Tahan, Malba

New York. 1965. Charles Frank. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Worn and Scuffed Dustjacket. A rare book in this edition. 120 pages. hardcover. keywords: Literature Translated Arabic . FROM THE PUBLISHER - It's a wise child - or a wise adult, for that matter - who has read and assimilated what this quietly wise book has to say. Which doesn't mean that this charming book lectures - nothing could be further from the truth. It tells human, winning, enchanting stories, and if they happen also to illustrate some of that fabled ‘wisdom of the East' - well, so much the better. MAKTUB is intended for children but adults should also enjoy its style and humor. The stories that make up this volume vary widely in locale - from Marrakech to Peking - and theme - from the imperfections of earthly beauty and the limitations of earthly knowledge to the worthiness of the earthly virtues like charity, honesty and generosity. Their characters range from the three exceptional men of Baghdad, all of whom are ready to give up a beautiful young girl for the sake of their honor, to the beautiful young Moroccan woman who is claimed by two husbands and takes, instead of either, a third. The illustrations catch just the unique flavor of the East. MAKTUB is, in a word, delightful. inventory #3217