Roald Dahl's Cruelty and the Puffin Books Censorship Controversy
Puffin Books, the British publisher, edited Roald Dahl's children's books to remove potentially offensive terms, including 'white', 'black', 'queer', and 'crazy', replacing them with alternatives like 'strange'. In 'Matilda', Joseph Conrad was swapped for Jane Austen. The article by Laurent Perez in artpress criticizes this as falsification, arguing Dahl's heirs prioritize profit and image over integrity. Perez suggests alternatives like ceasing reprints or donating proceeds to minority groups. The piece also reviews Dahl's 'Contes de l'inattendu' (Gallimard, 2021), highlighting his cruel humor and autobiographical violence, such as his father's arm amputation and sister's death. Dahl's adult stories depict humans as ugly and greedy, with women sometimes empowered in shocking ways. The author notes Dahl's personal flaws, including antisemitism and mistreatment of wife Patricia Neal.
Key facts
- Puffin Books edited Roald Dahl's children's books to remove offensive terms.
- Terms like 'white', 'black', 'queer', and 'crazy' were replaced.
- In 'Matilda', Joseph Conrad was replaced by Jane Austen.
- Laurent Perez criticizes the edits as falsification in artpress.
- Perez suggests halting reprints or donating proceeds to minority groups.
- Dahl's 'Contes de l'inattendu' was published by Gallimard in 2021.
- Dahl's father had his arm amputated by a drunk doctor.
- Dahl's sister died of appendicitis at age 7.
- Dahl's daughter Olivia died of measles.
- Dahl was antisemitic and mistreated his wife Patricia Neal.
- Patricia Neal won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1964.
- The article references Bérengère Viennot's Slate article from February 21, 2023.
- Quentin Blake illustrated Dahl's books, including 'Matilda'.
Entities
Artists
- Roald Dahl
- Quentin Blake
- Joseph Conrad
- Jane Austen
- Patricia Neal
- Laurent Perez
- Bérengère Viennot
- Julien Bisson
- Walter Benjamin
- Jean Meckert
- Grace Paley
- Lucette Destouches
- Céline
Institutions
- Puffin Books
- Gallimard
- Slate
- artpress
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Greece
Sources
- artpress —