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The Arabian Nights #1-3
Le mille e una notte, Vol. 1-3
"Le mille e una notte" è forse la più straordinaria raccolta di storie di tutta la letteratura. Il pretesto che dà luogo alla narrazione e che è all'origine del titolo è ben il sultano Shahriyàr, per vendicarsi dell'infedeltà della prima moglie, fa uccidere al mattino le spose con le quali ha trascorso una sola notte. Shahrazàd, la saggia e colta figlia del visir, giovane di grande bellezza, decide di porre fine alla strage; perciò si offre come sposa al sultano, e riesce a scampare alla morte, e a salvare la vita di chissà quante altre donne, grazie alla sua intelligenza e al suo racconta a Shahriyàr una serie interminabile di bellissime storie, incastonate l'una nell'altra in un sapientissimo gioco di scatole cinesi. Per mille e una notte il crudele sultano ascolta rapito le avventure di dolci principesse, potentissimi re, geni dagli straordinari poteri, personaggi il cui nome è ormai divenuto celebre, come Aladino, Sindibàd il marinaio o Ali Babà. Al termine della narrazione Shahriyàr, ormai innamorato di Shahrazàd, rinuncia alla sua legge disumana e... "da tutti i paesi dell'impero salirono mille lodi e mille benedizioni al sultano e alla deliziosa Shahrazàd, sua sposa"
1600 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2003
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 28, 2018
"Fate is volatile, as you can see, sometimes there is joy, then sadness"
I really enjoyed reading this classic. For the sake of clarity: I have been selective, of course, because digesting all 3100 pages in such a short time (one month) would have been too much, but I think I have certainly gone through half of the stories.
What is particularly striking is the enormous diversity of this collection. To begin with, geographically: of course, the stories are largely situated in the Arab world, but in the time of the editing of the collection (roughly between the 8th and the 12th century) that world really did occupy a considerable space: the scene is constantly shifting from Baghdad to Damascus, to Cairo, to Andalusia, Persia, Turkey and central Asia; in some - more adventurous - stories there are hints in the direction of India, China, East-Asia and East Africa. The main characters are also very diverse: kings, caliphs, sultans and visors often play the leading role (especially the illustrious caliph Harun al-Rasjid), but also merchants (Sinbad the Sailor), fishermen and ordinary artisans and even slaves are regularly put in the spotlight. To a limited extent there are also fantastic characters: jinns (good spirit), ifrites (evil spirits), sorceresses and exotic magicians.
The diversity also manifests itself in the scope and approach of the stories: there are short, edifying stories of barely half a page, but also epic stories of 130 pages. There is always an element of suspense: a challenge, an adventure, a conflict or a threat; and what stands out is that when the need is highest, the character concerned usually manages to save him/herself by telling a good story. That means that you get a very complicated and quirky structure: stories within stories, within stories, and one mustn’t forget that all this - spread over 1001 nights - is told by Sheherazade, in the hope of reversing her death sentence and moving the king to whom she tells the stories into clemency. This very ingenious structure apparently goes back to an ancient, Indian storytelling tradition.
Love, of course, is one of the main themes: almost always someone (mostly men but also a few women) falls in love and both the lusts and the sorrows of that condition are highlighted. What struck me is how much poetry is put into the stories, sometimes refined and often rich and languorous, but sometimes also dull and once in a while very obscene.
You could write an entire book about the image of women in these Arabian stories, because - in contrast to the common image in the West, diversity is also striking here. In most stories women are presented as almost unrealistically beautiful beings, their (bodily) beauty is praised in the most diverse tonalities; only in a few stories also intelligent women appear, who impress by their knowledge and refined insight. Although there are also some independent women (acting as merchants for example), most female characters are subordinate to men, both princesses and slaves have to follow their orders. And in contrast to the hymns of praise to women, women are also often represented as false and cunning, and in some stories as real shrews. But finally, let us not forget that the narrator of all these stories, Sheherazade, is the intelligent woman par excellence: she knows how to affect the cruel king through her stories and ultimately to move him into more humanity. Unfortunately, in the Dutch translation I read (by Richard Van Leeuwen) that aspect is almost entirely omitted: the gradual evolution of the king, under the influence of the stories of Sheherazade, his self-reflection and ultimately repentance, remain completely out of the picture, and that is very regrettable.
There has always been a lot of fuss about the hedonistic and erotic nature of the 1001 stories, and that is understandable: in almost every story physical love is a recurring theme and sometimes is described very explicitly (there are even some homosexual and pedo-sexual scenes); wine flows abundantly and the extravagant banquets, refined smells and tastes constantly recur. In this sense too, this is a 'rich' collection, which gives a picture of the phenomenal civilization that the Arab world must have been between the 8th and 12th century.
But do not be mistaken: both the frame of reference and the morality of the stories are both implicit and explicitly Islamic. No page goes by or there is a reference to God/Allah who directs everything, who represents the ultimate justice and to whom the human destiny (also that of the powerful and the rich) is subordinated. In some stories Jews and Christians come into the picture, usually in negative terms (especially the 'Frankish knights', the crusaders, are represented as cruel and uncivilized), unless they convert to islam.
As mentioned, most of the stories are very entertaining and surprising because of their liveliness, creative intrigues, pointed dialogues and refined poetry. But honesty dictates that in the long run it all becomes a bit much: all those adventures, all those edifying stories, there is no end to it, and after a while, whilst reading, you can discern a sense of monotony and tediousness, despite the previously mentioned diversity. The wise advice is to take these stories to you one at a time and preferably every night before bedtime. Because if there’s one comforting lesson to be drawn from this classic collection it’s that even when times are bad, a good story can save the day (or even your life).
I really enjoyed reading this classic. For the sake of clarity: I have been selective, of course, because digesting all 3100 pages in such a short time (one month) would have been too much, but I think I have certainly gone through half of the stories.
What is particularly striking is the enormous diversity of this collection. To begin with, geographically: of course, the stories are largely situated in the Arab world, but in the time of the editing of the collection (roughly between the 8th and the 12th century) that world really did occupy a considerable space: the scene is constantly shifting from Baghdad to Damascus, to Cairo, to Andalusia, Persia, Turkey and central Asia; in some - more adventurous - stories there are hints in the direction of India, China, East-Asia and East Africa. The main characters are also very diverse: kings, caliphs, sultans and visors often play the leading role (especially the illustrious caliph Harun al-Rasjid), but also merchants (Sinbad the Sailor), fishermen and ordinary artisans and even slaves are regularly put in the spotlight. To a limited extent there are also fantastic characters: jinns (good spirit), ifrites (evil spirits), sorceresses and exotic magicians.
The diversity also manifests itself in the scope and approach of the stories: there are short, edifying stories of barely half a page, but also epic stories of 130 pages. There is always an element of suspense: a challenge, an adventure, a conflict or a threat; and what stands out is that when the need is highest, the character concerned usually manages to save him/herself by telling a good story. That means that you get a very complicated and quirky structure: stories within stories, within stories, and one mustn’t forget that all this - spread over 1001 nights - is told by Sheherazade, in the hope of reversing her death sentence and moving the king to whom she tells the stories into clemency. This very ingenious structure apparently goes back to an ancient, Indian storytelling tradition.
Love, of course, is one of the main themes: almost always someone (mostly men but also a few women) falls in love and both the lusts and the sorrows of that condition are highlighted. What struck me is how much poetry is put into the stories, sometimes refined and often rich and languorous, but sometimes also dull and once in a while very obscene.
You could write an entire book about the image of women in these Arabian stories, because - in contrast to the common image in the West, diversity is also striking here. In most stories women are presented as almost unrealistically beautiful beings, their (bodily) beauty is praised in the most diverse tonalities; only in a few stories also intelligent women appear, who impress by their knowledge and refined insight. Although there are also some independent women (acting as merchants for example), most female characters are subordinate to men, both princesses and slaves have to follow their orders. And in contrast to the hymns of praise to women, women are also often represented as false and cunning, and in some stories as real shrews. But finally, let us not forget that the narrator of all these stories, Sheherazade, is the intelligent woman par excellence: she knows how to affect the cruel king through her stories and ultimately to move him into more humanity. Unfortunately, in the Dutch translation I read (by Richard Van Leeuwen) that aspect is almost entirely omitted: the gradual evolution of the king, under the influence of the stories of Sheherazade, his self-reflection and ultimately repentance, remain completely out of the picture, and that is very regrettable.
There has always been a lot of fuss about the hedonistic and erotic nature of the 1001 stories, and that is understandable: in almost every story physical love is a recurring theme and sometimes is described very explicitly (there are even some homosexual and pedo-sexual scenes); wine flows abundantly and the extravagant banquets, refined smells and tastes constantly recur. In this sense too, this is a 'rich' collection, which gives a picture of the phenomenal civilization that the Arab world must have been between the 8th and 12th century.
But do not be mistaken: both the frame of reference and the morality of the stories are both implicit and explicitly Islamic. No page goes by or there is a reference to God/Allah who directs everything, who represents the ultimate justice and to whom the human destiny (also that of the powerful and the rich) is subordinated. In some stories Jews and Christians come into the picture, usually in negative terms (especially the 'Frankish knights', the crusaders, are represented as cruel and uncivilized), unless they convert to islam.
As mentioned, most of the stories are very entertaining and surprising because of their liveliness, creative intrigues, pointed dialogues and refined poetry. But honesty dictates that in the long run it all becomes a bit much: all those adventures, all those edifying stories, there is no end to it, and after a while, whilst reading, you can discern a sense of monotony and tediousness, despite the previously mentioned diversity. The wise advice is to take these stories to you one at a time and preferably every night before bedtime. Because if there’s one comforting lesson to be drawn from this classic collection it’s that even when times are bad, a good story can save the day (or even your life).
April 1, 2025
1. Dames Insignes et Serviteurs Galants,Illustri dame e galanti servitori
2. Les Coeurs Inhumains,Cuori Disumani
3. Les Passions Voyageuses,Passioni vagabonde
4. La Saveur des Jours, Il Gusto dei Giorni
***
Bello, bello, però... che fatica!
Arrivata all'ultimo libro non ne potevo più, la mia edizione è un cofanetto da tre volumi.
Fra nomi simili, donne belle come la luna piena e profumate di essenze floreali, amanti instancabili e avventure impossibili, quando mai riuscirò a ditinguere una storia dall'altra?
Ho comunque capito che, se voglio nascondere dei soldi, posso metterli un vaso di olive, tanto nesssuuuno ci andrà mai a guardare, quindi porterò per sempre con me questo insegnamento.
Ho anche imparato che la risposta migliore a qualsiasi richiesta è "odo e obbedisco", chissà come sarebbe contento il mio capo sentendomelo dire!
A Dio / Allah piacendo, leggerò il terzo vulume nella prossima vita.
"Tutti vissero felici e contenti e si librarono con le loro ali nei piaceri della vita, finchè spuntò un giorno il fantasma del fato che affossa le delizie dell'esistenza e separa gli uomini uno dall'altro strappandoli dalle catene della vita, come foglie autunnali scaraventate dall'ira dei venti sull'immenso giaciglio della terra." (pag.249)
"Il mio nome è stato cancellato, dimenticato nell'oblio. Il mio corpo è lacerato e la mia storia può essere scritta con gli aghi sulle lacrime del tempo. Io sono come un ubriaco fradicio che ha bevuto solo disgrazie e che è stato annientato dai malanni della notte e del giorno. Sono perduto, distaccato dalla mia anima, perplesso e naufrago nel mare dei miei pensieri". (pag. 356)
2. Les Coeurs Inhumains,Cuori Disumani
3. Les Passions Voyageuses,Passioni vagabonde
4. La Saveur des Jours, Il Gusto dei Giorni
***
Bello, bello, però... che fatica!
Arrivata all'ultimo libro non ne potevo più, la mia edizione è un cofanetto da tre volumi.
Fra nomi simili, donne belle come la luna piena e profumate di essenze floreali, amanti instancabili e avventure impossibili, quando mai riuscirò a ditinguere una storia dall'altra?
Ho comunque capito che, se voglio nascondere dei soldi, posso metterli un vaso di olive, tanto nesssuuuno ci andrà mai a guardare, quindi porterò per sempre con me questo insegnamento.
Ho anche imparato che la risposta migliore a qualsiasi richiesta è "odo e obbedisco", chissà come sarebbe contento il mio capo sentendomelo dire!
A Dio / Allah piacendo, leggerò il terzo vulume nella prossima vita.
"Tutti vissero felici e contenti e si librarono con le loro ali nei piaceri della vita, finchè spuntò un giorno il fantasma del fato che affossa le delizie dell'esistenza e separa gli uomini uno dall'altro strappandoli dalle catene della vita, come foglie autunnali scaraventate dall'ira dei venti sull'immenso giaciglio della terra." (pag.249)
"Il mio nome è stato cancellato, dimenticato nell'oblio. Il mio corpo è lacerato e la mia storia può essere scritta con gli aghi sulle lacrime del tempo. Io sono come un ubriaco fradicio che ha bevuto solo disgrazie e che è stato annientato dai malanni della notte e del giorno. Sono perduto, distaccato dalla mia anima, perplesso e naufrago nel mare dei miei pensieri". (pag. 356)
March 22, 2017
Guarda che deve fa una per salvarsi la vita..
"Giustamente" il re persiano, dopo essere stato tradito dalle mogli e averle punite con la morte, prende come ultima sposa la figlia del suo Visir, Shahrazād. La ragazza, per evitare la stessa sorte, racconta per un notevole numero di notti delle storie al proprio consorte, il quale alla fine s'innamora e la salva.
Di base questa è la trama base dell'intera opera, ma come ho detto la ragazza racconta delle storie, che contengono altre storie e via dicendo.
Ebbene sì, Le mille e una notte è il primo romanzo con una narrazione a cornice della storia della letteratura (?): un personaggio (Shahrazād) narra, a sua volta il personaggio della sua storia narrerà un'altra, ecc.ecc. Boccaccio e Chaucer hanno preso spunto proprio da quest'opera per il Decameron e per Canterbury Tales . Durante la lettura, nostante ci mettessi tutto l'impegno possibile, mi sentivo spesso smarrita, dimenticavo la storia principale, chi fosse il narratore.. forse era ed è proprio lo scopo dell'autore o degli autori, essere risucchiati nelle storie proprio come il re persiano che non ne aveva mai abbastanza, chissà.
In ogni quadro o cornice, si muovono personaggi di ogni genere: musulmani, ebrei, cristiani, indiani, re, principi, jinn (demoni), geni, ladri, streghe, mercanti, visir... un elenco infinito. In poche parole, è possibile trovare tutti gli aspetti culturali e religiosi del medio oriente e zone limitrofe. FUNFACT: ho scoperto che la pratica per togliere il malocchio, quella con il piattino, acqua ed olio, usata soprattutto (per ovvi motivi) in sud Italia proviene da quelle zone.
"Giustamente" il re persiano, dopo essere stato tradito dalle mogli e averle punite con la morte, prende come ultima sposa la figlia del suo Visir, Shahrazād. La ragazza, per evitare la stessa sorte, racconta per un notevole numero di notti delle storie al proprio consorte, il quale alla fine s'innamora e la salva.
Di base questa è la trama base dell'intera opera, ma come ho detto la ragazza racconta delle storie, che contengono altre storie e via dicendo.
Ebbene sì, Le mille e una notte è il primo romanzo con una narrazione a cornice della storia della letteratura (?): un personaggio (Shahrazād) narra, a sua volta il personaggio della sua storia narrerà un'altra, ecc.ecc. Boccaccio e Chaucer hanno preso spunto proprio da quest'opera per il Decameron e per Canterbury Tales . Durante la lettura, nostante ci mettessi tutto l'impegno possibile, mi sentivo spesso smarrita, dimenticavo la storia principale, chi fosse il narratore.. forse era ed è proprio lo scopo dell'autore o degli autori, essere risucchiati nelle storie proprio come il re persiano che non ne aveva mai abbastanza, chissà.
In ogni quadro o cornice, si muovono personaggi di ogni genere: musulmani, ebrei, cristiani, indiani, re, principi, jinn (demoni), geni, ladri, streghe, mercanti, visir... un elenco infinito. In poche parole, è possibile trovare tutti gli aspetti culturali e religiosi del medio oriente e zone limitrofe. FUNFACT: ho scoperto che la pratica per togliere il malocchio, quella con il piattino, acqua ed olio, usata soprattutto (per ovvi motivi) in sud Italia proviene da quelle zone.
September 1, 2025
In de Decamerone vluchten mensen voor de pest en vertellen ze elkaar verhalen om de tijd te doden. In The Canterbury Tales doet een groepje pelgrims hetzelfde op weg naar Canterbury. Literatuur als middel tot plezier en om de tegenslagen te vergeten, allemaal mooi en wel, maar dit haalt het niet tegen dit boek. Hier moet Sheherazaad zich weten te redden door verhalen te vertellen. Als ze er niet voor zorgt dat de koning de rest van haar verhaal wil horen, zal hij haar vermoorden. Verhalen zijn een noodzaak, een redmiddel.
Dit boek draait om de kracht van verhalen. En het toont die kracht de hele tijd opnieuw, zowel in de verscheidenheid als in de diepte. Eerst iets over die diepte: vooral in het eerste deel vertellen mensen verhalen in een verhaal om hun leven te redden. Omdat het verhaal zo straf is, laat iemand een ander leven bijvoorbeeld. Maar het is ook opvallend hoe vaak mensen hun verhaal vertellen aan iemand die ze terugzien, waardoor je samenvattende herhalingen van het net gelezen verhaal krijgt. Verhalen vertellen wordt hier gewoon als een menselijke noodzaak voorgesteld.
Tegelijk tonen de verschillende soorten verhalen wat je allemaal met een verhaal kan. Er zit een heuse ridderroman in de verhalenstructuur, maar ook het verhaal als leermoment van de Islamitische religie. Heel veel verhalen gaan over koningen, sultans, viziers; ze verdedigen de bestaande hiërarchie. Maar er zijn er ook die daarmee spotten. En meest van al wordt het koopmanschap opgehemeld. Wie goed koopt en verkoopt wordt onmetelijk rijk. En je mag dat onmetelijke soms letterlijk opvatten, als je de opsommingen van rijkdom soms mag geloven.
Het gaat over proza, maar – en ik begreep uit de inleiding dat dat in de eerdere (Franse en Engelse) vertalingen die dit boek een cultstatus in de Westerse literatuur heeft gegeven, niet het geval was – ook poëzie komt uitgebreid aan bod. Meestal zetten personages de poëzie in om hun hooggestemde gevoelens uit te drukken, maar in het derde deel zit er ook een verhaal dat me alleen maar aanwezig lijkt om te tonen wat je allemaal met poëzie kunt: natuurbeschrijvingen, leerdicht, gevoelens allerhande, filosofische reflecties, ...
Het is met andere woorden ongelooflijk wat deze verhalen-in-verhalen allemaal aanraken. Alleen al daarom blijven deze verhalen van de eerste tot de laatste bladzijde boeien. Er valt ethisch natuurlijk vanalles aan te stippen. Vrouwen zijn heel vaak objecten, de mamelukken komen er vaak niet goed van af en als het een afvallige, jood of christen is, zou wel eens zijn hoofd over straat kunnen rollen tegen het einde van het verhaal. De slavencultuur tiert welig in deze verhalen. Maar anderzijds is er het fantasierijke van de djinns en de ifrieten, zijn er soms ook antihelden en bij momenten hield ik gewoon in mijn achterhoofd: het is een vrouw die het vertelt om een man te sussen. Laat hem dus maar geloven dat hij de betere is. En jawel (kleine spoiler) in het allerlaatste verhaal krijgt een vrouw het verstand toegewezen dat haar in zijn eigen verhalen vastlopende man, haar geldzuchtige vader-koning en zijn jaloerse vizier blijken te ontbreken. (Ook hoe het met Sheherazaad afloopt aan het eind van het verhaal is toch nog enigszins verrassend, trouwens.)
Dit was allemaal alleen maar mogelijk door de vlotte vertaling van Richard van Leeuwen, van wie ik onlangs ook met veel plezier Het vlindereffect las. De herhalingen in woordkeuze versterken het oorspronkelijk orale karakter van deze vertellingen. Het voelt ook goed aan dat dit een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde en volledige vertaling is. Al is het maar omdat hij de poëzie niet weggelaten heeft, of verhalen die voor anderen te scabreus of te saai waren. Die breedte maakt voor mij de diepgang van het hele project.
Nog een leestip om af te sluiten: Jorge Luis Borges heeft een heel mooi essay over de Duizend-en-een nacht waarin hij verdedigt dat sommige vertalers er verhalen bij geschreven hebben. Hij vindt het net de aantrekkingskracht van dit immer uitdijende boek om dat ook te blijven doen. Van Leeuwen zal dit niet gedaan hebben, vermoed ik. Maar rijker mag het altijd worden.
Dit boek draait om de kracht van verhalen. En het toont die kracht de hele tijd opnieuw, zowel in de verscheidenheid als in de diepte. Eerst iets over die diepte: vooral in het eerste deel vertellen mensen verhalen in een verhaal om hun leven te redden. Omdat het verhaal zo straf is, laat iemand een ander leven bijvoorbeeld. Maar het is ook opvallend hoe vaak mensen hun verhaal vertellen aan iemand die ze terugzien, waardoor je samenvattende herhalingen van het net gelezen verhaal krijgt. Verhalen vertellen wordt hier gewoon als een menselijke noodzaak voorgesteld.
Tegelijk tonen de verschillende soorten verhalen wat je allemaal met een verhaal kan. Er zit een heuse ridderroman in de verhalenstructuur, maar ook het verhaal als leermoment van de Islamitische religie. Heel veel verhalen gaan over koningen, sultans, viziers; ze verdedigen de bestaande hiërarchie. Maar er zijn er ook die daarmee spotten. En meest van al wordt het koopmanschap opgehemeld. Wie goed koopt en verkoopt wordt onmetelijk rijk. En je mag dat onmetelijke soms letterlijk opvatten, als je de opsommingen van rijkdom soms mag geloven.
Het gaat over proza, maar – en ik begreep uit de inleiding dat dat in de eerdere (Franse en Engelse) vertalingen die dit boek een cultstatus in de Westerse literatuur heeft gegeven, niet het geval was – ook poëzie komt uitgebreid aan bod. Meestal zetten personages de poëzie in om hun hooggestemde gevoelens uit te drukken, maar in het derde deel zit er ook een verhaal dat me alleen maar aanwezig lijkt om te tonen wat je allemaal met poëzie kunt: natuurbeschrijvingen, leerdicht, gevoelens allerhande, filosofische reflecties, ...
Het is met andere woorden ongelooflijk wat deze verhalen-in-verhalen allemaal aanraken. Alleen al daarom blijven deze verhalen van de eerste tot de laatste bladzijde boeien. Er valt ethisch natuurlijk vanalles aan te stippen. Vrouwen zijn heel vaak objecten, de mamelukken komen er vaak niet goed van af en als het een afvallige, jood of christen is, zou wel eens zijn hoofd over straat kunnen rollen tegen het einde van het verhaal. De slavencultuur tiert welig in deze verhalen. Maar anderzijds is er het fantasierijke van de djinns en de ifrieten, zijn er soms ook antihelden en bij momenten hield ik gewoon in mijn achterhoofd: het is een vrouw die het vertelt om een man te sussen. Laat hem dus maar geloven dat hij de betere is. En jawel (kleine spoiler) in het allerlaatste verhaal krijgt een vrouw het verstand toegewezen dat haar in zijn eigen verhalen vastlopende man, haar geldzuchtige vader-koning en zijn jaloerse vizier blijken te ontbreken. (Ook hoe het met Sheherazaad afloopt aan het eind van het verhaal is toch nog enigszins verrassend, trouwens.)
Dit was allemaal alleen maar mogelijk door de vlotte vertaling van Richard van Leeuwen, van wie ik onlangs ook met veel plezier Het vlindereffect las. De herhalingen in woordkeuze versterken het oorspronkelijk orale karakter van deze vertellingen. Het voelt ook goed aan dat dit een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde en volledige vertaling is. Al is het maar omdat hij de poëzie niet weggelaten heeft, of verhalen die voor anderen te scabreus of te saai waren. Die breedte maakt voor mij de diepgang van het hele project.
Nog een leestip om af te sluiten: Jorge Luis Borges heeft een heel mooi essay over de Duizend-en-een nacht waarin hij verdedigt dat sommige vertalers er verhalen bij geschreven hebben. Hij vindt het net de aantrekkingskracht van dit immer uitdijende boek om dat ook te blijven doen. Van Leeuwen zal dit niet gedaan hebben, vermoed ik. Maar rijker mag het altijd worden.
February 6, 2024
Vermakelijk omdat ik er (denk ik) 1001 nacht over gedaan heb om het boek uit te lezen, een rekenfout daargelaten… dat geeft het boek meer sfeer en inzicht in het feit dat de verhalen steeds meer lijken te groeien in de verspreiding van de Islam over de wereld, de verhalen worden strenger van leer. Ook leuk om de kruistochten eens van de andere kant te lezen! Bij tijd en wijlen was ik het boek ook echt helemaal zat. Blij dat ik mijn plan volbracht heb, ben ik in ieder geval.
October 10, 2023
I’m a sucker for frame narrative, so even if the tales were so far stretched and tortuous that at times I’ve had to actively recollect my understanding of what was going on, I still enjoyed myself. And the poetry and the details and the fact that this is not a depiction of the Islamic world written by westerners but is instead a fundamental piece of a beautiful and millenarian literary history makes this such a beautiful read I’ll be coming back to again and again (especially cuz I’ve only read the first book as of now haha).
Let me just say that if you are the kind of person that finds anthropological value in literature and especially value in literature’s humanitas, then you should read this book.
Bonus points if you like crazy ass stories
Let me just say that if you are the kind of person that finds anthropological value in literature and especially value in literature’s humanitas, then you should read this book.
Bonus points if you like crazy ass stories
July 21, 2015
Storie da tratti esotici e fiabeschi. Talvolta le storie sembrano un pò simili tra loro, ma alcune ti lasciano qualcosa del mondo arabo e delle terre lontane.
January 12, 2023
1.5⭐️
Che noia!
Che noia!
May 15, 2025
从故事陆续收录的年代来评价，无疑是一本充满奇幻色彩且有教育意义的书。但咱就是说，没有必要收录一千零一篇吧？其中大概八九百篇都在用类似的故事讲同一个道理，读完感觉“千篇一律”这个词竟然如此具象化😂
March 16, 2024
Volume primo [2021/2022]: una raccolta classica, ma sopratutto che ci dona una vista su un mondo passato (... quanto poi davvero passato?) e culture straniere... e tanti, tanti punti comuni! Furbizia, raggiri, onesta'.
Ho iniziato leggendo una storia dopo l'altra, 'forzatamente', poi ho capito meglio fermarsi e lasciare spazio, cosi' si perde la ripetitivita' e si godono di piu'. Mi ha fatto morire dal ridere Il barbiere di Bagdad (parte de "Il sarto, la moglie e il gobbo"), mi sono perso, ma felicemente, negli intrecci di Re Omar an Numan e i Due Figli, e una risata in chiusura con la breve Il Pescatore Saggio e il Re Cosroe.
Ora un'altra (ahime lunga) pausa prima del secondo volume.
Volume secondo [2023]: con il passare delle centinaia di pagine, inizia un po' di ripetitivita'. Ancora storie che mi prendono e piacciono, ma le descrizioni 'romantiche' di volti perfetti come la luna piena ecc... iniziano a farmi storcere il naso. Bello il riferimento a personaggi storici reali. Mi piacerebbe forse trovare meno storie d'amore e piu' inganni e tranelli.
Mi e' piaciuto il racconto lungo de "Il principe Qamar az-Zaman e la principessa Budur", perlomeno ha fatto volar via 100 pagine. Nella seconda meta' del volume una lunga serie di storie brevi ha reso la lettura lenta (e anche spiacevole: occasionalmente ho riso a storie stravaganti, alcune anche con elementi sessuali, ma le altre hanno ripetuto i soliti temi, ormai visti e rivisti). Chiusura in bellezza con il classico Ali Baba' e i 40 ladroni, carina e diversa dalle altre.
Volume terzo [2024]: da iniziare :)
Ho iniziato leggendo una storia dopo l'altra, 'forzatamente', poi ho capito meglio fermarsi e lasciare spazio, cosi' si perde la ripetitivita' e si godono di piu'. Mi ha fatto morire dal ridere Il barbiere di Bagdad (parte de "Il sarto, la moglie e il gobbo"), mi sono perso, ma felicemente, negli intrecci di Re Omar an Numan e i Due Figli, e una risata in chiusura con la breve Il Pescatore Saggio e il Re Cosroe.
Ora un'altra (ahime lunga) pausa prima del secondo volume.
Volume secondo [2023]: con il passare delle centinaia di pagine, inizia un po' di ripetitivita'. Ancora storie che mi prendono e piacciono, ma le descrizioni 'romantiche' di volti perfetti come la luna piena ecc... iniziano a farmi storcere il naso. Bello il riferimento a personaggi storici reali. Mi piacerebbe forse trovare meno storie d'amore e piu' inganni e tranelli.
Mi e' piaciuto il racconto lungo de "Il principe Qamar az-Zaman e la principessa Budur", perlomeno ha fatto volar via 100 pagine. Nella seconda meta' del volume una lunga serie di storie brevi ha reso la lettura lenta (e anche spiacevole: occasionalmente ho riso a storie stravaganti, alcune anche con elementi sessuali, ma le altre hanno ripetuto i soliti temi, ormai visti e rivisti). Chiusura in bellezza con il classico Ali Baba' e i 40 ladroni, carina e diversa dalle altre.
Volume terzo [2024]: da iniziare :)
February 1, 2021
I am a fan of the classics, but cannot say that this group of stories is high up there on the list. I enjoyed reading this simply to gain better understanding of Islamic culture and heritage (the Quran is often referenced throughout the stories). Though many centuries old, the stories themselves showcase many modern racist prejudices (anti-Semitism, anti-blackness), ableism and misogyny.
Recently watching Disney's live-action version of Aladdin showed how whitewashed the story was made (ex. the Princess in the story was named Badr, not Jasmine), but there were certainly elements of both that I enjoyed.
Recently watching Disney's live-action version of Aladdin showed how whitewashed the story was made (ex. the Princess in the story was named Badr, not Jasmine), but there were certainly elements of both that I enjoyed.
July 1, 2015
Finalmente sono riuscita a terminare questo classico della letteratura araba. Che dire? Fantastico. Anche se ammetto che forse alcune storie non sono da leggere ai bambini visto che non sono proprio come Walt Disney ce le aveva proposte. Un libro che prima o poi tutti dovrebbero leggere.
June 23, 2021
i loved it. i’m a lover of short stories and these had the perfect mix of adventure and romance with dashes of poetry that switches from being digestible to kind of hard to understand. but either way, i loved it.
Want to read
May 30, 2009Heard this is very good and very expensive
September 18, 2013
Bloody 3000 pages, not counting the commentary section :) I'm just glad I'm done with it :)
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