Tales from the Thousand and One Nights

by Anonymous

First published 1400

Scheherazade faces death at dawn unless she can captivate King Shahryar with another story. The vengeful king has executed his previous wives, but Scheherazade weaves tales so compelling he spares her life night after night. She tells of Sindbad's perilous voyages across unknown seas, Aladdin's discovery of a magical lamp, and a hunchback whose misfortunes expose the follies of medieval society. Her stories overflow with sorcerers wielding terrible power, genies trapped in bottles, and princesses locked in towers. Yet between the magical adventures, she reveals the earthier side of Eastern life through bawdy humor and sharp social observation. As one thousand and one nights pass, Scheherazade's survival depends on her endless capacity to surprise and delight a man who holds her fate in his hands.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, adventure, fantasy

Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Setting: Eastern, Medieval Society

Period: Medieval

416 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics

More by Anonymous

• Beowulf
• The Epic of Gilgamesh
• The Song of Roland
• The Saga of the Volsungs
• The Arabian Nights
• The Mabinogion
• The Elder Edda
• The Qur'an

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