Aladdin and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights (Puffin Classics - The Essential Collection)

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic. Very interesting and a great read
Review: I was at the book shop and I saw this book and thought it looked interesting. I decided to buy it and as I started to read I was taken into another world. I love this book and recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Eastern stories that have captured the Western imagination!
Review: The Tales from the Arabian Nights are ancient stories of romance, suspense, mystery, magic and adventure originating from Persia, India and Arabia, originally functioning as the daily entertainment of ordinary people. They are woven together under the premise that they saved the life of Shahrazad, a queen whose husband executed each of his new wives after one night of marriage. By beginning an exciting story every evening, but withholding the ending, Shahrazad was able to convince the breathless king to spare her for another day until the next installment. Of course, after 1001 nights of devious story-telling, she had saved her life forever.

First introduced to the Western world in the eighteenth century, these stories have attained great popularity, and been retold many times, with "Aladdin" even being made into a Disney film. This collection features only a small selection of the best and most popular tales. Unlike many editions, it doesn't reflect the contemporary versions of the stories, but seeks to be faithful to the authentic Arabic sources. N.J. Dawood is well-equipped to retell these stories from the original Arabic. Born in Baghdad, Dawood attained a reputation as a scholar and received a university education in London. Amongst other projects he has translated "The Koran" and a complete collection of "Tales from the Thousand and One Nights."

Because this version intends to be faithful to the original Arabic, readers should not expect a sanitized Western interpretation. If you are looking for a fresh style that brings these stories to life for children in a modern Western audience, this is likely not the edition for you. These stories are unashamedly Arabic in character, and the religious aspect (Islam) is dominant throughout, where health and wealth, wine and women are bestowed as the blessing of Allah for obedience. But despite this, these stories continue to capture the Western imagination. Expect to read stories about powerful genies (jinees), magical lamps, talking animals, distant voyages, and impossible adventures.

This volume (a companion to "Sinbad the Sailor and Other Tales from The Arabian Nights") contains the well-known stories of "Aladdin", and "The Ebony Horse". Also represented are the lesser-known but equally fascinating "Khalifah the Fisherman" and "The Dream". A great opportunity to read stories that have stood the test of time in another culture - these are classics, and make a good introduction to the original cultural flavour of "Tales from the Arabian Nights"!