The Thousand and One Nights in Arabic Literature and Society

This book successfully defies the view that The Thousand and One Nights is not worthy of serious literary debate.

Richard Hovannisian (Author), Georges Sabagh (Author)

9780521573979, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 1997

130 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1 cm, 0.29 kg

"The contributors `examine the literature and societal components of The Thousand and One Nights, and they bring to the fore unusual insights into this rather bewildering but always fascinating corpus of literature." Religious Studies Review

The Thousand and One Nights has captivated audiences for centuries, conveying universal messages through the adventures of historical and non-historical figures. Yet, since medieval times, it has not been considered worthy of serious literary debate, and has been marginalised in the tradition of high Arabic literature. André Miquel, the recipient of the twelfth Levi Della Vida award, has successfully defied this taboo, and in a brilliant combination of medieval and modern studies has emphasised the continuity, rather than the compartmentalisation, of Arabo-Islamic culture. In this volume, André Miquel's theme-setting essay is followed by contributions from Jamel Eddine Bencheikh, Roy P. Mottahedeh, Fedwa Malti-Douglas, Seeger Bonebakker, Muhsin Mahdi, and Stanislav Segert, who examine the literary and societal components of The Thousand and One Nights.

Introduction Fedwa Malti-Douglas
1. The Thousand and One Nights in Arabic literature and society André Miquel
2. Historical and mythical Baghdad in the tale of Ali b. Bakkar and Shams al-Nahar, or the resurgence of the imaginary Jamel Eddine Bencheikh
3. Aja'ib in The Thousand and One Nights Roy P. Mottahedeh
4. Shahrazad Feminist Fedwa Malti-Douglas
5. Nihil obstat in storytelling? Seeger A. Bonebakker
6. From history to fiction: the tale told by the King's steward in The Thousand and One Nights Muhsin H. Mahdi
7. Ancient Near Eastern traditions in The Thousand and One Nights Stanislav Segert.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF]