From: (No Email available)

Date: 2001-07-09 16:52:25

Comment:

I am exceedingly sick and tired of people using the stereotypical "Ignorant American" as the reason for the changes in the Harry Potter book.

For your information there are quite a few differences betwen "British" English and "American" English.  I happen to have copies of both "The Philosopher's Stone" and "The Sorceror's Stone."

Imagine my surprise and confusion on reading "The Philosopher's Stone" that Aunt Petunia tried to make Harry wear a little girl's dress.  No wonder he rebelled.  But then later I read that Mrs. Weasley made them for her boys every year as Christmas gfts and they liked them just fine.  Ron only objected to his "jumper" because the color was one he didn't like.  I had no idea, until several internet conversations later, that a jumper, which, in America, is a dress for little girls, happens to be the term for a sweater in the UK.

It also seems that the word "philosopher" has more of a magical meaning in the UK.  In America the book title would have been the equivalent of "Harry Potter and The Someone Who Studies The Meaning of Life Stone"  which doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

There are a few other differences like these in the books and I'm quite sure as the books are translated into other languaged there are even more.  But because you supposedly understand English, you're picking on the American version.

Please try to be a bit more open minded.  Everyone in the US we don't believe in the Americanization of everything.  Actually it happens a bit more than we like but if you're judging our nation as a whole by Hollywood's standards then you've really got a lot to learn.