American editor underestimates the intelligence of Harry Potter readers

When I got my first Harry Potter book (the Scholastic edition) I noticed that it used American spellings (things like "color" instead of "colour"). And the name of the book didn't match the movie (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone).

Later at another bookstore I found the Canadian edition (from Raincoast books), and it had much prettier cover art so I bought the rest of my Potter books from there. And I was so unhappy about my American book that I ended up buying Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone from Raincoast too.

It's not just the spelling that's Americanized in the Scholastic edition. A quaffle is compared to a soccer ball (not a football), a Beater's bat is like "a short baseball bat" (not a rounder's bat, whatever that is), and Hermione has a crying jag in "the "bathroom" (not the toilets). All that in about 4 pages.

Is this interference called for? There's no question for me personally - half the charm of the Potter stories is their Britishness (I'm pretty nerdy about my love of things English) and I can't help but feel that the American books are butchered. But they're more approachable for American kids. Does this dumb them down too much?

EDIT: I've changed the title to reflect what I see as the real issue. But this discussion has brought home the fact that many Americans see everything un-American as, at best, not the sort of thing impressionable kids should be exposed to.

forgive me, however, if I try to make light of the insult..

Nomo, you are now free to move about the thread..:)

oh nomo, there you go again making too much sense! that must be why i lurve you so much!

Hi! Just checking in to say Hi! :)

Interesting argument y'all got going on here. :)

- HK, Volunteer Mod :)

ACTUALLY, what i said was

i have had the unfortunate "privilege" (if i can call it that) to be confronted on a daily basis by people because they don't like the way that i look. i think that most americans are the ones that are SHELTERED

and i said it in response to another person who was attacking me personally (just like YOU are right now) because they didn't agree with me.

please, grow up.

::giggles @ heather::  *continues furiously working on poem*

May I suggest we stop with the personal statements? :)

Do we really need to make our point with words like "Please, grow up." You realize, with that line, you take away from your own argument, right? Better, methinks, to argue without the personal comments. People tend to take you more seriously. :)

Just suggesting. :)

It seriously cracks me up that you are this worked up about this, when I haven't even insulted you. And yet you keep insulting me by calling me immature and telling me to grow up.

Anywho... here's a poem...

You call em bangers,
I'll call em sausages.
You call em mash,
I'll call em taters.
Whatever you call it,
Bangers and mash,
Or Sausage and Taters
Make me a happy girl.

i'm a bit heavy
on my yin and light on my
yang, can you help me?

-haiku of peace and balance by nomo

best haiku of all time:


You must scratch me there!
Yes, above my tail! Behold,
Elevator butt.

excuse me for the "personal comment" of "please, grow up", but i was merely answering one of the many comments that have attacked me personally in this thread.

i am trying to stay on the topic, i LIKE this topic, but i could do without the BS that's been directed at me for not agreeing.

i don't know, in my life i've always welcomed discussions like this. you never grow from being surrounded by people who think exactly like you. just something to think about...

oh, this isn't an insult? silly me!!

well, i do recall earlier in the post talking about how dumb americans are and how they don't accept you b/c of how you look. *wipes tear from eye*


 

Am I the only loony bin who starts tapping fingers & counting every time I see a haiku?

poohb is so sad
to see many people mad
can't we all be friends?

Alright, this post is past the point of being a discussion and has gone to the point of people being angry and hurt.

I'm here to see things cool down. Please, everyone?

We've got better things to do than argue on the internet.

Cool as a cucumber here.

kindoflikesara -

I have nothing personally against you at all!  And I can respect other people's opinions - I really can.  You might acknowlege, though, that the reason people are not so receptive of your opinion on this topic is because the opinion itself insults the intelligence of Americans, and thus, even if you are calling it an honest argument, many find it insulting.

So each time you reinforce that this is just your opinion, to some of us it feels like you keep saying "Americans aren't very smart" again & again & again.

Hear what I'm saying?

Would it be offensive to add a little :)?  Because I really don't mean to insult...

I think the 'Americans are stupid' stuff is insulting, but I think the question as to whether or not text should be edited due to cultural differences between countries is a valid discussion..

It is my hope that all our British (or British loving) friends can differentiate between insult and debate.

I completely agree, poohb and kathy... I think we make a huge leap from the purity of a book in it's origional language and calling people dumb because they like translations.

am i alone in thinking that people are better served by not taking such statements personally?

isn't it true that the person making such a generalized statement is revealing more about him or herself than about those referenced in the generalization?

Folks, I'd like to ask you all that you give this thread twenty-four hours to cool down. Then if you have anything to add, you can, but with cooler heads.

I'd also like to point out that pretty much everyone at this point who is upset is IN the USA. It seems to me you're all in agreement over one simple point: you love your country.  This is good. You should love your country.

So, just to repeat my request: give it twenty-four hours and then come back to see if there's anything you'd like to add.

~ Charlotte, Volunteer Moderator
...On a Canadian Peacekeeping Mission :-)

You are, of course, quite correct, Nomo. Your position is called the 'higher ground'. I will happily join you there and refrain from further comment here. :)