A review by morebedsidebooks
The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights by Anonymous

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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