Speaking as an editor, I want to point out that it's not some "uptight editor" making decisions about these things. Editors work for publishing houses, and directives come down from people higher up the pecking order. Decisions made "higher up" are usually made after feedback from the market - ie booksellers or the public. Personally, I don't think Enid Blyton's work (or anyone's) should be changed from its original. However, I think you would be surprised to know just how many parents out there do their nut about their kids reading books that contain references to spanking. Apparently it "traumatises" some children (especially the ones that the parents claim didn't know previously what spanking was ). I think their arguments are silly, but these people are out there and very vocal. And they're vocal about many other things as well. I (and other editors I know) have often queried some of the things I've been asked to do when editing a book, but basically we are a long way down the pecking order and just have to do as we're told if we want to remain working (most editors are contractors). Saying the changes are the idea of some "uptight editor" is akin to blaming an individual bank teller for rising interest rates.RDMorrell wrote:I want to read the book the author actually wrote, not the bits some uptight editor thinks are inoffensive enough to satisfy my "delicate sensibilities".
What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
- lizarfau
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
- Aurélien
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
Okay, lizarfau, point taken. Editors can be powerless in the face of publishing executives anxious not to be targeted by (at times extremist) interest groups, determined (even hell-bent) upon forcing everyone to toe their line.
This is such a very serious concern for so many of us on these forums, that I have to ask you, please, to tell us more about the range, methods and power of some of the interest groups seeking to pressure publishers to further carve up Enid Blyton's texts.
(Tony, for the record, I am not objecting to all textual changes. On the contrary, I accept (sadly) that some updates are needed to bring EB's iconic children's books into line with the modern world, so that new generations of children are able to read them with understanding. But we are all aware that some of the textual changes are as trivial as they are unneccessary, and that certain others seem to be being made by publishers so as not to run foul of the various politically correct pressure groups.)
‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’
This is such a very serious concern for so many of us on these forums, that I have to ask you, please, to tell us more about the range, methods and power of some of the interest groups seeking to pressure publishers to further carve up Enid Blyton's texts.
(Tony, for the record, I am not objecting to all textual changes. On the contrary, I accept (sadly) that some updates are needed to bring EB's iconic children's books into line with the modern world, so that new generations of children are able to read them with understanding. But we are all aware that some of the textual changes are as trivial as they are unneccessary, and that certain others seem to be being made by publishers so as not to run foul of the various politically correct pressure groups.)
‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’
- lizarfau
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
I didn't say anything about pressure groups. I said publishers responded to feedback from the market. And I wasn't talking about Blyton specifically - more my own experiences as a book editor here in Australia. However, I would imagine it works the same way in England and that publishers of Blyton's work have responded to feedback from booksellers/the public.
My experience is that some of the more zealous anti-smacking parents do respond to books that contain references to smacking by asking libraries not to stock them, asking schools not to stock them, writing to publishers and to the authors saying they like the author but won't buy his/her books if they contain references to smacking. I don't think they work together as a pressure group to do this - it's more that people with very strong beliefs are more likely to make their own individual protest, I guess. Whereas, of course, you don't get parents writing to publishers saying "X has written a great book for kids, but I was disappointed that there was no spanking in it" , so letters from the public are overwhelmingly in favour of no spanking references in children's books. (I'm talking about new books in this context; of course, people have written about changes to original text in previously published books - but no-one would be complaining about the lack of corporal punishment in books by contemporary authors.)
My experience is that some of the more zealous anti-smacking parents do respond to books that contain references to smacking by asking libraries not to stock them, asking schools not to stock them, writing to publishers and to the authors saying they like the author but won't buy his/her books if they contain references to smacking. I don't think they work together as a pressure group to do this - it's more that people with very strong beliefs are more likely to make their own individual protest, I guess. Whereas, of course, you don't get parents writing to publishers saying "X has written a great book for kids, but I was disappointed that there was no spanking in it" , so letters from the public are overwhelmingly in favour of no spanking references in children's books. (I'm talking about new books in this context; of course, people have written about changes to original text in previously published books - but no-one would be complaining about the lack of corporal punishment in books by contemporary authors.)
- Aurélien
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
Thanks for clarifying the issue, lizarfau.
‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’ from across 'the ditch'.
‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’ from across 'the ditch'.
- RDMorrell
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
I stand corrected regarding the matter of editors, and do apologise if I offended you with my comments, lizarfau. And the reason why I'm replying months later is that I never actually saw the post until now.
Perhaps instead of "editor", I should say "uptight publishing executive". However, I still stand by what I said about wanting to read what the author wrote (excepting spelling and grammatical errors, of course, and perhaps obvious racist language). What Hodder is currently doing to the Famous Five books is certainly a peeve of mine right now!
As for references to corporal punishment, I was never all that bothered by them, possibly because I was spanked myself as a wee lad sometimes, and possibly because I had (and still do have) a certain ... fascination with spanking, particularly when a female is the spanker. But moving on quickly from that, I have to say that I think the Just William books are probably the best example of how to handle the theme of corporal punishment if you're going to include it at all. It was pretty clear throughout the course of the series that William received, shall we say, painful chastisement quite regularly from his father. But this is only ever alluded to briefly, and usually with some humour. I think there are also examples of William and/or the Outlaws being caned by teachers, but again, the details are glossed over and the facts of the punishment dealt with in a short witty sentence or two. However, I am pretty sure that at least one of the William stories involves getting revenge on a schoolmaster who was a bit too free and easy with beatings.
Hopefully no uptight publishing executives will get their hands on the William books! But as I say, if you're going to touch on that theme at all, there are few better role models of how to handle it than Richmal Crompton.
Perhaps instead of "editor", I should say "uptight publishing executive". However, I still stand by what I said about wanting to read what the author wrote (excepting spelling and grammatical errors, of course, and perhaps obvious racist language). What Hodder is currently doing to the Famous Five books is certainly a peeve of mine right now!
As for references to corporal punishment, I was never all that bothered by them, possibly because I was spanked myself as a wee lad sometimes, and possibly because I had (and still do have) a certain ... fascination with spanking, particularly when a female is the spanker. But moving on quickly from that, I have to say that I think the Just William books are probably the best example of how to handle the theme of corporal punishment if you're going to include it at all. It was pretty clear throughout the course of the series that William received, shall we say, painful chastisement quite regularly from his father. But this is only ever alluded to briefly, and usually with some humour. I think there are also examples of William and/or the Outlaws being caned by teachers, but again, the details are glossed over and the facts of the punishment dealt with in a short witty sentence or two. However, I am pretty sure that at least one of the William stories involves getting revenge on a schoolmaster who was a bit too free and easy with beatings.
Hopefully no uptight publishing executives will get their hands on the William books! But as I say, if you're going to touch on that theme at all, there are few better role models of how to handle it than Richmal Crompton.
Best Regards
ROWAN M.
A room without books is like a body without a soul - Cicero
ROWAN M.
A room without books is like a body without a soul - Cicero
- Aurélien
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Re: What are your 'pet peeves' as a reader of fiction?
As one of the great unspanked - okay, so my Dad (once) gave me a crack over the ear in my teenage years, and my hands received the business-end of a leather strap at least twice during my primary school years - I can't say that corporal punishment in books has ever particularly worried me. Escalating violence on our streets and in our playgrounds, yes; children bashed to death in their own homes, yes+++; but restraining child-misbehaviour with mild corporal punishment, no!
Coming back on topic I do, however, believe that the world wide web will see the long overdue re-release of many of the original Blytonian texts once the copyrights run out. Old Aurélien asks only that, when this time arrives, those forumites who are still alive and kicking (and tirelessly contributing to this project) take a brief second to imagine his loud, ghostly cheers issuing from his final resting place.....
What, when all is said and done, did Enid Blyton ever do - apart from annoy and confound her critics - to justify her texts being singled out for the wholesale 'slash-and-burn' textual pruning operations of recent decades?
The unspanked 'Aurélien Arkadiusz'
Coming back on topic I do, however, believe that the world wide web will see the long overdue re-release of many of the original Blytonian texts once the copyrights run out. Old Aurélien asks only that, when this time arrives, those forumites who are still alive and kicking (and tirelessly contributing to this project) take a brief second to imagine his loud, ghostly cheers issuing from his final resting place.....
What, when all is said and done, did Enid Blyton ever do - apart from annoy and confound her critics - to justify her texts being singled out for the wholesale 'slash-and-burn' textual pruning operations of recent decades?
The unspanked 'Aurélien Arkadiusz'