Stranger Magic: Charmed States & the Arabian Nights - Hardcover

Warner, Marina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0701173319 ISBN 13: 9780701173319

Publisher: Chatto & Windus, 2011

Synopsis

Magic is not simply a matter of the occult arts, but a whole way of thinking, of dreaming the impossible. As such it has tremendous force in opening the mind to new realms of achievement: imagination precedes the fact. It used to be associated with wisdom, understanding the powers of nature, and with technical ingenuity that could let men do things they had never dreamed of before.

The supreme fiction of this magical thinking is the Arabian Nights, with its flying carpets, hidden treasure and sudden revelations. Translated into French and English in the early days of the Enlightenment, this Arabic collection of folk and fairy tales became a huge success with intellectuals, artists and composers. The book's strangeness opened visions of transformation: dreams of flight, speaking objects, virtual money and the power of the word to bring about change. Its tales create a poetic image of the impossible and an unexpectedly modern parable of knowledge and power. Above all they have the fascination of the strange - the belief that true knowledge lies elsewhere, in a mysterious realm of wonder.

As part of her exploration into the prophetic enchantments of the Nights, Marina Warner retells some of the most wonderful and lesser-known stories. She explores the figure of the dark magician or magus, from Solomon to the wicked uncle in 'Aladdin'; the complex vitality of the jinn, or genies; animal metamorphoses and flying carpets. Her narrative reveals that magical thinking, as conveyed by these stories, governs many aspects of experience, even now. In this respect, the East and West have been in fruitful dialogue. Writers and artists in every medium have found themselves by adopting Oriental disguise. With startling originality and impeccable research, this groundbreaking book shows how magic, in the deepest sense, helped to create the modern world, and how profoundly it is still inscribed in the way we think today.

About this title

Review:

"An epic study of the Arabian Nights...a dissection of the myths in these enduring classics that promises to throw light on the countries from which the stories spring and the lives of women in them" (Mariella Frostrup Observer, Books of the Year)

"Wide-ranging, erudite, wondrously polymathic exploration of the tales of magic... Warner, too is a beguiling storyteller: her fascination with true knowledge embedded in realms of wonder" (Iain Finlayson The Times)

"Her mind is as rich and fascinating as the stories themselves, taking us on a magic carpet from Borges and Goethe, to Edward Said and the movies" (Hanif Kureishi Guardian, Books of the Year)

"Warner's book makes reading The Arabian Nights seem as essential to understanding the Western literary cannon as the King James Bible, and a lot more fun" (Victoria Beale Independent on Sunday)

"436 densely erudite and eclectic pages... Stranger Magic is a scholarly work that often reads like a fireside conversation" (Robin Yassin-Kassab Guardian)

Book Description:

A dazzling history of magical thinking, exploring the power of the Arabian Nights and its impact in the West, and retelling some of its wondrous tales. Lavishly illustrated throughout.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chatto & Windus
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0701173319
• ISBN 13: 9780701173319
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 560