Arabian Nights and Days

Arabian Nights and Days, by Nahguib Mahfouz

After Shahrzad succeeds in telling her story for three years, and gives birth to a son, and stops the sultan from killing a new bride every morning...what happens then?

In chapter-long episodes, we follow the fortunes of the sultan's city and people, who frequently come under supernatural influence.  A pious man is beset by a genie, who orders him to kill the corrupt chief of police.  Two evil spirits produce a wedding night for a young couple and then separate them.  A man is given a cap of invisibility, but ordered not to obey his conscience in using it.  A man is beheaded for corruption, but deposited into a new body.  Finally the sultan himself sees amazing wonders.

It's written in a style very much like the 1001 Nights, and many of the characters have a strong tendency to speak in aphorisms and proverbs--sometimes for entire conversations.

I liked this quite a bit more than my previous Mahfouz attempt, but I don't plan to read any more by him.  I am not grabbed.  I'll be counting this as my Classics Club title instead of the Cairo Trilogy, which I can't quite face, but hey--I read two Mahfouz novels, that counts for something.

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Hey, I'm going on a roadtrip!  I'm very excited to go down, see some old friends, and have a nice time before school starts back up.  It's been a busy summer and I do not feel prepared for school at all!  Maybe a day or two at the beach will help.  I've scheduled one post for a few days from now, but otherwise you'll have to get along without me for a little while.

Comments

  1. Have a great time, Jean! I'm on vacation now too and it's lovely! I've actually read today ..... amazing! We'll be waiting for you when you return!

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  2. Enjoy your trip. And thanks for the candid review of the book; it sounds like a book that I can afford to ignore. Ah, so many books and so little time. Yeah, trite but true. Again, enjoy your vacation.

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