Book Description
When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile.These magical characters now disguise themselves as normal citizens and have created their own peaceful and secret societies in modern-day NewYork and around the world.When wayward fables from Arabia arrive in Manhattan at the exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown, a culture clash of dire proportions arises that must be defused beforeblood is spilled.
Customer Reviews:
Demented fairy tales, but in a good way.......2007-06-11
The premise of this wonderful series is to rewrite and expand the world of fairy tales. They characters of which has entered our world fleeing a great evil. Lost of fun, smart and witty, typical american style illustrations for the most part, but nice. Some similarities of premise to the Sand Man series, but not quite as inventive or as extensively research and deep. Start at #1 for the best read.
Still at cruising speed........2006-08-24
Bill Willingham, Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days) (Vertigo, 2006)
The seventh volume of the Fables series has finally dropped, and it looks like the transitional-volume period is coming to an end. Willingham gives us two stories here. The first deals with the coming of Sinbad and his retinue to Fabletown after the Adversary started attacking the Arabian homelands. Not all of them, however, are seeking refuge... the second is about a love story in the Army of the Wooden Soldiers, and is just the sort of thing for which this series has earned all its raves-- the kind of tale that you have to wonder what Bill Willingham was smoking when he came up with (and where you can get some of it). Of course, anything that looks like a mere diversion isn't, and it all ties in at the end.
Another very good volume in the series. It'll keep you interested until things explode again. *** ½
Fables.......2006-08-16
The Fables series continues to get better and better. This is clearly evident in Fables vol.7.
An introduction to the next phase in the war.......2006-08-11
"Arabian Nights" is as good as any of the books in the Fables series, but the entire sequence read like a prelude to future volumes. Nothing happens in this latest installment to significantly impact the war against the Adversary, nor are there any major changes in the established cast, though we see a lot of new characters introduced who will no doubt play major roles in the future.
There are basically two stories in this volume. The first concerns the arrival of a delegation of Arabian Fables in New York, led by Sinbad. We've seen references to non-European Fable lands in previous volumes and knew that the Adversary had already begun his invasion of the worlds of the Arabian Fables. Now we learn that the Arabian Fables are quite aware of the threat, but still have not decided whether or not to ally themselves with the Fables who have fled to Earth.
There are a lot of culture clashes and the requisite amount of treachery and bloodshed, along with a few subplots highlighting the personal lives of Beast, Beauty, Prince Charming, the Frog Prince, and Red Riding Hood. (As a side note, I personally found the resolution of the Djinn threat to be rather lame -- it is introduced as the magical equivalent of a nuclear weapon, but resolved in an anticlimactic manner in which Willingham seems to be making up new magical rules just to get himself out of a plot bind.)
The second story is about two wooden soldiers serving the Empire in a unit that is establishing a beachhead on an Arabian Fable world. We get another glimpse inside the Empire and learn more about the wooden soldiers, and these two individuals are obviously being set up as recurring characters whom we'll see in future volumes.
Doesn't Live Up...........2006-07-31
I'm a tremendous fan of the "Fables" series of graphic novels, and eagerly await each new installment. With the central concept -- the characters of fable and fairy tale, driven from their homes by an evil tyrant, now live in secret among us normal folk -- author Bill Willingham and artist Mark Buckingham continue to outdo themselves with bizarre plot turns and a massive, wonderful cast of immortal refugees. That said...I didn't dig this seventh installment quite as much. It has the same flair as the rest of the series, but the two stories are detours from the main plotline, and my favorite characters have minimal screen time. After "March of the Wooden Soliders" (definitely the best in the series so far), the plot got a makeover that doesn't entirely agree with me. I hope they get things back on track soon.
"Arabian Nights and Days" continues the second chapter of the series, after the power shift that occured in Volume 5, "The Mean Seasons." Prince Charming is the mayor of the hidden Fabletown community in New York City, and is learning the hard way that when you're mayor, you have to do more than attend fancy dinners and get laid. Beauty and the Beast are his deputy and sheriff, respectively. Former deputy Snow White is raising her kids at the non-human Fabletown in upstate New York, former sheriff (and father of Snow's kids) Big Bad Wolf is MIA, and Charming has enlisted Mowgli (y'know, from "The Jungle Book") to track down the wolf.
The main story in Vol. 7 focuses on the sudden arrival of Sinbad (of "Arabian Nights" fame), who comes to Fabletown with his entire harem in tow. Seems the Arabian fables are evacuating their homelands in advance of an invasion from the evil Adversary. Sinbad is their diplomat, but his arrival in the US sparks a massive clash of cultures. (Concubines are bad? Why?) Even worse, Sinbad brought a djinn (aka a genie) with him, and as Fabletown's head witch explains, djinns are the magic equivalent of WMDs. Any three wishes you want? What if the wrong person rubs the lamp? Unfortunately, this particular conflict resolves itself in a very lame, anticlimactic way. Call me crazy, but I think this series works best when the heroes get to kick butt. That doesn't happen here. Although there are some clever/ironic digs at the current situation in Iraq and some good jokes about the culture gap, this story made me ache for the main storyline. I miss the Big Bad Wolf!
SPOILER WARNING!
This volume also includes a two-issue story about an unconventional love affair between Rodney and June, two sentient wooden mannequins serving the forces of evil. (In the series' craziest twist, the evil Adversary turned out to be Gepetto the puppetmaker.) Because they're made of wood, Rodney and June can't exactly realize their love for each other, but their determination to be together leads them on quite a journey. Sorry, but I didn't really care. Again, good writing and execution (the drawing is by guest artist Jim Fern), but a blah story.
I liked this book, but I wish Willingham would get back to the interesting stuff. There's things I'm dying to know. Will Boy Blue get over Little Red Riding Hood? Will Pinocchio side with his rotten father? Are there more traitors lurking in the fables' midst? Is Goldilocks really dead? And what about that reporter dude who discovered the fables' existence? I have high hopes for Volume 8, which will focus on Mowgli's search for the Big Bad Wolf. Sounds like it'll be blast. With "Arabian Nights and Days," it felt more like a muffled thud.
Book Description
King Shahryar kills a new wife every night, because he is afraid she will stop loving him. But his new bride Shahrazad has a clever plan to save herself. Her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so engrossing that King Shahryar has to
postpone her execution again and again... This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.
(paperback reissue of ISBN 0-19-274500-X)
Customer Reviews:
Ultimate Fairy Tales.......2007-08-20
"Arabian Nights" is one of those works that everyone has heard of, but not many have actually read. Hence I decided to actually read it, instead of guessing the stories of Ali Baba or Abu Kasim. I am glad that I did.
"Arabian Nights" are well deserving their reputation as one of the best collections of fairy tales anywhere. Interwoven and connected by the young Queen wanting to stay alive, and managing to do so by telling her husband stories, the collection is amazing in language, style and sheer imagination.
Most stories take place in Baghdad, and instead of a war torn, news-exploited place, Baghdad became a place of magic and place of palaces and culture so deeply entrenched, that the entire world knows of them. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to go somewhere exotic and beautiful, even if it is just in thoughts. Great reading!
Appeals to all ages.......2007-07-23
My seventh grader is reading this book to my second grader. They are both loving it.
Adventure & more!.......2007-04-01
Arabian Nights - The classic Tales of Adventure, thrilling suspense, romance and more. These Indian, Arabian and Persian mix tales are ever enchanting tales and an interesting read. The school syllabus picks up the best of the best Arabian nights stories into the text lessons since many years, esp. Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Sindbad the Sailor and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. All my fav stories but the most adventurous is Sindbad the Sailor. Why, I remember Pip the Sailor and of coz, Popeye but than, the classics are the ever best of the best on my book shelf. Even Ali Baba takes you on a dreamy path to being rich and Aladdin reminds of the Genie who obeys orders.
The tales are just poetic and take kids to a world of imagination. However, I guess if religion is pushed aside by avoiding repeat 'allah', I guess this book will be a great pick by all. However, kids are sure to love reading these lovely stories. A nice pick.
You Won't Find Fairytales Any Better.......2006-11-17
Words cannot describe the fantastic quality of this collection of Arabic literature. But don't get the book just to read the tale of Ala al-Din (Aladdin) and his Wonderful Lamp, because the other tales included surpass this merely moderate one by far - although it's interesting to find out that a black midget is Aladdin's primary nemesis (upon who Disney's Jafar is based, apparently).
The stories touch on such a wide variety of unusual topics: a man's visit to the kingdom of mermaids, a dead beggar getting tripped over again and again, a guy claiming to have several volcanoes in a portable bag, a Sultan's escape from a buffalo-faced woman in the presence of a group of pink ladies, and the marriage of a prince to a turtle. Insane stuff.
My favorite story is The Everlasting Shoes by far. It's quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever read. It's about an old miser who's so cheap he never buys new shoes. He just patches up the pair he has whenever they get holes. The addition of so many patches naturally make his shoes bigger and bigger. Eventually the shoes become ridiculously huge and heavy and smelly, and they make a lot of noise as the miser walks. The scene of the shoes being thrown into the river and getting caught in the millwork is well worth the price of the entire book.
There's a story in here that looks VERY much like a mid-east version of Cinderella. Quite interesting.
I am unable to tell how many liberties the author has taken in translating the tales, but they're definitely fun to read. There are tons of ancient day metaphors and funny insults like, "You flea on a cockroach's kneecap!" and "Son of a plank! Did you steal your brains from a table?" I really liked reading the misfortunes of the protagonist in the Keys of Destiny stories, and the nagging wives that appear sporadically are pretty darn funny.
The things I didn't like about this book were very few. Only its frequent mentioning of Allah and the puzzling weakness of its 998th and 999th stories about a flying toy horse.
I would recommend the Arabian Knights to anybody over the age of fifteen; probably because I was so surprised at the large amount of enjoyable humor.
WOW.......2004-06-21
Absolutely the best work of fiction EVER. Indeed, I too wish, that there were 1001 stories or even 1.000.001 ones inside this lovely book but all good things must come to an end.
Anyways, if you wander, why 1001 nights? - here's the answer.
Two brothers, both Kings, have both been victims of cheating wives. They both kill them and their lovers but later on, one of the brothers, King Shahryar can't stand the loneliness in the dark so he comes to a decision to marry a new wife fetched by his Counsellor, every night then kill her next day after because he believes that "All women are fickles" and that "None of them love their husbands for more then one day"...so he marries a new wife each night until the streets began to get emptied. Then, when 'no other girl' is left, Shahrazad, the eldest girl of the King's Counsellor, becomes his 1001-st wife. Unlike other wives, Shahrzad survives because...
Do not say you read books if you didn't read this one!
Highly recommended
Book Description
26 magical tales of beautiful princesses, genies who emerge from bottles, and talking birds in: "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," "Sinbad the Sailor," "Noureddin and the Fair Persian," "Merchant of Bagdad," and more. 66 illustrations.
Download Description
A collection of 26 tales told by Scheherazade to save herself and other young girls from death at the Sultan's hands.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific stories for road travel with young kids.......2007-06-08
I bought this for my two sons, ages 7 & 9. We put it in at the beginning of a 2.5 hour trip and it kept our entire family very entertained. The trip flew by.
Reddragon.......2007-03-30
The product came quickly. It was exactly as advetised and met expectations. Thank You.
Magnificent!.......2003-12-08
This book is awesome! I read it 3 years ago and I borrowed it again from my aunt and I'm reading it now. If anyone knows where I can get a copy of the Reader's Digest version please post. Thanks!
An excellent collection.......1999-04-12
My four children and I loved reading this collection of stories from Arabia. Though I highly recommend any book by Mr. Lang, The Arabian Nights Entertainments is my favorite. Happy reading!
Book Description
For the past two hundred years, Western readers, young and old alike, have been transported to the fabulous Orient by means of these remarkable stories, in which the everyday mingles on an equal footing with the uncanny and the miraculous. Accompanying the text are illustrations by W. Heath Robinson, which are themselves miracles of visual and imaginative sympathy.
Customer Reviews:
As Good As or Better Than the Disney Version.......2005-03-03
This vast collection of folk tales from India and the Middle East known as "The Arabian Nights Entertainments" or "The Thousand and One Nights" is a framework of many tales that were told orally for centuries before finally being written down, so they are not attributed to any one author. "The Story of Aladdin, or The Wonderful Lamp" takes up about the first hundred pages of this 346 page book, and the rest of the book is filled with other great stories and illustrations which feature among others, "Sinbad the Sailor", "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves", and "Prince Camaralzaman". Overall this book was extremely well written and entertaining, and I would highly recommend it for both children and adults alike. "The Story of Aladdin" is different in several ways from the Disney version but I liked it just as much or more. It is still the story of a poor boy who falls in love with the Sultan's daughter and with the assistance of a genie from a lamp wins her hand in marriage, but the thing I was most surprised to learn in this book was that Aladdin was actually Chinese, rather then Arabian as he is depicted in the movie. The Princess was also not called Jasmine, but Princess Badroulboudour. The Sultan is still her father, but Disney combines three of the book's characters (the African Magician, the Grand Vizier, and the Grand Vizier's son) to create their villain. There was no "Abu" the monkey, no flying carpets, and Aladdin although lazy, was no thief. Additionally there were several different types of genies in this book that inhabited quite a few things other then lamps. Rather than the nice blue version which Robin Williams plays of a genie in the Disney movie, in this book genies are considered to be big scary enslaved demons. Some also are more powerful than others. Depending on how powerful your genie was, rather than being limited to just three wishes, you could give him an endless amount of commands to carry out as long as you weren't ungrateful for the benefit you received in return for them. I was also surprised to see that Aladdin had a mother who played a big part in the story. From the movie you would think him to be an orphan. The tales of "Sinbad the Sailor" reminded me of the Greek tragedies. The stories were very good, but Sinbad seemed like a poor man's Odysseus from "The Odyssey" as he had to battle several monsters, and overcome several misadventures in order to return home. Just like Odysseus he even has to fight a Cyclops. I believe Sinbad takes seven trips in all and not once does he have a safe voyage. I would have thought after the third time this happened that all of the other sailors would have thought him to be a jinx and would have refused to have sailed with him, but for the sake of a good story I guess you have to ignore this type of oversight. I also think he should have been called "Sinbad the Merchant" rather than "Sinbad the Sailor" since he never actually sails any of these ships, but rather just travels upon them. There is always more than one captain who does the actual sailing. In one of the "Sinbad" stories when he is washed up on a desert island, just before he is about to die of thirst and starvation he is rescued by a "King Mihrage". I'm curious if this is where the term "mirage" originated from? There is also another Sinbad story in which the people he encounters have a custom for their married couples in that if one of them dies before the other, they still bury the living spouse with the dead one. I think this even covered in one of the Star Trek episodes I saw. I've never actually read the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" until now, but for some reason I had always assumed Ali was the captain of the thieves. I was surprised to find out in the book that he is just a poor man who stumbles upon the thieves hideout by accident in the story and that he is just lucky they did not find and murder him for discovering their secret. The star of the story is actually one of Ali's slave girls named Morgiana who saves Ali on several occasions by outsmarting the thieves. There are four type of religions represented throughout this entire book. There are Mussulmans (which if I'm not mistaken are a type of Muslim), Persians (who worship fire), Christians and Jews. All of the main characters are Mussulmans. Since for the most part these are mostly short stories I'm torn whether or not to include them on my listing of the greatest novels of all time, but they certainly are worthy of note none the less.
captivating!!!.......1998-10-27
I never left my chair when I read this book. 5 stars, a winner.
Customer Reviews:
Fun Read .......2006-12-24
I enjoyed this book, it was actually given to me when I was a child but I didn't get around to reading it until now (I'm 20). I am in college so I make it a point to read classics and it can be kind of stressful because I am trying to get as much as I can out the books. So to me The Arabian Nights was a break from all the pressure.
The only thing that bothered me was that the endings were pretty much the same in all the stories and that is that the main characters all lived happily ever after to ripe old ages.
Flights of Fancy.......2001-12-25
This version of "The Arabian Nights" is a compilation of ten of the most popular of the stories contained in the original"Tales of a Thousand and One Nights". The original contains two hundred and sixty-four stories. A lovely touch to the Barnes and Noble edition is that they include eight illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. While these stories have been the subject of movies for children, the vocabulary is not exactly for children in the language in the book. The original stories were translated from Arabic into French by M. Galland, a Professor of Arabic in Paris, and then from French into English in several editions. The first manuscript is from 1450 or earlier and the French translation in 1704 became instantly popular. The flights of fantasy are absolutely spectacular and cannot be reproduced in movies as well as the words can do in the readers own brain. Castles, jewels, strange beasts, cannibals, powerful kings and queens and lovely men and women fill the stories that take place in China, India, Persia, Arabia, and on various islands nearby. The Barnes and Noble edition from 1993 contains the following tales: The Talking Bird, The Fisherman and the Genie, The Young King of the Black Isles, Gulnare of the Sea, Aladdin, Prince Agib, The City of Brass, Ali Baba, Codadad, and Sinbad. They are wild exotic stories, that are fun for adults to read also.
Like seeing a print instead of the original painting...........2001-07-09
I purchased this book wanting an inexpensive edition of the Arabian Nights. When I saw this edition was illustrated by Maxfield Parrish, I knew this would be a good one. Unfortunately, I can't shake the feeling that I am missing something in this edition.
I know that this is not the full collection of tales. I was disappointed that the editors didn't give us much of the framework that the original was set. There are only ten stories here, and they are not really linked together at all. It is more like reading an anthology than reading a coherent piece of literary work.
I also felt that something was missing in the translations. Although Allah is mentioned, they typically refer to God. Whether this is what the originals stated or if this is how it was translated by western scholars, I don't know.
When I saw this was illustrated by Parrish, I had images of his work throughout the book. Unfortunately, they are grouped together in a couple places with a small quote from the story they represent. Some of the pictures seem like they were created for something else, but looked close enough to work. Although the art is good, it doesn't fit into the book very well.
The flights of fancy are fun and this would be appropriate for children. I don't think adult readers would want this one.
Not the Arabian Nights.......1999-06-15
While looking through the list of books on mythology, I couldn't help but notice a number of books containing "Arabian Nights" in the title. I hate to burst the bubble of anyone who plans to read this book, but I can tell you immediately that these are not the tales of the Arabian Nights. Aladdin was a character added completely from the mind of a French "translator," and Ali Baba and Sinbad are not included in the orignal Arabian Nights. If you want a decent copy of the stories, look for Haddaway's translation. If you want a version of the story appropriate for children, tone down the sex and violence, but please stay true to the story!
charming but dated version of timeless tales.......1998-11-30
First published in 1909, this version of these magical tales suffers a bit from the moralism and prudery of the times. For example, in place of the original theme that Fate that can topple the mighty and favor the lowly -- the so-called Arabic fatalism in which all things are the will of Allah -- the Wiggins' have put stern lessons about the perils of dissipation and lack of constant virtue. Of course the sex is totally missing, which may be quite appropriate for an edition intended for children.
Otherwise, I would have to say that almost all the magic, wonder, and adventure that are associated with the 1,001 Nights are to be found herein. The Maxfield Parish paintings are wonderful.
One of the most dissapointing elements is the decision to not include the "frame story" about Sheherizade telling these tales over the fabled 1,001 nights. Also much reduced is the constant use of tales-within-tales, a hallmark of the Arabian Nights collection. Both these changes tend to simplify the book, perhaps in a way that will make it more accessible and less confusing to young readers. But, then, this is hardly the book for young readers who do not like a challenge, especially since the tales are complex and the turn of the century diction relies upon a lot of outdated words and word usage.
Personaly, this edition is most fascinating as a glimpse into our own culture's past -- to see how we viewed the exoticism of the East during an era of our own relative innocence.
Book Description
Journey back to the magic days of sultans and caliphs, and become entranced by a brave young woman named Sheherezade as she weaves one dazzling tale after another, night after night for a thousand and one nights.
This classic collection of timeless stories from Arabia, India, and Persia re-creates a fabulous world of sorcerers and sages, as well as ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations.
Brian Alderson brings out all the humor, enchantment, suspense, and mystery of these delightful stories. Included in this lively collection are Sheherezade's most magnificent and beloved stories: "Aladdin," "Sindbad the Sailor," and "All Baba and the Forty Thieves." Remaining faithful to their Eastern origins, the author presents them in a manner ideally suited for reading aloud.
Michael Foreman's one hundred and twenty stunning illustrations and decorations-highlighted with gold ink -- capture all the excitement and magic of the original tales in a sumptuous book you will return to again and again.
Customer Reviews:
Pleasing versions of favorite tales.......1998-11-30
Presented alongside captivating illustrations, Alderson's charming version of the Arabian Nights is one that I would most highly recommend for reading by today's children. Although not a large book, it retains the tales-within-tales complexity of the original, and the flavor of the exotic that we have come to expect from the 1,001 Nights. Most of the more famous tales are included (Alladin, Ali Baba & 40 Thieves, an abbreviated Sindbad, etc). The language is accessible, yet not overly simplified, in a way that I think shows respect for young readers' intelligence.
I also appreciated Alderson's de-emphasis of cruelty, and I did not mind in the least the discreet references to sex (e.g., "after taking their pleasure together..."), but other people will have to judge for themselves what they would like to expose their children to. Personally, I think physical attraction is a lot healthier topic for children than violence, so I will have no problem sharing this version with my daughter when she learns to read.
Another important aspect of this translation of the Tales is that, while clearly modified for modern readers, this version retains the flowery and excessive references to the Majesty and Mystery of Allah -- in a manner which I think is totally appropriate for the topic and a necessary element for their appearance of authenticity.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRATE!!!!.......1998-03-16
The VERY BEST of all amazing stories!! daaaaamn this book is really AMAZING!!! you GOTTA read it!!
Fabulous book!.......1997-10-07
This book is a wonderful edition with excellent pictures. An edition definitely worth adding to your collection of classics.
Average customer rating:
|
Arabian Nights (1 Volume)
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000FSO5MQ |
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General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Fables Vol. 6: Homelands
Fables Vol. 8: Wolves
Fables Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Fables Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
