Book Review: Scheherazade – A Tale From the Arabian Nights

SCHEHERAZADE A TALE FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS: A GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION BOOK by Albert Seligman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ll start with the book cover. There’s a beautiful depiction of Scheherazade, created by Edmund Dulac in 1925 for The American Weekly magazine. This legendary storyteller is portrayed as sitting on plump pillows in a room devoid of wall decor. Her head is framed within a doorway, a clever way to make her the center of attention. Everything about this painting focuses the viewer’s eyes on the woman. I like this selection of cover art for its subtle message and soothing use of colors. I’ve left it lying out on my desk rather than shelving it simply because occasionally glancing over at that cover makes me smile.

Once I was finally able to look away from the cover, I found the interior of the book to be quite engrossing. I intended to read a few pages and then set it aside, but somehow I forgot to stop, and read the entire book. I can always use a good lesson in art history and came away feeling more educated. Even the preface was chock-full of useful background information that helped set the stage for the stories and illustrations to come.

Five of Scheherazade’s tales are told in easy to understand, clear language. The stories are generously surrounded by the works of over fifty (yes fifty!) illustrators. The artwork has been fully restored, and quite a bit of it is in vibrant, full color.

These are stories that benefit from that lavish display of art, as the images really do bring the stories to life. While this book was not created specifically for young people, I believe that students who are learning to love classic literature will get a lot out of it. It’s a book that will appeal to many people with a variety of interests.

I’m happy to have this beautiful book on my shelves, er, well, desktop. I just can’t put it away quite yet. Ask yourself if you are in need of some eye candy, and after you admit that you are, grab a copy for your own desk or tabletop. No shelving required.