The Arabian Nights and Orientalism: Perspectives from East and West [Hardcover]

Yuriko Yamanaka (Editor), Tetsuo Nishio (Editor), Robert Irwin (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1850437688 | ISBN-13: 978-1850437680

To commemorate the tercentenary of the first Western edition of The Arabian Nights, Yamanaka and Nishio marry Western and Japanese perspectives to analyze the rich cross-cultural fertilization that ensued. Arabian Nights and Orientalism examines narrative motifs, and relates them to other cultures, traditions, and forms of representation. The authors place the tales in a whole range of new contexts, from 19th century British feminism to ancient Greek romance. This lavishly illustrated book explores the interplay between image and text in various editions, and sheds new light on the tales' origin in the Persian professional storytelling tradition. Robert Irwin's foreword offers an overview of critical responses to The Arabian Nights, which highlights the originality of this volume.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This volume marries western and Japanese perspectives on The Arabian Nights to provide a fascinating study of how this literary phenomenon brought about a unique and rich cross-cultural fertilisation."  --Middle East

 

 

About the Author

Yuriko Yamanaka and Tetsuo Nishio are Associate Professors at the National Museum of Ethnology, Japan. Robert Irwin has taught Arabic and Middle Eastern History at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London. He is also the Middle East Editor for the Times Literary Supplement and the author of The Arabian Nights: A Companion (Tauris Parke Paperbacks).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (April 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850437688
• ISBN-13: 978-1850437680
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,843,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)