© Columbia University Press
The Islamic Context of The Thousand and One Nights
May, 2009
Cloth, 352 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-14634-0
$45.00
/ £31.00
"A wide-ranging, detailed explication of the subject . . . Highly recommended." — Choice
"(al-Musawi) applies his diverse expertise and vast knowledge of Eastern and Western literatures and culture histories to the analysis of the Nights" — Journal of Folklore
"...a bursting portmanteau of intriguing details, a work of truly epic scope. This review cannot hope to do justice to the richness of the book...should be welcomed as an open door to a new generation of scholarship, an inspiration for graduate students in search of dissertation material and established scholars alike." — Karla Mallette, H-Levant
"The Islamic Context of The Thousand and One Nights is truly remarkable for the way in which the tales' many aspects are shown to be a reflection of the mores of the centuries within which the different tales and tale-traditions were gathered together. It is also written by Muhsin J. al-Musawi, a scholar who enjoys a worldwide reputation in this field." — Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania
"This impressive volume argues for the central but missed importance of Islam in the understanding of The Thousand and One Nights. Muhsin J. al-Musawi has devoted much of his distinguished career to explicating, framing, and situating this enduring story of storytelling as an instrument of survival. Here he turns the lens on the religious dimension of this canonical text to provide the latest key piece in the solving of the puzzle." — Miriam Cooke, Duke University, and author of Dissident Syria: Making Oppositional Arts Official
"Muhsin J. Al-Musawi brings to his book an encyclopedic mastery of Arabo-Islamic literary and cultural history, opening up the work to a wider range of discursive elements. To the best of my knowledge, there is no study, short or long, that treats this magnificent literary corpus from this perspective." — William Granara, Harvard University