The Arabian Nights: Introduction by Wen-chin Ouyang (Everyman's Library Classics Series) Hardcover – Illustrated, June 10, 2014

Really an awesome and interesting book. It’s pretty sturdy and the illustrations are pretty cool.

Everyman can do no wrong. The translation is fantastic and easy to read.

As soon as I saw this hard cover version offered on my Q it brought back a flood of memories. In 1955 my grandfather gave me The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature compiled with the original illustrations under the direction of P. Edward Ernest and edited and with an introduction by Margaret E. Martigoni, formerly Superintendent of Work with Children Brooklyn Public Library, New York. I still have that volume after 59 years because it was a treasure trove of magical stories. My favorite was The Story of Aladdin, or The Wonderful Lamp. This same story is told in a much expanded, more adult style in the Wen-chin Quyang anthology. I thought that The Arabian Nights (Everyman's Library (Cloth) would be my gift to my grandchildren in the same manner that my grandfather gave me the stories. After receiving this tome, I realize that it is geared more toward the adult reader. For two reasons, first the stores are not geared down for younger children and second because of the way the book is type set. The typeface if set in Ehrhardt, probably cut by the Hungarian punch-cutter in Leipzig around 1689. The Monotype modern version, while being easy on the eye is set too tiny, with such small margins on the pages, makes it difficult to hold the attention of a third or fourth grade reader. I can see it without reading glasses, but have to be very near a good source of light.I love the introduction in which Wen-chin Quyang describes his early connection to the stories and how he had to hunt down versions and read them in Chinese. I also never knew that there was a restriction on who was allowed to read the stories.My parents traveled to Istanbul on The Orient Express before it was remodeled for the tourist trade. On that trip my mother purchased a Persian rug from a vendor on top of a mountain. He was not happy with the deal he struck after he accepted the cash from my mother. In his anger, he put a curse on her. They found out later that their house in America was being robbed at the same time the curse was being spun. We still have the rug, I still have the 1955 book. I will be giving the original to my young grandkids and will be reading my new version while sitting on the rug and wondering at it all.

The Everyman’s Library collection of “The Arabian Nights” is one of the finest anthologies of this book available. The book’s editor, Wei-Chin Ouyang, made the interesting choice to include selections from a wide variety of English translators, which I thought was pretty neat as you are able to experience the efforts of multiple scholars from a variety of time frames, all in one volume. While the various included translations may have slightly differing styles, all of them do a great job of making the text accessible to English speakers, while not losing any of the flavor and mood that the stories are meant to convey.I also enjoyed the selection of stories that Ouyang chose to include in this volume. While all of the usual, well known stories, such Aladdin or Sinbad, are present, this anthology also features quite a number of less common tales, which are very often not present in other collections of “The Arabian Nights”. Another great touch is the inclusion of some helpful notes, such as a short essay on the nature of various magical beings in Arabic folklore, which really helps flesh out the stories even further.Even the physical aspects of the book itself are aesthetically pleasing, with an attractive dust jacket design and some beautiful illustrations spread throughout the pages. All in all, this volume would be a great addition to the libraries of anyone who loves fairy tales, fantasies, or mythology. For those who have never experienced “The Arabian Nights”, it serves as a fine introduction to one of the most celebrated collection of stories of all time. And even those who already own a different version of the book may still find this volume worthwhile to own, as its various features make it a perfect supplement to other pre-existing anthologies.

As a Vine reviewer, I was surprised and delighted not simply to receive a galley copy of this book, but an actual hard copy. Though I would have rated it highly either way, I am especially pleased to be able to note how beautiful the actual publication is (like all hard-copy books in the Everyman's Library series). The book is an anthology of Tales (at nearly 900 pages, it's a sizable selection). The book's editor made the very interesting decision to source the tales to several different 18th and 19th century translators. Thus, whoever reads this volume has, in addition to the pleasure of enjoying the timeless charm of the stories themselves, the added pleasure of experiencing different approaches to the translator's craft, and of appreciating the unique artistry of 18th/19th century English renderings. There are a number of fine entry points to the Tales that readers may wish to consider. But unless it's specifically an unabridged copy of the Tales you're seeking, then I can think of no finer way of experiencing them, anew or again, than through this superb anthology.

This is something I have wanted for my permanent library. Lovely book.