The tales told by Scheherazade over a thousand and one nights to delay
her execution by the vengeful King Shahryar have become among the most
popular in both Eastern and Western literature. From the epic adventures
of 'Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp' to the farcical 'Young Woman and her
Five Lovers' and the social criticism of 'The Tale of the Hunchback',
the stories depict a fabulous world of all-powerful sorcerers, jinns
imprisoned in bottles and enchanting princesses. But despite their
imaginative extravagance, the Tales are also anchored to everyday life
by their bawdiness and realism, providing a full and intimate record of
medieval Eastern world.
Offering unexpurgated translations of the best-loved tales, including
such classics as 'Sindbad the Sailor', Tales from the Thousand and One
Nights - sometimes known as the Arabian Nights - is translated with an
introduction by N.J. Dawood in Penguin Classics. In this selection,
Dawood presents the reader with an unexpurgated translation of the
finest and best-known tales, preserving their spirited narrative style
in lively modern English. In his introduction, he discusses their
origins in the East and their differences from Classical Arabic
literature, and examines English translations of the tales since the
eighteenth century.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
