Reviews

The Arabian Nights by Richard Francis Burton

jade's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

morebedsidebooks's review against another edition

4.0

The Annotated Arabian Nights represents a of selection of folktales from what is (without the orientalist moniker) properly titled the One Thousand and One Nights, giving a sample of a newer contemporary translation by Yasmine Seale alongside analysis. 

Although this book does not quite reflect Seale’s thinking on the Nights, her translation is engaging and clear in attention to cadence, rhyme, especially verse, and the voice of Shahrazad. While, like her visual poem “Sleepless” of Shahrazad’s waking eye, illuminating texts for modern audiences and up out of previous liberties taken by many. A labor sure to produce something glorious when that edition arrives in full. In the time being, the Annotated Arabian Nights is an immense book more suited to coffee tables and academic interest.

See an in-depth review on my blog. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Alcohol, Racism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Murder, and Torture

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Incest, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Miscarriage, Infertility, Animal death, and Antisemitism

Dalila the Crafty includes drugging men and stealing their clothes.

slinkyman's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

5.0

rayarriz's review against another edition

5.0

Great book which I read and enjoyed. Potrays the ancient Middle East vividly. Mystically wonderful. Loved the old tales of jinns, caliphs and colorful bazaar scenes. Good, good.

spacem0nkeyyy's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tamagojin88's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sofi_thebookishflor's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

libkatem's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative slow-paced

3.5

mackinnonanna's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

rolandosmedeiros's review against another edition

2.0

Eu sei que há todo aquele papo de se inserir na época em que o livro foi escrito, e eu tentei, de verdade, mas o fato de ser impossível entrar totalmente em branco dentro de qualquer coisa só acrescenta aos pontos negativos que esse livro tem para mim. Eu aguentei algumas dezenas de — repetitivas — noites, antes de largar mão do livro e pular para as histórias mais bem faladas, ''Sinbad, ''Aladinn'' e ''Ali Baba'', histórias realmente interessantes, mas pelo que descobri, foram adições posteriores à obra original, ou seja, as melhores narrativas do livro nem faziam parte dele de fato. Você entra esperando gênios concedendo desejos, e recebe gênios estuprando mulheres.

Eu entendo que foi um livro importante, e para mim, no entanto, vai ser apenas isso, um livro que sei ser importante e nada mais; gostei mais da Epopéia de Gilgamesh do que as Mil e uma Noites.

Muitos dos meus autores favoritos sempre recomendam esse livro, mas, sei lá, muito impalpável para mim. Fico me perguntando até se li a versão certa, dada a chuva de cinco estrelas que esse livro recebe por aqui. Um dia eu tento de novo. Talvez o caminho seja ler os contos espaçados e não em sequência, dada a grande repetição de temas. Talvez o caminho seja outra edição. Sinceramente não sei.