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03-20-2003, 06:41 PM | #1 |
Fowl Administrator
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Americanization of Harry Potter = BAD
This goes beyond just the whole "Philosopher's Stone"/"Sorceror's Stone" thing, though that's part of it.
The changes in the American editions are in fact more pervasive and numerous than most people recognize. There are a lot of edits in the text not made by J.K. Rowling that attempt to "Americanize" the books for American readers, and a lot of them are kept under the covers so that people hardly notice. In terms of the integrity of J.K. Rowling's use of the English language, and her distinct writing style, I think even such minor, subtle changes are a big problem, because culturally they are not representative of the author's intentions for the world she created. Instead of Americanizing the books to make them appeal to readers, they should be left intact and untouched to draw readers into the quirks of British culture - because that's what literature is fundamentally about: being exposed to new ideas through storytelling. It's times like this that I'm proud to be in Canada where I can get the real, original British text. I urge the American readers out there to get a hold of the right editions whenever possible, as difficult as it is. For lists of changes to the text, try this site.
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03-20-2003, 08:10 PM | #2 |
Doughy Elf
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Go Canada, Go Canada, YAY!!!
I never knew that they made changes for Americans. |
03-21-2003, 02:18 AM | #3 |
the Shrike
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Man, it drives me nuts that people are too dumb too realise that philosophy was the early branch of science. There's nothing magical about alchemy for crap's sake!!!
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03-21-2003, 03:18 PM | #4 |
Lady of Letters
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I can't believe they thought it was necessary to make so many changes. Do they really think Americans are so culturally insular that they won't read a book where it says "biscuits" instead of "cookies"? If I were American, I would feel quite insulted. I'm really glad British publishers don't "translate" American books in the same way (as far as I'm aware) because I find them the best way of finding out about the American way of life and language differences. It's far more interesting to learn stuff like that, IMO
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And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool. |
03-23-2003, 04:37 PM | #5 |
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I am American, and I do feel quite insulted. However I only read the British Harry Potter, so it doesn't bother me. (Thank Eru for Amazon!)
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03-23-2003, 04:52 PM | #6 |
protector of orphaned rabbits
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well, a few are obviusly needed ie: football/soccerball, crisps/chips
just because americans have different names for somethings. all in all the plot doesn't seem affected, so i don't really care, i get enough brit/aussie/NZ/ canadian speak from you people
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03-24-2003, 01:47 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
(Let's not even go into what an Americanized Lord of the Rings would be like.) This is done solely out of commercial purposes - and unjustified ones, at that. Rowling made the "Sorceror's Stone" concession to get the contract for the first book, and regretted it ever since - and that just got the ball rolling on a very bad precedent of edited American versions.
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03-24-2003, 02:04 AM | #8 | |
Elf Lord
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Quote:
JK Rowling does have some problems with her verb form (present perfect, whatnot, bla de bla), and I think I might find that irritating in the British version, but so do other reknowned authors. And what's with adding the black student, or whatnot? That's odd.
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03-24-2003, 04:15 AM | #9 | |
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Quote:
Americanising the works does nothing to enhance them for a new audience, to me it rather detracts from them as they no longer represent the culture of the people who they are about. Harry & the crowd are British, as such the colloquialisms and references used serve to enhance the authenticity.
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03-24-2003, 05:15 PM | #10 |
Dread Mothy Lord and Halfwitted Apprentice Loremaster
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Americanisation of anything is bad, even if it's Harry Potter. Not to say that America is bad (though I do prefer English spelling ), but Americanisation destroys the flavour of a work, IMO. Not good at all.
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03-26-2003, 06:41 AM | #11 |
Halfwitted
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I don't really see the point ... it's not like we don't understand British English. It's just so, I don't know, senseless.
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03-27-2003, 04:43 PM | #12 |
Enting
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What shocks me more is that it was the American editors who suggested to make the changes. They were underestimating the people from their own country! That's something I really don't understand. For example, I live in Argentina, and books (even children books) that come from, say, Spain, aren't changed to "our" Spanish.
And it really bothers me that they changed the title. Small things like jumper/sweater and such I can accept, but the Philosopher's Stone isn't an invention of Mrs. Rowling- it's a real legend. I read that the editors changed it to "Sorcerer's Stone" so the children could have a better idea of what it was about. So they: 1) Assumed NO children in the US had heard about the Philosopher's Stone 2) Took from them the opportunity to actually learn what it was. Why, oh, why did they do that?
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03-27-2003, 04:55 PM | #13 |
Legolas's beloved sister and Queen of the Wood Elves of Mirkwood
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In my school, we talk with American grammer, we some times even get a detention for it! (Been there myself,)
To our English Doctors and Professors it is just plain wrong grammer. Anyway, back to Harry Potter...I have not read the American version but have heard a lot about it, Somethings obviosusly need changing, sidewalk/path, jam/jelly. All that lot. I havn't really much more to say on this topic, as I have not read that version. |
03-27-2003, 05:50 PM | #14 | |
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One thing that is as sure as mustard, if a kid doesn't know something he/she will ask (good thing)..........I've learned that kids are very good at asking questions (better thing). |
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03-30-2003, 09:49 AM | #15 | |
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Also, when they did that, they robbed the first HP book of it's connection with mythology, inventing a new name for an incredibly old idea.
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04-01-2003, 01:05 AM | #16 |
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Yes. Agreement here.
I really enjoy British words myself--I find them more interesting than mine, whether they are, or whether they're just new. But honestly, adults should know these things, like simple words--football, biscuit, etc. And many kids know them, and if they don't, they ask. Really. I read a comment--maybe from JK, can't remember--that "jumper" to "sweater" was a must because they didn't want to give the impression that all the boys wore dresses. (I think it would be interesting...) tano
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04-02-2003, 02:04 PM | #17 | |
Lady of Letters
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And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool. |
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04-02-2003, 07:38 PM | #18 |
Eccentric Chocolate Crow
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In America "jumper" refers to, I think, the kind of sleevless dress you put on over a shirt.
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Wisdom for Short Attention Spans...Ozy and Millie. It rocks. Food Of The Gods: 3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione Feed Me.... Another Online Dwelling Place... "All right, I confess. It is my intention to comandeer a ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, to rape, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out." -Captain Jack Sparrow "The trouble with unknown enemies is that they are so difficult to identify." -Amelia Peabody Emerson "Most people obey the orders of someone who is pointing a gun at their head." -A.P. Emerson |
04-03-2003, 01:22 PM | #19 | |
Lady of Letters
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And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool. |
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04-03-2003, 09:45 PM | #20 |
Eccentric Chocolate Crow
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I just really enjoy British words over American ones, most of the time. Probably because they're new to me.
(Noticed your sig, sun-star: YEAH! Another Bard lover! ) tano
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Wisdom for Short Attention Spans...Ozy and Millie. It rocks. Food Of The Gods: 3,7-dihydro-3,7-dimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione Feed Me.... Another Online Dwelling Place... "All right, I confess. It is my intention to comandeer a ship, pick up a crew in Tortuga, to rape, pillage, plunder and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out." -Captain Jack Sparrow "The trouble with unknown enemies is that they are so difficult to identify." -Amelia Peabody Emerson "Most people obey the orders of someone who is pointing a gun at their head." -A.P. Emerson |
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