Tahir Shah
Hardcover | Pages: 388 pages Rating: 4.09 | 1718 Users | 205 Reviews
List Books To In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
| Original Title: | In Arabian Nights |
| ISBN: | 0553805231 (ISBN13: 9780553805239) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Ilustration In Pursuance Of Books In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
Tahir Shah’s The Caliph’s House, describing his first year in Casablanca, was hailed by critics and compared to such travel classics as A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun. Now Shah takes us deeper into the heart of this exotic and magical land to uncover mysteries that have been hidden from Western eyes for centuries.…In this entertaining and penetrating book, Tahir sets out on a bold new journey across Morocco that becomes an adventure worthy of the mythical Arabian Nights.
As he wends his way through the labyrinthine medinas of Fez and Marrakesh, traverses the Sahara sands, and tastes the hospitality of ordinary Moroccans, Tahir collects a dazzling treasury of traditional stories, gleaned from the heritage of A Thousand and One Nights. The tales, recounted by a vivid cast of characters, reveal fragments of wisdom and an oriental way of thinking that is both enthralling and fresh. A link in the chain of scholars and teachers who have passed these stories down for centuries like a baton in a relay race, Shah reaches layers of culture that most visitors hardly realize exist, and eventually discovers the story living in his own heart.
Along the way he describes the colors, characters, and the passion of Morocco, and comes to understand why it is such an enchanting land. From master masons who labor only at night to Sufi wise men who write for soap operas, and Tuareg guides afflicted by reality TV, In Arabian Nights takes us on an unforgettable journey, shining a light on facets of a society that are normally left in darkness.
Identify Out Of Books In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
| Title | : | In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams |
| Author | : | Tahir Shah |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 388 pages |
| Published | : | February 11th 2008 by Bantam Books (first published January 1st 2007) |
| Categories | : | Travel. Nonfiction. Northern Africa. Morocco. Cultural. Africa. Autobiography. Memoir |
Rating Out Of Books In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
Ratings: 4.09 From 1718 Users | 205 ReviewsComment On Out Of Books In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
This is a very entertaining book. The tale of some of Tahir Shah's adventures in Morocco, where he makes his home, it seems to show that there is still wonder in the world of the early 21st century. And not only that: it hints that, perhaps, this world of wonder is closer to the real world. In the book dreams bleed into reality and stories into stories, like in The Arabians Nights or the author's own collection Scorpion Soup. It's also the story of normal people: and it's a great pleasure toPerhaps, I was just not ready for the preachy and totally-disappointing journey this book makes. While the cover is alluring, "the story" (if there is one) fails to climb upto the surface and end the restless albeit exhausted reader's quest for it.
While I enjoyed the descriptions of Morocco, I eventually got frustrated with the writer's complete lack of a gender lens when looking at a society as gender segregated as Morocco. I would have noticed it regardless but once he started his numerous references to "henpecked husbands" I got particularly annoyed. He rarely, if ever, acknowledges that the Morocco he sees is only half of Morocco. His focus and his sympathy is fully on the people he meets (almost all men) and he seems to expect that
Well-written and poetic. It really makes you contemplate the power of stories. It also made me miss Morocco--excited to go back someday.
This is the only book I have ever finished and immediately wanted to re-read. I would have; but I really want to buy a paper copy and read it that way instead. I'm abroad right now, but when I get back in the states I will own this! I'm also planning on reading just about everything Tahir Shah has written.So why? Why am I so ga-ga over this book? One of my greatest loves in life is traveling and this book just oozes with the emotions of a traveler. Shah is an individual who is restless, who is
I realize I'm in the minority but I just didn't care for this book that much. The stories he recounted were interesting but I felt he got very repetitive and preachy when talking about how important the stories were. There was, occasionally, the tendency to over generalize as well, about the nobility that comes with being poor and that is lost if you get money, as well as how much wisdom the West has lost by modernization. There is some truth there but I don't think it's as bad as the author
Couldn't put this book down! Tahir Shah made me dream of flying carpets and the story in my heart! Highly recommend!!
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