Roald Dahl's books unsuitable for today's readers?

[Blaze]

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64702224
Changes to Roald Dahl's books have met with criticism from many quarters and I agree with Rishi Sunak's comments.
Isn't making alterations to a fiction book as idiotic as trying to rewrite history ???

References to colours have also been changed - the BFG's coat is no longer black; while Mary in The BFG now goes "still as a statue" instead of "white as a sheet"

The world's gone mad ...... oops, not allowed to say that :

The words "crazy" and "mad" have also been removed as a result of an emphasis on mental health, the newspaper reported

If it wasn't so absurd, it would be funny. Why not let readers decide for themselves, take some responsibility for their own actions : if they find a book offensive, they can stop reading it. Just because they don't like it doesn't seem to be a reason for spoiling it for others.

As for the crusaders who take it upon themselves to alter what a writer has written, are they not offended by the tits and boobs smiling down at them from the top shelves of the newsagents ?? We don't hear them whingeing about the naughty bits in novels either - it would seem they're perfectly happy to read on .... It smacks of being rather selective.

[DaveW]

I can sort of get it, it’s children’s books they are editing. I have spent hours reading Dahl’s books to my grandkids and hours listening to them read them to me and ask questions about the descriptions. As far as I was concerned it was what I knew from my childhood but on reflection some of the language may not be suitable for today’s world. It sort of goes back to some of Enid Blyton’s books and Kiplings that were what would be classed as more than casual racism these days.

[Pathca]

It’s absolutely ridiculous,a brief note at the front of the book saying it was written in **** and times have changed would surfice

[niemeyjt]

Anyone remember Kiss Kiss? I enjoyed them at school.

[DaveW]

It’s absolutely ridiculous,a brief note at the front of the book saying it was written in **** and times have changed would surfice

Would that register with children, remember it’s 5 years plus that read the books.

[exile]

So:
let's ban Othello - strong undertones (and I am being kind there) of racial prejudices.
or
Scrooge - setting unrealistic expectations for the poor that they might ever eat Goose for Christmas
or
How about re-writing Mein Kampf to take out all of the nasty bits - short pamphlet I know.

There is a point where the madness has to stop

[Hotrodder]

All in the name of wokism. Not only trying to rewrite history, but telling us what to think. Teaching us how to think would be time better spent.

[tagh]

Barren intellectualism leading to the Inquisition; burn books next

[DaveW]

So:
let's ban Othello - strong undertones (and I am being kind there) of racial prejudices.
or
Scrooge - setting unrealistic expectations for the poor that they might ever eat Goose for Christmas
or
How about re-writing Mein Kampf to take out all of the nasty bits - short pamphlet I know.

There is a point where the madness has to stop

I think you are being taken in by the right wing press - it was books for children.

Wokism, I really hope you aren’t serious.
Sorry aimed at previous poster

[Blaze]

I was an avid reader as a child and was reading "adult" books at a young age - no, not that sort of adult book But I also read Dahl, Enid Blyton, Little Black Sambo, Kipling, Grimms Fairy Tales and many others, enjoyed them, and they didn't make me racist or prejudiced. Children are far more accepting, less judgemental, interested in explanations and certainly not paranoid like some adults. I remember as a child finding a copy of Struwwelpeter at one of my grandmother's and thought it was horrible, so I didn't read it. It's probably banned today.

I wonder if children are allowed to go to pantomimes as we did where the leading man is a woman and a man plays the Dame. Or have the wokist crusaders decided that panto is offensive to some people ?