Synopses & Reviews
He narrates a complex tangle of dreams and imaginings that describe an atmosphere constantly shifting between sumptuously learned orientalism, erotic adventure, and dry humor. The result is a thought-provoking puzzle box of sex, philosophy, and theology. Reminiscent of Italo Calvino, and Umberto Eco, this cult classic is finally back in print!
Review
"The title of this novel is an apt one. The time is 1486; the place is Cairo. The focal character is a young Englishman, Balian of Norwich, on pilgrimage to St. Catherine's in the Sinai Desert and also with a mission to spy for the French on the strength of the Mamluke government in Cairo. There is never any certainty that the events of the story are actual, a dream, a dream within a dream—or a nightmare. The reader is likely to conclude that the latter is the reality. Another thing differentiates this novel from others: there are illustrations of Cairo—not the Cairo of 1486 but that of 1838. They are the work of a Scottish artist, David Roberts, who spent about a year in the Middle East but never returned there after he came back to London in July 1839. The illustrations here are taken from an edition of his work published in 1855—56. This is Robert Irwin's first novel. In style, mood, erudition, allusion, it is reminiscent of the work of Robertson Davies and Lawrence Durrell." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
The hero and guiding force of this epic fantasy is an insomniac young man who, unable to sleep, guides the reader through the narrow streets of Cairo-a mysterious city full of deceit and trickery. He narrates a complex tangle of dreams and imaginings that describe an atmosphere constantly shifting between sumptuously learned orientalism, erotic adventure, and dry humor. The result is a thought-provoking puzzle box of sex, philosophy, and theology.
Reminiscent of Italo Calvino, and Umberto Eco, this cult classic is finally back in print!
""The Arabian Nightmare" is a conceit worthy of Borges." ("The New York Times")
"Deft and lovely . . . the smooth steely grip of Irwin's story-telling genius is a joy to read." ("The Washington Post")
About the Author
Robert Irwin, the eminent Arabist, is the author of The Middle East in the Middle Ages, The Arabian Nights: A Companion, and Islamic Art, as well as six novels.