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Posts: 140 · Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 140

Why is there a difference between the names of the american version of the first harry potter book and the english one?
Is there any difference in the actual body of the book (other thn minor spelling or grammer)

also are there any differences in the other books?

after reading the american versions, should i go and read the other versions as well?
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but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who have leadership thrust upon them ... and take the mantle because they must, to find to their own surprise that they wear it well

Posts: 3143 · Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 3143

The only difference I know of is when they changed the first books name from Philospher's Stone to Sorcer's
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Posts: 34 · Joined: Jul 31, 2006 Posts: 34

some said there was a part left out in hbp when dd is talking to malfoy just before snape kills him

Posts: 103 · Joined: May 22, 2006 Location: Troy, IL USA Posts: 103

Warlock, was this left out in the American or the British edition?

As for the name change, I have no idea why they did that. I was curious myself, as I don't really see it as affecting the story for Americans or Brits either way by changing the name.

Posts: 3143 · Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 3143

I dunno eithier, it was pretty stupid Confused

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Posts: 57 · Posted: August 11, 2006 9:26 am Post subject:

I know for example that this was changed for the American edition of HBP:

(british version)
if he wants it fixing ... (the trio talking about Draco Malfoy in Knockturn Alley)

(changed american version)
if he wants it fixed ...

So yeah minor stuff like that so that the american audience can fully understand what's going on because some things are really quite different.
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his hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
the hero who conquered the Dark Lord.

- Ginny (CoS)

Posts: 20 · Joined: Aug 10, 2006 Posts: 20

There are loads of little changes, like replacing an s in the British one for a z in the US version in spellings, and other little grammar changes. I looked it up on the net and found a few differences.

Brit: Dudley had learnt a new word ('Shan't!')
US: Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!")

Brit: he had hands the size of dustbin lids
US: he had hands the size of trash can lids

There is loads of stuff like that, but it's basically the same read.

Posts: 635 · Joined: Jul 30, 2006 Location: @ home Posts: 635

This is crazy.
The brit know wut trash can is
and the americans know wut dustbin is.

Its understood. They dont hav 2 edit a whole book for that.
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Posts: 140 · Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 140

im going to have to buy all the british versions now!
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but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who have leadership thrust upon them ... and take the mantle because they must, to find to their own surprise that they wear it well

Posts: 20 · Joined: Aug 10, 2006 Posts: 20

I totally agree that a lot of the little changes are stupid, there's really no point in doing them, the changes for spelling differences I can understand but like you said about the dustbin thing, its just stupid.

Posts: 140 · Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 140

IMPORTANT REVELATION!
UK Edition Missing Important Text!

The UK edition of Half-Blood Prince is missing some text that is included in the American edition, and it's text that is very important to this clue!

This is the text as it appears in the UK edition:

"He told me to do it or he'll llik me. I've got not choice." "Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban...when the time comes we can protect him too...come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a rellik..." Malfoy stared at Dumbledore. (HBP UK Edition pg 552)

But this is the same passage from the American edition (text missing from the UK edition highlighted):

"He told me to do it or he'll llik me. I've got no choice." "He cannot kill you if you are already daed. Come over to the right side Draco, and we can hide you more completely than you can possibly imagine. What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise. Nobody would be surprised that you had deid in your attempt to llik me -- forgive me, but Lord Voldemort probably expects it. Nor would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured and dellik your mother -- it is what they would do themselves, after all. Your father is safe at the moment in Azkaban...When the time comes we can protect him too. Come over to the right side, Draco...you are not a killer..." Malfoy stared at Dumbledore. (HBP US Edition pg 591)

Both of the ommissions are directly related, they are about having Draco appeared to have deid, so it would seem the ommisions are intentional.

Did J.K. include those lines originally, and then decide she had gone too far and made the clue too transparent and obvious? Is it possible she decided to remove them, but the lines got accidentally included in the American edition anyway?
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but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who have leadership thrust upon them ... and take the mantle because they must, to find to their own surprise that they wear it well

Posts: 140 · Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 140

that was from www.dumbeldoreisnotdead.com
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but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who have leadership thrust upon them ... and take the mantle because they must, to find to their own surprise that they wear it well

Posts: 3143 · Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 3143

Wow...interesting
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Posts: 135 · Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Location: USA Posts: 135

Posts: 307 · Joined: Dec 28, 2005 Location: In Time Posts: 307

I think they called it Sorceror's Stone in America to empasise that it was about wizards but I think it should have really been called Philosopher's Stone because when I read it, it seemed to me that the maker of the stone - Flamel - was more a philosopher than actually a wizard - you know like I think wizard I think a lot of wand waving, Flamel was more the thinking and the potion maker variety type to me.
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Posts: 135 · Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Location: USA Posts: 135

Good point.

But why not just leave it the way it is? Rolling Eyes

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Posts: 68 · Joined: Aug 30, 2006 Location: UK Posts: 68

That HBP omission is annoying, because it seems to be important. Why would JKR do that? It must be that she originally intended to put them in, so they were accidentally included in the UK edition.

Posts: 150 · Joined: Jul 13, 2007 Location: connecticut Posts: 150

haha and yeah you would think that jk rowling would be predisposed to git the britan-ese more of a step up with knowing m ore about his world. but actually...ive trying reading sugar...which is a girl magazine from london and like...i thought it was amazing but also super funny. they have such great humor...and "spot" sounds SOO much better than "pimple"

haha im stupid =[
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Posts: 773 · Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Location: A Land Down Under Posts: 773

Posts: 773 · Joined: Jul 11, 2007 Location: A Land Down Under Posts: 773

Posts: 282 · Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 282

I think its because the website doesn't think he is dead. They changed the name because JK's editor said that the book woudn't sell, iiin America, if it was called the Philophers stone.
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Posts: 1334 · Joined: Jul 14, 2007 Location: Slovenija Posts: 1334

C'mon you guys are arguing about that. Almost every name is different in slovenian version than in original version. Ron,Hermione,Harry,Sirius,Malfoy,Dumbledore is the same as the original all the rest is different. Dolores Umbridge is Kalvara Temyna. Remus Lupin is Remus Wulf and so on and on.

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