Stranger Magic by Marina Warner
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2012 WINNER OF THE TRUMAN CAPOTE AWARD 2013 WINNER OF THE SHEIKH ZAYED BOOK AWARD 2013 Magic is not simply a matter of the occult arts, but a whole way of thinking, of dreaming the impossible. The supreme fiction of magical thinking is the Arabian Nights, with its flying carpets, hidden treasure and sudden revelations. As part of her exploration into the prophetic enchantments of the Nights, Marina Warner retells some of the most wonderful and lesser-known stories. She explores the figure of the dark magician or magus, from Solomon to the wicked uncle in 'Aladdin'; the complex vitality of the genies or jinn; and animal metamorphoses. With startling originality and impeccable research, this groundbreaking book shows how magic, in the deepest sense, helped to create the modern world, and how profoundly it is still inscribed in the way we think today.
Wonderful.. This is a flying carpet of a book * Jeanette Winterson *
Wide-ranging, erudite, wondrously polymathic exploration of the tales of magic...Warner, too is a beguiling storyteller: her fascination with true knowledge embedded in realms of wonder -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *
Her mind is as rich and fascinating as the stories themselves, taking us on a magic carpet from Borges and Goethe, to Edward Said and the movies -- Hanif Kureishi * Guardian, Books of the Year *
An epic study of the Arabian Nights...a dissection of the myths in these enduring classics that promises to throw light on the countries from which the stories spring and the lives of women in them -- Mariella Frostrup * Observer, Books of the Year *
This beautifully illustrated book, part retelling, part analysis, is a wonderful companion to some of the most marvellous stories ever told -- Michael Kerrigan * The Scotsman *
Wide-ranging, erudite, wondrously polymathic exploration of the tales of magic...Warner, too is a beguiling storyteller: her fascination with true knowledge embedded in realms of wonder -- Iain Finlayson * The Times *
Her mind is as rich and fascinating as the stories themselves, taking us on a magic carpet from Borges and Goethe, to Edward Said and the movies -- Hanif Kureishi * Guardian, Books of the Year *
An epic study of the Arabian Nights...a dissection of the myths in these enduring classics that promises to throw light on the countries from which the stories spring and the lives of women in them -- Mariella Frostrup * Observer, Books of the Year *
This beautifully illustrated book, part retelling, part analysis, is a wonderful companion to some of the most marvellous stories ever told -- Michael Kerrigan * The Scotsman *
Marina Warner spent her early years in Cairo, and was educated at a convent in Berkshire, and then in Brussels and London, before studying modern languages at Oxford. She is an internationally acclaimed cultural historian, critic, novelist and short story writer. From her early books on the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc, to her bestselling studies of fairy tales and folk stories, From the Beast to the Blonde and No Go the Bogeyman, her work has explored different figures in myth and fairy tale and the art and literature they have inspired. She lectures widely in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, and is currently Professor in the Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex. She was appointed CBE in 2008. www.marinawarner.com
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780099437697 |
| ISBN 10 | 0099437694 |
| Title | Stranger Magic |
| Author | Marina Warner |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2012-11-01 |
| Number of pages | 560 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for National Book Critics Circle Criticism Award 2013 (United States) |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |