The Necklace of the Pleiades: Twenty-Four Essays on Persian Literature, Culture and Religion

Persian literature has profoundly influenced the literatures of Ottoman Turkey, Muslim India, and Turkic Central Asia, and was a source of inspiration for such prominent intellectuals as Goethe, Emerson, and Jorge Luis Borges, among others. This comprehensive study reflects the stature and significance of Persian literature, with contributions from prominent scholars who bring a fresh critical approach to this important topic. The essays illuminate subjects ranging from the Alexander romance, to Sufism and Baha’i literature, to the reception of Salman Rushdie’s novels in Persian. A snapshot of the current state of Persian literary studies, this volume will be of substantial interest not only to scholars of Iranian culture, history, and religions, but of Middle Eastern and South Asian studies as well.