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Hasan
In the days of Sinbad, the handsome young merchant Hasan quests forth from Bassorah, seeking great wealth. But Lo! The hand of Allah sets the youth upon a rare journey--into the heart of deadly adventure, unearthly peril...and magic.
Enslaved by the alchemist Bahram, bound into a camel's corpse and left on the Mountain of Clouds to be devoured by a roc--such is the beginning of Hasan's destiny. For he has entered a world of mighty jinns and hideous ifrits, amazon empires and bejeweled jungle palaces, enigmatic wizards and cloistered virgin princesses. And to know his life's desire, Hasan must twice capture the love of the bird-maiden Sana--the world's most beautiful woman, child of the vengeful king of jinns on the dreaded Isles of Wak!
Harken ye now to a tale of exotic mystery, sensuous beauty, and strange sorcery-
Enslaved by the alchemist Bahram, bound into a camel's corpse and left on the Mountain of Clouds to be devoured by a roc--such is the beginning of Hasan's destiny. For he has entered a world of mighty jinns and hideous ifrits, amazon empires and bejeweled jungle palaces, enigmatic wizards and cloistered virgin princesses. And to know his life's desire, Hasan must twice capture the love of the bird-maiden Sana--the world's most beautiful woman, child of the vengeful king of jinns on the dreaded Isles of Wak!
Harken ye now to a tale of exotic mystery, sensuous beauty, and strange sorcery-
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
5 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
441 books4,215 followersThough he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 11, 2021
This is a weird book about a dude named Hasan bumble-fucking through his fate.
Hasan is too bored and horny and gets kidnap whisked away into a journey of adventure and peeping at hot girls.
While on his quest he kidnaps a bird-woman princess, forces her into housework and child-bearing, then when she runs away from him, he tracks her down to the far side of the globe, where he annihilates the kingdom that she's from, almost deposed the Queen, her sister. And then at the end he looks like the good guy.
Pretty par for the course for Anthony books. I didn't dislike it, but it was definitely an early career book. The characters aren't very flushed out, kind of just acting as tokens to get us through the plot, which is fine, as the adventurous plot really is the most interesting part of the story. Aside from the weird, flowy writing style that I also liked.
Dahnash the flying Ifrit was the best character. "Ho, Ho!".
Hasan is too bored and horny and gets kidnap whisked away into a journey of adventure and peeping at hot girls.
While on his quest he kidnaps a bird-woman princess, forces her into housework and child-bearing, then when she runs away from him, he tracks her down to the far side of the globe, where he annihilates the kingdom that she's from, almost deposed the Queen, her sister. And then at the end he looks like the good guy.
Pretty par for the course for Anthony books. I didn't dislike it, but it was definitely an early career book. The characters aren't very flushed out, kind of just acting as tokens to get us through the plot, which is fine, as the adventurous plot really is the most interesting part of the story. Aside from the weird, flowy writing style that I also liked.
Dahnash the flying Ifrit was the best character. "Ho, Ho!".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
This very early novel by Piers Anthony was revised and published in book form in 1977, but the version I read (and am reviewing here) was the original, printed in two installments in the December, 1969 and February, 1970 issues of "Fantastic" magazine (Vol. 19, Nos. 2 and 3). This, of course, required me to track down copies of the magazines, which proved neither difficult nor particularly expensive. I have reached a tipping point with Anthony: despite my love/hate relationship with his writing (favoring his sci-fi leanings and groaning in exasperation over his proclivities for fantasy) I am committed to reading -- eventually -- whatever I can lay my hands on of his. This is primarily because his sci-fi is very, very good. In this case, however, although "Hasan" is planted firmly in the realm of fantasy, I found myself pleasantly surprised and grateful to have tracked down the original source of this tale.
The beauty of reading "Hasan" from its original source is that the editor of "Fantastic," Ted White, gives a detailed account of the novel's history and development in the December, 1969 issue. Even better, in that issue, is a reprint of an article Anthony contributed to a fanzine in which he details the history of "The Arabian Nights," which collection of tales serves as the source material for "Hasan." It is this fact (i.e., that Anthony uses "The Arabian Nights" as a jumping-off point), above all, which renders the more colorful and fantastic elements of the story palatable -- at least to this reader.
Anthony has fleshed out the original tale considerably and added a few elements of his own devising (detailed in the author's notes in the February, 1970 issue) to produce a reasonably well-constructed novel. Which is not to say that it is a masterpiece, as my rating indicates (although I might award it another half a star, were that possible). No, Anthony's stereotyped characterizations are a little too wooden and two-dimensional, and there is much here that would appeal to an adolescent but fails to convince an adult reader. And despite the story's setting in the ancient Middle East, there is a misogyny which reflects our own culture circa the late 1960s at least as much as it reflects that of the historical setting.
There is, however, one point on which this work is quite instructive and (gasp!) valuable from a literary perspective. It is easy for readers, in a post-9/11 world, to fall into the error of imagining that Islam was always portrayed through the paranoid lens of our present-day perspective. "Hasan," written more than three decades before Islamic extremism tarnished the image of Islam more or less permanently, presents its protagonist, a devout Muslim, as anything but an irrational extremist. Hasan is portrayed as sincere in his faith, to be sure, but at no point is his faith depicted as inimical to any other faith (and the novel does touch on Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity). Quite the contrary, Islam is here made out to be one in a panoply of faiths each of which has their good points and bad points, but each of which should be respected, and none of which should be feared. Even the Zoroastrianism of one of the primary antagonists is not depicted as an evil faith, simply the faith of an evil character. For this reason alone, "Hasan" makes for something just short of an important read in the world of 2017, when we are, all of us, quick to doubt whether that mythical beast "moderate Islam" does, in fact, exist.
The beauty of reading "Hasan" from its original source is that the editor of "Fantastic," Ted White, gives a detailed account of the novel's history and development in the December, 1969 issue. Even better, in that issue, is a reprint of an article Anthony contributed to a fanzine in which he details the history of "The Arabian Nights," which collection of tales serves as the source material for "Hasan." It is this fact (i.e., that Anthony uses "The Arabian Nights" as a jumping-off point), above all, which renders the more colorful and fantastic elements of the story palatable -- at least to this reader.
Anthony has fleshed out the original tale considerably and added a few elements of his own devising (detailed in the author's notes in the February, 1970 issue) to produce a reasonably well-constructed novel. Which is not to say that it is a masterpiece, as my rating indicates (although I might award it another half a star, were that possible). No, Anthony's stereotyped characterizations are a little too wooden and two-dimensional, and there is much here that would appeal to an adolescent but fails to convince an adult reader. And despite the story's setting in the ancient Middle East, there is a misogyny which reflects our own culture circa the late 1960s at least as much as it reflects that of the historical setting.
There is, however, one point on which this work is quite instructive and (gasp!) valuable from a literary perspective. It is easy for readers, in a post-9/11 world, to fall into the error of imagining that Islam was always portrayed through the paranoid lens of our present-day perspective. "Hasan," written more than three decades before Islamic extremism tarnished the image of Islam more or less permanently, presents its protagonist, a devout Muslim, as anything but an irrational extremist. Hasan is portrayed as sincere in his faith, to be sure, but at no point is his faith depicted as inimical to any other faith (and the novel does touch on Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity). Quite the contrary, Islam is here made out to be one in a panoply of faiths each of which has their good points and bad points, but each of which should be respected, and none of which should be feared. Even the Zoroastrianism of one of the primary antagonists is not depicted as an evil faith, simply the faith of an evil character. For this reason alone, "Hasan" makes for something just short of an important read in the world of 2017, when we are, all of us, quick to doubt whether that mythical beast "moderate Islam" does, in fact, exist.
July 5, 2023
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe this was the first not-Xanth Piers Anthony book I've ever read. I don't remember my exact feelings on it while reading, but what I remember of the story now feels very much "sexual conquest" more than anything else.
Like, this guy (Hasan) with basically nothing going for him is tricked and left in the middle of absolutely nowhere, then found and adopted by a group of sisters who are isolated and commanded to remain celibate (hence the adoption, so they can claim him as a "brother" and not get in trouble).
Then, the sisters have to go away, and he has ONE JOB, which is to ignore the one door, and he doesn't do that. He goes and finds that there's a spa for bird ladies at the top of the staircase behind the door, and he sees them naked and is hot for the one in particular (Sana), and he can't rest until he has her, so [long convoluted plot], and once he has her, she's essentially coerced into being his wife and bearing his children, until she is able to trick them and escape with the kids (who themselves don't do a single thing but exist).
But IT'S OKAY I GUESS, because after she leaves, she misses Hasan, even though her dad destroys the thing that lets her turn into a bird, so she can't go back to him.
I guess at the time I thought more highly of it, because it was a book without one single white person in it (unless I've greatly misunderstood something). Now, that feels like just slapping a new paint job on the same fetish, I don't know. It's icky that Sana wasn't given any choice, and at best she has Stockholm Syndrome for Hasan. Had this given her a little more agency, I would maybe think this would be worth a revisit.
Like, this guy (Hasan) with basically nothing going for him is tricked and left in the middle of absolutely nowhere, then found and adopted by a group of sisters who are isolated and commanded to remain celibate (hence the adoption, so they can claim him as a "brother" and not get in trouble).
Then, the sisters have to go away, and he has ONE JOB, which is to ignore the one door, and he doesn't do that. He goes and finds that there's a spa for bird ladies at the top of the staircase behind the door, and he sees them naked and is hot for the one in particular (Sana), and he can't rest until he has her, so [long convoluted plot], and once he has her, she's essentially coerced into being his wife and bearing his children, until she is able to trick them and escape with the kids (who themselves don't do a single thing but exist).
But IT'S OKAY I GUESS, because after she leaves, she misses Hasan, even though her dad destroys the thing that lets her turn into a bird, so she can't go back to him.
I guess at the time I thought more highly of it, because it was a book without one single white person in it (unless I've greatly misunderstood something). Now, that feels like just slapping a new paint job on the same fetish, I don't know. It's icky that Sana wasn't given any choice, and at best she has Stockholm Syndrome for Hasan. Had this given her a little more agency, I would maybe think this would be worth a revisit.
March 26, 2019
Piers Anthony has written some simply brilliant fantasy stories. This is not one of those that I would regard as brilliant. It feels like one of the earlier works by this author when he seemed to be more focused on facts. Later works show the vivid imagination escape, not this one. Never the less Hasan is a good story and if you have enjoyed other stories by Piers Anthony then this is a very worthwhile read to see the writer in his early days. I wouldn't suggest starting with this book from this author as you would get a wrong idea of how good he actually is and you may then not go on to read other books.
July 23, 2023
Normally hard to put down when an author of this stripe writes, however this is the exception that proves the rule? Spends an unconscionable amount of time on describing irrelevant vistas and virtually no time on plot, if there is one. Shallow characters, shallow romance, no action, but all praise be to Allah.
August 7, 2024
Read these shizz when I was like 13 and loved it to death, Arabian Nights stuff is so cool as hell. Same with that book that took place in like caves on other planets and had some really weird matriarchal sexual stuff. This book rules.
May 30, 2017
Arabian Nights' style, more detailed. Interesting enough, and nicely elaborated.
May 8, 2019
Solid Sinbad-like adventure.
June 22, 2020
Piers Anthony tackles the Thousand and One Nights.
June 1, 2025
This was the first Piers Anthony book that I read and his ability to tell stories and to use language in creative ways work very well together.
January 21, 2015
I was not all that impressed by this book. It was essentially a retelling of some of the Arabian Nights tales, with a few twists.
Hasen is the main character, and the story starts with him getting taken in by an evil magician. This magician captures him, and takes him far away on a boat. He is beaten and threatened, and though he is saved, his naivety gets him captures again.
Once again, he is taken advantage, and is left to die. Escaping, he comes to a palace where seven beautiful sisters adopt him as their brother. During his stay, he captures a beautiful woman, who happens to change into bird form. By taking away her cloak, he is able to capture her, eventually making her his wife.
Later in the story, she leaves him to go back to her homeland Wak, taking there two sons. The rest of the story follows Hasen on his search to recover his family.
The story was okay; I did not find it all that special. Part of the reason is that I just did not like the main character, Hasen. He seemed to me to be a whinny, self-absorbed child, though he is an adult, who did not really grow up throughout the book. It was difficult to enjoy a book where the main character is more annoying than his evil adversaries.
Hasen is the main character, and the story starts with him getting taken in by an evil magician. This magician captures him, and takes him far away on a boat. He is beaten and threatened, and though he is saved, his naivety gets him captures again.
Once again, he is taken advantage, and is left to die. Escaping, he comes to a palace where seven beautiful sisters adopt him as their brother. During his stay, he captures a beautiful woman, who happens to change into bird form. By taking away her cloak, he is able to capture her, eventually making her his wife.
Later in the story, she leaves him to go back to her homeland Wak, taking there two sons. The rest of the story follows Hasen on his search to recover his family.
The story was okay; I did not find it all that special. Part of the reason is that I just did not like the main character, Hasen. He seemed to me to be a whinny, self-absorbed child, though he is an adult, who did not really grow up throughout the book. It was difficult to enjoy a book where the main character is more annoying than his evil adversaries.
July 19, 2012
It was not terribly written. Apparently it was based on a Arabian Nights tale which I havent read. I was dissapointed to see that there was not much of a modern twist so far as women are concerned and disturbed at how highly sexist this was. I can only describe it as a heterosexual "Man's wet dream" for the most part.
It did have a charming old fashioned story tone about it which I enjoyed. However using words like "Willy nilly" clashed terribly with the writing style.
It was definately not the best read I experienced. I am highly curious now to how women were treated in the original Arabian Nights tale now, I will be reading that to find out.
Youtube Review:
http://youtu.be/AWZms_xij8I
It did have a charming old fashioned story tone about it which I enjoyed. However using words like "Willy nilly" clashed terribly with the writing style.
It was definately not the best read I experienced. I am highly curious now to how women were treated in the original Arabian Nights tale now, I will be reading that to find out.
Youtube Review:
http://youtu.be/AWZms_xij8I
October 30, 2015
This is a tale told to rival Sindbad the Sailor, Alladin, and Scheherazade, because after all, the author researched the 200 unexpurgated stories of the 10th century Arabian Nights, amounting to about 20 volumes of references. Piers Anthony presents a story here that is worthy of inclusion in Arabian Nights. The mixture of culture and religions in the story causes trouble for its inhabitants, but ultimately shed light on the motivations of many of them, and reveal a world that is every bit as complicated as our modern one, but with more magic.
One of the great things about this story is the joy to be had from reading it.
One of the great things about this story is the joy to be had from reading it.
August 16, 2020
Found this book in an antique store in Athens and the cover, as well as the synopsis got my atention. Settled in an Arabian Nights setting it narrates the story of the protagonist Hasan who in the pursue of adventure discovers his love for the Bird Maiden.
One of the great achievments is the fictional (fantastic) portrayal of the modern Indies, Malay, China and Indonesia with all its fantastic elements like mages, jinns, encahnted damsels and the bird roc where legend faces reality.
One of the great achievments is the fictional (fantastic) portrayal of the modern Indies, Malay, China and Indonesia with all its fantastic elements like mages, jinns, encahnted damsels and the bird roc where legend faces reality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2024
Nice enough fantasy story. Its most striking feature is its oriental cast, Allah be praised. Apparently this did give the author a license to put a lot of very unlikely plot twists in the story to help out Hasan, the (anti-)hero of the story (deus ex machina?), which was my main dislike. If you like reading about jinns and efreets go for it, otherwise I'd skip it.
December 20, 2023
This isn't Anthony's best work, not by a long shot. Still, it's very readable. The pacing is good and I mostly liked the ending.
If you've never read a Piers Anthony novel before, this is a good choice. It's a short stand alone, and will give you a good taste of his writing style.
My biggest problem with it is that I never connected to any of the characters.
If you've never read a Piers Anthony novel before, this is a good choice. It's a short stand alone, and will give you a good taste of his writing style.
My biggest problem with it is that I never connected to any of the characters.
June 20, 2015
What can I say? Wow! I read this book in two days. Brilliant - based on a tale of the Arabian nights - Hasan and the bird maiden. At times I jokingly said that it was Piers version of 50 Shades of Grey.
Do yourself the favour and read this book!
Do yourself the favour and read this book!
September 24, 2007
This book actually got me to think about history and how the present builds on the past. If for no other reason, that made it worth reading.
February 2, 2011
Grade D+
August 31, 2015
This adaptation of a classic tale from the Arabian Nights deserves to be better known. It's one of the most enjoyable things Piers Anthony has written, but failed to reach commercial success.
October 8, 2014
Fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews