Thread by @incunabula

Roald Dahl - 2001 authorized Puffin edition vs 2022 authorized Puffin edition.

telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/1…

Roald Dahl, 2001 vs 2022 editions:
In James and the Giant Peach, the Cloud-Men have become Cloud-People, Miss Sponge is no longer “the fat one”, Miss Spider’s head is no longer “black” and the Earthworm no longer has “lovely pink” skin but “lovely smooth skin”.

Roald Dahl, 2001 vs 2022 editions:
In Fantastic Mr Fox a description of tractors, saying that “the machines were both black”, has been cut. “Bunce, the little pot-bellied dwarf”, is now plain old Bunce.

“Fat little brown mouse” has become “little brown mouse”. “‘Here’s your little boy,’ she said. ‘He needs to go on a diet’”, becomes “Here’s your little boy.”

In Esio Trot, in 2022, middle-aged ladies can no longer be attractive, they can only be kind... 😳

Good thread from the CEO of @PENamerica.
"The problem with taking license to re-edit classic works is that there is no limiting principle. You start out wanting to replace a word here and a word there, and end up inserting entirely new ideas."

If you're having difficulty accessing the full @Telegraph article linked to in my first tweet, here it is via the Wayback Machine, minus only the illustrations:
web.archive.org/web/2023021816…

I'm happy to be corrected, but it looks to me like the words "black" and "fat" in particular have been removed IN THEIR ENTIRETY from the 2022 Puffin editions of Roald Dahl's works - ie they have been deleted or replaced wherever they occur, absolutely regardless of context.

I'll let Matt in @Telegraph have the last word... 😅