One Thousand and One Nights (Hanan al-Shaykh)

 
Face it.

Truth #1:
I have never properly read any other versions of One Thousand and One Nights (short as OTON below). I used to think OTON to be splendid and fairy-tale, something like Anderson's fairy tale compendium or something.

I was wrong. Yeah, laugh at me for my naivety. That book has so many wild sexual fantasies simplified into 'acceptable' version.

Truth #2
I saw this book on a shelf, sitting like a duck staring at me with its two O's. The first thing that grabbed me by heart was its cover. The peacock blue Arabian sky with golden Arabic motif archway dotted with golden stars. How luxurious could it get?

Yes, I do have a soft spot for blue books.

Truth #3
When I saw the word 'orgies', 'penis straight up like bayonets' etc, my eyes did not blink for more than 30 seconds. Half-curious about the content and half-disappointed about the sexual words. But as I read on, I found myself (sometimes) looking for more. Typical testosterone level gush, I guess.

Truth #4
I must praise the brilliant twists and turns, loops and crosses of the stories. I never thought Arabic stories can be so... wonderful. Don't forget the first story as it will somehow found its footing in later stories. Cool huh? I praise the intelligence of Shahrazad to keep her neck clean.

Truth #5
I have never told the synopsis or outline of the story since Truth #1.

Truth #6
King Shahrayar vows to bed every virgin each night and slaughters them the next daybreak. Shahrazad volunteers to be his next virgin. She sacrificed her virginity but she tells a story during the night and leave the king in suspense till the next morning, which would prolong her life for another day. And so, she tells the stories, spinning them out slowly, neatly but intricate like a spider web...

Truth #7
Hanan has successfully captured me with the tales and her way of telling. The choice of words and sentence structure strikes me back to Arabian nights of the early centuries.

Truth #8
I really would love 1001 nights of tales rather than 19 of them. I want to read more each night! If I could just read one tale per night, I can read this book for 3 years! I want to know how Shahrazad escapes her own death!

Truth #9
No more truths,

Truth #10
Truth #9 proves to be a lie.


Bought this book on 19th Jan 2014