Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The Name
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Daria
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Aug 05, 2012 01:30PM
It pisses me off how the book was originally called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and then they kinda changed it to "Sorcerer's Stone". Why couldn't they just have left it??
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Luna Lovegood XD wrote: "It pisses me off how the book was originally called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and then they kinda changed it to "Sorcerer's Stone". Why couldn't they just have left it??"Because she can? Maybe because American publishers didn't think that elementary grade school kids would be interested in a book called the philosopher's stone, and would rather pick up a book with sorcerer in it because it sounds more magical, or maybe the publishers didn't think kids would know what a philosopher's stone was, which is a stone in Alchemy that can turn metal into gold or some other thing. Why do you even care, though? In the end it doesn't really matter. It's basically the same story.
I agree with Brianna. Why does the name matter? The word Sorcerer doesn't come off as "grown up" ad philosopher, and honestly doesn't sound like I'd have to think so much to read it. My name is Ryan, but if someone called me Bryan I wouldn't look any different...aka, its just a name, it doesn't change the outcome of what the book is.
Luna Lovegood XD wrote: "It pisses me off how the book was originally called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and then they kinda changed it to "Sorcerer's Stone". Why couldn't they just have left it??"
That pisses you off?
That pisses you off?
Actually, they didn't "change" the name. They switched it only for the US edition, so Americans wouldn't be confused; "philosopher" means something different to us than for the rest of the world. It is still Philosopher's Stone everywhere in the world except the US.
They changed it because when it came to America Americans didn't like the title so they changed it
Avani wrote: "Actually, they didn't "change" the name. They switched it only for the US edition, so Americans wouldn't be confused; "philosopher" means something different to us than for the rest of the world. I..."
What does it mean in America?
What does it mean in America?
I always wondered this too... It used to bug me, but I got other it...
Pigletto wrote: "Avani wrote: "Actually, they didn't "change" the name. They switched it only for the US edition, so Americans wouldn't be confused; "philosopher" means something different to us than for the rest o..."Definition from wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn:
"a specialist in philosophy / a wise person who is calm and rational; someone who lives a life of reason with equanimity".
You know, I've always wondered why they changed it. It did bother me, but now I'm fine with it.
It doesn't matter about the name of the book,it matters about the quality!
According to one UK friend, the Philosopher's Stone is an old tale that kids learn as bedtime stories and in school. Nicholas Flamel is a real person who lived in the 1300s and his work with alchemy is taught to grade schoolers. Additionally, if you've read Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, one of the characters is obsessed with Flamel's work on a Philosopher's Stone (Frollo, I think).Americans aren't so classically schooled, so it was changed to accommodate our understanding of magic and sorcery, rather than hundreds of years of understanding what alchemy is.
yah, the americans take philosopher to mean something else, so they changed it to sorcerer.
Clearly Americans are too dumb to figure out that words can have more than one meeting, and couldn't be bothered to read the book to figure it out. Why does it bother you that a publisher thinks you're a moron?
Whoa, C.C. I think that that was a bit harsh. We do know what a philosopher is!
I don't really care what the name is, because what really matters is the book itself, not the name. I would have preferred that they left it the same, but what's done is done!
I don't really care what the name is, because what really matters is the book itself, not the name. I would have preferred that they left it the same, but what's done is done!
Hadley Star •Don't let the Muggles get you down• wrote: "Whoa, C.C. I think that that was a bit harsh. We do know what a philosopher is!I don't really care what the name is, because what really matters is the book itself, not the name. I would have pre..."
Hi, Hadley. I was being sarcastic. I, as an American, take offense at the idea that Americans would be confused be the use of philosopher in the title. Being familiar with the idea of a philosopher's stone prior to reading Harry Potter, I wondered if the Sorcerer's Stone was in any way similar and was confused by the change.
I am quite positive that publishers do not think Americans are stupid. I think they know precisely what will sell and magic sells. A story about a sorcerer with a magic stone strikes a familiar chord with Americans based on our background where the Philosopher's Stone is a well-taught and familiar phrase. That's all. It's not mysterious or insulting, just marketing.
Since it was originally marketed mainly to CHILDREN in the U.S. that seems the most likely reason that it was changed from philosopher to sorcerer here. I mean, really, how many of you would have known what a philosopher was when you were nine or ten and actually wanted to read a book with that in the title at that age?
Avani wrote: "Pigletto wrote: "Avani wrote: "Actually, they didn't "change" the name. They switched it only for the US edition, so Americans wouldn't be confused; "philosopher" means something different to us th..."
Sorry, didn't see your response before.
The Oxford English dictionary definition is "a person engaged or learned in philosophy especially as an academic discipline".
So, it doesn't mean something else in the UK.
Science used to be called natural philosophy and alchemy is the forerunner to chemistry so that is why it's called the philosopher's stone. The meaning of philosophy has changed over time (as it used to mean someone who seeks wisdom or loves wisdom) rather than the word meaning different things in the US and the UK. I don't know about anywhere else.
Sorry, didn't see your response before.
The Oxford English dictionary definition is "a person engaged or learned in philosophy especially as an academic discipline".
So, it doesn't mean something else in the UK.
Science used to be called natural philosophy and alchemy is the forerunner to chemistry so that is why it's called the philosopher's stone. The meaning of philosophy has changed over time (as it used to mean someone who seeks wisdom or loves wisdom) rather than the word meaning different things in the US and the UK. I don't know about anywhere else.
Jeni wrote: "According to one UK friend, the Philosopher's Stone is an old tale that kids learn as bedtime stories and in school. Nicholas Flamel is a real person who lived in the 1300s and his work with alchem..."
It may have been for them but it won't have been for the vast majority of people in the UK.
Very few schools in the UK teach a classical education and the ones that do are mostly private schools. A 2007 survey found that only 20% of secondary schools (11-18 years old) teach Latin and that less than 13% of state schools teach it.
I wasn't given a classical schooling and the only people I know who where either chose to study classics at university or went to a private school.
It may have been for them but it won't have been for the vast majority of people in the UK.
Very few schools in the UK teach a classical education and the ones that do are mostly private schools. A 2007 survey found that only 20% of secondary schools (11-18 years old) teach Latin and that less than 13% of state schools teach it.
I wasn't given a classical schooling and the only people I know who where either chose to study classics at university or went to a private school.
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