Description
Book SynopsisA dynamic, living and breathing cross-cultural phenomenon that has left its mark on fields as disparate as the European novel and early Indian cinema.
Trade Review[A] splendid recently published anthology. -- Patricia Storace * The New York Review of Books *
[T]he two editors, both of them well established figures in their relative fields, have done excellent work in producing a volume that has its own internal logic . . . The contributions to this volume are all, by any yardstick one may wish to apply, superb essays in cultural studies, and, in many cases comparative literature studies. A distinguished contribution to Arabian Nights studies. -- Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania
It is almost impossible now for Western writing not to draw on the Nights. This collection is a call to us to go back to that most wonderful of books, Alf layla wa-layla, and read and reread it endlessly, and learn from it as equals. -- Roz Kaveney * Times Literary Supplement *
The Arabian Nightsis one of a kind in leaving a lasting mark on various fields of knowledge, including art, theater, screen, and literature. Until the appearance of the Arabian Nights, no mythical character had captured such wide and global attention as Scheherazade, with her wit, intelligence, and courage. The work, like its evolving tales, continues to generate scholarly studies and diverse cultural work of merit. Kennedy and Warner have put together such a book.Scheherazade's Childrenprovides a solid testimony to the power of this fascinating world classic, which transcends countries, languages, and cultures. The 18 essays, all by renowned scholars, explore compelling topics that will help anyone delve into the secret world of imagination that the Arabian Nightsinitiated. The extensive examination of the different translations of the Nightsis impressive and illuminating: it prepares readers of this book to make their choice from the myriad of renderings to build their own appreciations and evaluations. And the volume's scholarly analyses will further the reader's understanding and enjoyment of a classic work. This volume will enchant readers across all disciplines.Summing Up: Highly recommended. -- A.S. Jawad * Choice *
The Arabian Nights as much as any work created the category now known as & world literature. The lively and lucid essays in Scheherazades Children explore the fascination and influence The Nights have exerted in various cultures and the books sometimes surprising and often amusing metamorphoses. -- Daniel Beaumont, author of Slave of Desire: Sex, Love, and Death in the 1001 Nights
Scheherazades Children is an excellent collection of essays covering several aspects of the Arabian Nights. * British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies: *
These scrupulously documented essays justify study of the Nights as 'one of the wellsprings of World Literature' that continues to draw readers, scholars, translators, and artists into a theatrical, imaginary land, which, like the narrator herself, casts an entrancing spell and proves inexhaustible in meanings, 'blending cultural specificities into one vast Prient of the mind.' * Publishers Weekly *
Beautifully illustrated, this title concludes with a list of the stories, their translations, and adaptations. Though the essays take up academic subjects, they are accessible to general readers. * Library Journal *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Part I 1 The Sea-Born Tale 2 Re-Orienting William Beckford 3 The Collector of WorldsPart II 4 The Porter and Portability 5 The Rings of Budur and Qamar al-Zaman 6 White Magic 7 The Arabian Nights and the Origins of the Western Novel 8 "A Covenant for Reconciliation" 9 Translating Destiny 10 Borges and the Missing Pages of the Nights 11 The Politics of Conversation 12 Sindbad the SailorPart III 13 The Arabian Nights in British Pantomime 14 The Arabian Nights in Traditional Japanese Performing Arts 15 "Nectar If You Taste and Go, Poison If You Stay" 16 Scheherazade, Bluebeard, and Theatrical Curiosity 17 The Takarazuka Revue and the Fantasy of "Arabia" in Japan 18 Thieves of the Orient AfterwordList of Stories Selected Bibliography About the Contributors Index The illustrations appear in two groups, following pages 176 and 224. For information about the illustrations, see the list of illustrations on page ix.
