Trying to ban me in Belgium

The guy who wrote it even admitted it was un pc and a sign of the times, so why are you shocked? It's only one of hundreds of stories they are talking about :roll:
 
Easy_Rider":142nrthw said:
The guy who wrote it even admitted it was un pc and a sign of the times, so why are you shocked? It's only one of hundreds of stories they are talking about :roll:

That's the point. Books are written for their times. To revise or ban because the world has changed is wrong. Literature needs to be understood in the context of the period.

(Not sure if Tintin is literature, but the point remains)

And I love Tintin. As a car fan the books have gems - Herge drew fairly accurately and I love spotting obscure models in the pics)
 
fagin":3grkz86j said:
Easy_Rider":3grkz86j said:
The guy who wrote it even admitted it was un pc and a sign of the times, so why are you shocked? It's only one of hundreds of stories they are talking about :roll:

That's the point. Books are written for their times. To revise or ban because the world has changed is wrong. Literature needs to be understood in the context of the period.

(Not sure if Tintin is literature, but the point remains)

And I love Tintin. As a car fan the books have gems - Herge drew fairly accurately and I love spotting obscure models in the pics)

I tend to agree, but if a book is republished, especially something like tintin, then the historical context may be lost and it may not be immediatley apparent that it was written in a different age when racism was "normal". Questions have got to be asked. I'm not saying it should or shouldn't, I really don't know enough, but from the little I have seen I can see how that particular book can cause offence. Banning the republication of a particular story does not seem like an overeaction, if it is deemed racist then why allow a company to profit from it?
 
it's a good read, quite funny. If a bit dated. But then it is old. his later books are much better. The land of the Soviets is a bad read. No writers works are all excellent.
I read also in the BBC that the Congo book was a best seller in Africa. So they have a sense of humor to.
 
Easy_Rider":2ptcfvud said:
fagin":2ptcfvud said:
Easy_Rider":2ptcfvud said:
The guy who wrote it even admitted it was un pc and a sign of the times, so why are you shocked? It's only one of hundreds of stories they are talking about :roll:

That's the point. Books are written for their times. To revise or ban because the world has changed is wrong. Literature needs to be understood in the context of the period.

(Not sure if Tintin is literature, but the point remains)

And I love Tintin. As a car fan the books have gems - Herge drew fairly accurately and I love spotting obscure models in the pics)

I tend to agree, but if a book is republished, especially something like tintin, then the historical context may be lost and it may not be immediatley apparent that it was written in a different age when racism was "normal". Questions have got to be asked. I'm not saying it should or shouldn't, I really don't know enough, but from the little I have seen I can see how that particular book can cause offence. Banning the republication of a particular story does not seem like an overeaction, if it is deemed racist then why allow a company to profit from it?

Problem is, whom decides on the banning? And for what reasons?

Something that also bugs me is pandering to the lowest common denominator. What next? Robinson Crusoe? Tom Sawyer? Can be seen as racist in todays' terms, but in context?
 
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