How much were the last 6 Harry Potter books edited (Americanized) by Scholastic for US readers?
North Carolina: Why do people feel the need to change the text of a U.K. book to suit a U.S. audience? Are Americans truly not capable enough to read something with Brit-isms? I don’t mind if Harry wears trainers and a jumper while carrying a torch, instead of sneakers, a sweater and flashlight. Lorries, loos, and hosepipes aren’t going to impact the charm of these books, so why “Americanize” the text? Arthur Levine: There are virtually no differences in the texts of the last few books. Washington, D.C.: How much did you “Americanize” the text (i.e. change spellings, idioms, and British speech patterns)? Arthur Levine: Very little. Our rule of thumb is that we almost never change anything in a character’s direct speech (characters talk the way they talk.) And we only query the author in instances where we think there will be a misunderstanding; this comes up more often when a word seems to be left out to American readers. It’s very rarely the simplistic substitution of a bit of British
North Carolina: Why do people feel the need to change the text of a U.K. book to suit a U.S. audience? Are Americans truly not capable enough to read something with Brit-isms? I don’t mind if Harry wears trainers and a jumper while carrying a torch, instead of sneakers, a sweater and flashlight. Lorries, loos, and hosepipes aren’t going to impact the charm of these books, so why “Americanize” the text? Arthur Levine: There are virtually no differences in the texts of the last few books. Washington, D.C.: How much did you “Americanize” the text (i.e. change spellings, idioms, and British speech patterns)? Arthur Levine: Very little. Our rule of thumb is that we almost never change anything in a character’s direct speech (characters talk the way they talk.) And we only query the author in instances where we think there will be a misunderstanding; this comes up more often when a word seems to be left out to American readers. It’s very rarely the simplistic substitution of a bit of British
