Tales from the Arabian Nights

by Edmund Dulac (Illustrator)

Other authorsPete Hamill (Afterword), Andrew Lang (Translator)
Hardcover, 1991

Status

Available

Call number

F Lan

Call number

F Lan

Barcode

3296

Collection

Publication

Reader's Digest Association (1991), Edition: Unknown, 303 pages

Description

Toby Stephens takes us back to the world of cunning, adventure, mishap and fun. Sheherezade, night after night, weaves her tales and Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and other tales come alive. The unforgettable music of Rimsky Korsakov sets the scene perfectly. A delightful treat for young listeners.

Original publication date

9th Century AD: Oldest manuscript fragments. Further layers of stories were added over subsequent centuries.
1704: Antoine Galland's French translation.
1706 – c. 1721: Anonymously translated version in English entitled "Arabian Nights' Entertainments".
1898: "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments" (selected and edited by Andrew Lang)

User reviews

LibraryThing member purplestoregirl
I read Andrew Lang's version of the Arabian Nights when I was a little girl. It wasn't until I was an adult and buying a copy for a young girl cousin of mine that I discovered some versions do not include the Scheherazade narration - which is the most powerful feminine voice that existed in my
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childhood. Be sure you buy a version that begins with the tale of Scheherazade or you being robbed of one of the greatest Arabian gems - intelligent women.
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LibraryThing member AnnetteMcIntyre
A watered down retelling of the stories of Sheherezade. But still not bad.
LibraryThing member caseybp
A magnificent collection of stories. I wonder how much has been edited. A great introduction to the tales.
LibraryThing member SumisBooks
Masterfully written!
The Sultan Schahriar had the most beautiful wife. But when he found her dishonoring him in the worst way he has no choice but to put her to death. To ensure that this blasphemy will never happen to him again every night he takes on a new bride and every morning the bride is
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ordered killed by the grand vizier. But one day the grand vizier's eldest daughter comes to him and tells him that she has a plan to get the sultan to stop murdering young women. But the catch is she has to marry him first. with much reluctance the grand vizier finally agrees to her plan knowing that if she fails he will have to murder her himself. With the help of her younger sister they weave a web of stories to enchant the sultan. Every night a new story takes place and every night they are spared their lives.
Stories within stories with in stories are interweave so cleverly and beautifully that they flow into the readers very soul. Vaguely reminiscent of Aesop's Fables, these stories are magnificent and hold their own life lessons within timeless moral confines.
I enjoyed this book immensely! The illustrations are amazingly gorgeous and add to the feel of the book and the stories themselves and in a way even make the stories come to life. I feel that everyone should read this book of stories at least once in their lives. It's well worth it! ❤️
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Rating

½ (42 ratings; 3.9)

Pages

303
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