduced earlier? Or was it (as I fear) because they thought, "Oh
no, we better point out that some random characters are black to be
more inclusive, even though we don't both pointing out when people are
white, and even though it has no bearing whatsoever on the story."? I'm
all for books representing the whole of society... but I think it looks
very clumsy to just point out that the odd character is black, or
Asian, or whatever, and just assume that obviously everyone else is
white; it looks as if it's just been done so that the publishers can go
"Look! We had a single mother/black child/wheelchair user" etc.
Although maybe it was just to get him mentioned earlier. What do you
think?<<

It's called PC - politically correct - and it's the reason American
books and tv shows tend to be not so great. People always have to worry
about someone sueing them for being racist/sexist/biased just because
their books haven't had a major black/female/whatever character yet.
The sad part being that they actually have to worry about this. People
take consitutional rights and equality way too far over here. When they
have a cow about not having a black person or whatever in a story
because "we're all the same," it seems like they are proving themselves
wrong, since if we were all the same, it shouldn't matter what race the
characters are. We shouldn't discriminate against others, but you
shouldn't get special privledges for being a minority either. Does this
make any sense?

>>Do you have the "Adult versions" and "Child Versions" over there too?

Exactly the same but with different covers? That struck me as quite 
stupid too.<<

Not really, although there are new paperback versions coming out that
are small sized with niced covers. (I never really liked the cover art,
sorry) They haven't been advertised as adult versions though. I think
it's nice though so that we can have more grown up looking copies.

lupinboi said:
>>Are the books dumbed down for American audiences? My friend K has all
the British editions.. is it worth plowing through those to catch all
the differences? Apart from "soccer/football" and the like, I was led
to believe that they were almost exactly alike.<<

No, quite a few things are taken out, added in. Check the Lexicon for a
complete list. (sorry that I'm too lazy to get you a link.)

Joyce said:

>>These books are British books and I do not want to read Americanized
versions of them.  JKR wrote them in a particular way.  They are based
on a certain way of life, of looking at the world.  The references to
British life and language are part of what I and my children love about
the books.  It is insulting to believe that children can not adapt and
learn new ways to learn a language they may think they already know.   
I know that my children have certainly expanded their vocabulary by
reading the books in the British edition.<<

That's a little too extreme for me. I don't mind them changing a few
slang words but I wish the wouldn't edit for content. I hope they
release a re-edited version for those of us who want it.



=====
Rowen Avalon (Liz Muir)

"We will not examine how grainy the frosting is. It's a cake. That's all we need to know."
"Everyone keeps learn more and more about less and less until finally they know everything about nothing. It's called specializing."
"The guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth then to the very center."
"I have nothing but contempt for a man who can spell a word only one way."

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