Land of Enchanters: Egyptian Short Stories from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

The revised edition of Land of Enchanters, edited by Bernard Lewis and Stanley Burstein, is well defined by its subtitle: ""Egyptian Short Stories from the Earliest Time to the Present Day."" The preface is informative, as are the brief introductions to the stories, which describe the travails and triumphs of royals, heroes, spirits and monsters. Typical are ""The Story of Dalal,"" in which a princess wedded to an ogre plans an escape, and ""The Island of the Serpent,"" wherein a shipwrecked sailor is aided by a giant serpent ""plated with gold."" Sales of this slim volume could get a boost if it is assigned to high schoolers and undergraduates.