Why when JK Rowling called it Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone did scholastic change it in all American versions to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers stone?
Has been bugging me for some time now and seems to make no sense as it is a title and American English isn't that different so why translate it?
Oh is anything else different? I'm curious. I am complete Harry Potter addict :P.
2007-07-13 06:45:45 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
The book's American editor, Arthur Levine, who was also responsible for editing out words and usages characteristic of British English, felt that Philosopher's Stone conveyed an incorrect idea of the subject matter, and that a title change was necessary. Rowling and Levine had agreed to change words only when they felt that it would otherwise be incomprehensible to American readers. Several alternative titles were discussed, and Rowling chose Sorcerer's Stone in the end.[4] The "translations" in the American edition led to criticism by many readers. The New York Times ran an article titled "Harry Potter, Minus a Certain Flavour" on July 10, 2000, which heavily criticised Scholastic's decision to Americanise the US Harry Potter editions.[5] Many felt that the translations insulted the intelligence of the American public. In their editions of the sequels, Scholastic did not Americanise the text as much and did not change the titles.
2007-07-13 06:53:37 · answer #1 · answered by ewsoprano 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Americans have different words for some things. Like the way I would call a bin a bin, they would call it a garbage can.
Philosopher is probably sorcerer in America,
2007-07-13 06:52:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
yea they did change it for americans, i would assume that scholastic thought americans wouldnt know what the philosophers stone was.
2007-07-13 06:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by The infamous bongblaster 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I also heard it was to 'American-ise' it, so American children would understand it better. But, on the other hand, the American copies have pictures too which ours don't, we gotta use our imaginations more
2007-07-14 07:03:15 · answer #4 · answered by Limpy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think for the first book, and maybe the second, they changed a lot of things, like the way people in in england, but in the later boos, people liked JK so much that they didnt change these things anymore...
2007-07-13 06:49:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
in US they called it Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone
2007-07-13 06:53:34 · answer #6 · answered by BengaliChick 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm addicted too and I've read and seen all of them except the new movie, not yet anyways, but I haven't read anything that would lead me to think that they changed it for us alone. But maybe they changed for other countries too.
2007-07-13 06:52:37 · answer #7 · answered by sockorfreek360 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They must have figured it would sell better. Since it was the first book, she must have had less control.
2007-07-13 06:48:41 · answer #8 · answered by Steve C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
america calls philosiphers, socerer's, just like in America it's called a bathroom, but in the UK it's called a loo.
2007-07-13 06:52:58 · answer #9 · answered by ■ Jessie ■ 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋