Agatha Christie Novels Undergo Re-Edits To Remove 'Offensive' Language Like 'White Teeth'

The works of British mystery author Agatha Christie are the latest to undergo re-editing long after publication.

According to The Guardian, publisher HarperCollins has rewritten Christie's titles to remove passages for modern audiences.

"The U.K. Telegraph reported references to racially-charged physical descriptions were removed from the new editions, including those describing characters as Black, Jewish or Gypsies," Fox News cites.

For example, the word "native" now appears as "local."

The edits turn more bizarre from there. The 1964 novel "A Caribbean Mystery" used to reference a hotel worker's "lovely white teeth."

The worker's teeth are "white" no more.

"Additional edits involved erasing references to Nubians in "Death on the Nile," with one instance condensing "the Nubian boatman" to simply say "the boatman," Fox adds.

Re-edits for classic works have become common practice in 2023, namely to the titles of Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming.

Likewise, R.L. Stine’s popular "Goosebumps" series has experienced a similar fate. Deadline reported the series has undergone more than 100 edits.

Changes to "Goosebumps" include changing “plump” characters to “cheerful,” “crazy” to “silly," and removing references to “slaves.”

Stine claims the edits were done without his knowledge.

Elsewhere, top-selling author James Patterson is undergoing a more unique type of censorship. His latest title, “Walk the Blue Line," portrays a heroic police officer. And for that, CNN and MSNBC have banned Patterson from appearing on the networks amidst his book tour.

Political correctness has even infested so-called "best-seller" lists:

The book industry is under attack.

Demands for new, honest publishers, best-seller lists, and avenues to promote have emerged.

Expect the word-police to next target "Murder on the Orient Express," the best of Agatha Christie's extensive bibliography. 

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Bobby Burack is a writer for OutKick where he reports and analyzes the latest topics in media, culture, sports, and politics.. Burack has become a prominent voice in media and has been featured on several shows across OutKick and industry related podcasts and radio stations.