''New Arabian Nights'' by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

, first published in 1882, is a collection of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

previously published in magazines between 1877 and 1880. The collection contains Stevenson's first published fiction, and a few of the stories are considered by some critics to be his best work, as well as pioneering works in the English-language short story tradition.

Structure

''New Arabian Nights'' is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 The first volume contains seven stories originally called ''Later-day Arabian Nights'' and published by ''

London Magazine ''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and miscellaneous topics. 1732–1785 ''The London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly I ...

'' in serial format from June to October

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

. It is composed of two story groups, or cycles: *" The Suicide Club" *"

The Rajah's Diamond ''The Rajah's Diamond'' is a cycle of four short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in 1878 in a serial periodical ''London Magazine'', they were republished in the first volume of '' New Arabian Nights''. The stories are: *"Story ...

" Volume 2 The second volume is a collection of four unconnected (standalone) stories that were previously published in magazines: *"

The Pavilion on the Links "The Pavilion on the Links" (1880) is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was first published in ''Cornhill Magazine'' (Vol. 42, Sept-Oct 1880). A revised version was included in ''New Arabian Nights'' (1882). The story was considered by ...

" (1880), told in 9 mini-chapters *"

A Lodging for the Night A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

" (1877) *" The Sire De Malétroits Door" (1877) *"

Providence and the Guitar Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

" (1878)

Allusions to other works

The title is an allusion to the collection of tales known as the ''

One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'', which Stevenson had read and liked. Although Stevenson's stories were set in modern Europe, he was stylistically drawing a connection to the nested structure of the Arabian tales. Two eagerly awaited translations of the ''Arabian Nights'', by

Richard F. Burton Sir Richard Francis Burton (; 19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, writer, orientalist scholar,and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary kn ...

and John Payne, were in the works in the late 1870s and early 1880s, further helping to draw popular attention to Stevenson's "New" title.

Literary significance and criticism

"A Lodging for the Night" was Stevenson's first ever published fiction. In 1890

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

characterized "The Pavilion on the Links" as "the high-water mark of Stevenson's genius" and "the first short-story in the world". Menikoff, Barry (1990), "New Arabian Nights: Stevenson’s experiment in Fiction", ''Nineteenth-Century Literature 43'' (iii 1990), pp. 339-62.

Barry Menikoff Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 1950 ...

(1987) considers ''New Arabian Nights'' to be the starting point in the history of the English-language short story.Menikoff, Barry (1987), "Class and Culture in the English Short Story", ''Journal of the Short Story in English'' 8 (1987), pp. 125-39.

References

External links

(plain text and HTML) * (scanned books original editions illustrated) * {{One Thousand and One Nights 1882 short story collections Literature based on fairy tales Short story collections by Robert Louis Stevenson Works based on One Thousand and One Nights Chatto & Windus books