Another quintessential author’s works are being rewritten for contemporary sensibilities. Agatha Christie‘s best-selling novels will undergo a rigorous editing routine. The idea is to remove all passages containing ‘offensive’ language. Publisher Harper Collins will soon make the revised editions of Agatha Christie’s books available.
Recently, Puffin Publishers came under fire for its decision to revise the language in some of Roald Dahl’s books. His graphic and insulting illustration of human anatomy was left out of the new sanitized version of his books. Similarly, some of Ian Fleming’s ‘James Bond’ novels were rewritten to suit readers’ sensibilities better.
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Agatha Christie’s Novels Are Getting Rid Of Content Deemed Problematic
Another win for moral policing has gone too far. The best-selling works of Agatha Christie, written between 1920 and 1976, will undergo modernist revisions. The idea is to free the text of “descriptions, insults or references to ethnicity, particularly for characters Christie’s protagonists encounter outside the UK.“
Fortunately, only a few of her books are being revised for outdated references. For instance, the new edition of ‘Death On The Nile‘ no longer uses the phrase “Nubian people” to describe non-British body traits. The word “native” is now replaced with “local.” The new version of her debut novel, ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles,’ omits Hercule Poirot’s remarks on a character being Jewish. In addition, these revisions will part ways with Christie’s narration and dialogue with unsympathetic characters.
In Case You Missed: Why ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ Author Roald Dahl’s Books Are Being Censored
Roald Dahl And Ian Fleming’s Books Are Also Being Censored For Modern Audiences
Agatha Christie isn’t the only author from the bygone era whose work is being redone. Some of Roald Dahl’s books are being edited to appeal to all readers. The character of Augustus Gloop from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ will be “enormous” instead of “enormously fat.” In ‘The Twits,’ the description no longer reads “ugly and beastly,” just “beastly.”
Similar changes were announced for Ian Fleming’s ‘James Bond‘ novels. Fleming’s literary creation is a beloved pop culture figure. The books written in the 1950s and 1960s will remove the racial slurs and stereotypical descriptions of other ethnicities. Shockingly, references such as “sweet tang of r**e” and homosexuality being a “stubborn disability” will remain. Doesn’t make sense, does it?
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