Book Review: Aladdin & The Wonderful Lamp- Fully Illustrated: A Tale From the Arabian Nights

Aladdin & The Wonderful Lamp- Fully Illustrated: A Tale From the Arabian Nights by Anonymous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you could only own one book about Aladdin and his lamp, this is that book. Not only would you have a fine introduction to Aladdin’s adventures-part of the 1001 Arabian Nights stories-you’d enjoy well over a hundred fantastic illustrations by astounding artists.

Walter Crane’s 1876 illustration of the magician accosting Aladdin is my favorite illustration in the book. Every detail of the city street scene is outlined by a thin black line. You might think that would make it feel cluttered and busy, but Crane achieved exactly the opposite effect. The scene is painted in a relaxed style, from the birds above the rooftops to the sprawled boys at play down on the streets. In fact, the clothing on the boys looks downright slouchy. With that foundation, the black outline emphasizes the loose folds of cloth, curved rooftops, paper lanterns, and the expressions on the seven people who are included in this glimpse of city life. At the same time, the crisp edges of walls, stairs and sidewalks are amplified, looking sharp and fresh. The overall effect is richly satisfying. The illustration that editor Albert Seligman has included in this edition is far superior to any image floating around the internet (I know. I looked.)

That’s my deep-dive into just one of well over a hundred illustrations ranging from the 1800’s to the 1950s that are included in this volume. It couldn’t be helped; it’s the sort of book that’s easy to immerse in. You’ll find yourself studying the artwork in detail too. The styles of the artwork vary wildly. Some are full color, others are black and white. Your happy task is to figure out which one is your favorite. Serious aficionados will appreciate the name and date credits with each illustration, as well as the bibliography at the back of the book.

If you would enjoy reading more illustrated stories of the Arabian Nights, you’ll be pleased to know that this is one of six books in a series, all put together by Albert Seligman. They are: Aladdin & The Wonderful Lamp, The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Caliph Haroun Al Raschid, The Enchanted Horse, and Scheherazade.