In the novels of world-famous crime writer Agatha Christie, racist and nowadays “insensitive” statements have been removed. New editions of the novels have seen many changes.
Some of the novels of British writer Agatha Christie, one of the biggest names in detective literature, have been changed in new editions. Racist and nowadays insensitive expressions in some of the author’s stories were removed or replaced with other expressions.
According to The Gaurdian, HarperCollins Publishers said that texts containing “insults or references to ethnicity” were removed when describing the physical characteristics of the characters in the book.
THE WORD EASTERNER REMOVED
For example, the word “Oriental” was removed from Christie’s 1937 mystery novel Death on the Nile, in which detective Hercule Poirot investigates a murder on a luxury liner.
The speech of the character Mrs. Allerton, who complains about children in the book, was also changed.
The original text reads, “They look back and look back and look back. Their eyes are simply disgusting, and so are their noses. I don’t believe I really like children”.
The new edition reads “They look back and look back and look back. I don’t believe I really love children.”
