Potty About Potter

[mcgriffith]

Are you guys saying there are actually different editions with different content out there? Forgive my ignorance, but I had never even considered that.

Are there differences between the "children's version", the american version and the UK version? What are the differences?

I might just have read the kid's edition... oh, well. Upon closer inspection, mine doesn't say anything about kid's edition. It has the nice cover illustration by Jason Cockcroft (what a name!) on it. And it says "Bloomsbury". There's hope still...

UK version has sweeping turgid prose, with dark Orwellian overtones. Pod Men from Mars landing, etc. Very "colourful".

US version written in current teen hip-hop speak. All objects in novel identified by brand via Corporate Sponsorship.

Child's version: only 400 pages (short), but BIG TYPE and "luvely" pictures.....

(just kidding)

McG

[Goldenbead]

I bought my copy on the day of the release at Central in Phuket for 850 Baht. I went home and read it in 12 hours! It was brilliant. The whole time my 15 year old son was breathing down my neck wondering when I would finish. My husband is away and cannot get the book and was pestering me to tell him what happens, which I refused to do.

We are all big Harry Potter fans in this house.

[Crow Boy]

Are you guys saying there are actually different editions with different content out there? Forgive my ignorance, but I had never even considered that.

Are there differences between the "children's version", the american version and the UK version? What are the differences?

I might just have read the kid's edition... oh, well. Upon closer inspection, mine doesn't say anything about kid's edition. It has the nice cover illustration by Jason Cockcroft (what a name!) on it. And it says "Bloomsbury". There's hope still...

UK version has sweeping turgid prose, with dark Orwellian overtones. Pod Men from Mars landing, etc. Very "colourful".

US version written in current teen hip-hop speak. All objects in novel identified by brand via Corporate Sponsorship.

Child's version: only 400 pages (short), but BIG TYPE and "luvely" pictures.....

(just kidding)

McG

The three editions are as follows:

Bloomsbury version - written in British English as direct from J.K. Rowlings. The grammer and spelling uses standard British English and is the complete edit.

Childrens version- written in British English but has had some of the darker elements reduced. It is intended for children and the language has been edited to suit children up to age 12. The plot is less complex and makes it easier for kids to understand. It also has several illustrations to make it attractive to kids who like that sort of thing.

American version - published by Doubleday and has been edited to use American spelling and grammer. There is no truth in the story making the rounds of the British web sites that the plot has been simplified from the childrens edition and has more illustrations to make it easier for Americans to understand.

The main reason for the two different publishers is because of the divide in the publishing world over copyright and distribution. This traces back to before the first world war. Most books will have written in them "not for sale in the US" or "not for sale in Canada" depending on where it was published.

CB

[WaiWai]

Thanks for the explication, Crow Boy.

So, it is essentially just that old divide (used to wonder what sort of place that USA was, that wouldn't permit the sale of any of the books I read) plus the children's edition.

I *suppose* the children's edition may have just been the response to a need, but while the whole Harry Potter explosion/empire/juggernaut/ (how can it best be described ?) delights me utterly because it is about the magic of reading at a time when that seemed almost lost, I also feel that delight is somewhat tainted by the manipulations of the marketing that propel it.

Edited July 27, 2007 by WaiWai

[Ulysses G.]

Where did you find out all this information Crowboy?

I just spent the last two hours Googling and could find only a few unconfirmed rumors that the children's version has different text - with a lot of folks denying it. Do you have any links?

[nikster]

... but while the whole Harry Potter explosion/empire/juggernaut/ (how can it best be described ?) delights me utterly because it is about the magic of reading at a time when that seemed almost lost, I also feel that delight is somewhat tainted by the manipulations of the marketing that propel it.

I find it all positive - HP for single-handedly making books interesting again when everyone thought they would go away with internet/TV/movies/video games all fighting for our attention.

And the global marketing juggernaut for making it so I can pick up the original edition on the global day of the release in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I much appreciate that I remember when cool new books/movies came out and we in backwards Austria had to wait for months until all the translating/dubbing was done before we could enjoy it. We couldn't even get the original versions before that. It sucked!