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Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
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84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2012
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April 21, 2023
Aladdin’s name would probably be better translated as ‘Ala-ed-Din; but it is as Aladdin that he is universally known, and therefore I will follow popular usage in calling him Aladdin throughout this review. And whether one reads this story from classical Arabia as Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, or as ‘Ala-ed-Din and the Wonderful Lamp, one experiences the pleasure of turning to one of the most important and influential stories ever written.
The story is set in China – proof, I suppose, that readers in the Arab world, during the medieval era when these stories were set down, were just as interested as people all over the world of today in experiencing a bit of vicarious travel through stories that are set in exotic, “foreign” locales. Viewers of the Disney-film versions of Aladdin’s story will not be surprised when Aladdin is introduced as “a scatter-brained scapegrace from his birth”. Aladdin’s status as “a careless boy…always given to playing with the urchins of the street” has serious consequences; his father, an impoverished tailor who has been desperately trying to teach Aladdin a trade, dies from grief and despair at his inability to do so, leaving Aladdin as a care and a worry to the boy’s mother.
But Aladdin’s seemingly certain destiny as an idle ne’er-do-well is interrupted when a “Moorish Darwish” (a North African sorcerer) shows up in Aladdin’s town, claiming to be the brother of Aladdin’s deceased father. The sorcerer brings money, shows a decided interest in Aladdin’s future, and declares his willingness to set up Aladdin in business, as a prosperous merchant. But, unsurprisingly, the sorcerer has a hidden agenda, an ulterior motive: Aladdin is the only person in the world who can open the door to a mysterious underground treasury, and only he can bring forth a lamp that the sorcerer wants.
And when Aladdin is not able to hand the lamp up to the sorcerer as quickly as the sorcerer would like, the sorcerer loses patience and imprisons Aladdin in the underground treasury, leaving the unfortunate young man to weep and wail in despair. Fortunately, however, the sorcerer had given Aladdin a ring to protect him while he was in the treasury; and while Aladdin, believing that his life is near its end, is praying for God’s help, the ring turns out to be much, much more than a piece of ornamental jewelry:
And whilst he was supplicating God and wringing his hands from heaviness of grief at the calamity which had overtaken him, his hand happened to rub the ring, and behold, immediately the Slave of the Ring appeared before him and cried: “Here I am, thy slave, between thy hands. Ask what thou wilt, for I am the slave of him on whose hand is the ring, the ring of my master.” And ‘Ala-ed-Din looked up and saw a Marid [a demon] like the Jinn of our Lord Suleyman, standing before him; and he was affrighted at the awful apparition…
Aladdin understandably asks the Marid to transport him to the surface of the Earth, and the Marid immediately does so. Aladdin is of course relieved, and promptly makes his way home to his mother, whom he informs of the sorcerer’s treachery. Yet he does not seem conscious of the depth of his good fortune; ascribing his rescue to God’s mercy, he is not aware that he summoned the Marid of the Ring by rubbing the ring, and can re-summon him at any time. It is left to Aladdin’s mother to make her own accidental discovery – this time, with the Lamp that the sorcerer so coveted:
So she arose and brought the Lamp to her son, and she found it very dirty, and said: “O my son, here is the Lamp, but verily it is dirty, and when we have cleaned and polished it, it will sell for a greater price.” So she went and took a handful of sand, and fell to rubbing the Lamp therewith; but she had hardly begun to rub when there appeared before her one of the Jann, of terrible aspect and vast stature, as it were of the giants. And he said to her: “Tell me what thou dost want of me; here am I, thy slave, and the slave of him who holdeth the Lamp; not I only, but all the slaves of the Wonderful Lamp which is in thy hand.”
Aladdin’s mother is terrified into speechlessness at this wonder – a Jinni that is a menacing figure quite unlike the jocose, good-natured genie portrayed by Will Smith and Robin Williams in Walt Disney’s live-action and animated Aladdin films. Fortunately, however, Aladdin is close at hand, and has the presence of mind to order some food that the Jinni promptly brings on a silver plate. This wish-fulfillment fantasy of power and wealth coming to a person who has always lacked both no doubt contributes to the enduring popularity of the Aladdin story.
It must be nice – it must be nice – to have a Jinni on your side. Aladdin and his mother enjoy the sumptuous food brought by the Jinni each day, and sell the silver plates for ready cash, “so that he and his mother became well-to-do, though they ceased not to live as of old, as middle-class people, without excess or waste” – a detail that reminds the reader that the audience for these tales, when they were originally composed in the late 15th century, was very much a middle-class audience of merchants and businesspeople in a thriving commercial society.
And when Aladdin falls in love with the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, the beautiful daughter of the all-powerful Sultan, the presence of the Jinni makes all the difference as well. The Sultan’s scheming Wezir (vizier) tries to have his son married to Bedr el-Budur; but all Aladdin has to do, in order to foil the Wezir's plans, is instruct the Jinni to interrupt the wedding night by bringing Bedr el-Budur and the Wezir’s son to Aladdin’s house, where the Wezir’s son is locked in a cold closet while Aladdin and Bedr el-Budur sleep chastely in the same bed. The Jinni can furnish anything that the sultan requires of Aladdin, from a rich dowry to “a palace in front of the Sultan’s Serai…marvellous in its construction, such as Kings have not seen, and perfect in its fittings of stately furniture fit for princes”.
The lady Bedr el-Budur beholds Aladdin and loves him, and the wedding goes forward. Aladdin, now a prince and heir to the throne, carries out his H.R.H. responsibilities ably, leading the nation’s cavalry courageously in war and donating generously for the relief of the poor; and it seems for a time as if the two will live happily ever after.
But there is trouble in paradise – for that same Moorish sorcerer who originally tried to dupe Aladdin into obtaining the Wonderful Lamp, having returned to North Africa, eventually learns that Aladdin not only escaped his underground imprisonment but has used the Lamp to become a prince. The sorcerer, unsurprisingly, is enraged: “I have borne many pains and suffered torments which no one else would have endured for the sake of the Lamp, and this cursed boy has taken it without an effort; and if this accursed knoweth the virtues of the Lamp, no one in the world should be richer than he….There is nothing for it but that I compass his destruction.”
And thus it is that the sorcerer, “consumed with the flame of anger begotten of envy”, journeys back to China and adopts a diabolically effective expedient for acquiring the Lamp: he disguises himself as a poor merchant and walks the streets of Aladdin’s city, calling out, “O who will exchange old lamps for new?” The Lady Bedr-el-Budur, not knowing that the old lamp in Aladdin’s room is a magic lamp, gives it to her servant with orders to exchange it for a new lamp; and once the sorcerer has the lamp, he orders the Jinni to take him, the Lady, and the entire enchanted castle off to his North African homeland.
A shocked and heartbroken Aladdin is brought in chains before the Sultan, who learns from the Wezir that it would not be safe to execute Aladdin; the people love Aladdin too much, because of his well-known generosity. The good deeds that Aladdin did out of compassion, back when he had wealth and power, thus return to him once his wealth and power have been taken away.
Released by royal pardon, Aladdin knows that he can call upon the Marid of the Ring to take him wherever the castle is, but then learns that the Marid of the Ring cannot undo what the Jinni of the Lamp has done. Thus Aladdin, once reunited with the Lady Bedr-el-Budur (who has been successfully resisting the sorcerer’s blandishments), must work with her to find a way of outwitting the sorcerer in order to restore the good.
This story has so many compelling mythic archetypes – the ordinary person who turns out to have a prominent destiny; the sorcerer who seeks to use his powers for selfish gain; the beautiful princess who values true love above wealth or fame; the ordinary-looking object that contains vast powers – that it is no surprise that the tale of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp has become one of the best-loved stories in world literature. While no lamp in your own house is likely to have that kind of extraordinary effect on your own life, this tale unquestionably has a magic of its own.
The story is set in China – proof, I suppose, that readers in the Arab world, during the medieval era when these stories were set down, were just as interested as people all over the world of today in experiencing a bit of vicarious travel through stories that are set in exotic, “foreign” locales. Viewers of the Disney-film versions of Aladdin’s story will not be surprised when Aladdin is introduced as “a scatter-brained scapegrace from his birth”. Aladdin’s status as “a careless boy…always given to playing with the urchins of the street” has serious consequences; his father, an impoverished tailor who has been desperately trying to teach Aladdin a trade, dies from grief and despair at his inability to do so, leaving Aladdin as a care and a worry to the boy’s mother.
But Aladdin’s seemingly certain destiny as an idle ne’er-do-well is interrupted when a “Moorish Darwish” (a North African sorcerer) shows up in Aladdin’s town, claiming to be the brother of Aladdin’s deceased father. The sorcerer brings money, shows a decided interest in Aladdin’s future, and declares his willingness to set up Aladdin in business, as a prosperous merchant. But, unsurprisingly, the sorcerer has a hidden agenda, an ulterior motive: Aladdin is the only person in the world who can open the door to a mysterious underground treasury, and only he can bring forth a lamp that the sorcerer wants.
And when Aladdin is not able to hand the lamp up to the sorcerer as quickly as the sorcerer would like, the sorcerer loses patience and imprisons Aladdin in the underground treasury, leaving the unfortunate young man to weep and wail in despair. Fortunately, however, the sorcerer had given Aladdin a ring to protect him while he was in the treasury; and while Aladdin, believing that his life is near its end, is praying for God’s help, the ring turns out to be much, much more than a piece of ornamental jewelry:
And whilst he was supplicating God and wringing his hands from heaviness of grief at the calamity which had overtaken him, his hand happened to rub the ring, and behold, immediately the Slave of the Ring appeared before him and cried: “Here I am, thy slave, between thy hands. Ask what thou wilt, for I am the slave of him on whose hand is the ring, the ring of my master.” And ‘Ala-ed-Din looked up and saw a Marid [a demon] like the Jinn of our Lord Suleyman, standing before him; and he was affrighted at the awful apparition…
Aladdin understandably asks the Marid to transport him to the surface of the Earth, and the Marid immediately does so. Aladdin is of course relieved, and promptly makes his way home to his mother, whom he informs of the sorcerer’s treachery. Yet he does not seem conscious of the depth of his good fortune; ascribing his rescue to God’s mercy, he is not aware that he summoned the Marid of the Ring by rubbing the ring, and can re-summon him at any time. It is left to Aladdin’s mother to make her own accidental discovery – this time, with the Lamp that the sorcerer so coveted:
So she arose and brought the Lamp to her son, and she found it very dirty, and said: “O my son, here is the Lamp, but verily it is dirty, and when we have cleaned and polished it, it will sell for a greater price.” So she went and took a handful of sand, and fell to rubbing the Lamp therewith; but she had hardly begun to rub when there appeared before her one of the Jann, of terrible aspect and vast stature, as it were of the giants. And he said to her: “Tell me what thou dost want of me; here am I, thy slave, and the slave of him who holdeth the Lamp; not I only, but all the slaves of the Wonderful Lamp which is in thy hand.”
Aladdin’s mother is terrified into speechlessness at this wonder – a Jinni that is a menacing figure quite unlike the jocose, good-natured genie portrayed by Will Smith and Robin Williams in Walt Disney’s live-action and animated Aladdin films. Fortunately, however, Aladdin is close at hand, and has the presence of mind to order some food that the Jinni promptly brings on a silver plate. This wish-fulfillment fantasy of power and wealth coming to a person who has always lacked both no doubt contributes to the enduring popularity of the Aladdin story.
It must be nice – it must be nice – to have a Jinni on your side. Aladdin and his mother enjoy the sumptuous food brought by the Jinni each day, and sell the silver plates for ready cash, “so that he and his mother became well-to-do, though they ceased not to live as of old, as middle-class people, without excess or waste” – a detail that reminds the reader that the audience for these tales, when they were originally composed in the late 15th century, was very much a middle-class audience of merchants and businesspeople in a thriving commercial society.
And when Aladdin falls in love with the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, the beautiful daughter of the all-powerful Sultan, the presence of the Jinni makes all the difference as well. The Sultan’s scheming Wezir (vizier) tries to have his son married to Bedr el-Budur; but all Aladdin has to do, in order to foil the Wezir's plans, is instruct the Jinni to interrupt the wedding night by bringing Bedr el-Budur and the Wezir’s son to Aladdin’s house, where the Wezir’s son is locked in a cold closet while Aladdin and Bedr el-Budur sleep chastely in the same bed. The Jinni can furnish anything that the sultan requires of Aladdin, from a rich dowry to “a palace in front of the Sultan’s Serai…marvellous in its construction, such as Kings have not seen, and perfect in its fittings of stately furniture fit for princes”.
The lady Bedr el-Budur beholds Aladdin and loves him, and the wedding goes forward. Aladdin, now a prince and heir to the throne, carries out his H.R.H. responsibilities ably, leading the nation’s cavalry courageously in war and donating generously for the relief of the poor; and it seems for a time as if the two will live happily ever after.
But there is trouble in paradise – for that same Moorish sorcerer who originally tried to dupe Aladdin into obtaining the Wonderful Lamp, having returned to North Africa, eventually learns that Aladdin not only escaped his underground imprisonment but has used the Lamp to become a prince. The sorcerer, unsurprisingly, is enraged: “I have borne many pains and suffered torments which no one else would have endured for the sake of the Lamp, and this cursed boy has taken it without an effort; and if this accursed knoweth the virtues of the Lamp, no one in the world should be richer than he….There is nothing for it but that I compass his destruction.”
And thus it is that the sorcerer, “consumed with the flame of anger begotten of envy”, journeys back to China and adopts a diabolically effective expedient for acquiring the Lamp: he disguises himself as a poor merchant and walks the streets of Aladdin’s city, calling out, “O who will exchange old lamps for new?” The Lady Bedr-el-Budur, not knowing that the old lamp in Aladdin’s room is a magic lamp, gives it to her servant with orders to exchange it for a new lamp; and once the sorcerer has the lamp, he orders the Jinni to take him, the Lady, and the entire enchanted castle off to his North African homeland.
A shocked and heartbroken Aladdin is brought in chains before the Sultan, who learns from the Wezir that it would not be safe to execute Aladdin; the people love Aladdin too much, because of his well-known generosity. The good deeds that Aladdin did out of compassion, back when he had wealth and power, thus return to him once his wealth and power have been taken away.
Released by royal pardon, Aladdin knows that he can call upon the Marid of the Ring to take him wherever the castle is, but then learns that the Marid of the Ring cannot undo what the Jinni of the Lamp has done. Thus Aladdin, once reunited with the Lady Bedr-el-Budur (who has been successfully resisting the sorcerer’s blandishments), must work with her to find a way of outwitting the sorcerer in order to restore the good.
This story has so many compelling mythic archetypes – the ordinary person who turns out to have a prominent destiny; the sorcerer who seeks to use his powers for selfish gain; the beautiful princess who values true love above wealth or fame; the ordinary-looking object that contains vast powers – that it is no surprise that the tale of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp has become one of the best-loved stories in world literature. While no lamp in your own house is likely to have that kind of extraordinary effect on your own life, this tale unquestionably has a magic of its own.
March 30, 2017
3.5 stars. Great story. Glad to have finally had the chance to read the original for my world literature module as part of my English degree. There are some technical errors in the translation and the story has some unbelievable elements eg how the story is set in a city in China but the description of the story makes it sound like it is set in Istanbul. I've nevertheless enjoyed it for its plot.
November 4, 2022
An important foundation of an original story/legend, but ultimately modern authors have greatly improved the story structure, morals, climax, and catharsis. An interesting look back.
May 12, 2019
3.5 stars
It was so different from the Disney movie 😆 But it was an entertaining story, nonetheless!
It was so different from the Disney movie 😆 But it was an entertaining story, nonetheless!
February 2, 2021
Taký krátky milý príbeh, ale inak to je všetko 🙈 myslela som, že z tohto príbehu vzíde nejaká morálna myšlienka ale nič..príbeh je o Aladdinovi,ktorý na základe čarovnej lampy získa princeznu a palác, príde oň a o princeznú a potom ho zase získa keď zabije zlého čarodejníka...no a tu mi išlo v hlave že mne nie je sympatický ani sám Aladdin s tým, že používal cudziu čarovnu lampu aby mal to čo chce...
February 18, 2016
SOOOOO different from Disney......
But really good and much more realistic. I've always been an Aladdin fan and to read the real story is certainly satisfying. Good job, 4 stars!
But really good and much more realistic. I've always been an Aladdin fan and to read the real story is certainly satisfying. Good job, 4 stars!
February 25, 2023
2 stars
Not my favorite OG story Disney adapted...
Not my favorite OG story Disney adapted...
November 22, 2021
Aladdin and the magical lamp by Unknown- Children’s illustrated colour picture book- The book is a collection of 7 stories of Aladdin. Chapter 1- Magician Uncle, Aladdin resides with his mother in Istanbul, Turkey. He is a lazy boy. After the death of Aladdin’s father, a person arrives in his house. He informs Aladdin’s mother that he is a long lost brother of Aladdin’s father. His name is Ebanazar. Ebanazar finds that Aladdin is poor so he buys a fancy shop for Aladdin so that he can work earn his living. Next day, Ebanazar and Aladdin visit a garden. Ebanazar lights a fire and throw a magic potion on it. The stairs of a house appear. Aladdin does not know that his Uncle is a magician. Ebenzer gave Aladdin a ring and asked him walk down the stairs with the instruction to find a magic lamp and return it to him. Aladdin finds that he has arrived in a garden. He plucks fruits for himself. He tries to find the magic ring and ultimately he finds it. In the garden the weather is cold. For warmth in his body, he rubs the ring and keeps it in his pocket. His Uncle calls him to deliver the ring to him. On rubbing, the genie appears and asks Aladdin for service. Aladdin asks the genie to take him out of this situation. Genie helps Aladdin to reach his house.
2- Two genies- Aladdin’s mother is hungry. She plans to sell the dirty magic lamp so that she can buy a meal for them. She rubs the lamp. Genie appears. She asks for a meal. Genie provides two plate full of food in a silver plate. After one week, Aladdin visits the market to sell the silver plates. He finds that the people are competiting to purchase fruits which he saw in the magic garden. Aladdin returns home and hides the fruits which he had brought from the magic garden.
3- Sultan’s daughter- It was announced that next day, Sultan’s daughter Badr-al-budur will visit a public bath to bathe. Aladin hid inside the public bath hall. Both saw each other. She was beautiful. Both fell in love. Aladdin requested his mother to visit the Sultan’s place and propose his marriage with the princess and gift the magic fruits to him. Aladdin’s mother visited the Sultan’s palace with the proposal and gifted the jewels to the Sultan. They had not seen such beautiful fruits which were large gems. One Vazir took consent of Sultan and informed that their marriage could be held after 3 months.
4- Wrong husband- Soon it was announced that the Sultan’s daughter would be married to Wazir’s son. With the help of genie, fear was created in the mind of Vazir’s son by fearful dreams. Because of fear, Vazir’s son left Sultan’s daughter.
5- Aladdin’s marriage- Sultan demanded 40 plates of jewels as gift. With the help of genie, Aladdin gifted the jewels to Sultan. Aladdin was married to Sultan’s daughter. Genie provided a large beautiful house in which they lived happily.
6- Return of Uncle Ebanazar- Ebanazar arrived in the city. He reaches Aladdin’s house and asks if she has any old lamps to sell. Aladdin’s mother sells him the magic lamp. Ebenezer takes away Aladdin’s wife and palace to a far away forest. Aladdin returns back from the hunt and finds that things have changed. He is aware that he has a magic ring. He rubs the ring and calls the genie. Genie helps Aladdin to meet Sultan’s daughter. He provides her with poison to be mixed in his wine. Thus Ebenezer dies and Aladdin gets back his wife and house.
7- Rogue Brother- Ebanazer’s rogue brother came to know about the death of Ebanzar. He planned to take revenge from Aladdin. He came dressed as a woman to Aladdin’s house. He said that his name is Fatima. When Fatima meets Aladdin’s wife, she informs her that her palace will appear more beautiful if a white shinning egg of Rock bird is hung on it. When Aladdin comes to know of this demand, he enquires from genie. Genie informs him that in order to get the white egg, she will have to kill Aladdin. Aladdin moves out with a sharp knife. Soon he is able to stab Fatima. Thus, Aladdin leads a peaceful life.
Children’s stories are related to their imagination. At the time when this story was written, marrying a King’s daughter, a princess was a big dream for a young man. Today, sports players and movie actors are important because they have risen from rags to riches. This book is a well-known classic tale.
2- Two genies- Aladdin’s mother is hungry. She plans to sell the dirty magic lamp so that she can buy a meal for them. She rubs the lamp. Genie appears. She asks for a meal. Genie provides two plate full of food in a silver plate. After one week, Aladdin visits the market to sell the silver plates. He finds that the people are competiting to purchase fruits which he saw in the magic garden. Aladdin returns home and hides the fruits which he had brought from the magic garden.
3- Sultan’s daughter- It was announced that next day, Sultan’s daughter Badr-al-budur will visit a public bath to bathe. Aladin hid inside the public bath hall. Both saw each other. She was beautiful. Both fell in love. Aladdin requested his mother to visit the Sultan’s place and propose his marriage with the princess and gift the magic fruits to him. Aladdin’s mother visited the Sultan’s palace with the proposal and gifted the jewels to the Sultan. They had not seen such beautiful fruits which were large gems. One Vazir took consent of Sultan and informed that their marriage could be held after 3 months.
4- Wrong husband- Soon it was announced that the Sultan’s daughter would be married to Wazir’s son. With the help of genie, fear was created in the mind of Vazir’s son by fearful dreams. Because of fear, Vazir’s son left Sultan’s daughter.
5- Aladdin’s marriage- Sultan demanded 40 plates of jewels as gift. With the help of genie, Aladdin gifted the jewels to Sultan. Aladdin was married to Sultan’s daughter. Genie provided a large beautiful house in which they lived happily.
6- Return of Uncle Ebanazar- Ebanazar arrived in the city. He reaches Aladdin’s house and asks if she has any old lamps to sell. Aladdin’s mother sells him the magic lamp. Ebenezer takes away Aladdin’s wife and palace to a far away forest. Aladdin returns back from the hunt and finds that things have changed. He is aware that he has a magic ring. He rubs the ring and calls the genie. Genie helps Aladdin to meet Sultan’s daughter. He provides her with poison to be mixed in his wine. Thus Ebenezer dies and Aladdin gets back his wife and house.
7- Rogue Brother- Ebanazer’s rogue brother came to know about the death of Ebanzar. He planned to take revenge from Aladdin. He came dressed as a woman to Aladdin’s house. He said that his name is Fatima. When Fatima meets Aladdin’s wife, she informs her that her palace will appear more beautiful if a white shinning egg of Rock bird is hung on it. When Aladdin comes to know of this demand, he enquires from genie. Genie informs him that in order to get the white egg, she will have to kill Aladdin. Aladdin moves out with a sharp knife. Soon he is able to stab Fatima. Thus, Aladdin leads a peaceful life.
Children’s stories are related to their imagination. At the time when this story was written, marrying a King’s daughter, a princess was a big dream for a young man. Today, sports players and movie actors are important because they have risen from rags to riches. This book is a well-known classic tale.
September 22, 2024
Aladdin is the most magical story I've ever read, featuring a poor boy who encounters a magician claiming to be his late father's brother. The magician sends Aladdin on a quest to retrieve a magical lamp, leading to a shocking revelation: the magician is evil and not who he seems. When Aladdin steals the lamp, he discovers it houses a powerful genie that transforms his life.
This tale is a mix of fascination and frustration. I found myself torn by Aladdin's actions, particularly when he pursued Princess Jasmine despite her engagement to someone else. There’s a depth to his character that adds complexity to the narrative, making it a compelling read. The action-packed plot is filled with magical elements and the romance between Aladdin and Jasmine is beautifully portrayed.
The story also explores themes of deceit and revenge, particularly with the emergence of the magician’s cunning brother, adding layers of conflict. While I enjoyed the magic and adventure, I was left wondering about the truth of Aladdin's identity and whether Jasmine and the king were ever fully aware of it.
Overall, Aladdin is an enchanting story that captivates with its blend of action, romance, and moral dilemmas, even as it leaves me questioning the nature of truth and deception.
This tale is a mix of fascination and frustration. I found myself torn by Aladdin's actions, particularly when he pursued Princess Jasmine despite her engagement to someone else. There’s a depth to his character that adds complexity to the narrative, making it a compelling read. The action-packed plot is filled with magical elements and the romance between Aladdin and Jasmine is beautifully portrayed.
The story also explores themes of deceit and revenge, particularly with the emergence of the magician’s cunning brother, adding layers of conflict. While I enjoyed the magic and adventure, I was left wondering about the truth of Aladdin's identity and whether Jasmine and the king were ever fully aware of it.
Overall, Aladdin is an enchanting story that captivates with its blend of action, romance, and moral dilemmas, even as it leaves me questioning the nature of truth and deception.
August 15, 2025
3.5-4 stars?
So! This is the original version of the story. How different is it from the movies? Very. We swap the childlike charm of the movies for what is quite literally a “dog eats dog” world. It’s not Agrabah we find Aladdin in, but China.
Aladdin is curious, but he’s also opportunistic, sharing the personality of a two-bit politician in election season or a CEO trying to please his shareholders. This dude is no saint, but he exudes ambition and spirit. The genie seems to have no qualms about this and serves his whims with unlimited patience.
There’s less of a moral lesson or takeaway here than I had expected from a fairytale, but it was interesting nonetheless to dive into Middle Eastern mythology for a moment and ask questions about the world of magic, about the world of the djinns.
It’s a short read, and makes for some interesting comparisons before or after watching the famous Disney films.
So! This is the original version of the story. How different is it from the movies? Very. We swap the childlike charm of the movies for what is quite literally a “dog eats dog” world. It’s not Agrabah we find Aladdin in, but China.
Aladdin is curious, but he’s also opportunistic, sharing the personality of a two-bit politician in election season or a CEO trying to please his shareholders. This dude is no saint, but he exudes ambition and spirit. The genie seems to have no qualms about this and serves his whims with unlimited patience.
There’s less of a moral lesson or takeaway here than I had expected from a fairytale, but it was interesting nonetheless to dive into Middle Eastern mythology for a moment and ask questions about the world of magic, about the world of the djinns.
It’s a short read, and makes for some interesting comparisons before or after watching the famous Disney films.
February 2, 2022
2.5 / 5 Stars
I listened to this because I wanted a quick little short story audiobook to listen to on my commute home. I love the Disney movie and the original story was interesting, and it was also interesting to see how the two differ. I still prefer the Disney movie though lol. OG Aladdin’s kind of an asshole.
I listened to this because I wanted a quick little short story audiobook to listen to on my commute home. I love the Disney movie and the original story was interesting, and it was also interesting to see how the two differ. I still prefer the Disney movie though lol. OG Aladdin’s kind of an asshole.
September 11, 2018
Disney has ruined this story. Everyone is familiar with Aladdin who finds the magic lamp and befriends the genie. We are also aware that he marries the princess. It is interesting that in the original tale there is a character that tries to take the magic from Aladdin.
June 5, 2022
It was okay, it was less enchanting than the original.
Also I don't like the inconsistency in setting. It says it is based in China, yet we have simitars and Sultans and castles with domes, which seem more Arab so...
I still liked it though!
Also I don't like the inconsistency in setting. It says it is based in China, yet we have simitars and Sultans and castles with domes, which seem more Arab so...
I still liked it though!
Read
October 19, 2023Aladdin and the Magic Lamp tells the story of Aladdin, the son of a poor tailor. I would use this book to teach about comparisons and I would have my students compare it to the Disney version of Aladdin.
May 27, 2019
Well, i managed to read the original because of the movie is coming up this month!
July 25, 2019
It was fine, nothing fantastic. Maybe it has lost something in translation?
October 26, 2019
I couldn't put the great book down until I had read it all the way through.
DORIS Esther Johnson, i never enjoyed reading g anything better except the Bible. Aladdin 's Lamp is fascinating all the way thru and
I loved everything about the way it was written.
DORIS Esther Johnson, i never enjoyed reading g anything better except the Bible. Aladdin 's Lamp is fascinating all the way thru and
I loved everything about the way it was written.
September 11, 2020
11 pages. I find no moral lesson in this story.
January 28, 2021
Quick, easy and was nice to see where the inspiration for the disney version came from.
Read via audiobook
Read via audiobook
July 23, 2021
Different than the Disney version but still really good
December 27, 2021
Different than Disney's version but not bad.
March 9, 2022
A small beautiful story that Disney ducked up
October 26, 2023
Aladdin needs to stop going for hunting trips.
Orientalism is STRONG with this one - Asian culture generalization goes crazyy
Orientalism is STRONG with this one - Asian culture generalization goes crazyy
November 13, 2023
Yet another one where the origin story is better than the Disney version. Shame on me for continually being surprised by that.
June 11, 2024
A classic tale which inspired many differing adaptations. It’s interesting to experience the source material for such a famous story.
May 3, 2025
Aladdin was originally set in China???
January 1, 2022
I thoroughly liked reading this story, and also discovering the differences between the Disney version I watched when I was a kid. Definitely can recommend!
March 13, 2024
This book makes my mouth itch. The phrasing is strange to me. Gives me a headache.
February 23, 2021
A mediocre story featuring Aladdin and a magic lamp.
I would call this my least favorite version of the ones I have come across. In this book, Aladdin has been portrayed in such a manner that any reader is likely to agree that he did not deserve a single bit of what he got his hands on. The style of narration was too plain, and the story, unfortunately, comes with no moral lesson.
I would not recommend the book for children since it is likely to do more harm than good.
I would call this my least favorite version of the ones I have come across. In this book, Aladdin has been portrayed in such a manner that any reader is likely to agree that he did not deserve a single bit of what he got his hands on. The style of narration was too plain, and the story, unfortunately, comes with no moral lesson.
I would not recommend the book for children since it is likely to do more harm than good.
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September 30, 2021The Story of Aladdin a son of a poor tailor. His father wanted to train him to be a tailor but Aladdin had no interest in working just stealing from other and running around in the bazar. A magician enters the town and befriends him and tricks alladin into entering the cave of wonders to retrieve a lamp. Aladin goes to retrieve the lamp and is getting out when he asks his uncle for help. He attempts to take the lamp and leaves Aladdin there by himself. Until he rubbed the lamp and a genie appeared. He had the genie grant his wish to go home and lived there without issue for years. Until one day he walked by the palace and became enthralled with the sultan's daughter. The genie granted Aladddin's wishes and he eventually had a palace and married the sultan's daughter. Until one day the old magician came back stole the lamp and wished that Aladdin's palace would be moved far far away. The sultan was furious when he found out who Aladdin really was and sentenced him to death. He escaped to find the mean magician making a move on his wife so he transformed into a snake and bit her to safe her from the magician. They lived happily ever after. This would be a good book to do a compare and contrast activity wit the class to the version of Aladdin they know.
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