Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, translated by Edward William Lane

These are stories embedded inside stories, sometimes three times over. And they are all embedded in the original, long story being told by Scheherazade to save her life. Throughout, these are narratives with purpose: they are told to amaze or distract a king or a genie into doling out lenient punishment; they are told to instruct youth in correct behavior or provide a warning to young lovers; they are told to entertain and amuse; and ultimately, they are told to keep Scheherazade alive until her lover relents her vow to kill her.

Overall, the characters in the story are interesting and down-to-earth enough, even when they are kings and princesses, for the reader to care about them. Some of the stories are incredible narratives, many among the best are also famous: Sinbad and the Seven Voyages, Aladin and the Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Significant things happen to these characters: they are buried alive, they are disowned, they are denied marriages, they are carried away by enchanted horses to magic kingdoms.

The stories are strongly narrated as sequences of events; it is clear how each event follows from the circumstances of the previous. Rarely does a genie emerge to facilitate the events in a story, though it is always pleasant when one does. Sometimes the actions of the people are fantastic or extreme, but then these are fairy tales and that is expected and enjoyable.

The stories within stories create additional layers of narration that contribute to all the stories being told. The fact that each story is ultimately being told by Scheherazade is easy to forget while reading. These stories are all excellent examples of narration, made even better by the embedded nature of the stories and the fantastic events that happen to the characters in them.

Italian Folktales, by Italo Calvino

These charming stories are excellent examples of narrative. The characters are familiar, everyday people (though sometimes princes and princesses) with whom it is easy to identify. Their experiences are generally terrifying: having eyes gouged out, limbs cut off, dying in several fashions, being turned out of the houses to starve, etc. But, in the end, they are usually restored their previous positions of life and privilege and the stories almost always end happily.

The stories are told in classic story tale style with a strong emphasis on sequence: the princess is born, replaced in the cradle with a dog, mother and child are turned out of the house, years go by, the mistake is discovered, the evil-doer punished, and, in the end, mother, child and king reunited. Each event flows naturally from previous events (though supernatural experiences and reasons abound) and the stories are full of surprises.

Although I was not changed by the stories I read, I found them memorable and very enjoyable. I caught myself looking at real life through the eyes of a fairy tale, making up imaginative explanations for everyday strife and confusion. These stories are narrated well with an ear for the twists, deceptions, evil-doings, and magic that make fairy tales so enjoyable.

The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony, by Roberto Calasso

Calasso’s The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony makes a perfect companion to Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Calasso examines primarily Greek myths deeply looking at their symbolic significance, comparing different versions, and seeking out existential meaning in the lives gods and heroes. His work reads like an extended lecture with stories of myths interspersed throughout. Calasso’s writing is fascinating and very thought provoking, but it is hard to identify a strong narrative structure.

Loosely, the book is arranged by the happenings before and after the marriage between Cadmus and Harmony. Calasso describes the banquet at that marriage as the first and last time gods sat down to dine with mortals. After that meal, gods were involved in our lives in complex ways, causing us a lot of hassle. Differently from Ovid, Calasso puts the focus on gods and goddesses, instead of on humans. It is more difficult to identify with the people in these stories since they are divine. It is also difficult to follow the happenings as a sequence of events; there are so many backstories, and different versions of stories, that the stories appear less as narratives and more as metaphors and symbolic myths.

This is Calasso’s purpose entirely: to bring back these ancient stories as metaphors, full of symbolism and meaning. This work, while being an extremely complex example of narration, is an excellent interpretation and analysis of Greek mythology. Putting the focus on gods, instead of humans, Calasso’s work complements Ovid’s and examines deeply the meaning and significance behind these ancient myths