The Arabian Nights II: Sinbad and Other Popular Stories (Arabian Nights No. II) (v. 2) [Paperback]

Hysain Haddawy (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393315177 | ISBN-13: 978-0393315172 | Publication Date: October 1996

Contains four later tales from "The Arabian Nights", in a new translation. The stories, a mixture of magic, humour and love, include "The Story of Sindbad the Sailor", "The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves", "The Story of Ala al-din and the Magic Lamp", and "the Story of Qamar al-Zaman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A second selection of tales culled from the classic Arabian Nights.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Arabic --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393315177
• ISBN-13: 978-0393315172
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #772,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the real thing, May 16, 2005

By 

Dr. Richard M. Price (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arabian Nights II: Sindbad and Other Popular Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

This is a very rum publication. Five years previous to its appearance Husain Haddawy produced as 'The Arabian Nights' a translation of the earliest extant version of the text (thirteenth- or fourteenth-century), which contains only a fraction of the full text known from nineteenth-century editions. In a polemical preface he denounced the full version as a dilution of a great original by the addition of masses of alien and inferior material. It must subsequently have been pointed out to him that a version of the Arabian Nights that omitted the best known stories would disappoint readers; consequently he then produced the present volume, made up largely of the popular tales 'Sindbad the Sailor', 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', and 'Aladdin and his Lamp' -- even though, as he points out in the preface, the original Arabic texts of 'Ali Baba' and 'Aladdin', if they ever existed, have never been found and we are dependent on an eighteenth-century French 'translation' that is a fine piece of literature but far from authentic. A reader who wants to go beyond Haddawy's first volume would be well advised to go straight to one of the translations of the complete text, which contains much fine material omitted from both Haddawy's volumes. Of these by far the best is the new one by Malcolm Lyons.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, September 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Arabian Nights II: Sindbad and Other Popular Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

When I have started reading this collection of Arabic stories I was very pleasantly surprised by the excellent translation. The language flows smoothly and practically dances on the pages. The translation has engaged me and kept my attention, until I have finished the book alltogether. This rendition couldnt have possibly been improved.
As for the tales, this is not like Disney's Alladin or Sindbad. Do not be deceived into believing that the stories are effulgent with simple innocence. In parts, there is mild violence and subtle obscenties. However subtle, one might still consider them inappropriate for children. To make it simple, if this was a movie it would be rated pg-13. This aspect aside, the stories flow smoothly with enthralling tales of adventure, magic, and of course the cliche themes of love. Even though the tales of this book have been displayed on television, this rendition flavors them with fresh originality. The only regret is that one wont be guessing about the outcome of the adventures as the ending has been millions of times entrusted to the media and us...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Tales- Not To Be Skipped, February 20, 2006

By 

William E. Barrett "W.E.B." (NJ-> USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Arabian Nights II: Sindbad and Other Popular Stories (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

If you read Husain Haddawy Arabian Nights then The Arabian Nights II is a must since it contains stories he omitted from his Arabian Nights Translation. While many may feel his translations are incomplete I still enjoy them. These and many other original Arabic stories give us a glimpse into a long forgotten time constantly diluted by their Disney counterparts. This book includes Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, Ali Al Din ,et Al. I would not recommend this book as a nightly reader to children as some of the content proves extremely lewd however I found it hard to put down once started and would recommend The Arabian Nights II to anyone seeking a unique and adventurous story.