Lebanese author Hanan Al-Shaykh provides us with a retelling of the Arabian Nights, ancient stories collected from across India, Persia and the Arab empire that date back to the 14th Century. Hanan has chosen 19 tales, a bawdy, humorous collection that is part myth and part folk tale with jinnis, princesses and adventurers. The frame story is that of the courageous and clever Shaharazad (Scheherazade), who chooses to marry King Shahrayar, risking her life in doing so. The King, after discovering his wife’s infidelity, has sworn to marry a virgin every night, then every morning to have her executed. After their marriage, Shaharazad begins telling the King a story, stopping each night at a gripping point, and then continuing the tale the next day if he does not execute her. She is such a powerful storyteller that every morning the King refuses to execute her so he can hear the end of the story.

The stories themselves are told with simplicity, almost childlike at times, despite the often sexual nature of them. They usually revolve around the interaction between men and women. The stories very cleverly interlock almost like a set of Babushka dolls, a story within a story within a story…I enjoyed the rich imagery: beautiful women, juicy dates, opulent palaces, and lush fabrics. Traditionally the stories return to the frame story of Shaharazad and the King but in this version the ending felt rushed and Shaharazad does not quite seem to get her dues for the amazing stories of which she is the teller. 4 stars. ( )

A very readable selection and arrangement of stories from Alf layla wa layla which after the standard introduction brings together both characters of and storytellers of the tales in the home of sisters who have had all sorts of misfortunes at the hands of husbands but who remain in the prime of life. The chosen stories are almost all centered more around lovers and spouses rather than powerful magic and stirring adventure. ( )

Shahrayer’s wife betrayed him by taking part in massive orgies. She was seen by Shahrayer’s brother Shahaman who duly reported it. In an act of retribution, Shahrayer not only executed his wife but vowed to take a new untouched virgin each night, deflower her and execute her at dawn.

Until, of course, Shahrazad volunteered to become one of the doomed virgins. She mesmerized the king with her storytelling who agreed to let her finish her story before she was executed.

Stories within stories within stories. It’s a bit like the Noel Harrison song Windmills of your Mind: “like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel - Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel”.

Author Hannan Al-Shayk chose to beautifully retell nineteen of these stories. According to Wikipedia she chose to leave the stories continuing while the traditional ending is that after one thousand and one nights the stories end, and Shahrazad presented Shahrayer with the three children she had borne during the telling of the tales.

A few quotes:

Foreward by Mary Gaitskill:”The action of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights is dark and full of cruelty – especially toward women who are constantly being accused of adultery and then murdered or beat up. But the animating spirit here is light and full of play, especially on the part of the female characters, who are consistently resourceful and witty”. P.x

Author’s Preface : “I heard that a girl in my class had Alf Layl wa layl, (One Thousand and One Nights) and I hurried with her to peer at a few volumes in a glass cabinet, next to a carved tusk of an elephant. The volumes were leather- bound, their titles engraved in gold. I asked my friend if I might touch one, but she said that her father always locked the cabinet and kept the key in his pocket, because he said he feared that if anyone finished the stories they would drop dead. Of course I didn’t know then, and neither did my friend, that the reason her father didn’t want any of the women of the house to read Alf Layla wa Layla was because of its explicit sexuality.” Pxvii

“I felt as if I had opened the door of a carriage which took me back into the heart of my Arab heritage, and to classical Arab language, after a great absence. I was astonished at how our forebears had shaped our societies, showing us how to live our daily lives, through these tales which were filled with insights and moral and social rules and laws, without the influence of religion, but derived from first hand experience and deepest natural feelings towards every living thing. The effect of Alf Layl wa layl was so strong and real that Arab societies shaped themselves around it; the names of its characters were embedded in our language, becoming proverbs, adjectives and eve modes of speech. I was in awe of the complex society the stories evoked, which allowed relationships between humans and jinnis and beasts, real and imaginary.” P xviii ( )

It's REALLY difficult to figure out just how to rate this. On one hand, the storytelling is masterful; it's bawdy and action-packed, full of demons and lovers and vengeance. Most of the stories end very poorly for everyone involved, which is kind of awesome. However, even though I've become relatively familiar with many of the Arabian Nights stories over the years and thought myself fairly prepared for any old-fashioned notions couched in these ancient tales, I had an incredibly hard time getting over the abject misogyny of many of the stories...so much so that I wasn't sure if I could continue on. I was so enthralled though, curious to see just how the plot might twist in each individual story. This kept me going. al-Shaykh's phrasing certainly helped make it more accessible, too--I may just have to check out more of her own work. ( )

I really enjoyed this. I loved the stories within stories, and all the awesome, clever women in it. I liked that the stories were written in a way that is easier to read and understand. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who has any interest in folk tales. ( )