The Downsizing Doula

A multi-volume Burton edition set of The Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights), consisting of ten black-bound volumes with gold diagonal Arabian Nights markings and decorative spine details, plus additional volumes titled Supplemental Nights and The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night. The collection features Richard F. Burton's translation and annotation, and includes interior title pages and inscription pages visible in the images. The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, commonly known as The Arabian Nights, is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic, famous for its frame story of Scheherazade telling stories to King Shahryar to save her life. The collection includes famous tales like "Aladdin," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "Sinbad the Sailor," and is known for its mix of adventure, romance, and fantasy, with origins in Indian, Persian, and Arabic mythology. Sir Richard Francis Burton's 19th-century translation is a well-known, unexpurgated English version. Key aspects Frame story: The overarching narrative is about Scheherazade, who marries a king who executes his wives after one night. She saves herself by telling him a new, captivating story each night, stopping at a cliffhanger, and continuing the next night for 1,001 nights. Content: It's a vast collection of stories, including fairy tales, fables, romances, and comedies, featuring magical creatures, demons (djinns), and exotic adventures. Famous tales: It contains stories that have become famous independently, such as "Aladdin or the Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor". Origins: The stories are a blend of folk tales from the Indian subcontinent, Persia, and Arabia, with no single original manuscript existing. Burton's translation: Sir Richard Francis Burton's translation is famous for being a literal and unexpurgated version, published in the 1880s, which made the collection widely available in the West. Saw this set selling used from $350 to $3500 online!