UK vs US

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 170508

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Lauren Merryfield" <lauren1 at ...> wrote:
>
> Brenda:
> > I am new to the whole chat room, posting stuff, but I was wondering:
> > How different is the UK version of HP versus the US version? I live
> > in the US, and only have the US version. I don't even know where to
> > go to get the UK version. Am I missing a lot by reading the US
> > version and not the UK version? I've been reading the posting on this
> > site and notice often how the UK version seems to explain more. Is
> > that true?

Lauren:
> Hi,
> I'm sure this was discussed a long time ago, but I am new.  Why does the UK version call 
it "philosopher's stone" and the US version call it the "sorcerer's stone?"
> Thanks

Geoff:
The Philosopher's Stone is supposed to exist as a legendary 
object sought by folk such as alchemists. Nicolas Flamel was 
supposed to have made one. If you Google these two names, 
there are useful links to relevant pages in Wikipedia.

I read somewhere that, when the book came to be published 
in the US, the publishers believed that readers would be ignorant 
of and put off by this name and so settled on the title of 
Sorcerer's Stone for the American edition rather than JKR's 
original name.