Persian Myths & Tales: Epic Tales Christine van Ruymbeke 9781839647741

The Shah Nameh (The Book of Kings), The Rubaiyat, The Divan, and The Gulistan (The Flower Garden) are amongst the greatest works of Persia, containing some of the most beautiful, rich and diverse language in the literary world. They rival Dante's Divine Comedy, India's Mahabharata, Sumeria's Epic of Gilgamesh and China's Dream of Red Mansions in their cultural impact, bringing to life the tales, myths and philosophy of ancient and high-medieval Persia. A fabulous concoction of verse and prose, these classical Persian texts offer stories of creation, love, conquest and the simple joy of life.

The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Christine van Ruymbeke (foreword) is Ali Reza and Muhamed Soudavar Reader in Persian Literature and Culture at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge. She works on classical (medieval and pre-modern) Persian literature and has published extensively on a variety of topics related to Persian literature. Her latest monograph takes a fresh look at Persian animal fables: Kashefi's Anvar-e Sohayli. Rewriting Kalila and Dimna in Timurid Herat, published in 2016.