posted
Completely off topic, I know, sorry, but does anyone know why the philosopher / sorcerer change was made to the title of Harry Potter 1 in the US only? After all, there is no sorcerer's stone. It has always been the philosopher's stone.
-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Simple really. Sorcery = cool, philosophy = boring. They figured ver kids wouldn't go and see a movie with the word 'philosophy' in it, never mind that all said kids had already read the book. . .
posted
No, and the books were edited so that a poor American child didn't accidently read the word "fortnight" and burst into flames.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Scholastic also made the cover art all childish and cartoony. Which is forgiveable. Kind of. They also put pictures in the body of the text, in case some poor American child's imagination stalled and needed to be shunted into action again. Which is unforgiveable.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Strange that they don't imagine that American children should have as much imagination as children in other parts of the world. Well, perhaps...who knows...
-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
I think if you look carefully at any of the writers in the fantasy / sci-fi genre you can see similarities with Tolkiens work. He simply covered so much with his books that you can only vary on the theme. Simply put he not only covered the bulk of the gambit but set the whole trend with the genre. David Eddings, Raymond E. Fiest and a whole group of others have stories that glaring borrow from Tolkien. And so on and so forth. Doesn't mean that they don't have merit. They're more paying homage to a great writer than ripping him off.
My two cents worth, anyway
For those of you who liked LOTR the Silmarillion is a crackingly good read. If you have the patience!
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
The cover-art is kinda cartoony anyway, if Canada has the same versions we do. Especially the first book. Although by Goblet of Fire they've gotten all posh. And then there are the "adult editions", which have far more subtle covers.
I shall now steal a joke from Total Film and translate the other book titles for the Americans.
Harry Potter and the Big Room where you keep stuff you don't tell no-one. Harry Potter and the bad man who is from the place bad wizards are kept. Harry Potter and the cup of hot stuff.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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