Censoring the Great American Novel

[Jorlem]

They're censoring Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. 
NPR link
The Telegraph
ABC News
What.  The. Hell.
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Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

[Bob Schroeck]

Not "they" -- one scholar, producing a specific edition. Not that I'm surprised. Huck has been for years the target of PC/left-end censors who pay more attention to the individual words than to the message they carry.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Jorlem]

I know. (The NPR article says "two scholars". That's enough for a 'they', right )

The books are public domain, so I'm sure there will still be copies of the unedited edition available, but just the thought that someone would think this is right, and that someone would publish it, that just makes me angry. I might not have been thinking as clearly as I should have. Sorry about that.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

[classicdrogn]

(intense, disgusted sarcasm) Well, It's about time I say! Huck being denounced for being a 'nigger lover,' why it's terribly incorrect and hurtful and has absolutely no value in either literary terms or as a demonstration of why racial prejudice is bad all around! (/intense, disgusted sarcasm)

Of course, I may not be the best judge - I had 'Little Black Sambo' in my kiddie-lit shelf, and all I ever thought of it was "Wow, what a clever little black boy! If only I could be like him!" and not how obviously inferior he was for only wearing a loincloth... or somehing... whatever it i about 'Little Black Sambo' that makes the Political Correctness thought police want it banned, burned, and buried. I mean, he turns a vicious man-eating tiger into yummy pancakes! How cool is that?

Hrm. I know there's a Samuel Clemens quote about censorship, but it's steadfastly avoiding coming forward in my mind.

- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Rev Dark]

It isn't a particularly big deal; it is a single addition.  The book is not being banned.
Think of it in the same vein as the recent Pride Predjudice and Zombies and Sense Sensibility and Seamonsters.  It is someone's cheeky take on a classic.
Call in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the Land of the Politically Correct Knob-ends.

[Bob Schroeck]

Works for me.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Jorlem]

That seems reasonable enough. Ok then, that's what I'll do. Thanks.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.

[Werehawk]

I read about it myself. I'd far rather read the non bowdlerized original version. And quite frankly the old version does drive in the lesson of how wrong racism was. It also lets you see how people of that time thought far better than any history lesson would.

Also given the prevalence of the Nigger word in rap music it's use as degorative term has been kind of trivialised.

There's a good debate on the issue in the Volokh conspiracy blog. And a particularly relevant blog post in a Chequeboard of nights and days Twain weeps indeed. And a link to the original Publisher's Weekly article.
--Werehawk--
My mom's brief take on upcoming Guatemalan Elections "In last throes of preelection activities. Much loudspeaker vote pleading."