Author Roald Dahl’s books are being revised 50 years after being published to replace language that has been deemed offensive.
Roald Dahl’s Books Undergo Changes to Replace Offensive Language
Words such as “fat” are being removed and other words that are related to race, gender, and weight. James and the Giant Peach alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are some of the books undergoing these changes.
The changes were first reported by Britain’s Telegraph newspaper. They showed hundreds of changes made by Puffin Books (Penguin Random House) and the Roald Dahl Story Company. The changes went all the way back to 2020 and even led to paragraphs added to books that weren’t written by Dahl, who passed away in 1990.
Fans of Roald Dahl are Outraged
Many people including award-winning author Salman Rushdie were angry with these changes.
“Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed,” Rushdie tweeted.
The Roald Dahl Story Company’ spokesperson said that they wanted Dahl’s stories 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 spokesperson said.
An Illustrious Career
Dahl’s works are popular with young readers and children around the world. Many of his works have been made into movies such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda.
He has sold over 300 million copies worldwide and his books have been translated into 63 languages. Many of his fans enjoy his use of satire and darker tones that other books do not often have.
I abhor this trend! A book reveals the author’s thoughts and way of thinking in relation to the time in which he/she lived. To change one word without that author’s knowledge is to desecrate both the author and the work. A forward might be acceptable if deemed necessary, but nothing should interfere with the work itself. If a parent wants to explain some things to a child regarding language he should be allowed that dignity, not have someone else’s thoughts imposed.
I agree but I imagine being labeled as a children’s author was what led to this change. Plus, with all the recent book bannings happening, the Roald Dahl estate probably got scared and agreed to the changes.
No excuses are acceptable.
You are correct. A child’s parent is responsible for him/her. If that parent previews a book and isn’t satisfied with the content, the parent need not buy it.
The moral of current times is to own physical books.
This is totally woke and I will not buy or read the revised versions. Its ppl being. Offended for the sake of being offended to words and the 2nd is off. Be offended over that.