For political reasons, for financial reasons, for cultural reasons, for legal issues, for inexplicable reasons, sometimes books are found under various names. Below, I've given you some popular book titles. Do you know the alternate names?
Feel free to do all 12 at home, but only answer 1 in the answers below. That way 11 others will have a chance to play along. Try to answer the question you feel would be the most difficult.
1. Lost in the Barrens - Farley Mowat
2. Someone Knows My Name - Lawrence Hill
3. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul - Deborah Rodriguez
4. Shadows in the Sun - Wade Davis
5. What the Stones Remember - Patrick Lane
6. Cross Stitch - Diana Gabaldon
7. Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman
8. "A Visit From St. Nicholas" - Clement C. Moore
9. Ten Little N*ggers - Agatha Christie (the book, not the play)
10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling
11. Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally
Bonus: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (according to Jerry Seinfeld)
9 comments:
I know a few of these, but I'm going to answer:
#2 Someone Knows My Name (US title)
The Book of Negroes (Cdn title)
I believe that the publisher thought that original Canadian title would be too controversial in the US, given the race tensions there. Having read the book, I think that the Canadian title is more appropriate; but it is a great book, no matter the title on your copy!
9. And Then There Were None
I just read this book.
Bonus: War, What is it good for?
Seinfeld is coming to Summerside, PEI
I believe #11 was originally Schindler's Ark. Am I right?
Kate: That's it!
Raidergirl: And interestingly, it was the Dutch who seemed to be one of the last hold outs on changing the title-- according to Wikipedia (for what that's worth) as recently as 94, they were still publishing under the original title. And speaking of the Dutch; it was a Dutch activist named Roy Groenberg who earlier this year advocated a book burning of Hill's book based on the title (in Dutch Het Negerboek). No word on what Groenberg feels about the Christie title.
Gypsysmom: Yes, it was. And I'd have to guess it was changed to capitalize on the success of the movie. A step further than sticking Robert Pattison on the cover of Water For Elephants, I guess.
8. A Visit from St. Nicholas = 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
#10 - In the US, it's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". I remember looking it up when the first movie came out. It has something to do with the publishers not thinking the Americans would "get" what a Philospher's Stone was, right? (Therefore they'd lose money.) Correct me if I'm wrong.
Megan: That's it. I believe this was a case of most readers referred to it as "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and publishers simply wanted customers to find it easier. It'd be as if CBS decided to rename "All in the Family" "Archie Bunker" so that viewers could find it in their listings easier, as that's what most people called the show anyway.
Loni: I've heard a similar reason, but perhaps tweaked not as condescending to Americans-- not that they wouldn't "get" Philosopher's Stone but that they'd be more "interested" in sorcerers than philosophers.
I know #6 as Outlander, one of my favourite books of all time.
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