It is known that men are hard on women. They torture them and distrust them, and at the same time they are disloyal themselves. This is all true, although let us not forget that women are not incapable of cruelty; nor are they to be trusted. One could say that their behaviour is identical to that of men, but they differ in their approach. We men are not crafty and wily like women. Men confront women with great aggression, while women can take you very easily to a river, yet bring you back thirsty.

Note: besides reading this book, I also read fragments of a somewhat-new accurate translation of the original version for comparison.

This retelling was my first real encounter with A Thousand and One Nights (or Arabian Nights). I had read a few stories in child versions for school and knew the premise of the most well-known stories: Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sinbad… And I have to say, I never expected to enjoy this collection as much as I did.

It starts the same way as the classic version: King Shahrayar is maddened by his wife’s infidelity, so, after killing her, he vows to marry a girl every night and kill her by the morning. Shahrazad, a smart young woman and daughter of the King’s vizier, has a plan to stop the massacre. She marries the King and tells him a story every night, leaving the King in suspense right before the morning so the King wants to wait another day to listen to the end, therefore prolonging her life and saving hundreds of other women.

As in the original version, all the stories open the way for another story, but what differs from the original version is that Al-Shaykh does not return to Shahrazad at the end of each tale, she just continues with the intertwined stories. I liked this twist because she does not break the rhythm of the book but I also missed knowing what happened with Shahrazad and the king. The only thing that I didn’t love about this retelling is that this version includes only 19 stories, but, around 12 of them are part of The Porter and the Three Ladies, to the point that I felt I was reading a book about these women, rather than Shahrazads’ (still, this tale, with its tales within were amazing and I truly enjoyed them).

In essence, most stories are the same as the ones I read in the traditional version but Al-Shaykh’s are more powerful and entertaining. The writing style is modern, yet they retain all the elements of the original stories. They are more erotic, violent, a bit crude, funny and full of exciting moments. I was completely drawn to these fantastic worlds. I literally couldn’t stop reading. I wish the book had more than 19 stories… I would have read the thousand and one nights.

About Hanan al-Shayk

Hanan al-Shaykh was born in Beirut in 1944, she is considered one of the most acclaimed writers in the contemporary Arab world. Her novels have won multiple awards and her work has been translated into 21 languages. She collaborated with theatre director Tim Supple to put the onstage dramatization of One Thousand and One Nights.

Other books written by Lebanese women:

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Lebanese initiatives and projects that support and empower girls and women

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Girls Got IT aims to break the cultural stereotypes that surround women in STEM subjects by exposing young females to essential technology skills and experiences. 400 students from public and private schools (grade 10th to 12th) attend hands-on training sessions in mobile and web development, 3D printing, gaming and graphic design, renewable energy, robotics, and many more. The goal is to allow them to meet inspiring role models and learn more about the various success stories from Lebanon and the world. Also, the initiative seeks to support the technology start-up ecosystem in Lebanon where the initiative is implemented.