Jack Tripper's Reviews > The Arabian Nightmare

(Updated/1/25/17 with cover and interior illustrations)

Here's the cover of the 1987 Viking (UK) hardback I have (282 pages).

For years I’d put off reading The Arabian Nightmare, waiting for the right time, as I’d been under the impression that it was a rather complex and laborious read. This wasn’t the case at all. To my surprise, it was actually a page-turner for me, despite the dream-like (or nightmare-like) nature of the novel, with simple-yet-elegant, engaging prose and near-perfect pacing.

Yes, it can be a bit convoluted at times, which is to be expected considering it deals with the dreams within dreams of the main character, Balian -- an English spy stuck in medieval Cairo’s endless labyrinthine streets, never certain whether he's awake or sleeping -- and there were moments when I, like Balian, wasn’t sure what was happening, or what was real and what wasn't (as the author most assuredly intended). But I was soon sucked further and further into the twisted dream logic, and left no choice but to continue. Unlike some "dream" novels and stories, the stakes here felt very real and immediate, and I cared about the fate of Balian.

The atmosphere put me in much the same mood as Linklater’s 2001 film Waking Life, in that it produces a similar sensation of being trapped in unreality. Also, various "teachers"/"knowledge-bearers" will sometimes appear seemingly out of nowhere to tell stories (within stories within stories...) or provide Balian with enigmatic clues -- both to immediate plot-related concerns, and to more existential ones -- while at the same time deepening the mystery of his strange "dreaming" affliction and the web of conspiracies that surround him.

It can be terrifying at times, hilarious at others, yet always very thought-provoking, and the Russian nesting doll-style structure -- in the tradition of the original Arabian Nights -- is just plain fun. It’s without a doubt one of the most absorbing books I’ve read in years. "Transportive" might be a better descriptor. Either way, anyone with a taste for reality-bending strange tales should be more than satisfied by The Arabian Nightmare.

I for one can't wait to read it again, as I imagine it will be a much different experience the second time around.

5 Stars

PS: The many life-like illustrations of Cairo by 19th century artist David Roberts are excellent, and were quite helpful in allowing me to fully envision the environs. Unlike the examples below, the images in the book are black and white, unfortunately. I tried to take pictures but they turned out like hot garbage.