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Harry Potter, US version

Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
edited January 2023 in General Chat
I started reading the HP books. I just finished the first one today. But I (mistakenly -I won't let it happen again!) bought the US version of it, and things were obviously changed: Mostly the usual things, like "football"->"soccer", "mum"->"mom" etc (although at one point the word "dinner" obviously refered to the noon meal, but they missed that).
But... why change "Philosopher's stone" to "Sorcerer's stone"? Surely philosophers aren't called sorcerers in the US... And of course Rowling didn't make this object up, alchemists really did try to create a Philosopher's stone.
Post edited by JustV on

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    \
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The American publishing company that J.K.Rowling went with back when she was still little more then an unknown writer with one small credit to her name sold solely in England and some European countries, decided that Philosopher was not magical enough to be in a book about Wizards and magic. The whole notion of Alchemy is lost on Americans and the true accounts of Nicholas Flammel are not as widely known as in Europe where he lived and supposedly was successful in his efforts to perform Alchemy. As a result it was changed...

    Basically, it was a big shot American Publisher just throwing his weight around for no reason. Rowling even says if sh ehad been more experienced she would not have let it happen, but it is too late now. Funnily enough the English version is quite popular in the States!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    scarlettleeds wrote:
    I don't get why they'd do that tbh. Surely people in the US like it for its Britishness, so why have people saying "Mom" instead of "Mum"? Do they really think Americans are so stupid that they won't be able to work out what that means? That would piss me off no end.

    :lol: Me too.

    It's like when newspapers and magazines interview American actors etc and the interview isn't transcribed anything like the way it would've actually been conversationally or whatever. "I went with out with my mum, we got stuck in the lift etc". Because no one would be able to figure out what "mom" and "elevator" were. Annoying, whichever way it's being "translated".
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JK Rowling agreed to the name being changed because the US publisher wanted to, and she was so amazed that someone was publishing her book that she let them, and she didn't know that she could say no!

    I think the Harry Potter Lexicon has a list of all the things they've changed in each book.
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    Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    subject13 wrote:
    The American publishing company that J.K.Rowling went with back when she was still little more then an unknown writer with one small credit to her name sold solely in England and some European countries, decided that Philosopher was not magical enough to be in a book about Wizards and magic. The whole notion of Alchemy is lost on Americans and the true accounts of Nicholas Flammel are not as widely known as in Europe where he lived and supposedly was successful in his efforts to perform Alchemy. As a result it was changed...
    Yes, but the "Philosopher's stone" isn't something she made up... It's like deciding to call the Eiffel Tower "Tower of Iron".
    I still get what you mean, just saying that I find it absurd...

    And... Nicholas Flammel was a real person? Heh, I thought she made him up...
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    Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    Knee High Stripy Socks wrote:
    I think the Harry Potter Lexicon has a list of all the things they've changed in each book.
    Thanks for that... I'll see what I've missed.
    I'll never make that mistake again! :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    scarlettleeds wrote:
    I don't get why they'd do that tbh. Surely people in the US like it for its Britishness, so why have people saying "Mom" instead of "Mum"? Do they really think Americans are so stupid that they won't be able to work out what that means? That would piss me off no end.

    Isn't a mum a flower I have no idea what else it could possible mean freak3.gif

    I think "translating" it is the dumbest thing ever. Granted I did have a hell of a time figuring out how a human being could fit into a cubbord :o
    Harry Potter is british and thats how it should be. Dare I mention The Office, american version :p
    I wouldn't read the American version thats for sure.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nicholas flammel and the philosophers stone are both supposedley real.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They do that with a lot of books.

    My lecturer is British and they changed her whole book into American just to please the bigger market (the version they sell in the UK is American spelling too).
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my_name wrote:
    Dare I mention The Office, american version :p
    I watched half an episode and had to switch it off. Awful!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wooooooooah wrote:
    I watched half an episode and had to switch it off. Awful!

    Theres a stapler in your jello *laughter*
    Had to change it after that. It was indeed a sad sad thing.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my_name wrote:
    Theres a stapler in your jello *laughter*
    Had to change it after that. It was indeed a sad sad thing.
    Have you sampled the original version?
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Americans SUCK at using the English language. God, they suck.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Teh_Gerbil wrote:
    Americans SUCK at using the English language. God, they suck.
    A lot of things are just old English. Like when they put z in words that we use s. The z was there first in ye olde English, its just that we have evolved, they haven't.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote:
    its just that we have evolved, they haven't.

    What you mean they are still monkeys over there?

    :D
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    Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    To be honest sometimes the words the americans use are more fitting (IMO). Like "flashlight". Calling this a "torch" is like calling this a "crossbow" or this an "abbacus".
    Other times though it's just silly... How can a game where people barely use their legs to touch the ball be called "football"??

    And on a side note, I just noticed this:
    scarlettleeds wrote:
    Surely people in the US like it for its Britishness
    Really? And here I thought the reason people read novels is for the story. :p
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It works the other way too as I found out tonight. Just watched a L'oreal advert and Eva Longoria said something like "great for legs and bums" or something, the point being in America she would have said "butt". I dunno just a random post.
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