Arabian Nights; Volume 3 of 16

The Arabian Nights #3 of 16

by Anonymous, Richard Francis Burton (Translator)

Notorious for the delight he took in tweaking the sexual taboos of the Victorian age-as well as the delight he took in the resulting shock of his bashful peers-British adventurer, linguist, and author CAPTAIN SIR RICHARD FRANCIS BURTON (1821-1890) is perhaps best remembered for his unexpurgated translation of the Eastern classic The One Thousand and One Nights, more famously known today as The Arabian Nights. Originating in Persian, Indian, and Arabic sources as far back as the ninth century AD, this collection of bawdy tales-which Burton was the first to bring to English readers in uncensored form-has exerted incalculable influence on modern literature. It represents one of the earliest examples of a framing story, as young Shahrazad, under threat of execution by the King, postpones her death by regaling him with these wildly entertaining stories over the course of 1,001 nights. The stories themselves feature early instances of sexual humor, satire and parody, murder mystery, horror, and even science fiction. Burton's annotated 16-volume collection, as infamous as it is important, was first published between 1885 and 1888, and remains an entertainingly naughty read. Volume III • "The Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter" • "The Hermits" • "The Water-Fowl and the Tortoise" • "The Wolf and the Fox" • "Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge" • "The Cat and the Crow" • "The Fox and the Crow" • "The Hedgehog and the Wood Pigeons" • "The Merchant and the Two Sharpers" • "The Thief and His Monkey" • and others.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Poetry, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Romance, Religion

368 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2008

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Per]

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52564

[Christine]

I read this on Project Gutenberg. The translation of Richard Francis Burton is the result of the use of his talent in the Arabic language and culture to "produce a full, complete, unvarnished and uncastrated copy of the original Arabic texts." There are 16 volumes. Volume 3 starts with night 125, then ends during night 236, and is 459 pp. But because I had read to and including night 142 in Volume 2, I started with night 143 and ended with 236. This is not a version for children because of the adult themes and literal translations. Sometimes reading this version is challenging because it was translated in the 1800's and by an Englishman, so the language and vocabulary he uses is dated. It could be improved with a more modern literal translation. It's a valuable historic record and I found it worth the read. The stories in this volume include about 20 very short stories of wisdom, humor, and trickery. Examples of some titles are: The Tale of the Water Fowl and the Tortoise, The Tale of the Wolf and Fox, The Merchant and two Sharpers, The Thief and his Monkey, etc. There are also some longer stories about Kingdoms and their Kings and palaces, some traveling, and a passionate love story that involves forbidden love (to be continued in the Volume 4), which is a cautionary tale.
Some locations/settings: (nights 143-236) [Greece; Iraq: Baghdad, Mosul, Bossorah (Bosra); Syria: Damascus; Persia; Saudi Arabia; Spain: The Fortunate Islands (Canary Islands); China]

[Mathew Walls]

The middle of this book was pretty good. I liked the animal stories, especially the Wolf and the Fox. But then we went back to the humans and that wasn't so good. It seemed like things were looking up at first, because we had a couple of djinns arguing over who saw the prettiest human, but that bit's just the start of another very long story about a bunch of dumb royals. What is it with these people getting lost and forgetting about their old lives all the time? Some good lines though. And I liked this description of a supposedly incredibly attractive woman:

"Now her hair is like the nights of disunion and separation and her face like the days of union and delectation ... She hath a nose like the edge of the burnished blade and cheeks like purple wine or anemones blood-red: her lips as coral and carnelian shine and the water of her mouth is sweeter than old wine; its taste would quench Hell's fiery pain. Her tongue is moved by wit of high degree and ready repartee: her breast is a seduction to all that see it (glory be to Him who fashioned it and finished it!); and joined thereto are two upper arms smooth and rounded ... She hath breasts like two globes of ivory, from whose brightness the moons borrow light, and a stomach with little waves as it were a figured cloth of the finest Egyptian linen made by the Copts, with creases like folded scrolls, ending in a waist slender past all power of imagination; based upon back parts like a hillock of blown sand, that force her to sit when she would fief stand, and awaken her, when she fain would sleep ... And those back parts are upborne by thighs smooth and round and by a calf like a column of pearl, and all this reposeth upon two feet, narrow, slender and pointed like spear-blades, the handiwork of the Protector and Requiter, I wonder how, of their littleness, they can sustain what is above them."

HER ARSE IS SO SEXY IT PREVENTS HER FROM STANDING OR SLEEPING.

I can't remember if it's the same woman or someone else, but "all who looked on her bepissed their bag-trousers, for the excess of her beauty and loveliness."

I also liked this rhyme in support of anal sex: "'The penis smooth and round was made with anus best to match it, * Had it been made for cunnus' sake it had been formed like hatchet!'"

And people falling in love from the most superficial of encounters never gets old: 'So he said to Naomi, "Draw back the veil from thy face;" but she would not unveil, and he beheld not her face. However, he saw her wrists and love of her entered his heart'.

[Hazel]

I only enjoyed two stories in this book. The first animal tale and the final tale. The first Story is a continuation of most of the last volume and is incredibly long and boring. It was followed by a bevy of animal tales, one of which I enjoyed. The others were okay. Next was a court tale, without point and lacking interest. The final story, which is as yet unfinished, is good. It is a story of two beautiful people, of their brief meeting and instant love for each other, but they are separated and they do not know each others names or their country so despair. It tells of their adventures in coming together once again, but then they are separated once more before being brought together. The latter part about their sons is not nearly as interesting, but is of passable interest.

[Jerry Miller]

Third of 17 parts. Not something to necessarily read for enjoyment, more just to say that you did. Language is old fashioned, and many of the stories are the same thing just told slightly different. Many characters, and the names are sometimes confusing. This all seems negative, but I am enjoying the books more as I get further into the days. It is a matter of adjusting to the cadence of the stories. I am reading these in between other books, and that may be why I am having difficulties. If you have the time and want to rad something epic in length, this is for you. I would recommend that the average reader pass.

[Noura Abdelfattah]

القصص المعروفة فى الجزء ده هى الاجمل زى سندباد .. المتعة فيه مش اد كده او مش زى القصص المصورة ..

[Robyn Brown]

Wow....