This is one of the most famous
sections of The Arabian Nights (or Book of The Thousand and One Nights), and is
often collected as a separate work, as it is here. This is despite the fact
that the Voyages are considered a late addition to the larger work, not
appearing until manuscripts that date from 300 years after the earliest
version.
Sinbad has wasted his father’s
fortune, and goes to sea to find his own. But he finds an island that is in
fact a giant prehistoric whale. Then, there are the giant snakes that can
swallow elephants, and gigantic eggs. For as good a sailor Sinbad is
supposed to be, he is extremely prone to shipwrecks. But he does manage to find
a valley of diamonds. And marry more than his fair share of beautiful
princesses. I can understand why his voyages have been dramatized so many
times. There is a lot of drama and adventure in these tales.
The Burton translation from
1885 is considered the standard, and is a beautiful mix of flowing storytelling
and lovely language. I don’t know how easy it would be to read, but it was very
pleasant to listen to. I can see why Scheherazade wanted him to continue
telling his tales.
Source: The Classic TalesPodcast, episodes 400 – 403.The podcast produces high-quality audio versions of
public domain works.
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