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Dress and other types of codes that signify profession are reflected in the Arabian Nights. The entertaining cycle of the barber and his brothers (part four) is informative about social manners and practices. It takes us away from the supernatural and from courtly life and involves us in the domains of professionals and functionaries. Even merchants—despite their enormous presence in the tales and the appreciation of their vocation in Islam—were not routinely accepted in upper-class or courtly society. They had to pass through a number of trials— including, at times, mutilation—to prove their merit, refinement, and readiness to suffer for love. Between the marketplace and the sovereign’s courtiers and entourage, there is usually a physical distance, as well as social, moral, and psychological distances. Only when a maid or lady decides to come to the market, upon hearing of a charming young merchant who can make a good companion or husband, is a rite of passage possible, but never without some sacrifice on the male’s part.
There are different transgressions, however, that can upset the whole order. Storytellers take their revenge upon upper-class society in various ways. Imagining the wealthy households and buildings based on the little glimpses they get from their fellow scribes who have access to these wealthy districts, storytellers write about the sumptuousness of the lives of the wealthy and the expenditures they lavish on lovers from lower stations. They also depict women from these households who cannot control their sensual appetites. Their revenge takes place whenever they depict a black slave as a companion to a queen: In the frame story this is exactly what sours the sultan’s worldview and attitude to womankind, and what brings on his melancholy and morbidity, and in "The History of the Young King of the Black Isles,” the queen prefers a crippled black slave who lives among rubbish mounds to the king and his palace. Yet the tales—composite in nature, of different origins and formations—are not of one piece in the ways they exact revenge for racism or social inequality. In many narratives, there is an underlying preference for whiteness that runs counter to Islamic preaching as religion; the Prophet’s last speech specifies that there is no merit for any in Islam other than piety. The young merchant from Baghdad speaks of the barber as follows, however: "Although he was born in a country where the complexion of the people is white, he looks like an Ethiopian; but his mind is of a dye deeper and more horrible than his visage.” In the end, the stories’ many redactors are of so many conflicting views and attitudes that there is no uniform treatment of race, religion, and gender. Villainy, cruelty, and selfishness, as well as licentiousness, can be social aspects among all races. The same is true of other behavioral patterns, as is apparent in the barber’s brothers’ narrative cycle. he same cycle shows a tendency among governors to banish unwanted citizens or travelers as if to sustain an idealistic vision of their urban life. Yet, these seeming whims and idiosyncrasies on part of governors and citizens are, after all, the whims of the storyteller who would like to move to another story and to another character of more adventures and troubles.
In a word, the Arabian Nights is meant to entertain, to be enjoyed as good reading; but for people who are interested in other issues, there are many details and views that invite discussion. Indeed, the tales’ reading history in Europe tells us much about the unique interests and concerns of each age. Perhaps it is the kind of book that operates as a mirror where people are pleased to see reflections of their own thoughts.
8207523
Posted July 4, 2011
This is a heavily-edited, heavily-censored, public domain version for "young readers" from the 1800s or something. The Barnes and Noble website falsely calls it a translation by Haddawy. Please don?t bother reading Arabian Nights in a bad translation. Stick with either Haddawy (best) or early Burton editions (note that his widow heavily censored them after his death, look for early editions). If you need a childrens version, look for a modern one that is at least readable.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 2, 2007
I enjoy the Barnes & Noble classics. Arabian Nights gives off a captivating look into the Arabic world of literary fantasy. As the story, progresses, one runs into thieves, djinns, and parables of wisedom. Many remember classic tales, such as Aladdin, Ali Baba & The Forty-Thieves, but it is the storyteller, whose fate lies in the hands of entertaining a sultan who wishes to execute her, that brings out the myth of Arabian Nights.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 1, 2007
I own the entire series of this, and it's not a story or stories - it's a lesson and rules on how to be good. Some is too intense for children but the condensed form is suitable for anyone. This is one of the classics of all classics to be brought to worldwide attention by Sir Richard Burton (not the actor). It ranks with Shakespeare, Dante, Boccoccio, Chaucer and Milton / as well as with recent Margret and H.A.Rey (Curious George) Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne) George E. Peterson, Jr. (Wonderful Stories from Skog Forest) Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) and any Dr Seuss.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 14, 2011
The Arabian Nights / 9781411431782
This is a beautifully formatted member of the B&N classic series. The pictures are gorgeous, and the abridgment of the stories is well done and designed to gloss over the more boring tales in the large collection. But the translation has been watered down, presumably for children, and lacks the sex, violence, and overall punch of the original tales. From the get-go, the Sultan decides to marry a new girl every night and strangle her in the morning because he saw his wife "conversing" with another man. This change removes the sultan's real grief, makes him look more petty than insane, and removes the healing process of the tales. I understand why the translation was made -- for the children -- but I wish B&N had chosen an alternative translation for their classics series.
~ Ana Mardoll
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 13, 2010
I bought the Haddaway translation while searching for a text to teach in a college world literature class. I taught 1,000 Nights Plus One last semester for the first time, and students loved it. Unfortunately, in our anthology we had only a few excerpts. This version is the best I've found for clarity and readability, and will offer the entire text rather than snippets.
The tales of Shahrazad go way beyond what most students expect (Alladin, Sinbad, that's about it). The rich, wondrous, bawdy, funny, terrifying, magical stories in Arabian Nights delight readers--especially when they're told in muscular, vivid language. This translation is stellar!
PS--this is NOT a kids' book!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 21, 2009
This is the absolute best, clearest and most comprehensible translation of the Arabian Nights that you will find. While the famous Burton translation has gained lots of followers over the years, this translation is incredible as Haddawy brings the cultural understanding to the translation, which is sadly lacking in Burton's. Very definitive.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 4, 2009
I am enjoying it to a point, but the stories are just too long to really hold my interest very long. I cannot read more than 1 story at a time without putting in down.
3 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.My sisters grew up in Morocco and remembered hearing these stories from their grandma. They are in high school now and it is fun reading the stories with them, sharing a memory of their childhood. The book is a collection of short stories and all of them have a message to them, sort of like Aesops fables. They teach us to be kind and courteous to everyone despite our differences and also to have a reverence to God.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 30, 2009
I Also Recommend:
I got this book for my fifteenth birthday and I devoured it. I was finished within two weeks and I want more! These stories bring the ancient Middle East to life with their far-fetched tales that make the Brothers Grimm seem like ameteurs. Scheherazade's stories of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali-Babba, Aladdin, genies, sultans, and dozens of mythical creatures create a strange and wonderful world. The collection has good lessons and is one of the most interesting things i've read in a long time.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 1, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted July 20, 2012
For anyone who didnt read or understand what Sultan means.
Sultan- turkish word,means king or ruler
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 26, 2012
The white kid becomes a man and looks out for this witch. He overcomes his mom and adopted brother. Blah vlah. The story is just SO BORING! ANYONE AGREE?!
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 16, 2012
Terribble
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 19, 2012
Well i have read this book and to tell you the truth it had some well interesting stories in it. Some were adventure others were kinda about passion, and others were about morals these stories were really short stories told in another story. Not really my favorite but thats just me. You might like it overall i did
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Posted December 22, 2011
As much as I thought I was aware of the stories in this classic, I was surprised about how much of it was composed of tales that I had never seen or heard were part of it. Before reading The Arabian Nights I didn't even realize the story was frame in frame. The matter of fact way some of the characters describe killing is actually kind of comical. Some of the tales within the book are just complete bores. Aladdin was actually my favorite, even though it isn't thought of as part of the canon.
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Posted October 9, 2011
The stories aren't boring, but you have to read them in chunks otherwise you will get bored. I personally found it hard to stay focused throughtout most of the book if I read more than a few pages. Though the stories contain lessons and morals, they seem very repetitive.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ailanthus
Posted July 8, 2011
These are good stories, but I couldn't read the whole thing at once. It just didn't hold my attention.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.4588720
Posted March 28, 2011
This book is so boring!
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 31, 2006
I bought this book to continue reading the rest of the stories available from the 'Arabian Nights' set. I really enjoyed reading the first book and I am enjoying this second book.
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Posted October 25, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
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