This is a very clever book but at times complex. In reading it I wished I was reading it as part of a class, rather than alone, so I could discuss it with others and fully understand the narrative and stylistic choices.

This is brainy stuff and is not for everyone. It's a very unusual book and I don't know if there's anything else around like it. Some of the language and word crafting is simply excellent. I also enjoyed the intros and notes regarding each entry. It's quite long, which is another reason it is not a quick read. But hopefully an intellectually stimulating one for those seeking it. 3.5 stars.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

Review: “Impostures” written by al-Ḥarīrī. Translated by Michael Cooperson

How do you measure the merit of collection of stories told by one person, written by another, and translated by another still? How does one take the structural rules of prose and apply them to a text that is both English and not; both modern and ancient; both colloquial and Shakespearean; both poetry and prose; both universal narrative and unreliable account? These are the questions that I grappled with while reading “Impostures”, written by al-Ḥarīrī, translated by Michael Cooperson, and published by @nyupress 📖

What I enjoyed: 📖 •Though each story had a different plot, they all followed a similar structure, which made the text as a whole cohesive in a way that felt fulfilling rather than predictable. •The poetic verse-like language is gorgeous. Even at the points in which I was confused about what was going on, the diction and syntax were so tasty that I didn’t care. •The introduction and subsequent footnotes following each story really helped to guide me through. Context is EVERYTHING in this collection.

What I didn’t: 📖 •This certainly won’t be the text for everyone. It demands a lot of intellectual energy from its reader, which can be good or bad depending on what kind of reading experience you are looking for. •There is more academic accompaniment than actual text. As much as this is integral for say, a study of the text within an academic setting, some of the magic was certainly stripped away through the use of excessive explanation. •At times, the unreliability of the narrator can be frustrating, especially as the translation is a wall between the reader and the story, and the narrator’s perspective creates a kind of second wall. 📖

Closing Points:
If you’re a lover of complex classics and intellectually stimulating reads, this collection is for you. 📖

I’m rating it 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📖

Thank you to NYU Press for the advance readers copy 📖