‘James Bond’ Books Could Be Next To Remove ‘Offensive’ Words, References

Last week, Puffin Books made headlines when it announced it would be revising classic Roald Dahl books to remove “offensive” words and phrases, such as any mentions of the terms “fat” and “ugly.”

The backlash was swift, with fellow publisher Penguin Random House saying it will continue to publish the original versions of the novels so readers can be free to choose “which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.”

Now, it seems Ian Fleming’s James Bond books could be the next iconic series to undergo a review, as new iterations of the tomes are published to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first novel, Casino Royale, which debuted in 1953.

Ian Fleming Publications, which has the rights to the famed author’s works, commissioned sensitive readers to assess the books’ language. Interestingly, Ian himself had authorized changes to Live and Let Die in the past.

Racist phrases, such as the n-word, will be almost fully replaced by either “Black person” or “Black man,” though NDTV noted that Fleming’s mocking references to other ethnicities still remain, along with allusions to sexual assault and misogyny.

According to The Independent, the new additions will also include a disclaimer that reads: “This book was written at a time when terms and attitudes which might be considered offensive by modern readers were commonplace.”

The publisher said that while a number of changes have been made in the new editions of the books, it still tried to keep “as close as possible” to the original story and the time period in which it was written.

[via NDTV and The Independent, cover image via Kraft74 | Dreamstime.com]