Roald Dahl's Books Being Altered

[dshl]

Can I have people's take on this?

Puffin Books are changing some things to be more inclusive/less offensive, etc.

I believe this has already happened with Roald Dahl's work in the past.

But it's kicking up a little bit of a storm and I'm interested in what people's here honest opinions are on this kind thing, as I often consider urban75 opinions, among many other things, of course, when forming my own.

 

[dshl]

Sorry last option should read 'Edits maybe ok' not 'are'. Don't think I can change that now.

 

[bluescreen]

If one function of children's literature is to be morally improving, then yes. So long as the original is kept in the BL, which it is.

When I was a child I didn't like morally improving books.

It would be a shame if they lost the bit about George's grandma having a mouth like a dog's bottom.

Adult books, no.

 

[a_chap]

Where's the "All books are evil and should be burned" option?

Poll fail.

 

[dshl]

Actually not sure that little bit makes sense re. third option. I guess I mean to say current authors self-editing due to pressures of inclusivity, etc

But neither here nor there. The focal point here is regarding the past.

 

[dshl]

If one function of children's literature is to be morally improving, then yes. So long as the original is kept in the BL, which it is.

When I was a child I didn't like morally improving books.

It would be a shame if they lost the bit about George's grandma having a mouth like a dog's bottom.

Adult books, no.

Sorry, what does BL mean?

 

[surreybrowncap]

Sorry, what does BL mean?

British Library???

 

[Gromit]

Keep the books exactly that same but force publishers to include a warning sticker on the outside and a foreword on the inside…
…explaining that the book contains language no longer considered acceptable by current standards etc etc

 

[CNT36]

I don't really see the problem with the edits but nor do I see the need. The edits I have seen so are have been pretty innocuous. Many are single word substitutions enormous for fat for example. Sometimes dealing with things that may have become a more sensitive issue since the books were published as things have changed or progressed. Not just the usual woke/anti-woke PC treadmill. A bit has been added about women wearing wigs not meaning they are witches. Considerate stuff so will get the snowflake patrols excited.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

I remember reading Dr Doolitte as a young child (single digits) the mind searingly racist bits were quite the education on how people thought back then. (and what to look out for now)

I can't really say much about this one without first looking at what has been edited.

 

[Cloo]

The edits all seemed a bit pointless to me, having seen them. I'd incline to leaving things the hell alone unless you have a living author who will permit it.

 

[belboid]

Hasn't C&tCF already been amended? I thought the original descriptions the Oompa Loompas was changed years ago to due its obvious racism.

 

[JimW]

Not inclined to let my kids read anything by the poisonous old fuck so they can edit them how they like.

 

[marty21]

I never read them as a kid - don't know why - it wasn't as if I was avoiding potentially controversial stuff in 40 years - I hoovered up Enid Blyton. That said , leave them as is.

 

[xenon]

Removing the word like fat, ugly, flabby etc, does seem somewhat ridiculous.

Changing Cloud Men to Cloud People, fair enough.

The witches and wigs thing. Just seems a bit try hard right on and naff but what evs.

It's great copy for the gammonatry media though.

 

[JimW]

Charlie and the Carob Co-op.

 

[emanymton]

Make both available and let people choose??

 

[Plumdaff]

Not inclined to let my kids read anything by the poisonous old fuck so they can edit them how they like.

When I've read Dahl to my daughter I've edited them myself (missing whole paragraphs of classist, fattist shite normally) - happy for them to take that out.

 

[belboid]

Ohh, Dahl had to change his description of the BFG too, after the publisher complained about its 'derisive stereotype' ( a black, flat-nosed, giant with “thick rubbery lips . . . like two gigantic purple frankfurters lying on top of the other.”). Dahl replied that “the negro lips thing is taken care of.”

Oh No! The Depressing Truth About the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory Workers | History News Network

historynewsnetwork.org

 

[belboid]

Charlie and the Carob Co-op.

Wonka “shipped them over here, every man, woman, and child in the Oompa-Loompa tribe. It was easy. I smuggled them over in large packing cases with holes in them, and they all got here safely.”

 

[MickiQ]

No not in favour, if you feel certain literature isn't suitable for your children then it is your right as a parent to not get them those books but censorship well-meaning or not is a very slippery slope indeed.

Keep the books exactly that same but force publishers to include a warning sticker on the outside and a foreword on the inside…
…explaining that the book contains language no longer considered acceptable by current standards etc etc

 

[krtek a houby]

Make both available and let people choose??

Interesting point.

Like albums having a clean version...

The gammons will lose their shit over it but ime, some tend to be the same who complain about hip-hop profanity in the lyrics.

 

[skyscraper101]

Yeah it's fine. Certainly not nearly as controversial as some of Dahls dodge views on Jewish people.

 

[pinkmonkey]

We had a family xmas party at a pub in December. My aunt brought some old Garfield annuals to amuse my SIL and BIL's two kids. So I read one of the annuals aloud to my niece and got halfway through one comic strip and was like WTF am I reading here? where Jon, Garfields owner fancies Garfields female vet and literally forces himself on her after she's said she wasn't interested. Was really gross tbh.
Sure they can leave the books as they are. Things date, don't they? Some things more than others and some things are now seen as downright offensive (Little black Sambo). Can't comment on Roald Dahl haven't read his books since I were small. I guess they could lose their popularity if they're seen as dated and cringe. Is this why the publisher is editing it?

 

[Artaxerxes]

Nobody asked for it, nobody actually gives a shit on the left and this is just more culture war pearl clutching from the right and a an estate with full copyright and control of the works trying to make sure they can still sell the books of a horrible man but great storyteller and earn money

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I don't have a problem with changing children's books. But sometimes it's probably better just to forget about them and move on. Not banning them, just choosing not to print or read them any more. However popular they might once have been, some books turn out not to be timeless classics.

 

[belboid]

Nobody asked for it, nobody actually gives a shit on the left and this is just more culture war pearl clutching from the right and a an estate with full copyright and control of the works trying to make sure they can still sell the books of a horrible man but great storyteller and earn money

it was an astounding coincidence that the family finally apologised for his appalling anti-semitism just when Netflix were announcing a multimillion pound deal to refile all of his children's books

 

[A380]

Dahl made his only changes. For example in the British version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the eponymous Charlie finds a fifty pence piece in the snow (describing its shiny silveriness) whereas in the American version its a crisp one dollar bill and he describes it crinkly-ness.

Have two versions, the original and the expurgated* version available. Really easy with e-books and not hard with hard copy ones.

*("The one without the gannet.")

 

[DotCommunist]

apparently Miss Honey used to have a gambling addiction.

 

[pinkmonkey]

I don't have a problem with changing children's books. But sometimes it's probably better just to forget about them and move on. Not banning them, just choosing not to print or read them any more. However popular they might once have been, some books turn out not to be timeless classics.

Enid Blyton, loved them as a kid. Now? Horrendous religious racist shit.