Reading 1001 discussion

So: I originally had plans to read “The Thousand and One Nights” (or Arabian Nights) as a fake quarterly for myself in three months. But, when I looked into the “full edition” (which I’m counting as the original 10 volumes with all the stories that Burton originally translated), it’s closer to 3000 pages than 1000. Needless to say, I’m still reading it between other stuff.

The version on the bookshelf here- “Arabian Nights”- is selections from the full 10 volumes (don’t even get me started on the additional 6 volumes Burton added later which I’m not counting because it takes the book to 8000 pages lol).

I was wondering if anyone who actually owns the 1001 book (I only downloaded the spreadsheet) knows which version is included there if it is specified at all? Because my spreadsheet says “The Thousand and One Nights”. This is the version I’m reading (on scribd): https://www.amazon.ca/Thousand-Nights...

If so, shouldn’t we put it on the annual list instead of the quarterly list? What does everyone else think?

Amanda wrote: "So: I originally had plans to read “The Thousand and One Nights” (or Arabian Nights) as a fake quarterly for myself in three months. But, when I looked into the “full edition” (which I’m counting a..."

This was like our first long group read back when the group was still on Shelfari. A long time ago. And few of us actually finished it. It is soooooo long. I did not buy a copy other than an ebook copy. It was the Burton copy ad I think it was the one with added books too. I count it as read though I am pretty sure I am never going to read the whole thing.

Kristel wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So: I originally had plans to read “The Thousand and One Nights” (or Arabian Nights) as a fake quarterly for myself in three months. But, when I looked into the “full edition” (which..."


AT the time the group felt that it was the long version and it should be an annual read but since we already read it, it hasn't come up again as we are working though the list. This was a our first long read.

Oh okay, that makes a lot of sense. I was just wondering since I think it made an appearance on the Quarterly long list last year. I don't blame anyone who has been here a long time for not wanting to revisit it for sure (I mean I'm not reading the 6 added books, I'm reading the first 10 and counting it as read too lol).

Amanda wrote: "Oh okay, that makes a lot of sense. I was just wondering since I think it made an appearance on the Quarterly long list last year. I don't blame anyone who has been here a long time for not wanting..."
I try to tell people to avoid these long ones for nominations for quarterly but a few always do end up on the list and then I "hope" they don't get chosen.

I read the entire series of volumes, checking them out one by one from my college library (CU Boulder) as an undergrad. The stories get awfully repetitive and formulaic after the first 5 or 6 volumes, and by the end of the 16th it felt as if I'd read almost every possible variation on some of those stories several times over. I enjoyed them as light reading in between calculus homework sets, but don't feel the need to revisit the whole series for a long time.

I just found the 2 book edition set by Burton at a second hand book store for $7. I was very excited.

Amie wrote: "I just found the 2 book edition set by Burton at a second hand book store for $7. I was very excited."

Nice find.

Amanda wrote: "So: I originally had plans to read “The Thousand and One Nights” (or Arabian Nights) as a fake quarterly for myself in three months. But, when I looked into the “full edition” (which I’m counting a..."

Salaam Alaykum, Amanda! I bought all four volumes of Mardrus/Mathers for $48 from a second-hand book seller. I figured I'd be getting more recent hardcovers I'd received before. Nope. I got a 1923 special [numbered] edition! A bit ratty, a couple of the volumes need a little TLC but not bad at all. It's been read quite a bit, but not actually mistreated. Since I won't be dragging around a limited edition antique, I bought the four paperbacks, still in slipcase and little used, for $28. (It retails for over $120 as such.) Alas, there is no Kindle download these days for the M/M translation.

To make a long story short--as Shahrazad must have said at about the 7th night--Burton supposedly added 6 full volumes of what amount to his commentary. So I think maybe his 10 remaining volumes--probably more than you'd need or want to read anyway--have to be "fluff" he put in, to tart it up and make it look what westerners thought was "Arabic". I've heard his translation is full of Victorian Verbosity. All 10 (or 16) volumes' worth. And quite "saucier" than it needs to be.

But the most "readable" and scholarly translation would be Husain Haddawy's. He only has 271 nights because that's all that survives of the older, 14th century, Syrian manuscript. (Burton and others probably use a 17th century Egyptian manuscript which actually contains 1001 nights of storytelling.) Apparently, "1001 nights" just means "a helluva long time" in poetic Arabic. I am currently reading that one, even though I did read a couple hundred pages of the M/M version years ago. They're both pretty amusing.

Haddawy did, however, translate into a 2nd volume the stories that aren't in the Syrian (Mahdi) manuscript: Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. The first volume is 518 pp and the second, 324 pp.

If you liked the M/M volumes, then grab Haddawy's translation. Still amusing (though not linguistically so). And the trade paperback is only $11 on Amazon, or $18 retail. (The second volume is sold under the name "Sindbad: and other Stories from the Arabian Nights".)

Whew, that was a long review. But this review is nothing compared to what I will tell you tomorrow night if the King spares me and lets me live.

Sir Humphrey wrote: " Salaam Alaykum, Amanda! I bought all four volumes of Mardrus/Mathers for $48 from a second-hand book seller. I figured..."

Cool! Thanks for the info. I did end up reading the first 10 Burton volumes, and it was good but much too long lol. One of my friends though is looking to read it at some point and will pass this info on to her :)

Amanda wrote: "Sir Humphrey wrote: " Salaam Alaykum, Amanda! I bought all four volumes of Mardrus/Mathers for $48 from a second-hand book seller. I figured..."

Cool! Thanks for the info. I did end up reading the..."

Wow, I cannot imagine reading all 10 volumes of Sir Richard Burton's Arabian Nights. Yikes.