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It sure took long enough, but in New York, fall is finally here. For the first time, I needed a sweatshirt on my morning jog around Central Park, and as I rounded the reservoir, I noticed that the leaves were changing, and that the air smelled just a little bit like apple pie. This fall, we have quite an array to choose from in the Modern Library, both revisiting old favorites and bringing new titles into the American canon.
One title that's sure to make a splash in the classroom is our gorgeous edition of the Indo-Persian epic THE ADVENTURES OF AMIR HAMZA. Though this sweeping saga of magic and passion has captivated much of the world for centuries, this beautiful rendition by Musharraf Ali Farooqi is, unbelievably, the first unabridged English translation. A classic which Library Journal called "reminiscent of the tales of Homer and King Arthur and The Arabian Nights," this seminal Islamic text follows the prophet Muhammed's uncle, who must travel the world in the service of his emperor before winning his daughter's love. As Booklist said, it is "a must-have for serious Near Eastern collections and fans of epic literature from any culture."
more. . .
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THE ADVENTURES OF AMIR HAMZA
THE ESSENTIAL FEMINIST READER
THE BOY'S CRUSADE
AWAY
JANE AUSTEN
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FEATURED TITLES
THE ADVENTURES OF AMIR HAMZA
Written by Ghalib Lakhnavi and Abdullah Bilgrami
Translated by Musharraf Farooqi
Introduction by Hamid Dabashi
In the tradition of such beloved classics as The Thousand and One Nights and the Persian Shahnameh, here is the first unabridged English translation of a major Indo-Persian epic, The Adventures of Amir Hamza (Dastan-e Amir Hamza)-a panoramic tale of magic and passion, and a classic hero's odyssey that has captivated much of the world.
This Islamic saga dates back hundreds of years, perhaps to as early as the seventh century, when oral narratives of the deeds of the prophet Muhammad's uncle Amir Hamza spread through Arabia, Persia, and the Indian subcontinent, expanding into a marvelous chronicle of warriors, kings, tricksters, fairies, courtesans, and magical creatures. The definitive one-volume Urdu text by Ghalib Lakhnavi and Abdullah Bilgrami appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century, but English translations of this text have always been censored and abridged-until now.
In Musharraf Ali Farooqi's faithful rendition, The Adventures of Amir Hamza is captured with all its colorful action, ribaldry, and fantastic elements intact. Here is the spellbinding story of Amir Hamza, the adventurer who loves Mehr-Nigar, the daughter of the Persian emperor, Naushervan. Traveling to exotic lands in the service of his emperor, Amir Hamza defeats many enemies, loves many women, and converts hundreds of infidels to the True Faith of Islam before finding his way back to his first love. Guided by a Merlin-like clairvoyant called Buzurjmehr, protected by legendary prophets, and accompanied by his loyal friend, the ingenious trickster Amar Ayyar, Amir Hamza rides his devoted winged demon-steed, Ashqar, into combat against a marvelous array of opponents, from the deadly demon, Sufaid Dev, to his own rebellious sons.
Appreciated as the seminal Islamic epic or enjoyed as a sweeping tale as rich and inventive as Homer's epic sagas, The Adventures of Amir Hamza is an extraordinary creation and a true literary treasure.
"Colorful, playful, and simply beautiful . . . fabulous and greatly entertaining." —Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran
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THE ESSENTIAL FEMINIST READER
Edited by Estelle Freedman
Including: Susan B. Anthony * Simone de Beauvoir * W.E.B. Du Bois * Helene Cixous * Betty Friedan * Charlotte Perkins * Gilman * Emma Goldman * Guerrilla Girls * Ding Ling * Audre Lorde * John Stuart Mill * Christine de Pizan * Adrienne Rich * Margaret Sanger * Huda Shaarawi * Sojourner Truth * Mary Wollstonecraft * Virginia Woolf
The Essential Feminist Reader is the first anthology to present the full scope of feminist history. Prizewinning historian Estelle B. Freedman brings decades of teaching experience and scholarship to her selections, which span more than five centuries. Moving beyond standard texts by English and American thinkers, this collection features primary source material from around the globe, including short works of fiction and drama, political manifestos, and the work of less well-known writers.
Freedman's cogent Introduction assesses the challenges facing feminism, while her accessible, lively commentary contextualizes each piece. The Essential Feminist Reader is a vital addition to feminist scholarship, and an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of women.
Read an excerpt
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THE BOY’S CRUSADE
Written by Carmen Laforet
Translated by Edith Grossman
Introduction by Mario Vargas Llosa
The Boys' Crusade is the great historian Paul Fussell's unflinching and unforgettable account of the American infantryman's experiences in Europe during World War II. Based in part on the author's own experiences, it provides a stirring narrative of what the war was actually like, from the point of view of the children—for children they were—who fought it. While dealing definitively with issues of strategy, leadership, context, and tactics, Fussell has an additional purpose: to tear away the veil of feel-good mythology that so often obscures and sanitizes war's brutal essence.
"A chronicle should deal with nothing but the truth," Fussell writes in his Preface. Accordingly, he eschews every kind of sentimentalism, focusing instead on the raw action and human emotion triggered by the intimacy, horror, and intense sorrows of war, and honestly addressing the errors, waste, fear, misery, and resentments that plagued both sides. In the vast literature on World War II, The Boys' Crusade stands wholly apart. Fussell's profoundly honest portrayal of these boy soldiers underscores their bravery even as it deepens our awareness of their experiences. This book is both a tribute to their noble service and a valuable lesson for future generations.
"This is a former warrior's haunting meditation on the terrible, yet often necessary, destructiveness of total warfare. Written with passion and fidelity, The Boys' Crusade is a book that will not leave you after you have put it down. If there is a more powerful personal account of the ground war in Western Europe I have yet to encounter it."
—Donald L. Miller, author of The Story of World War II
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AWAY
Written by Amy Bloom
Panoramic in scope, Away is the epic and intimate story of young Lillian Leyb, a dangerous innocent, an accidental heroine. When her family is destroyed in a Russian pogrom, Lillian comes to America alone, determined to make her way in a new land. When word comes that her daughter, Sophie, might still be alive, Lillian embarks on an odyssey that takes her from the world of the Yiddish theater on New York's Lower East Side, to Seattle's Jazz District, and up to Alaska, along the fabled Telegraph Trail toward Siberia. All of the qualities readers love in Amy Bloom's work-her humor and wit, her elegant and irreverent language, her unflinching understanding of passion and the human heart-come together in the embrace of this brilliant novel, which is at once heartbreaking, romantic, and completely unforgettable.
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JANE AUSTEN
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