A review by mydreamsaresilent
The Arabian Nights by Antoine Galland, Edward Forster

5.0

How can one fairly criticize a bevy of stories with such collective origin, with such cultural momentum, with such moral force? I think you can only really examine the translation and your own reaction in such a case. There were stories that horrified me, bored me, surprised me, were engrossing, mad, wonderful, and absurd. At times I struggled through repetitive themes and actions of characters, other times I couldn't believe what I was reading. That type of resonating astonishment sparked within the reader can only be the mark of greatness in literature. As for the translation, it was melodic, a beautiful compliment to the extravagance of the tales within this book. I will say though, the illustrations are very, very poorly placed within the text as they often give away the story before you've reached a critical part. Is this an oversight or deliberate carelessness?