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September 2013
Selector: Karen Liston
The Arabian Nights (Alif Layla wa Layla or ألف ليلة وليلة in Arabic) are among the most well-known stories in the world. Their authorship, and exact country-of-origin unknown, they are the fantastic legends on which many westerners' impressions of the historical Middle East are based. I invite you to come browse the book display on the first floor of the Purdy-Kresge Library, pick up a copy (or find one online below), read a tale or two, and attend the program on September 19 (details below). These marvelous tales and illustrations strike a chord - of the familiar, fantastic, exciting, adventurous, clever, titillating, - and sometimes even instructive - nature of the best storytelling. More resources relating to the Arabian Nights and other tales from the Middle East can be found below.
Introduction to the Arabian Nights (ألف ليلة وليلة)
PBS' "Invitation to World Literature - 1001 Nights"
This introduction is from the PBS series "Invitation To World Literature - 1001 Nights". Literary and cultural experts join producers Aly Jetha and Shabnam Rezaei as they talk about the famous book of 1001 Nights and how it has influenced their lives and why they decided to produce the animated cartoon series "1001 Nights" for children.
The original 1001 Nights framing story about King Shahryar and the famous story teller Shahrzad (Scheherzade) is discussed, as are other works that have used the literature as a source of inspiration, such as Rimsky-Korsakov's famous composed music piece by the same name.
Arabian Nights - Online Editions
The electronic editions below are recommended for their readability and are representative of specific editions and translations. Copies for donwloading in various formats can be found in the Libraries' Catalog. Scroll down this page (right column) for a free electronic version available to all.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (vol. 1) by Call Number: [Electronic Book; WSU AccessID & Password Required]ISBN: 9780203407608Publication Date: 1986This first of a four-volume set considered to be a reasonably accurate (and enjoyably readable!) translation of the wonderful tales of the Arabian Nights.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (Vol. 2) by Call Number: [Electronic Book; WSU AccessID & Password Required]ISBN: 0203359127Publication Date: 1986Volume 2 of a four-volume set considered to be a reasonably accurate (and enjoyably readable!) translation of the wonderful tales of the Arabian Nights.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (Vol. 3) by Call Number: [Electronic Book; WSU AccessID & Password Required]ISBN: 0203359135Publication Date: 1986Volume 3 of a four-volume set considered to be a reasonably accurate (and enjoyably readable!) translation of the wonderful tales of the Arabian Nights.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (Vol. 4) by Call Number: [Electronic Book; WSU AccessID & Password Required]ISBN: 9780415045421Publication Date: 1986Volume 4 of a four-volume set considered to be a reasonably accurate (and enjoyably readable!) translation of the wonderful tales of the Arabian Nights.
Arabian Night's Entertainments by Call Number: [Electronic Book; WSU AccessID & Password Required]ISBN: 0192828320Publication Date: 1995The tales with which Scheherazade nightly postpones the Sultan's murderous intent have entered our language and our lives like no other collection of stories before or since. Sinbad, Ali Baba, Aladdin: all make their appearance in this selection of Arabian Nights' Entertainments. This edition is the only one to offer the complete text of the earliest English translation, and also provides full notes and plot summaries, especially important in a such a sprawling work of great complexity.
Highlights from the Display
Stranger Magic: charmed states and The Arabian Nights by Call Number: Check out this book at the PK Display!ISBN: 0674055306Publication Date: 2012Stranger Magic examines the wondrous tales of the Arabian Nights, their profound impact on the West, and the progressive exoticization of magic since the eighteenth century, when the first European translations appeared. Their popularity during the Enlightenment was no accident: dreams, projections, and fantasies are essential to making the leap beyond the frontiers of accepted knowledge into new scientific and literary spheres. In Warner's hands, the Nights reveal the underappreciated cultural exchanges between East and West, Islam and Christianity, and cast light on the magical underpinnings of contemporary experience, where mythical principles, as distinct from religious belief, enjoy growing acceptance.
The Arabian Nights in Transnational Perspective by Call Number: Check out this book at the PK Display!ISBN: 9780814332870Publication Date: 2007Topics range from the history of the Arabian Nights manuscripts, to positioning the Nights in modern and postmodern discourse, to the international reception of the Nights in written and oral tradition.
Types of the Folktale in the Arab World by Call Number: Find this book at the PK Display!ISBN: 0253344476Publication Date: 2004Types of the Folktale in the Arab World is an index and preliminary analysis of folktales told by the diverse ethnic groups that populate what is commonly called "the Arab World." A folktale's emergence, spread, stability, change, continued presence, or disappearance among certain social groups depends on specific psychological, social, and cultural forces. An indispensable reference work for all who are interested in Arab culture and the folktale.
Featured Database, August 2013
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowFull-text online access to back issues of many scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences.
Scholarly works about Middle Eastern folktales
You'll find books about The Arabian Nights, as well as books about other Middle Eastern tales, below.