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One Aladdin Two Lamps
A woman is filibustering for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning she lives one more day. One Aladdin Two Lamps cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to explore new and ancient questions: Whom should we trust? Is love the most important thing? Does honesty matter? What makes us happy?
Posing as Aladdin—the orphan who changes his world—Jeanette Winterson asks us to re-examine what we think we know, to look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings. As a young working-class woman with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realizes through the power of books that she can read herself as fiction as well as a fact: “I can change the story because I am the story.”
Posing as Aladdin—the orphan who changes his world—Jeanette Winterson asks us to re-examine what we think we know, to look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings. As a young working-class woman with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realizes through the power of books that she can read herself as fiction as well as a fact: “I can change the story because I am the story.”
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First published January 20, 2026
145 people are currently reading
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About the author
Jeanette Winterson
125 books7,746 followersNovelist Jeanette Winterson was born in Manchester, England in 1959. She was adopted and brought up in Accrington, Lancashire, in the north of England. Her strict Pentecostal Evangelist upbringing provides the background to her acclaimed first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, published in 1985. She graduated from St Catherine's College, Oxford, and moved to London where she worked as an assistant editor at Pandora Press.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
One of the most original voices in British fiction to emerge during the 1980s, Winterson was named as one of the 20 "Best of Young British Writers" in a promotion run jointly between the literary magazine Granta and the Book Marketing Council.
She adapted Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for BBC television in 1990 and also wrote "Great Moments in Aviation," a television screenplay directed by Beeban Kidron for BBC2 in 1994. She is editor of a series of new editions of novels by Virginia Woolf published in the UK by Vintage. She is a regular contributor of reviews and articles to many newspapers and journals and has a regular column published in The Guardian. Her radio drama includes the play Text Message, broadcast by BBC Radio in November 2001.
Winterson lives in Gloucestershire and London. Her work is published in 28 countries.
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January 28, 2026
Oh we are SO back!
A gem from a favorite author when I needed it most--thanks Winterson. This is a phenomenal look at storytelling and I will be back to review it I promise.
But for now: AMAZING
Miss you all, hope everyone is well. Thanks to those who reached out.
A gem from a favorite author when I needed it most--thanks Winterson. This is a phenomenal look at storytelling and I will be back to review it I promise.
But for now: AMAZING
Miss you all, hope everyone is well. Thanks to those who reached out.
January 15, 2026
Listen, if a book takes itself THAT seriously, employing a declamatory style full of moral certainty, I expect complex, sharp, challenging thoughts - okay, even then the formal delivery would bother me, but to couple this sound with a bunch of banalities is really quite something. Winterson gives us a hybrid essay collection, structured around The Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights): Short excerpts or references to the tales, told in a contemporary style, are followed by personal essays about all kinds of topics, and I couldn't help but feeling that the classic tales are stand-ins for the gospel followed by the sermon, and I was transported to a weird mass. But not a Catholic mass, mind you: There is no opulence, no incense, no drama, just Protest work ethic and sparseness. Pass me the sacramental wine, I want to drown my literary sorrows.
One main point Winterson addresses again and again, which is also the hinge to "The Arabian Nights", is the assumption that the world is made up of stories, and that creativity changes the world (not that she goes into the theory behind this, it's more of a superficial argument that sees narrative as a weapon against the ills she mentions, like anti-women politics). The modulation around this bothered me, because we should be way beyond this simplistic take by now: What MAGA does is also narration, so we need to ask how narration needs to relate to the real world, how we judge narration, because to just applaud the creative act itself is not only simplistic, but outright wild at this point. Then, we could also debate her on some issues: The fear for women's exclusive spaces, the lazy arguments regarding the perils of the digital world (TikTok bad), a dubious faith in AI.
Sure, these are opinion pieces, and the author's strong convictions are part of Winterson's style. The thing is though: this reader has always been bored by the likes of Bertolt Brecht, because of the didactic and ultimately condescending (that's my strong take :-)) approach of epic theater. When it comes to declaring personal truths, Winterson is the same, and I find that annoying. Let me explain: I like nuanced essays with authors that truly ponder complex issues as opposed to surface-level declarations that reduce complexity. Jesus, here's another strong take by yours truly: The urge to reduce complexity is relatable, but it is also the root of many problems society is facing today. And I feel like books like this one cater to readers that enjoy feeling like they and their opinions are correct, which is a fuzzy, cosy, and also very unproductive feeling. Winterson does not aim to convince anyone, she is preaching to the converted.
To what end?
One main point Winterson addresses again and again, which is also the hinge to "The Arabian Nights", is the assumption that the world is made up of stories, and that creativity changes the world (not that she goes into the theory behind this, it's more of a superficial argument that sees narrative as a weapon against the ills she mentions, like anti-women politics). The modulation around this bothered me, because we should be way beyond this simplistic take by now: What MAGA does is also narration, so we need to ask how narration needs to relate to the real world, how we judge narration, because to just applaud the creative act itself is not only simplistic, but outright wild at this point. Then, we could also debate her on some issues: The fear for women's exclusive spaces, the lazy arguments regarding the perils of the digital world (TikTok bad), a dubious faith in AI.
Sure, these are opinion pieces, and the author's strong convictions are part of Winterson's style. The thing is though: this reader has always been bored by the likes of Bertolt Brecht, because of the didactic and ultimately condescending (that's my strong take :-)) approach of epic theater. When it comes to declaring personal truths, Winterson is the same, and I find that annoying. Let me explain: I like nuanced essays with authors that truly ponder complex issues as opposed to surface-level declarations that reduce complexity. Jesus, here's another strong take by yours truly: The urge to reduce complexity is relatable, but it is also the root of many problems society is facing today. And I feel like books like this one cater to readers that enjoy feeling like they and their opinions are correct, which is a fuzzy, cosy, and also very unproductive feeling. Winterson does not aim to convince anyone, she is preaching to the converted.
To what end?
January 8, 2026
And the story continues..............
And how we tell it changes per person, per time, the feelings change, the tempo changes, the angles change, because our needs change, we change and the story changes with us.
How we tell a story reflects who we are.
Why we tell a story reflects our needs.
What story we tell reflects our priorities, what we value.
When we tell the story reflects the point where we are in our lives.
Where we tell the story, the choice of our audience, reflects our position in the world, where we are and our relationship to our audience and what the needs between us are.
We do need a vision to walk towards, a vision for a better future than the facts of the now anticipate and Winterson is well on the way in helping us towards it.
Curiosity, imagination, using these to go around and examining all angles of a problem and imagining a solution. Using our minds to find a better end to a story. And ahmmm I mean using our minds, not scrolling and flitting about, jumping from one glittery click onto another.
I’ve been with Winterson walking with Atlas and Leika with occasional sightings of dear Hercules and I treasure these walks. Now I walked with her in another beautiful retelling. This time it’s with Shahrazad. Winterson is able to explore the stories and us so beautifully – fundamental truths – the stories are us – we are the story and like Shahrazad we can change the story.......................
What do you do when you realise that you’re already highlighted most of what you’ve read already, continue highlighting or just consider the book as one highly lit whole, a beacon in fact which connected with your mind and had you nodding and smiling and thinking and frowning and then smiling again with delight.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley
And how we tell it changes per person, per time, the feelings change, the tempo changes, the angles change, because our needs change, we change and the story changes with us.
How we tell a story reflects who we are.
Why we tell a story reflects our needs.
What story we tell reflects our priorities, what we value.
When we tell the story reflects the point where we are in our lives.
Where we tell the story, the choice of our audience, reflects our position in the world, where we are and our relationship to our audience and what the needs between us are.
We do need a vision to walk towards, a vision for a better future than the facts of the now anticipate and Winterson is well on the way in helping us towards it.
“Imagination is the power of change”.
Curiosity, imagination, using these to go around and examining all angles of a problem and imagining a solution. Using our minds to find a better end to a story. And ahmmm I mean using our minds, not scrolling and flitting about, jumping from one glittery click onto another.
I’ve been with Winterson walking with Atlas and Leika with occasional sightings of dear Hercules and I treasure these walks. Now I walked with her in another beautiful retelling. This time it’s with Shahrazad. Winterson is able to explore the stories and us so beautifully – fundamental truths – the stories are us – we are the story and like Shahrazad we can change the story.......................
What do you do when you realise that you’re already highlighted most of what you’ve read already, continue highlighting or just consider the book as one highly lit whole, a beacon in fact which connected with your mind and had you nodding and smiling and thinking and frowning and then smiling again with delight.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley
October 7, 2025
“Imagination is key. To see past the present, with its assumptions and constraints. To see round corners. For me, it was reading. It was literature. But all art is there to develop our imaginative capacity.”
In a world where everyone is becoming more isolated, societies are more polarised and technology and megalomaniacs seem to dominate the news - our worlds - Jeanette Winterson makes a call to arms by asking us - or is that pleading with us - to recognise the power of creativity, the mind expanding beauty of the novel , the might of story telling and the universal need for imagination in our lives.
It is a visit to the theatre as a young child to watch a pantomime - Aladdin - that opened up Jeanette Winterson’s world - an enlightenment of the possibility that stories that give us. Using Shahrazad’s stories from One Thousand and One Nights, we are taken on a magical carpet of tales : of wrong doers, genii, magic, survival and incredible characters.
But it is within these tales and the power of storytelling that we are asked to reflect on universal questions of love, belonging, trust , the human need for wanting more - greed and avarice- being truthful, and what do we actually mean by happiness.
Juxtaposing the tales against societal changes and global issues -poverty, feminism, oppression, the failure of politics- helping us to look at our own stories and the world about us.
This is a powerful and persuasive argument of the importance of reading and books to open up imaginations and minds to see alternative paths, build tolerance and compassion and ultimately build a future that embraces love and humanity. This is not idealistically naive but highlights what we have lost and could further lose but still have a chance to save. Attention is given to the closing of minds through scrolling world of social media and extremism hijacking lives. Those of us who lived BSM - Before the Smart Phone- know the difference and impact.
Articulate, captivating , hypnotic and also entertaining ( the retelling of Shahrazad’s stories are enthralling) This may be a book for the already converted - the lovers of fiction and creativity and the arts- but equally this may get a new audience( or all of us ) to further consider the power of storytelling and determining a different future where our personal story takes us all on a wider path of diversity and happiness and hope for the future .
Long live books - or at least the freedom to be independently imaginative
Quotes:
Social pressure can be avoided. Social media is unavoidable.
Literature allows complexity, but complexity doesn’t mean obscurity. Literature doesn’t mean boring. What we are hoping for – well, what I am hoping for – is a piece of work with the power to captivate us on many levels.
So no, your TikTok videos won’t bring you meaning, neither will social media’s weapons of mass distraction, that shrink the human mind to its smallest scope. Needing the next dopamine hit from the outside every few minutes is a miserable way to live. It’s a strategy of discontent, and it makes it harder to settle down with a text that asks for our complete attention.
I am aware that reading, the ability to read, the love of reading, might not be part of the coming human journey. We will have music. We will have visual art and moving pictures. We will have theatre. We will have storytelling. Will we have reading?
In a world where everyone is becoming more isolated, societies are more polarised and technology and megalomaniacs seem to dominate the news - our worlds - Jeanette Winterson makes a call to arms by asking us - or is that pleading with us - to recognise the power of creativity, the mind expanding beauty of the novel , the might of story telling and the universal need for imagination in our lives.
It is a visit to the theatre as a young child to watch a pantomime - Aladdin - that opened up Jeanette Winterson’s world - an enlightenment of the possibility that stories that give us. Using Shahrazad’s stories from One Thousand and One Nights, we are taken on a magical carpet of tales : of wrong doers, genii, magic, survival and incredible characters.
But it is within these tales and the power of storytelling that we are asked to reflect on universal questions of love, belonging, trust , the human need for wanting more - greed and avarice- being truthful, and what do we actually mean by happiness.
Juxtaposing the tales against societal changes and global issues -poverty, feminism, oppression, the failure of politics- helping us to look at our own stories and the world about us.
This is a powerful and persuasive argument of the importance of reading and books to open up imaginations and minds to see alternative paths, build tolerance and compassion and ultimately build a future that embraces love and humanity. This is not idealistically naive but highlights what we have lost and could further lose but still have a chance to save. Attention is given to the closing of minds through scrolling world of social media and extremism hijacking lives. Those of us who lived BSM - Before the Smart Phone- know the difference and impact.
Articulate, captivating , hypnotic and also entertaining ( the retelling of Shahrazad’s stories are enthralling) This may be a book for the already converted - the lovers of fiction and creativity and the arts- but equally this may get a new audience( or all of us ) to further consider the power of storytelling and determining a different future where our personal story takes us all on a wider path of diversity and happiness and hope for the future .
Long live books - or at least the freedom to be independently imaginative
Quotes:
Social pressure can be avoided. Social media is unavoidable.
Literature allows complexity, but complexity doesn’t mean obscurity. Literature doesn’t mean boring. What we are hoping for – well, what I am hoping for – is a piece of work with the power to captivate us on many levels.
So no, your TikTok videos won’t bring you meaning, neither will social media’s weapons of mass distraction, that shrink the human mind to its smallest scope. Needing the next dopamine hit from the outside every few minutes is a miserable way to live. It’s a strategy of discontent, and it makes it harder to settle down with a text that asks for our complete attention.
I am aware that reading, the ability to read, the love of reading, might not be part of the coming human journey. We will have music. We will have visual art and moving pictures. We will have theatre. We will have storytelling. Will we have reading?
November 26, 2025
In One Aladdin Two Lamps, Jeanette Winterson uses the story of Scherherazade, the ultimate teller of tales, to navigate experiences women have in the modern world.
I confess, I have not read One Thousand and One Nights and my knowledge of Scheherazade is limited to Aladdin and Ali Baba, both of which stories I can guarantee are not the pantomime/Disney tales we have become used to.
The tales that Winterson uses to illustrate her points are cleverly interwoven with personal memoir, political doctrine and religious beliefs. Certainly, a lot of it was very illuminating.
The last Winterson I read was "Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit" so it was a delight to read her prose again. This book made me want to a) read One Thousand and One Nights; and b) read more Jeanette Winterson.
Clever, interesting and well written. Definitely recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.
I confess, I have not read One Thousand and One Nights and my knowledge of Scheherazade is limited to Aladdin and Ali Baba, both of which stories I can guarantee are not the pantomime/Disney tales we have become used to.
The tales that Winterson uses to illustrate her points are cleverly interwoven with personal memoir, political doctrine and religious beliefs. Certainly, a lot of it was very illuminating.
The last Winterson I read was "Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit" so it was a delight to read her prose again. This book made me want to a) read One Thousand and One Nights; and b) read more Jeanette Winterson.
Clever, interesting and well written. Definitely recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.
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November 5, 2025
Art is there to focus our attention.
When I read, I get out of my current situation and inside a very different situation. It doesn't matter whether I identify or recoil. Whether I agree or I don't.
My first book by Jeanette Winterson was „why be happy when you can be normal“ and I loved that I took a little biography of the author with me to really understand this new release.
If we simply airlift a human from a terrible place to a better one, the terrible place comes along too, because it is already imprinted in the circuitry of self. To untangle and reset that terribleness is no small task.
Jeanette takes us on a journey, a journey through one thousand and one nights in the voice of Sharzard who tries to escape her cruel death by a angry sultan.
To me, it's not astonishing that most women could not contribute to society - what's astonishing is how much women have contributed since we've been able to educate our minds, earn our own money, vote in elections and build independent lives.
While Sharzard tells us stories about journeys, forgiveness and development, we get commentary and little essays by Jeanette looking at our modern times.
But going below the surface, into the deep water that is the substance of these tales, is to meet the same kinds of dilemmas faced in our world, the same judgements, whether reckless or just.
The balance between
punishment and mercy.
I enjoyed this little journey and i especially enjoyed Jeanette Wintersons writing.
When I read, I get out of my current situation and inside a very different situation. It doesn't matter whether I identify or recoil. Whether I agree or I don't.
My first book by Jeanette Winterson was „why be happy when you can be normal“ and I loved that I took a little biography of the author with me to really understand this new release.
If we simply airlift a human from a terrible place to a better one, the terrible place comes along too, because it is already imprinted in the circuitry of self. To untangle and reset that terribleness is no small task.
Jeanette takes us on a journey, a journey through one thousand and one nights in the voice of Sharzard who tries to escape her cruel death by a angry sultan.
To me, it's not astonishing that most women could not contribute to society - what's astonishing is how much women have contributed since we've been able to educate our minds, earn our own money, vote in elections and build independent lives.
While Sharzard tells us stories about journeys, forgiveness and development, we get commentary and little essays by Jeanette looking at our modern times.
But going below the surface, into the deep water that is the substance of these tales, is to meet the same kinds of dilemmas faced in our world, the same judgements, whether reckless or just.
The balance between
punishment and mercy.
I enjoyed this little journey and i especially enjoyed Jeanette Wintersons writing.
January 27, 2026
“Let’s put it like this. I can change the story because I am the story”, writes Jeannette Winterson in this wonderful book; and if you want my opinion, she is right. Because what if none of the things we’ve been told about ourselves has any basis in reality? What if everything is just made up? What if we have the power to re-enterpret everything that we know and write the story on our own terms? “One Aladdin Two Lamps” is not a book that can be easily defined. It is a blend of memoir, cultural critique via commentary of social issues, essay and philosophical meditation. Winterson uses the structure of Arabian nights and invokes Shahrazad’s myth, the woman that managed to postpone her execution through storytelling. She reimagines those old tales using them as a meta-narrative and looking at them through a contemporary lens. She courageously blends personal experiences related to her strict upbringing by Mrs Winterson and her life as a middle class lesbian woman, reflecting sincerely on her own life and highlighting the importance of literature in reinventing ourselves. And through all that she makes an open suggestion to all of us; to read ourselves as a fiction book and shape our identity through the limitless options and possibilities we have. To view life with a renewed imaginative vigor.
This is a book about Aladdin and Shahrazad. Villains and heroes. What they mean as mythical archetypes and how we are linked with them. How their stories can be reinterpreted and become inspiring. The power of deconstructing a story as a force of change. About narrative agency and value shaping. The stories we choose to believe and who controls them. How they are shaped by the world or supremacy narratives. Their outcomes, human subjectivity and biases. A story about literature and storytelling. Multiple beginnings and infinite ends. Books showing that other worlds are possible and escapism. Envious manipulators and unreliable narrators. About the fact that literature helps preserving identities, questioning norms, giving strategies to live a better life through liberation and self invention. Literature as a way to create inward resources that help us respond to the big questions of life. It is also a book about culture and politics. Misogyny, gender war, racism and socially structured inequalities justified by basic biology. Ada Lovelace and other brilliant women that are not widely known but who did amazing things. Religion, patriarchy and authoritarian tendencies. About technology, AI and social media overload. Tolerance and the study of human thought. A story about imagination as opposed to reason. The sovereignty of imagination and its enduring power. How it helps transcend ourselves, reinvent who we are and envision futures otherwise unimaginable. About shape shifting and the states of becoming and being. Mostly though this is a book about the possibility to reinterpret your personal narrative and do not accept fixed identities or destinies. Being trapped in your story and breaking free. About our power to control narratives and decide about our own story, having in mind our personal growth. The deep love we, humans, have for storytelling. The big questions of our life that remain unanswered.
Why should you read “One Aladdin Two Lamps”?
Because you will think how stories change and how their heroes can live forever.
Because you will realize that the narrative of our life starts before we are even born but we are always able to change it.
Because you will accept that even the most basic fact comes with a story attached.
Because you will acknowledge that we read literature because we want something to happen to us, we want the story to change us.
Because you will reflect on the importance of living in the present as opposed to using your memories to reconnect with the entirety of your life.
Because you will understand that stories are not a form of escapism but a way of deeper understanding of the world.
Because you will start asking on a daily basis important questions like whose story is this, why are they telling it, should I believe them and who is to be trusted?
Favorite quotes:
“Stories have a way of escaping. Recombining. Defying neatness”.
“Any writer will tell you that if you change the centre of a story, that shift of emphasis automatically affects the beginning, and likely the end”.
“Women were not allowed to hold professorships. Or hold anything much at all. Except a baby”.
“Stories are there to change what is into what if?”.
“Reading deeply is not time wasted. Reading is time set apart to get closer to ourselves”.
“But that is the way with stories. They know more than we do. They do more than we know”.
“Humans are subjective by nature. We are not just telling the story. We are part of the story we tell”.
“Every act of evil is an imitation. Every creative moment is an invention”.
“Reading interrupts the interruptions”.
“What you risk reveals what you value”.
“Imagination is our only way to see beyond the present emergency. Imagination allows compassion, even to those who do not deserve it. Imagination is willing to tell the story again. Imagination is the power of change”.
This is a book about Aladdin and Shahrazad. Villains and heroes. What they mean as mythical archetypes and how we are linked with them. How their stories can be reinterpreted and become inspiring. The power of deconstructing a story as a force of change. About narrative agency and value shaping. The stories we choose to believe and who controls them. How they are shaped by the world or supremacy narratives. Their outcomes, human subjectivity and biases. A story about literature and storytelling. Multiple beginnings and infinite ends. Books showing that other worlds are possible and escapism. Envious manipulators and unreliable narrators. About the fact that literature helps preserving identities, questioning norms, giving strategies to live a better life through liberation and self invention. Literature as a way to create inward resources that help us respond to the big questions of life. It is also a book about culture and politics. Misogyny, gender war, racism and socially structured inequalities justified by basic biology. Ada Lovelace and other brilliant women that are not widely known but who did amazing things. Religion, patriarchy and authoritarian tendencies. About technology, AI and social media overload. Tolerance and the study of human thought. A story about imagination as opposed to reason. The sovereignty of imagination and its enduring power. How it helps transcend ourselves, reinvent who we are and envision futures otherwise unimaginable. About shape shifting and the states of becoming and being. Mostly though this is a book about the possibility to reinterpret your personal narrative and do not accept fixed identities or destinies. Being trapped in your story and breaking free. About our power to control narratives and decide about our own story, having in mind our personal growth. The deep love we, humans, have for storytelling. The big questions of our life that remain unanswered.
Why should you read “One Aladdin Two Lamps”?
Because you will think how stories change and how their heroes can live forever.
Because you will realize that the narrative of our life starts before we are even born but we are always able to change it.
Because you will accept that even the most basic fact comes with a story attached.
Because you will acknowledge that we read literature because we want something to happen to us, we want the story to change us.
Because you will reflect on the importance of living in the present as opposed to using your memories to reconnect with the entirety of your life.
Because you will understand that stories are not a form of escapism but a way of deeper understanding of the world.
Because you will start asking on a daily basis important questions like whose story is this, why are they telling it, should I believe them and who is to be trusted?
Favorite quotes:
“Stories have a way of escaping. Recombining. Defying neatness”.
“Any writer will tell you that if you change the centre of a story, that shift of emphasis automatically affects the beginning, and likely the end”.
“Women were not allowed to hold professorships. Or hold anything much at all. Except a baby”.
“Stories are there to change what is into what if?”.
“Reading deeply is not time wasted. Reading is time set apart to get closer to ourselves”.
“But that is the way with stories. They know more than we do. They do more than we know”.
“Humans are subjective by nature. We are not just telling the story. We are part of the story we tell”.
“Every act of evil is an imitation. Every creative moment is an invention”.
“Reading interrupts the interruptions”.
“What you risk reveals what you value”.
“Imagination is our only way to see beyond the present emergency. Imagination allows compassion, even to those who do not deserve it. Imagination is willing to tell the story again. Imagination is the power of change”.
January 25, 2026
Esė su grožiniu bikini.
3.9*
3.9*
November 29, 2025
This is a story about stories. Winterson makes the bleak world we are currently living in, appear hopeful and redeemable. She talks about the power of imagination and narratives to impose change and justice. This is a brilliant book that will make you think and hope.
Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.
Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC.
Read
December 23, 2025When I read Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion last year, I had described it as “like 1001 Nights set in Europe”. I had no idea then that she was writing a handbook for the actual Nights.
”Empires vanish. Buildings rise and fall. Still we meet on the steps of a story.”
I could say this is the best non-fiction I’ve read recently, but is it non-fiction? What is fiction? What isn’t fiction? She walks us through stories, in ancient times, in modern times, and into the future. Either Shahrazad’s, or her own. Just like 1001 Nights, and just like life, the stories get interrupted with other stories, and begin again, countless times.
”And stories reflect the concerns of the storyteller. No story is neutral or objective. That doesn't make stories unreliable - they are reliably the record of difference and change. The damage we do, the evil we do, is when we twist the facts to fit our warped storytelling.”
With her brilliant prose, this is a great read about storytelling, with a not-so-light touch on contemporary issues, from AI to taxing the super rich.
January 4, 2026
A conversation with an author is a privilege and Winterson has concluded that this is what readers want, even if what we tend to look for nowadays are sound bites and biography. Opinions get you cancelled all too often, so instead we have Winterson’s imagination with a good dose of experience in lieu of excessive biography or grandstanding (for biography you can read her two other books Oranges and Why be happy…, as she points out). It is amazing in the true sense of the word to have living authors creating works to interact with. Thank you.
September 30, 2025
One Aladdin Two Lamps takes the folktales of One Thousand and One Nights and uses them as a gateway to explore the power of storytelling, imagination and creativity. Winterson weaves together personal history and literary criticism into a commentary on what it means to be human.
It's a pretty breathless read, taking on the matryoshka nature of the Nights tales in its meandering timeslip through topics. But Winterson's clear and eloquent prose makes every transition seamless.
A book that will get you thinking and make you fall in love with reading all over again.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
It's a pretty breathless read, taking on the matryoshka nature of the Nights tales in its meandering timeslip through topics. But Winterson's clear and eloquent prose makes every transition seamless.
A book that will get you thinking and make you fall in love with reading all over again.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
January 27, 2026
As a Jeanette Winterson fan, I was excited to read this book until it became obvious fifty pages in that it's a dud.
Through a loose retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, she tackles various social and political issues that have defined the twenty first century, whether it's the dangers of AI, the alienation of social media, or the global rise of fascism as well as the rollback of women's rights, while championing for the importance of creativity and storytelling. It's undeniably ambitious yet doesn't work in the slightest.
For one, Jeanette Winterson readers tend to have similar politics to her already so she is simply preaching to the choir. Not to mention she is tackling too many topics at once yet doesn't anything remarkable to say about any of them. I also struggle with her misguided optimism about AI: she believes AI will strictly be used to alleviate our workload so we can spend time on things that matter, but it's been obvious from the get-go that big tech has far more nefarious plans in mind. It seems like all those money she received from speaking at tech conferences did get to her in the end.
A disappointing, scattershot read from an author I hold in high regard.
Thanks to Grove Press for a free review copy.
Through a loose retelling of One Thousand and One Nights, she tackles various social and political issues that have defined the twenty first century, whether it's the dangers of AI, the alienation of social media, or the global rise of fascism as well as the rollback of women's rights, while championing for the importance of creativity and storytelling. It's undeniably ambitious yet doesn't work in the slightest.
For one, Jeanette Winterson readers tend to have similar politics to her already so she is simply preaching to the choir. Not to mention she is tackling too many topics at once yet doesn't anything remarkable to say about any of them. I also struggle with her misguided optimism about AI: she believes AI will strictly be used to alleviate our workload so we can spend time on things that matter, but it's been obvious from the get-go that big tech has far more nefarious plans in mind. It seems like all those money she received from speaking at tech conferences did get to her in the end.
A disappointing, scattershot read from an author I hold in high regard.
Thanks to Grove Press for a free review copy.
January 2, 2026
This novel is more than a meditation on the importance of stories and storytelling- it is an unravelling of everything you think you know, a window into a new world of perspectives. The tangential nature of the stream of consciousness style of writing feels like sitting down having a red wine with Winterson while she imparts her wisdom through a wealth of stories. It’s unique structure of pulling out universal truths from decadent stories in the Nights emphasise the message of the book itself. Reading it felt like turning everything I thought I knew on its head whilst simultaneously speaking to something I knew all along in my soul- like cleaning off the grime of false truths learned over the years. The beauty of the text glows beyond the words on the page to tint the lens through which you view the world, forcing you to stare a little longer and inquire a little deeper. At times it felt as if she reached inside me to pop open the seal of Solomon on a jar, letting out the truths I had stored away.
September 6, 2025
"What I did discover, as I read books, was exactly what Shahrazad is trying to teach Shahryar: that cruel disappointment is universal, but it is not the only story."
Jeanette Winterson’s memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, in which she recounts her harrowing upbringing growing up lesbian in a strict Pentecostal household in Northern England, is easily one of my favorite books of all time. One Aladdin Two Lamps feels, in many ways, like a companion piece - less focused on personal trauma, but just as urgent and clear. Here, Winterson turns her sharp eye outward, analyzing the current cultural and political climate with clarity, imagination, and a storyteller’s instinct.
In One Aladdin Two Lamps, Winterson revisits a vivid memory from her childhood: attending a pantomime performance of Aladdin. From that memory, she weaves a rich tapestry that moves seamlessly between the personal and the political, the mythical and the real. Using the tales of Shahrazad from One Thousand and One Nights as a guiding thread, Winterson explores how storytelling can serve as an act of resistance, resilience, and reinvention. Shahrazad, whose nightly tales forestall death, becomes a powerful symbol of narrative as survival, an idea that resonates through Winterson’s reflections on contemporary issues such as the rise of fascism in the West, the silencing of women’s voices, and the ongoing battle for truth and justice in a fractured world.
As always, Winterson writes with lyrical precision and fierce conviction. One Aladdin Two Lamps moves fluidly between autobiography, literary history and political analysis, and between fiction and memoir, making the book feel like a conversation across time and genre. What emerges is a meditation on the enduring necessity of stories, not only at an individual level, but also as a tool for societies to recontextualize their own realities.
I adored this book. Winterson is a voice we must cherish.
ARC provided by Grove Atlantic via Netgalley. Thank you!
Jeanette Winterson’s memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, in which she recounts her harrowing upbringing growing up lesbian in a strict Pentecostal household in Northern England, is easily one of my favorite books of all time. One Aladdin Two Lamps feels, in many ways, like a companion piece - less focused on personal trauma, but just as urgent and clear. Here, Winterson turns her sharp eye outward, analyzing the current cultural and political climate with clarity, imagination, and a storyteller’s instinct.
In One Aladdin Two Lamps, Winterson revisits a vivid memory from her childhood: attending a pantomime performance of Aladdin. From that memory, she weaves a rich tapestry that moves seamlessly between the personal and the political, the mythical and the real. Using the tales of Shahrazad from One Thousand and One Nights as a guiding thread, Winterson explores how storytelling can serve as an act of resistance, resilience, and reinvention. Shahrazad, whose nightly tales forestall death, becomes a powerful symbol of narrative as survival, an idea that resonates through Winterson’s reflections on contemporary issues such as the rise of fascism in the West, the silencing of women’s voices, and the ongoing battle for truth and justice in a fractured world.
As always, Winterson writes with lyrical precision and fierce conviction. One Aladdin Two Lamps moves fluidly between autobiography, literary history and political analysis, and between fiction and memoir, making the book feel like a conversation across time and genre. What emerges is a meditation on the enduring necessity of stories, not only at an individual level, but also as a tool for societies to recontextualize their own realities.
I adored this book. Winterson is a voice we must cherish.
ARC provided by Grove Atlantic via Netgalley. Thank you!
September 7, 2025
‘One Aladdin Two Lamps’ is part history lesson, part treatise on humanity - plus a whole lot of hope and inspiration besides. Reading Winterson’s words feels like sitting in the front row (mesmerised) at the most interesting and beautifully delivered lecture, or talk, you will ever attend. Having said that, there is a great sense of intimacy in Winterson’s words. It's like having a very worldly-wise best friend. I haven't felt this deeply invigorated, or enthralled, by a book since I read ‘The Night Alphabet’ by Joelle Taylor. I'm in awe of both these women and the work they produce. It changes something within you, at a fundamental level, empowering as it enchants. I loved every moment of this book and learned so much from it.
I can't say it better than Jeanette Winterson herself, so I leave you with this quote from the book:
“Sometimes, when you are reading, a sentence will knock you out - force you to pause - you will look up, think about what just overtook your whole self. Maybe you will underline it. Maybe you will always remember that line.”
I can't say it better than Jeanette Winterson herself, so I leave you with this quote from the book:
“Sometimes, when you are reading, a sentence will knock you out - force you to pause - you will look up, think about what just overtook your whole self. Maybe you will underline it. Maybe you will always remember that line.”
September 27, 2025
This book is like magic. Jeanette Winterson weaves tales within tales. An exploration of the story of 1001 Nights serves as the vehicle by which Winterson explores contemporary culture, AI, the rise of the far right, environmentalism and the effects of social media. Stories beget stories as Winterson looks at not only how we shape story but how story shapes us.
October 10, 2025
Shahrazad knew a thing or two about human nature: stories are at the heart of who we are, but stories can change. We can change them. Winterson changed her story from that of an unloved, adopted daughter of an ultra-religious couple through books, those she read and those she wrote.
Using 1001 NIGHTS and her own story, she investigates how stories change us. Brilliant!
Using 1001 NIGHTS and her own story, she investigates how stories change us. Brilliant!
October 11, 2025
There is no answer but one, Love.
January 25, 2026
Jeanette Winterson has been on my radar for decades at this point and when I saw One Aladdin, Two Lamps I was super intrigued by its concept. It is a very personal book, bound to hold some opinions not everyone agrees with, but I find Winterson's insight into the art of storytelling fascinating. Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps is a fascinating kind of memoir in which Jeanette Winterson takes One Thousand and One Nights, or Alf Laylah wa-Laylah, and uses its form of storytelling to dive deeper not just into her own life but also into what stories can do. In Alf Laylah, Shahrazad (not Scheherazade) saves her own life and that of countless other young women and girls by spinning story after story for a thousand and one nights to the cruel king Shahryar. Duped by his first wife, Sharyar is taking out his male rage on women across the land, killing a new virginal bride each morning. Shahrazad volunteers for the marriage and ends each morning on a cliffhanger, convincing her murderous husband to wait one more day. Within this framework, countless of stories, gathered from across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa are then told. In One Aladdin, Two Lamps, Winterson meets Shahrazad where she is, fearing for her life but with a story to tell, and from there spins out both her own life story and the power of how stories operate in Alf Laylah. It has been a while since I've had the pleasure of sitting in a lecture hall and have someone passionately introduce me to a work of literature. One Aladdin felt like being a student again, in all the best ways, as Winterson's love for Alf Laylah but also for storytelling in general comes through on every page. Winterson is effortless in how she reaches for references to other books, thoughts, and ideas and it was an absolute joy to be let in on.
I can't really provide the usual kind of summary of the book here, in part because it's a memoir, a retelling of Alf Laylah, and social commentary. Attempting to sort through it would be a nightmare for me, but would also strip the book of its complexity and process. One Aladdin, Two Lamps is about stories, about those we tell, about who gets to tell them, about which ones have been told and which we can maybe try to change. It is about women, both those in stories and those in real life, about their struggles and about their achievements. The book is about class, about feminism, and about our current hellscape. Winterson is, or at least was at the time of writing the book, a bit more optimistic about AI than I am. I can see what Winterson is aiming for, though, I just don't see it happening myself. I found the insights Winterson gave into her own life and thoughts very interesting, as a woman and a lesbian in the mid to late twentieth century, the role feminism played in her life, her childhood, poverty and class, and, always, the power of a good story. Again, not everything about Winterson and her life will align with the experiences and ideas of all readers, but there is incredible value to getting such a deep insight into someone else's thoughts and process.
Jeanette Winterson is a brilliant author, something which has been solidly established for a while now, but this was my first time in ages properly sitting down with her. What I loved about One Aladdin, is that it felt like having a direct conversation with Winterson. The style is very direct, almost like verbal communication, and yet there is an immense control over every single word. I'm not sure how to best explain it, but I can tell from how accessible and smooth the writing is that it takes a high level of craft and skill. As I said above, reading One Aladdin is like attending a lecture, except that it is also much more personal than any real academic lecture would be. I highlighted so many phrases throughout the book, both to look up a reference later and to have a lasting snapshot of some of her writing. In how direct and open her writing is, Winterson somehow cuts through all of the noise to get across some genuine truths. The book ends on something of a rallying cry for the power of reading and literature, for sitting down with a book and letting it work on you, on seeing the patterns in the stories and seeing where they take you, on freeing up the imagination. Just for those two or so chapters, this book is worth it, but the whole of One Aladdin is a worthwhile read.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps is a beautiful exploration of what storytelling is for and why it is so important to us. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is in need of an inspiring cri de coeur for literature and reading, as well as a thought-provoking discussion of our current times.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
One Aladdin, Two Lamps is a fascinating kind of memoir in which Jeanette Winterson takes One Thousand and One Nights, or Alf Laylah wa-Laylah, and uses its form of storytelling to dive deeper not just into her own life but also into what stories can do. In Alf Laylah, Shahrazad (not Scheherazade) saves her own life and that of countless other young women and girls by spinning story after story for a thousand and one nights to the cruel king Shahryar. Duped by his first wife, Sharyar is taking out his male rage on women across the land, killing a new virginal bride each morning. Shahrazad volunteers for the marriage and ends each morning on a cliffhanger, convincing her murderous husband to wait one more day. Within this framework, countless of stories, gathered from across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa are then told. In One Aladdin, Two Lamps, Winterson meets Shahrazad where she is, fearing for her life but with a story to tell, and from there spins out both her own life story and the power of how stories operate in Alf Laylah. It has been a while since I've had the pleasure of sitting in a lecture hall and have someone passionately introduce me to a work of literature. One Aladdin felt like being a student again, in all the best ways, as Winterson's love for Alf Laylah but also for storytelling in general comes through on every page. Winterson is effortless in how she reaches for references to other books, thoughts, and ideas and it was an absolute joy to be let in on.
I can't really provide the usual kind of summary of the book here, in part because it's a memoir, a retelling of Alf Laylah, and social commentary. Attempting to sort through it would be a nightmare for me, but would also strip the book of its complexity and process. One Aladdin, Two Lamps is about stories, about those we tell, about who gets to tell them, about which ones have been told and which we can maybe try to change. It is about women, both those in stories and those in real life, about their struggles and about their achievements. The book is about class, about feminism, and about our current hellscape. Winterson is, or at least was at the time of writing the book, a bit more optimistic about AI than I am. I can see what Winterson is aiming for, though, I just don't see it happening myself. I found the insights Winterson gave into her own life and thoughts very interesting, as a woman and a lesbian in the mid to late twentieth century, the role feminism played in her life, her childhood, poverty and class, and, always, the power of a good story. Again, not everything about Winterson and her life will align with the experiences and ideas of all readers, but there is incredible value to getting such a deep insight into someone else's thoughts and process.
Jeanette Winterson is a brilliant author, something which has been solidly established for a while now, but this was my first time in ages properly sitting down with her. What I loved about One Aladdin, is that it felt like having a direct conversation with Winterson. The style is very direct, almost like verbal communication, and yet there is an immense control over every single word. I'm not sure how to best explain it, but I can tell from how accessible and smooth the writing is that it takes a high level of craft and skill. As I said above, reading One Aladdin is like attending a lecture, except that it is also much more personal than any real academic lecture would be. I highlighted so many phrases throughout the book, both to look up a reference later and to have a lasting snapshot of some of her writing. In how direct and open her writing is, Winterson somehow cuts through all of the noise to get across some genuine truths. The book ends on something of a rallying cry for the power of reading and literature, for sitting down with a book and letting it work on you, on seeing the patterns in the stories and seeing where they take you, on freeing up the imagination. Just for those two or so chapters, this book is worth it, but the whole of One Aladdin is a worthwhile read.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps is a beautiful exploration of what storytelling is for and why it is so important to us. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is in need of an inspiring cri de coeur for literature and reading, as well as a thought-provoking discussion of our current times.
URL: https://universeinwords.blogspot.com/...
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December 15, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
As I'm sure is the case for many people, my introduction to Winterson's work came through Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit that I read a few years ago. I was curious to see what the rest of her work would read like, particularly one with more of a fiction spin on it, although this was still tempered with auto-biographical excerpts.
A number of parts covered the importance of storytelling and imagination which really resonated with me, Winterson discovered much of the wider world through reading as a teenager and that has made her a champion for literature ever since.
Existing fans of her work will no doubt devour this, and I would say that I enjoyed it with a feeling of general interest, as I preferred Oranges
As I'm sure is the case for many people, my introduction to Winterson's work came through Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit that I read a few years ago. I was curious to see what the rest of her work would read like, particularly one with more of a fiction spin on it, although this was still tempered with auto-biographical excerpts.
A number of parts covered the importance of storytelling and imagination which really resonated with me, Winterson discovered much of the wider world through reading as a teenager and that has made her a champion for literature ever since.
Existing fans of her work will no doubt devour this, and I would say that I enjoyed it with a feeling of general interest, as I preferred Oranges
January 25, 2026
If I was a person who highlighted my books, the pages would be full of bright yellow marks like a spotlight over the sentences.
This book is a memoir without the author writing much about herself. It's political without discussing politics. It's deep and insightful without pompous self-possession.
This book is for you if you're a human living in any situation at any time in any place, and maybe you feel tired or stuck or helpless or angry or any number of emotions all at once.
Your life is a story, but you're not trapped there.
*Thanks to Grove Press for the free copy!*
This book is a memoir without the author writing much about herself. It's political without discussing politics. It's deep and insightful without pompous self-possession.
This book is for you if you're a human living in any situation at any time in any place, and maybe you feel tired or stuck or helpless or angry or any number of emotions all at once.
Your life is a story, but you're not trapped there.
*Thanks to Grove Press for the free copy!*
November 25, 2025
“The creative life can get us out of our mental prisons. The first step is to bring us back to the real world around us. To teach us not to avoid it, blur it, blunt it, or pretend it isn't there. When we find our footing in the real world, then the creative life can take us past it, through it, towards the Else-wheres that exist in every and any imaginative rendering of what it is to be human.”
Love you and nervous to meet you Jeanette.
Love you and nervous to meet you Jeanette.
January 12, 2026
This wasn't terrible but it was disappointing coming from an author whose work I have really respected and loved. This book just tries to do too much: it's a retelling of 1000 nights, blended with literary analysis and cultural critique and elements of memoir. That pitch appeals to me, but in practice the narrative is so meandering and unfocused that nothing really manage to hook me and keep me interested. From another author, there is no doubt in my mind that this would have been a DNF.
I also felt like a lot of the arguments in this book were very superficial and self-evident, and it feels like a book that preaches to the choir, rather than trying to meaningful advance some of the more progressive viewpoints. Of course, there are occasional nuggets of pure brilliance, but it was a lot of work to only trip across a few of those.
I also felt like a lot of the arguments in this book were very superficial and self-evident, and it feels like a book that preaches to the choir, rather than trying to meaningful advance some of the more progressive viewpoints. Of course, there are occasional nuggets of pure brilliance, but it was a lot of work to only trip across a few of those.
January 26, 2026
Narrated by author. Part fiction / part non-fiction. Interesting. Makes me want to read One Thousand and One Nights.
November 5, 2025
This is a book about how stories are part of our past, our future, our every day lives. And it's a beautiful reminder of their importance.
Jeanette Winterson takes on One Thousand and One Nights to use them as a perspective to discuss the society at large and the changes we've experienced in the past, as well as the terrifying changes we see happening right now.
The book also points out an interesting distinction in how western stories often focus on Hero's Journey, the cult of individuality that is so prevalent right now seem likely to seem from the way we have been exposed to these types of stories. And Winterson, through Nights, shows us a different type of stories that focuses not only on improving our own situation but what that situation says about the society we live in.
I loved how ultimately optimistic this book feels. Things aren't looking great right now politically, but we still have power. The fascists certainly know how powerful the right story can be, we see it every day on social media and in news. We cannot let that ruin the world we live in.
I think this is not only a great read but also a pretty important one right now so go read it.
Thank you to Jeanette Winterson and the publisher for the ARC.
Jeanette Winterson takes on One Thousand and One Nights to use them as a perspective to discuss the society at large and the changes we've experienced in the past, as well as the terrifying changes we see happening right now.
The book also points out an interesting distinction in how western stories often focus on Hero's Journey, the cult of individuality that is so prevalent right now seem likely to seem from the way we have been exposed to these types of stories. And Winterson, through Nights, shows us a different type of stories that focuses not only on improving our own situation but what that situation says about the society we live in.
I loved how ultimately optimistic this book feels. Things aren't looking great right now politically, but we still have power. The fascists certainly know how powerful the right story can be, we see it every day on social media and in news. We cannot let that ruin the world we live in.
I think this is not only a great read but also a pretty important one right now so go read it.
Thank you to Jeanette Winterson and the publisher for the ARC.
November 10, 2025
It’s been far too long since I’ve had the *immense pleasure* to read a book by Jeanette Winterson. A beloved author I discovered and devoured in my youth, I recently realized a return is long overdue.
Hailed as “one of the most daring and inventive writers of our time” in Elle magazine, Winterson’s writing is as thoughtful, eloquent and engaging as I recall. A compelling blend of memoir, an overarching feminist viewpoint, a reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights and a look to the future, Winterson seamlessly synthesizes myriad threads into a beautiful and brilliant book. One Aladdin, Two Lamps is thought provoking, discerning and timely. Not wanting to stop reading but not wanting the book to end—time seemed to be suspended within these pages as my mind was held aloft to consider new heights and horizons—a magical feat indeed.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson is a jewel of a book. A rare writer whose work I have admired and has enthralled me for decades.
Expected Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Jeanette Winterson, and Grove Atlantic for access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Hailed as “one of the most daring and inventive writers of our time” in Elle magazine, Winterson’s writing is as thoughtful, eloquent and engaging as I recall. A compelling blend of memoir, an overarching feminist viewpoint, a reimagining of One Thousand and One Nights and a look to the future, Winterson seamlessly synthesizes myriad threads into a beautiful and brilliant book. One Aladdin, Two Lamps is thought provoking, discerning and timely. Not wanting to stop reading but not wanting the book to end—time seemed to be suspended within these pages as my mind was held aloft to consider new heights and horizons—a magical feat indeed.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson is a jewel of a book. A rare writer whose work I have admired and has enthralled me for decades.
Expected Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Jeanette Winterson, and Grove Atlantic for access to a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 18, 2025
I struggled with this book. I'm a big Winterson fan, as a writer and a person, but I'm not sure this particular book gives what the blurb suggests...
It's a mixture of social commentary, a few life snippets and an exploration of story telling via analysis of the 1001 nights stories. This last part I *loved* (my copy was format-garbled, so I don't know if they're easier to read separately in the final copy, but they were jumbled together in mine which made it quite frustrating to work out which type of writing you were reading). I would devour a JW annotated 1001 nights.
The other parts seemed meandering and fell flat for me. Like an extended newspaper opinion piece
If you're a Winterson fan, you'll probably (as I did) at the very least enjoy the writing, but do read a few of the not-5-star reviews for a feel of it before embarking!
I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.
It's a mixture of social commentary, a few life snippets and an exploration of story telling via analysis of the 1001 nights stories. This last part I *loved* (my copy was format-garbled, so I don't know if they're easier to read separately in the final copy, but they were jumbled together in mine which made it quite frustrating to work out which type of writing you were reading). I would devour a JW annotated 1001 nights.
The other parts seemed meandering and fell flat for me. Like an extended newspaper opinion piece
If you're a Winterson fan, you'll probably (as I did) at the very least enjoy the writing, but do read a few of the not-5-star reviews for a feel of it before embarking!
I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.
November 18, 2025
I was so excited to read this book after seeing Ms. Winterson speak at a book signing recently. I love 1001 Nights and have read all the volumes over the course of several years. So this book is hard for me to judge.
On one hand, I love Winterson’s acerbic retelling of some of the stories and the insight she brings to Scheherazade. I also like how she weaves in her experiences and interest into the (I guess I’d call it, review? Deconstruction?) of the tales. But that’s sort of where it stops. The sections unrelated to the specific evaluation of the stories is at best tedious. And I mean, I AGREE with Winterson on nearly every point! But it was just super boring to read almost train of thought connections between theories that are, individually, deep thinking and nuanced. Winterson does a lot of wide brushed observations that don’t do these things justice. Sure, it makes someone maybe think and maybe want to learn more. But let’s be honest, who’s reading this book? Certainly not someone who’s never thought of these things and this will become some revelation for them? Maybe I’m wrong. But it seems like this book is just a very good author’s attempt to say her piece in clips, like a TED Talk promo. Creatively woven in with ancient tales, or versions of them.
On one hand, I love Winterson’s acerbic retelling of some of the stories and the insight she brings to Scheherazade. I also like how she weaves in her experiences and interest into the (I guess I’d call it, review? Deconstruction?) of the tales. But that’s sort of where it stops. The sections unrelated to the specific evaluation of the stories is at best tedious. And I mean, I AGREE with Winterson on nearly every point! But it was just super boring to read almost train of thought connections between theories that are, individually, deep thinking and nuanced. Winterson does a lot of wide brushed observations that don’t do these things justice. Sure, it makes someone maybe think and maybe want to learn more. But let’s be honest, who’s reading this book? Certainly not someone who’s never thought of these things and this will become some revelation for them? Maybe I’m wrong. But it seems like this book is just a very good author’s attempt to say her piece in clips, like a TED Talk promo. Creatively woven in with ancient tales, or versions of them.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the UK publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book covers a lot of topics in a relatively small number of pages. I enjoyed how it looked to old tales, particularly the Nights, for lessons which can help us understand the current world we live in.
I was particularly invested in the analysis of particular themes such as feminism, colonialism, existentialism, and definitely left this read thinking much more deeply about my own place in the world and how I can be part of the solution.
It was sad to realise issues from many years ago still continue to blight the world, and it was thought-provoking and even depressing to think that where we have made progress we are currently regressing.
Whilst the book can't provide all the answers to current world issues, it does offer hope and suggests a route way forward in the context of the modern world and considers the impact of technological advances in the future, which I enjoyed.
This book covers a lot of topics in a relatively small number of pages. I enjoyed how it looked to old tales, particularly the Nights, for lessons which can help us understand the current world we live in.
I was particularly invested in the analysis of particular themes such as feminism, colonialism, existentialism, and definitely left this read thinking much more deeply about my own place in the world and how I can be part of the solution.
It was sad to realise issues from many years ago still continue to blight the world, and it was thought-provoking and even depressing to think that where we have made progress we are currently regressing.
Whilst the book can't provide all the answers to current world issues, it does offer hope and suggests a route way forward in the context of the modern world and considers the impact of technological advances in the future, which I enjoyed.
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