Product Description

Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Shahrazad, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Shahrazad always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever. This volume reproduces the 1932 Modern Library edition, for which Bennett A. Cerf chose the most famous and representative stories from Sir Richard F. Burton's multivolume translation, and includes Burton's extensive and acclaimed explanatory notes. These tales, including Alaeddin; or, the Wonderful Lamp, Sinbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, have entered into the popular imagination, demonstrating that Shahrazad's spell remains unbroken.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39563 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-10
• Original language: Arabic
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 912 pages

About the Author
The Modern Library prides itself as ''The modern Library of the world s Best Books''. Since 1917, its paperback series feature treasured classics, major translations of great works, and rediscoveries of keen literary and historical merit. Featuring introductions by leading writers, stunning translations, scholarly endnotes and reading group guides. Production values emphasize superior quality and readability. Competitive prices, coupled with exciting cover design make these an ideal gift to be cherished by the avid reader.

Customer Reviews

Mystical, opulent and fiendishly clever
Probally one the original "story within a story" book. Arabian nights is a selection of stories told by a young girl on her wedding night to a price who has sworn he will kill any girl who marries him. Her clever stories keep him from murdering her night after night. This is where classic fairy tales such as Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Theives come from as well as moral tales and metaphors.
The use of djins, magic and Eastern splendour makes Arabian Nights dazzle. A must read and a perfect counter point to western fairy tales such as Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grim

A must have for book lovers!
The Arabian Nights have often been dismissed as a simple bunch of bedtime tales for children. Make no such mistake about this book!

Painstakingly translated by Richard Burton in the late nineteenth century, the colourful prose in this book lends readers a glimpse of often little known Arabian life of yore. Full of subtle social nuances, rich in description, the reader is transported into a strange and wonderul world. The extensive explanatory notes only add to this delightful read. It may take a bit of effort to plough through the antiquated phraseology, but such effort will leave the reader deeply compensated and satisfied. I would highly recommend this to everyone. My only regret is not to have been able to read this in its original Arabic form!

The most insteresting and provocative classic I have read.
Arabian Nights is a great book. With around 50 stories in 600 pages, it is not only a good read, but has more adventure, mystery, and fantasy than sny European book. Arabian Nights is funny at times, yet sad (and even perverted) at others. It gives the reader a good sense of the corruption in old Arabia, and the grandness of the empire. This book is a definite read for anyone who longs for adventure.