![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I read an article today that the Famous Five books are going to be 'revised' after research with children and their parents 'showed that the author's old-fashioned language and dated expressions were preventing young people from enjoying the stories'. So 'mercy me!' will be changed to 'oh no!', 'fellow' to 'old man' and 'it's all very peculiar' to 'it's all very strange'. They're also planning to change a character called Nobby to Ned, but are leaving Dick as he is.
I don't know. On the one hand, I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with a grown man who is president of the Enid Blyton Society (seriously, sir, can you think of nothing better to do? Did Dame Washalot have such an impact at an impressionable age?*). Anyway, his point was that it's one thing to change words that have significantly altered in meaning since Blyton wrote, like 'gay', but why change words like 'peculiar'? I used to like finding out words and things I didn't know. It made me feel very clever and grown up and in every way superior to other children.** Also, a large number of the words they're getting rid of are ones like 'jolly' that I enjoy using today, so I sort of feel that they're attacking my personal vocabulary.
On the other hand, I won't be losing any sleep over it.
I'm writing this while I watch the Election Debate between Australia's Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. This has been moved to an earlier-than-planned time slot so it doesn't clash with the MasterChef final. The future leadership of the country giving ground to a cooking contest. Oh Australia, I love your priorities.
* I should confess that I had a dog named Silkie. I don't recall naming her specifically after the Faraway Tree character, but that was surely the inspiration.
** I wasn't a popular child, no.
I don't know. On the one hand, I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with a grown man who is president of the Enid Blyton Society (seriously, sir, can you think of nothing better to do? Did Dame Washalot have such an impact at an impressionable age?*). Anyway, his point was that it's one thing to change words that have significantly altered in meaning since Blyton wrote, like 'gay', but why change words like 'peculiar'? I used to like finding out words and things I didn't know. It made me feel very clever and grown up and in every way superior to other children.** Also, a large number of the words they're getting rid of are ones like 'jolly' that I enjoy using today, so I sort of feel that they're attacking my personal vocabulary.
On the other hand, I won't be losing any sleep over it.
I'm writing this while I watch the Election Debate between Australia's Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. This has been moved to an earlier-than-planned time slot so it doesn't clash with the MasterChef final. The future leadership of the country giving ground to a cooking contest. Oh Australia, I love your priorities.
* I should confess that I had a dog named Silkie. I don't recall naming her specifically after the Faraway Tree character, but that was surely the inspiration.
** I wasn't a popular child, no.