“The Arabian Nights: Tales from the Thousand and One Nights ”, illustrated by E. J. Detmold

248 pages, The Folio Society

The Arabian Nights: Tales from the Thousand and One Nights was first published by Hodder and Stoughton way back in 1924, complete with a dozen paintings by Edward Julius “E. J.” Detmold, a prolific Victorian book illustrator; The Folio Society reprinted this edition in 1999 (although mine is a second printing from 2000). A little background: One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of folktales from the Middle East first compiled during Islam’s Golden Age, corresponding in the Western calendar from the 8th to the 14th Centuries. The West first became aware of these tales sometime in the early 18th Century, and from then on they have more or less remained in the Western conscience in one form or another. The subtitle to this particular edition is telling, for these are merely selected Tales, not a complete collection:

• The History of Codadad and His Brothers and of the Princess Deryabar
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
• Sindbad the Sailor
• The Story of Prince Assad and the Fairy Perie Nashara
• Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
• The Three Calendars
• The Story of the King of the Ebony Isles
• The Story of Baba Abdalla
• The Story of Ganem, the Slave of Love

Some of these Tales are recognizable to a Western audience, while some are not; as to why these were chosen over others, that remains a mystery to all but the powers that be at Folio. I have to say that, out of literally 1001 stories to chose from, I see no rhyme or reason as to why these nine were chosen over all others; not that they're bad stories by any stretch, its just that, as with all folk tales, its the moral, or the landscape, or some other message being conveyed that is of importance, rather than character development or what have you. But it is what it is, and The Arabian Nights, along with E.J. Detmold, presents each tale respectfully and beautifully.