Living the Book Life

Book Lists, Reviews, and Recommendations by Juliana Aldous Vol. 2 #3

Roald Dahl Controversy

A couple of weeks back I was at my local used bookstore when a customer came in looking for older Roald Dahl works. She was in to buy copies of his books for her children before they were censored or GONE. I gathered from the conversation that some of Dahl’s works were being rewritten or censored, but digging down the story is a bit different.

The New York Times had a guest essay by Matthew Walther on The Truth About the Censorship of Roald Dahl so I finally had a chance to learn what all the “oompa” is about. Some of Dahl’s books have undergone some new edits with changes proposed by the organization Inclusive Minds. Here are changes according to Walther:

Despite the indignation of the critics and the high-mindedness of the revisers, the truth is that most of the edits to the Dahl books are of very little importance. Many are slight (replacing “old hag” with “old crow”) or inscrutable (“taught him how to spell and write sentences” for “volunteered to give him lessons”). Others are needlessly “sensitive” (changing “black” to “dark,” even when the connotations are not racial, or “attractive” to “kind”) but do not seriously affect the author’s meaning. A handful of the edits are unintentionally hilarious: Insisting that “man-eating giant” be replaced with “human-eating giant,” as in the new edition of “The BFG,” sounds like an unclever right-wing parody of wokeness. But the most worrisome thing about this is the stylistic ineptitude. —Matthew Walther

This sort of work has been happening behind the scenes with children’s books forever. Dahl himself made changes to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1972. The original Oompa Loompas were pygmy slaves which Dahl changed after being approached by and listening to critics and organizations like the NAACP.

I’m still mulling this over. I know some think that art or work is static but the act of creating a book is not. With everything, there is a line to toe between keeping the original intent and line editing. Each edit especially post-publication should be weighed and judged worthy.

As a publisher, if I had a dollar would I spend it “fixing Dahl” or spend that dollar to publish or market new authors? I definitely would invest in the 1972 changes. The publisher, Penguin, has come up with a solution after the current backlash. They are keeping the new changes, but are also publishing the original “classic” books as part of a 17-volume set. I tip my Wonka-style top hat to you Penguin for coming up with a way to make more money out of this.

Speaking of Dahl’s subversiveness, here is a 2005 essay in the New Yorker addressing Dahl and why children still love his work.

If you have an opinion one way or the other, let me know. I’m curious.

The Kids Are All Right

Speaking of censorship and rewriting history, check out this interview with students from Florida’s New College which appeared on MSNBC. Alex Wagner talks directly to the students to get their thoughts on the actions of DeSantis in their state.

Goddamn, I love these kids.

Organizing the Stacks

The Washington Post had an article with ideas on how to organize your books. One tip used IKEA’s Billy bookcases which I personally would recommend only using if you never plan on moving again. I’ve never had luck with anything from IKEA lasting more than one move.

New Book from Jenny Odell.

It’s not fair for both Katherine May and Jenny Odell to publish new books this month. Last week I mentioned May’s book Enchantment, and this week The New York Times interviewed Jenny Odell on her new book, Saving Time, and our obsession with productivity.

I’ll be picking up both books next time I’m out. I absolutely adored Odell’s last book, How to Do Nothing.

Random Things #1

Remember man, that passeth by,
As thou is now so once was I;
And as I am now so must thou be:
Prepare thyself to follow me.

Under this someone wrote:

To follow you I’m not content,
Until I learn which way you went.

Churchyard, Linton England 1825

Epitaph from Golden Treasury of the Familiar edited by Ralph L. Woods

Current Reads

• Middlemarch by George Eliot

• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

• Fingersmith by Sarah Walters

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum Events I’m Attending

SEISMIC: Seattle City of Literature Happy Hour… celebrating the launch of Seattle City of Literature Map.

Drinks, Drugs & Debauchery: A History of Seattle’s Prohibition with Brad Holden
I hope to see you there! Check out all upcoming Folio events.

If you love books and conversation consider becoming a member of Folio or supporting Folio through a donation. All books linked above also lead to Folio’s Bookshop.org site and purchasing a book will also support Folio.

What is this?

Right now, this is my sandbox to play around in, an outlet for writing about books, and whatever interests me at the moment.