Hardcover, 304 pages
English language
Published Aug. 1, 2001 by Greenwillow.
Having long indulged himself in daydreams more exciting than his mundane life as a carpet merchant, Abdullah unexpectedly purchases a magic carpet and his life changes dramatically as his daydreams come true and dangerous adventures become daily fare.
This sequel to Howl's Moving Castle doesn't have the same charm as that first book, and gets bogged down by heavy inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights. It has decidedly problematic portrayals of middle eastern people and a heavy dose of fat shaming. Those few good bits of adventure don't have the chance to shine amid the glaringly poor choices.
A classic, almost fable-like story. Feelgood and arguably very simple story, it is an entertaining read with satisfying conclusions, as well as a fun game of "Where in the world are the characters I expect to see, and when will they show up."
Though there are certainly issues when it comes to portrayals of "exotic other cultures", and a very simplistic description of motive, temperament, and physicality, I personally chalked it all up to being a fairy tale style story, filled with classic tropes, which can read as problematic and simple to the modern reader.
This should be a 4-star. I liked the characters, I liked the adventure, I liked the writing. But it was just so awkwardly Orientalist. White British lady writing this was...
