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Book ReviewsThe Arabian Nights II : Sindbad and Other Popular Stories (Everyman's Library (Cloth)) |
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Book: The Arabian Nights II : Sindbad and Other Popular Stories (Everyman's Library (Cloth))
Written by: HUSAIN HADDAWY |
Publisher: Everyman's Library
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5
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Not the real thing
Rating:
2 / 5
This is a very rum publication. Five years previous to its appearance Husain Haddawy produced as 'The Arabian Nights' a translation of the earliest extant version of the text (thirteenth- or fourteenth-century), which contains only a fraction of the full text known from nineteenth-century editions. In a polemical preface he denounced the full version as a dilution of a great original by the addition of masses of alien and inferior material. It must subsequently have been pointed out to him that a version of the Arabian Nights that omitted the best known stories would disappoint readers; consequently he then produced the present volume, made up largely of the popular tales 'Sindbad the Sailor', 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', and 'Aladdin and his Lamp' -- even though, as he points out in the preface, the original Arabic texts of 'Ali Baba' and 'Aladdin', if they ever existed, have never been found and we are dependent on an eighteenth-century French 'translation' that is a fine piece of literature but far from authentic. A reader who wants to go beyond Haddawy's first volume would be well advised to go straight to one of the translations of the complete text, which contains much fine material omitted from both Haddawy's volumes. Of these the best known is Richard Burton's and the most readable that of Powys Mathers.
Enthralling
Rating:
5 / 5
When I have started reading this collection of Arabic stories I was very pleasantly surprised by the excellent translation. The language flows smoothly and practically dances on the pages. The translation has engaged me and kept my attention, until I have finished the book alltogether. This rendition couldnt have possibly been improved.
As for the tales, this is not like Disney's Alladin or Sindbad. Do not be deceived into believing that the stories are effulgent with simple innocence. In parts, there is mild violence and subtle obscenties. However subtle, one might still consider them inappropriate for children. To make it simple, if this was a movie it would be rated pg-13. This aspect aside, the stories flow smoothly with enthralling tales of adventure, magic, and of course the cliche themes of love. Even though the tales of this book have been displayed on television, this rendition flavors them with fresh originality. The only regret is that one wont be guessing about the outcome of the adventures as the ending has been millions of times entrusted to the media and us...
Lovely, magical translation
Rating:
5 / 5
This translation of some of the most beloved tales of the Arabian nights is irresistable.
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