Arabian Nights and Days by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz was written in 1979 as a sequel and companion text to One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Arabic folktales. Mahfouz draws inspiration from these classic stories but renders them new, revealing their modern relevance.
In the tale of Sinbad, the title character finds life lessons in his legendary voyages, such as “to continue with worn-out traditions is foolishly dangerous.” This theme of the ancient conflicting with the modern echoes the premise of this modern book delving into ancient legend and tradition.
The story of Sanaan al-Gamali examines themes of politics and corruption when Sanaan is ordered to kill a corrupt governor but is then tempted by an exchange of favors. The stories “The Café of the Emirs,” “The Porter,” and “Gamasa Al-Bulti” also explore themes of corruption at odds with justice and mercy.
Many characters find themselves the playthings of angels and genies, questioning fate and destiny, such as in the stories “Sanaan Al-Gamali,” “Nur al-Din and Dunyazad,” and “Aladdin with the Moles on His Cheeks.” This work also explores religious themes. Characters such as Sheikh Abdullah al-Balkhi seek spiritual fulfillment, but few reach the peace they desire. The story of “The Cap of Invisibility” features a righteous man who accepts a magical gift but then faces moral dilemmas caused by the condition that he must act against his conscience.
In the final chapter, the sultan decides to shun “throne and glory, woman and child” and enters a peaceful, dreamlike existence. However, this peace does not last when he opens a sort of Pandora’s box, a prohibited door, that sends him back to his former reality of corruption and unrest. There are no simple, happy endings in this collection of stories exploring the struggle between the desire for salvation and human corruptibility.
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