New Arabian Nights

New Arabian Nights
New Arabian Nights  
Author(s) Robert Louis Stevenson
Country Scotland
Language English
Genre(s) Short stories
Publisher Chatto & Windus
Publication date 1882
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN NA
Followed by More New Arabian Nights: The Dynamiter

New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in 1882, is a collection of short stories previously published in magazines between 1877 and 1880. The collection contains Stevenson's first published fiction, and a few of the stories are considered by some critics to be his best work, as well as pioneering works in the English short story tradition.[1][2]

Contents

Structure

New Arabian Nights is divided into two volumes.

Volume 1

The first volume contains seven stories originally called Later-day Arabian Nights and published by London Magazine in serial format from June to October 1878. It is composed of two story groups, or cycles:

Volume 2

The second volume is a collection of four unconnected (standalone) stories that were previously published in magazines:

  • "The Pavilion on the Links" (1880), told in 9 mini-chapters
  • "A Lodging for the Night" (1877)
  • "The Sire De Malétroits Door" (1877)
  • "Providence and the Guitar" (1878)

Allusions to other works

The title is an allusion to the collection of tales known as the One Thousand and One Nights, which Stevenson had read and liked. Although Stevenson's stories were set in modern Europe, he was stylistically drawing a connection to the nested structure of the Arabian tales. Two eagerly awaited translations of the Arabian Nights, by Richard F. Burton and John Payne, were in the works in the late 1870s and early 1880s, further helping to draw popular attention to Stevenson's "New" title.

Literary significance and criticism

"A Lodging for the Night" was Stevenson's first ever published fiction. In 1890 Arthur Conan Doyle characterized "The Pavilion on the Links" as "the high-water mark of Stevenson's genius" and "the first short-story in the world".[2] Barry Menikoff (1987) considers New Arabian Nights to be the starting point in the history of the English short story.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Menikoff, Barry (1987), "Class and Culture in the English Short Story", Journal of the Short Story in English 8 (1987), pp. 125-39.
  2. ^ a b Menikoff, Barry (1990), "New Arabian Nights: Stevenson’s experiment in Fiction", Nineteenth-Century Literature 43 (iii 1990), pp. 339-62.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • More New Arabian Nights: The Dynamiter — More New Arabian Nights   …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights (disambiguation) — Arabian Nights may refer to:* Arabian Nights, also known as The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , a Middle Eastern folk tale collection which tells the story of Scheherazade * The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Music), various music… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights (radio) — “Arabian Nights: Aladdin and his Magical Lamp” is a program from the American radio anthology series Radio Tales. The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights Two (radio) — “Arabian Nights: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” is a program from the American radio anthology series Radio Tales. The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights Three (radio) — “Arabian Nights: Sindbad the Sailor” is a program from the American radio anthology series Radio Tales. The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous awards,… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights (Magic: The Gathering) — For other uses, see Arabian Nights (disambiguation). ← Unlimited Antiquities → Arabian Nights …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Nights (TV miniseries) — This is about the TV series; for alternate uses, see Arabian Nights (disambiguation) Infobox Film name =Arabian Nights director = Steve Barron producer = Dyson Lovell writer = Peter Barnes starring = Mili Avital Dougray Scott cinematography =… …   Wikipedia

  • Arabian Knights — is an animated segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour , created by Hanna Barbera Productions. The series is based on Arabian Nights , a classic work of Middle Eastern literature.Plot Set among the fantasy set lands that surround the high… …   Wikipedia

  • New Hall School — circa 1920 The Best Start In Life Location Boreham Chelmsford, Essex …   Wikipedia

  • New Phyrexia — ← Mirrodin Besieged Magic 2012 → New Phyrexia …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”