Reply to: Literary revisionism

[vetran]

What about Edith Blyton?

She was sexist, racist, xenophobic, nasty to her first husband and more, yet apparently she is the world's most popular children's author.

Enid's sister?

[vetran]

I think the Bible should be in line for literary revisionism

good point

Sodom and Gomorrah need a bit of updating. Of course the betrothal of an underage Mary is suspect. A bit of stoning for various crimes.
The Torah & Koran need work...

[NotAllThere]

What about Edith Blyton?

I'd read her books when I was bored and snaffled them from my sisters, but frankly I never liked them. Roald Dahl may have been a tulip, but he could write!

[SueEllen]

In other new, Agatha Christies book, now known as "And then there were none", only had its title changed in 1985, in the UK. In the US, they changed it in 1941.

What about Edith Blyton?

She was sexist, racist, xenophobic, nasty to her first husband and more, yet apparently she is the world's most popular children's author.

[SueEllen]

I think the Bible should be in line for literary revisionism

If it is revised any more times the Book of Job may actually be interesting to read.

[Paddy]

I think the Bible should be in line for literary revisionism

[NotAllThere]

... but antisemitism we just brush under the carpet?

Have you been reading Baddiel's "Jews don't count"?

[NotAllThere]

Apparently even back then Dahl's publishers had to request changes. A strange man, but great books.

In other new, Agatha Christies book, now known as "And then there were none", only had its title changed in 1985, in the UK. In the US, they changed it in 1941.

[SueEllen]

RD was apparently quite an anti-semite, which I wasn't aware of.

His descriptions of some of his characters give it away.

If he was a slave-trader, his books would be out of print in protest,

Not necessarily.

Philip Larkin was a known racist whose works were under recent debate.

but antisemitism we just brush under the carpet?

They haven't which is why you and I know about them.

Lots of authors/poets illustrate their political views in their works, and/or are quite vocal so write letters/go on broadcasts to air their views.

[d000hg]

Does Tom Sawyer sell in the same numbers it did when it was first released - hint it doesn't because the world moved on and it seems old fashioned.

The estate of Roald Dahl (for which read Netflix having paid $x00,000,000 for exclusive rights) want to rewrite the books and have ever right to do so.

And Roald Dahl did the same - his editor hated the original version of Matilda so he re-wrote her to not torture her parents.

As was argued in the article, if these books are no longer appropriate, let them wither rather than being watered down. They are supposed to be nasty, that was the case even when first published, and the attraction of them.
That said Tom Sawyer is still considered a classic.

The rights holders have the legal right to do what they want, but it's pretty crass to start hacking someone else's work to make it "nicer".

RD was apparently quite an anti-semite, which I wasn't aware of. If he was a slave-trader, his books would be out of print in protest, but antisemitism we just brush under the carpet?

[vetran]

The same scenes are in Maltida The Musical, that is still in cinemas.

The cake eating scene isn't fat shaming as the kid stands up to the head teacher, who proves she is inconsistent, unfair and ruthless in her approach.

Bruce,Bruce,Bruce,Bruce,Bruce,Bruce,Bruce

borderline! and not in a sexy Madonna way

[jamesbrown]

[NotAllThere]

Roald Dhal

Some kind of curry, I'm guessing.

Anyway, I've got the full collection of the original Roald Dahl books. I'll hang onto them.

[SueEllen]

Matilda in the DeVito version glued his hat on and dyed her mothers hair for starters. The cake eating scene is fat shaming.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_(1996_film)

The same scenes are in Maltida The Musical, that is still in cinemas.

The cake eating scene isn't fat shaming as the kid stands up to the head teacher, who proves she is inconsistent, unfair and ruthless in her approach.

[eek]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64702224



Filed under #TheWorldsGoneMad, #WokeMadness, yada yada. What utter bunkum.
Parents who read and enjoyed these books as children, without being morally damaged by them, are deciding they are not appropriate for their own kids (nobody asks the kids of course).

What next, taking the naughty words out of Tom Sawyer?

Does Tom Sawyer sell in the same numbers it did when it was first released - hint it doesn't because the world moved on and it seems old fashioned.

The estate of Roald Dahl (for which read Netflix having paid $x00,000,000 for exclusive rights) want to rewrite the books and have ever right to do so.

And Roald Dahl did the same - his editor hated the original version of Matilda so he re-wrote her to not torture her parents.