Enid Blyton and the Faraway tree.
Discussion
Morning all,
When I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
When I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
gazzarose said:
Morning all,
When I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
Loved those books as a kidWhen I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
Wainscot - wood panelling that only covers lower half of a wall - so a tall skirting board
wisbech said:
Wainscot - wood panelling that only covers lower half of a wall - so a tall skirting board
I couldn't decide whether it was going to be a sideboard/table or a skirting board so at least now I know. I think an original copy of faraway tree will be the answer then. I don't read many books, but it only seems right that any that iI do are read in the way that the auther intended.
Thanks all.
wisbech said:
gazzarose said:
Morning all,
When I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
Loved those books as a kidWhen I was a kid my gran used to read the Faraway Tree book to me when I stayed down their house and now I fancy reading it to my boy but my gran can't find the copy that we had 20 odd years ago. I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'. I hate all this PC nonsense and would much rather read the book how it was written. Does anyone know roughly what age book I would need to get the proper version?
As a side note, I started reading the Beatrix Potter collection on Saturday night and Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin had some quite old fashioned language, but 'The Tailor of Gloucester' had some really strange words like Wainscot, whatever that is!
Wainscot - wood panelling that only covers lower half of a wall - so a tall skirting board
Remember reading Blyton as a kid and pretty much read the whole lot. I think the Cherry Tree farm couple were my favourites. Nice to see some are still using them today, no chance my pair would have anything read to them.
gazzarose said:
I've had a look in amazon and it seems that whilst they are still in print, they are now a watered down politically correct version. Thinhs like ' "That's queer" said Fanny' have been edited to ' "That's strange" said Frannie'.
I hadn't realised they'd done that, though I have commented elsewhere that Enid Blyton had a lot of characters with names that might be seen as "interesting" these days. Being called "Fanny" or "Dick" is nothing compared to her books about Mr Twiddle, and a more recent discovery in a second-hand book shop, Mr Pink-Whistle.I suppose it's inevitable that they'd want to try to make them more accessible to modern kids without having accusations thrown about.
Just read my boy 2 stories from the Beatrix Potter book, Benjamin Bunny and The Two Bad Mice. I love how unpolitocally correct it is.
"Mrs Rabbit earns money by selling Rabbit Tobacco (or lavender as we call it)" was one standout line, as well as "Mr Benjamin Bunny had a fine pipe of Rabbit Tobbacco". Imagine a kids story where the characters smoked these days!
"Mrs Rabbit earns money by selling Rabbit Tobacco (or lavender as we call it)" was one standout line, as well as "Mr Benjamin Bunny had a fine pipe of Rabbit Tobbacco". Imagine a kids story where the characters smoked these days!
Not really on topic but about that PC-ification of books is unsurprisingly not that new. I used to be a Mark Twain fan (still am, but have long since read everything and they're not making it anymore 
) and have quite a few editions of Huckleberry Finn. I don't think any two are the same as various sections have been edited according to the mores of the time. For example, I've an older edition where the terms now regarded as criminally racist are all intact, but the religious references (e.g. the bit about "Moses and the Bullrushers") are credited out. Out of interest I might check a more recent edition to see what's in in now.
) and have quite a few editions of Huckleberry Finn. I don't think any two are the same as various sections have been edited according to the mores of the time. For example, I've an older edition where the terms now regarded as criminally racist are all intact, but the religious references (e.g. the bit about "Moses and the Bullrushers") are credited out. Out of interest I might check a more recent edition to see what's in in now.
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