AluminoustranslationofArabictalesofenchantmentandwonderTranslatedintoEnglishfortheveryfirsttime,AHundredandOneNightsisamarvelousexampleoftherichtraditionofpopularArabicstorytelling.LikethecelebratedThousandandOneNights,thiscollectionopenswiththeframestoryofScheherazade,thevizier’sgifteddaughterwhorecountsimaginativetalesnightafternightinanefforttodistractthemurderouskingfromtakingherlife.AHundredandOneNightsfeaturesanalmostentirelydifferentsetofstories,however,eachonemorethrilling,amusing,anddisturbingthanthelast.Here,weencountertalesofepicwarriors,buriedtreasure,disappearingbrides,cannibaldemon-women,fatalshipwrecks,andcleverruses,wherehumanstrengthandingenuityplayoutagainstabackdropofinexorable,inscrutablefate.DistinctlyrootedinArabicliterarycultureandtheIslamictradition,thesetalesdrawonmotifsandstoryelementsthatcirculatedacrosscultures,includingIndianandChineseantecedents,andfeaturesaframestorypossiblyolderthanitsmorefamoussibling.ThisvibranttranslationofAHundredandOneNightspromisestotransportreaders,newandveteranalike,intoitsfantasticalrealmsofmagicandwonder.AnEnglish-onlyedition.
