The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

As criticism mounts, Roald Dahl’s publisher offers a messy compromise

The release of classic versions of Dahl’s books alongside altered ones won’t quell the debate over censorship

Perspective by
Book critic
Books by Roald Dahl are displayed at a bookstore in 2011. (Andrew Burton/AP)
4 min

In a delightful parody of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Roald Dahl once wrote:

This famous wicked little tale

Should never have been put on sale.

It is a mystery to me

Why loving parents cannot see

That this is actually a book

About a brazen little crook.

Dahl was kidding about the need to censor a cherished children’s story, but Dahl’s publisher isn’t.

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