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One Thousand and One Nights

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( 3,828 ratings, 416 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
One Thousand and One Nights retells the legendary tales told by Shahrazad to King Shahrayar, who vows to marry and kill a new bride each dawn after his betrayal by his first wife. To save her life, Shahrazad weaves captivating stories drawn from India, Persia, and the Arab empire, blending the supernatural with themes of love, power, fate, and human trials. This edition offers a fresh, intoxicating voice through the acclaimed Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is perfect for adult readers who appreciate historical fiction and folklore, as well as anyone interested in Middle Eastern literature and powerful storytelling centred on complex human emotions and supernatural elements.

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The Arab world's greatest folk stories re-imagined by the acclaimed Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh, published to coincide with the world tour of a magnificent musical and theatrical production directed by Tim Supple

The Arab world's greatest folk stories re-imagined by the acclaimed Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Arab world's greatest folk stories re-imagined by the acclaimed Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh

Magical ... bursting with jinnis and mischief — Donna Tartt

One of the finest writers of her generationFinancial Times

One Thousand and One Nights are the never-ending stories told by Shahrazad under a sentence of death to King Shahrayar. Maddened by the discovery of his wife's orgies, King Shahrayar vows to marry a virgin every night and kill her in the morning. To survive, his newest wife Shahrazad spins a web of tales each night, leaving the King in suspense when morning comes, prolonging her life for another day.

Gathered from India, Persia, and across the great Arab empire, these mesmerising stories tell of the real and the supernatural, love and marriage, power and punishment, wealth and poverty, and the endless trials and uncertainties of fate. Retold by Hanan al-Shaykh, One Thousand and One Nights are revealed in an intoxicating new voice.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "magical ... bursting with jinnis and mischief" by Donna Tartt, and celebrated for its warmth, humor, and timeless appeal by Hanif Kureishi in The Guardian, this reimagining is regarded as a "treasure box of stories" by Daniel Hahn (Independent) and features "earthy immediacy" and a focus on erotic passions according to the New York Review of Books. The Financial Times calls Hanan al-Shaykh "one of the finest writers of her generation". This edition captivates readers interested in the rich, bawdy, and violent glory of the classic tales.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408827765

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 November 2013

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Hanan al-Shaykh is one of the contemporary Arab world's most acclaimed writers. She was born in Lebanon and brought up in Beirut, before going to Cairo to receive her education. She was a successful journalist in Beirut, then later lived in the Arabian Gulf, before moving to London. She is the author of the collection I Sweep the Sun off Rooftops and her novels include The Story of Zahra, Women of Sand and Myrrh, Beirut Blues and Only in London, shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Most recently she published the acclaimed memoir of her mother's life, The Locust and the Bird. Hanan al-Shaykh lives in central London.

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