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[return to "Hundreds of changes made to latest editions of Roald Dahl's books"]
1. Michae+LO[view] [source] 2023-02-19 00:05:08
>>GavCo+(OP)
It turns out that Dahl was a real antisemite, to me that is more of an issue: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/06/roald-dahl-fam...
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2. joseph+BV[view] [source] 2023-02-19 01:02:35
>>Michae+LO
I don't want to downplay antisemitism - its a real problem. But why does that bother you, given he's dead?

Matilda was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. There's something in it that hits me right in the soul, even as an adult. I hear you when you say his antisemitism is an issue for you - but - I just can't see how that has any bearing on my relationship with his books. As a child I didn't understand, and now as an adult I can't bring myself to care. Its not like the royalties go to him - he's dead.

I struggle more with Scott Orson Card. Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead are fantastic books. Both different, and both absolutely excellent. I'd rather not support him financially given he's used his platform to attack gay people. But I also suspect it would have taken someone with a conservative outlook on life to write Speaker for the dead. There's ideas in that book I never hear anyone talk about. Hearing those perspectives has broadened my outlook a little. My life would be dimmer for not having read his books.

I also think a lot of the delight in Dahl's books comes from his unbridled wildness, and his unabashed delight in being a monster to his characters - in ways modern sensibilities don't approve of. I don't think he would have been on board with the modern insistence on political correctness in children's books. I understand the edits, especially if there's netflix deals in the works. But I suspect history won't look kindly on the edits made to his books. Its ok for Wonka to have slaves (so long as they're not african) and straight up murder annoying children, but he can't call someone fat? This all feels very of-the-moment.

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3. jasonh+U01[view] [source] 2023-02-19 01:49:37
>>joseph+BV
To be clear, The Witches is full of obviously intentional antisemitic tropes: https://www.heyalma.com/is-roald-dahls-the-witches-antisemit...
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4. Michae+ch1[view] [source] 2023-02-19 04:11:56
>>jasonh+U01
also the image of the Oompa Loompa in 'charlie and the chocolate factory' can also be interpreted as racist. The NAACP launched a protest, back in 1971 - at a time when racist attitudes were much more common. https://daily.jstor.org/roald-dahls-anti-black-racism/

The movie paints them with orange colored skin, no one was protesting that edition of the original text.

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5. roboca+EB1[view] [source] 2023-02-19 08:11:50
>>Michae+ch1
Dahl answered that criticism, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34853399
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