Comments on: The Harlequin Vintage Collection—A Lesson in Patience!

By: Time Synchronisation

Time Synchronisation — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:06:54 +0000

MySpace…

This post was mentioned on MySpace by Richard Hawkesford….

By: Marguerite Hargrove

Marguerite Hargrove — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:04:51 +0000

I think this is a fantastic idea! Why don’t publishers re-print old books?? I recently paid $140 for a book I read as a teenager because it was the only one available.
ALSO, is it possible to have a book re-printed that was published in 1980, since the publisher went bankrupt? Does that suspend the copyright?

thanks for any help

Maggie

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:41:50 +0000

Agree with all other posters. When early Tom Swift and Hardy Boys were reissued, the publisher added a forward explaining that problematical writing of the time of publication (overt racism for instance) was being left intact but the publisher did not in any way endorse these writings but left them intact as a record of the time. This is what you should have done. I came across your books and bought one out of curiosity which I am now about to read. I’m doubtful of my desire to buy more after finding that the books have been censored. I do not believe in censorship. How could you as a book publisher have thought this was a good idea? Correcting typos if you have to reproduce the text is one thing but bowdlerizing the text is something else again.

By: Muffy St. Bernard

Muffy St. Bernard — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:15:40 +0000

Like so many other posters, I was thrilled when I found out you were reprinting classic pulps.

Then I saw that you were censoring them. There is no way that I’m going to buy a rewritten pulp. Absolutely no way.

I understand your intentions, but the joy of these pulps is the way they capture the moods and styles of the time. To have them altered in any way to fit modern culture is totally inappropriate…it would be like going to a museum and finding dresses and pants painted on the people in classical artwork.

If you release more pulps and you don’t modify them, then I am DEFINITELY in line to buy them. Maybe all these comments have served to sway you. The idea is fantastic! Please, however, put a note on them that they are the original uncensored versions so I’ll know whether to buy them.

By: FiledBy | Blog » PW’s Person of the Year + Harlequin’s Woes

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:23:24 +0000

[...] recently. The entry is written by Executive Editor Marsha Zinberg, detailing her experience working on the Vintage Collection as part of the publisher’s 60th anniversary celebrations. It’s an interesting read, but [...]

By: Harlequin - A Lesson in... bowdlerization

Harlequin - A Lesson in... bowdlerization — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:17:22 +0000

Oh Dear… “small adjustments to the text”

I work for a library consortia, and guess what Marsha, we’re no longer purchasing from your company.

Who the Aich-Ee-double-hockey-sticks do you think you are!

By: Don Linn

Don Linn — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:05:49 +0000

Why did you even bother reissuing? The entire point of vintage is that it reflects its era. Removing the unpleasant aspects defeats the purpose and is insulting to readers.

By: Linda Rader

Linda Rader — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:49:58 +0000

“Updating” a classic is making a new book entirely. Like colorizing Film Noir. I don’t think that the readership for these re-issues are going to be the ones complaining about the lack of PC in them. But I’m glad these are being re-issued at all. Just wish they were intact.

By: bowdler

bowdler — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:08:06 +0000

Ms. Zinberg’s comments are hard to reconcile with your President and CEO’s “Dear Reader” in the books where she clearly says that the “works [are presented with ] their original text and cover art.”

By: Gini

Gini — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:38:52 +0000

Your “jaws dropped”? Were you all really so ignorant of pop culture as it existed fifty years ago? Hard to believe.

I’m wondering what changes were made – and am hoping that some collector out there will compare Harlequin’s original with your bowdlerized effort.

What a strange way to trumpet your roots.