Posted by Red Joy on March 29, 2001 at 14:48:08 from 62.188.151.155:
In Reply to: Re: paperbacks v.s hardback posted by Terence McManus on March 29, 2001 at 04:40:44:
The Puffin editions are abridged - and I think this work was done by AR's wife Evgenia. Discovered this years ago staying in Arnside youth hostel. Started their hardback PETER DUCK - coloured maps, what fun! and moved on to SWALLOWDALE. Gradually realized that the text was the text but not as I knew it. Compared hardback with paperback when I got back home. I grew up on the Puffins because the library editions looked so dull (they still do!) and even the Puffins were more than pocket money price at 30p a shot.
As a general rule whole passages have not been cut but the whole has been condensed. For example in WDMTGTS the descriptions of Susan tend to omit the fact that while feeling desperately ill she is still thinking about the younger ones and worrying about John.
Huge discussion on Girlsown last year, an email discussion group about kidlit, about wherther the books had been abridged (they had - in Puffin, don't know about Red Fox) and whether this should have been done (yep, I think they should; and I wouldn't mind seeing a NURSERY ALICE style approach for younger children either - though natch I'd want the full text to stay in print too.)
Red Joy