When I was a kid, I used to "sneak" into my mom's library and spend hours looking through Faeries, enthralled with the illustrations of the pretty faeries, the folklore, and the terrifying nasty ones. I say sneak, not because my mother didn't allow me near her books, but because the illustrations and descriptions were explicit--revealing the dangerous side of the fairy tale/folktale world with which I was unaware, having kept mostly to Disney. If I ever have kids, I want this to be their Faeries book.

A long time ago, I started to read The Arabian Nights, but fell away for some reason or another. Clearly, after reading this, I need to get back to it. And I need to check out more Toppi, but seeing as he's Italian and his work isn't published all that extensively in America (much less English), this feels like an uphill battle. I'm hooked though. I don't often buy books anymore, especially before reading them, but I'm so glad I did so with Sharaz-De...I'm fairly covetous of it already. ( )

Sergio Toppim nascido em Milão em 1932, iniciou a sua carreia como ilustrador de BD em 1966. Desenvolveu um estilo a preto e branco que o tornaram num doa mais inovadores e talentosos desenhadores europeus, inúmeras vezes premiado. Em 1979, realizou para a revista italiana "Linus" uma adaptação das "Mil e Uma Noites", considerada por muitos como a sua obra-prima. Face ao sucesso da edição francesa de "Sharaz-De", publicada em 2000, a sua editora porpôs ao desenhador que a criasse uma continuação destinada ao público francófono. Os leitores portugueses poderão descobrir neste volume a versão integral desde clássico da banda desenhada.

"Sharaz-De", a Xerazade dos contos das "Mil e Uma Noites" surge aqui reinterpretado pelo traço inconfundível do mestre Sergio Toppi, num estilo de grande audácia gráfica e de quase revolução completa da página clássica de banda desenhada. ( )

Wonderful art and a great bunch of stories make this one of the best graphic "novels" around. (Really it is more like graphic literature).

Mostly pen and ink drawings that add to the stories that are sometimes subtle and sometimes over the top, but always appropriate.

The only problem with this book is that it is way too short. There are 1001 stories and this book only contains 12. The author is now dead so there'll be no more and that is too bad. Ending a book can generate different emotions--for me this one made me sad that there wasn't more.

Minor note: This is an adult graphic story, so there are some pictures that might be inappropriate for young readers. For everyone else, read this. ( )

It has been a long time since I've been so impressed with the artwork in a graphic novel. This selected retelling of the 1001 Nights is simply beautiful to look at. I pored over every page. Sergio Toppi illustrates in black and white, with different levels of cross-hatching. He is a master of negative space, and in this book provides the perfect balance between words and images. He depicts desolate landscapes and individuals rather than action-packed scenes. ( )

Exceptional artistry. There are only two tales with color...and the art in those pages is mind blowing. The stories, of course, are wonderful. ( )