Customer Reviews

The Seven Wise Princesses: A Medieval Persian Epic

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This is a unique collection of stories within a story from a different culture--an Islamic one. The Shah Bahram is wealthy but not happy. He is fascinated with the portraits of seven princesses whom he invites to come live in his kingdom in their own pavillions (beautifully portrayed in the illustrations). Each princess proceeds to tell the shah a story in which seven virtues--truth, patience, perseverance, forgiveness, humility, wisdom, and love--are expounded upon. The shah learns and so do we. There have been an abundance of princess stories and collections in recent years, but this one is unique. I highly recommend it.

This book is about a prince who finds pictures of seven princesses in his palace, and determines to meet them. He brings them to his kingdom and hosts them in seven pavilions of different colors and corresponding to different astrological bodies. He then meets them in turn and they tell him stories that explain why they chose to stay in the color of the pavilion they did. The colors, astrological bodies, and order in which the princesses' stories are told are all symbolic. The story is based on the Persian epic poem "Haft Pakyar" written in the 12th century by Nizami Ganjavi (there is an entry on this story in Wikipedia if you are interested in a short introduction to the original). Unlike the original, this children's adaptation focuses almost exclusively on the princesses' wise tales, and deals very little with the prince himself.

I will say three things about this book. First, it is definitely medieval. It is comparable in violence and frightening ghouls to European medieval stories and fables. There are scenes of frightening demons, eyes being torn out, and threats of death to suitors that can't scale the palace walls, within these stories. This is not a gift for the very sensitive child.

Second, it is very Persian. I noticed that the reviews suggested that the stories within a story, and stories within the stories within a story, were "convoluted". Perhaps to the modern reader, but Persians and others from narrative cultures will be very pleased by these stories that can be understood on so many different levels. It is complex but not difficult for people accustomed to reading literature. The moral lessons told reflect universal ideals from a uniquely medieval Persian standpoint.

Being both medieval and Persian, the lessons are blunt. There is no question what the author intends the reader to understand, at least as far as the main lesson is concerned, though there remains enough ambiguity to keep it interesting.

Third is the "princess" or gender aspect of this book. One reason I chose this book was to highlight women characters for my daughter. I had not read Nizami's classic so I did not know that while the princesses are wise and great storytellers, they are not the subjects of the story. They are more intermediaries between Bahram, the main character, and the many male protagonists in their tales. This was a disappointment but it can't be helped considering that the epic was written nearly a thousand years ago, and it's not up for last-minute redaction.

I think this book is a great piece of literature for children, but not all children will be ready for it. I would suggest that every parent read it first before giving it to the child, or before reading it aloud, and be prepared to discuss certain moral lessons and events in the stories. This to me is the best part of the book. Because it does not talk down to children or soften things up too much, it brings them into a really great discussion with their family and opens up a whole world to them.

This beautifully illustrated book of folklore and fairy tales is a translation of a Persian classic by the 12th century Sufi poet, Nizami. It is the story of Shah Bahram who invites seven princesses from different lands to come live in his palace compound and tell their tales of wisdom, adventure, mysticism, and magic.

Teachers/Librarians: 4th to 8th grade. Much here for our upper elementary and middle school students. Detailed notes included.

All I can say is that if you have any interest in geography, old stories, lore, Persia, mythology, and a good story, then this is a great book to buy. My daughter doesn't like to to read very much but this book got her going. We read it together and just love it! A worthwile edition for your library for sure!

The Seven Wise Princesses: A Medieval Persian Epic is a prose translation of Sufi poet Nizami's twelfth-century classic, "Haft Paykar". An lengthy text (nearly one hundred pages) suitable for preteens and up with advanced reading skills, The Seven Wise Princesses pairs its thoughtful prose with striking and colorful illustrations. Enhanced with detailed notes by the author offering commentary on the Sufi mysticism inherent in the fable, The Seven Wise Princesses is sure to delight adults as well as older children.

This book features a series of stories about a King who invites princesses with distinct personalities and diverse views of the world to teach him about their worlds; each establishes herself in a Pavilion of a different color and explains to him why she values the joy, thoughtfulness, or sorrow invoked by that color. When we pull this book out, we know we are in for several nights of successive reading from it, as we work through each of the princesses and her story. There is much for kids to think about as they compare and contrast the separate stories, though overall the stories are an optimistic bunch and quite good for bedtime. You can think of this as a bit of Sherazade without the less appealing elements of the 1001 Nights.

Wafa Tarnowska brings the middle east and asia into our lives, and does it well. The tales are charming and enjoyable for both kids and adults, and even little ones enjoy the pictures. I also liked the fact that she doesn't "dumb it down" in order to adapt to North American culture - we need more insight into other cultures, and this is a nice place to start. WEll done! Beautiful illustrations too...