About the book
One of the Wall Street Journal's Top 10 Books of the Year
Winner, 2020 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Translation Category
Shortlist, 2021 National Translation Award
Finalist, 2021 PROSE Award, Literature Category
Fifty rogue’s tales translated fifty ways
An itinerant con man. A gullible eyewitness narrator. Voices spanning continents and centuries. These elements come together in Impostures, a groundbreaking new translation of a celebrated work of Arabic literature.
Impostures follows the roguish Abū Zayd al-Sarūjī in his adventures around the medieval Middle East—we encounter him impersonating a preacher, pretending to be blind, and lying to a judge. In every escapade he shows himself to be a brilliant and persuasive wordsmith, composing poetry, palindromes, and riddles on the spot. Award-winning translator Michael Cooperson transforms Arabic wordplay into English wordplay of his own, using fifty different registers of English, from the distinctive literary styles of authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf, to global varieties of English including Cockney rhyming slang, Nigerian English, and Singaporean English.
Featuring picaresque adventures and linguistic acrobatics, Impostures brings the spirit of this masterpiece of Arabic literature into English in a dazzling display of translation.
An English-only edition.
Editions of Impostures
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781479800841
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781479810567
- EBook
- ISBN 9781479800858
Read an Excerpt
One of the Wall Street Journal's Top 10 Books of the Year
Winner, 2020 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Translation Category
Shortlist, 2021 National Translation Award
Finalist, 2021 PROSE Award, Literature Category
Fifty rogue’s tales translated fifty ways
An itinerant con man. A gullible eyewitness narrator. Voices spanning continents and centuries. These elements come together in Impostures, a groundbreaking new translation of a celebrated work of Arabic literature.
Impostures follows the roguish Abū Zayd al-Sarūjī in his adventures around the medieval Middle East—we encounter him impersonating a preacher, pretending to be blind, and lying to a judge. In every escapade he shows himself to be a brilliant and persuasive wordsmith, composing poetry, palindromes, and riddles on the spot. Award-winning translator Michael Cooperson transforms Arabic wordplay into English wordplay of his own, using fifty different registers of English, from the distinctive literary styles of authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf, to global varieties of English including Cockney rhyming slang, Nigerian English, and Singaporean English.
Featuring picaresque adventures and linguistic acrobatics, Impostures brings the spirit of this masterpiece of Arabic literature into English in a dazzling display of translation.
An English-only edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Impostures about?
One of the Wall Street Journal's Top 10 Books of the Year
Winner, 2020 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Translation Category
Shortlist, 2021 National Translation Award
Finalist, 2021 PROSE Award, Literature Category
Fifty rogue’s tales translated fifty ways
An itinerant con man. A gullible eyewitness narrator. Voices spanning continents and centuries. These elements come together in Impostures, a groundbreaking new translation of a celebrated work of Arabic literature.
Impostures follows the roguish Abū Zayd al-Sarūjī in his adventures around the medieval Middle East—we encounter him impersonating a preacher, pretending to be blind, and lying to a judge. In every escapade he shows himself to be a brilliant and persuasive wordsmith, composing poetry, palindromes, and riddles on the spot. Award-winning translator Michael Cooperson transforms Arabic wordplay into English wordplay of his own, using fifty different registers of English, from the distinctive literary styles of authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf, to global varieties of English including Cockney rhyming slang, Nigerian English, and Singaporean English.
Featuring picaresque adventures and linguistic acrobatics, Impostures brings the spirit of this masterpiece of Arabic literature into English in a dazzling display of translation.
An English-only edition.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Impostures?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Anthologies
Where can I read a sample of Impostures?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781479800841
How long is Impostures and how many pages does it have?
Impostures has 542 page(s)
Is Impostures part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Library of Arabic Literature
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Impostures?
Abdelfattah Kilito,al-Ḥarīrī
Who is the Publisher of the book Impostures?
NYU Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Impostures is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781479800841) and paperback(ISBN 9781479810567) and ebook(ISBN 9781479800858)
Where can I buy Impostures online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Impostures from below
Where can I buy Impostures?