Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” to make them more acceptable to modern readers.
A review of new editions of Dahl’s books now available in bookstores shows that some passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered. The changes made by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Random House, first were reported by Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie was among those who reacted angrily to the rewriting of Dahl’s words. Rushdie lived in hiding for years after Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 issued a fatwa calling for his death because of the alleged blasphemy in his novel “The Satanic Verses.” He was attacked and seriously injured last year at an event in New York state.
The Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it worked with Puffin to review the texts because it wanted to ensure that “Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today.” “When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details, including a book’s cover and page layout,’’ the company said. “Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text.”Dahl died in 1990 at the age of 74.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Critics reject changes to Roald Dahl books as censorshipCritics are accusing the publisher of Roald Dahl’s children’s books of censorship after it removed language from stories such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda
Read more »
Critics reject changes to Roald Dahl books as censorshipLONDON (AP) — Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works…
Read more »
Oompa-Loompas no longer 'tiny': Sensitivity readers take the gnarl out of DahlPuffin has made hundreds of changes to the original stories, removing many of Dahl\u0027s colourful descriptions and making his characters less grotesque.
Read more »
Oompa-Loompas no longer 'tiny': Sensitivity readers take the gnarl out of DahlPuffin has made hundreds of changes to the original stories, removing many of Dahl\u0027s colourful descriptions and making his characters less grotesque
Read more »
Oompa-Loompas no longer 'tiny': Sensitivity readers take the gnarl out of DahlPuffin has made hundreds of changes to the original stories, removing many of Dahl\u0027s colourful descriptions and making his characters less grotesque
Read more »
Oompa-Loompas no longer 'tiny': Sensitivity readers take the gnarl out of DahlPuffin has made hundreds of changes to the original stories, removing many of Dahl\u0027s colourful descriptions and making his characters less grotesque
Read more »