Layli and Majnun Audiobook By Nezami Ganjavi, Dick Davis - translator introduction cover art

Layli and Majnun

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Layli and Majnun

By: Nezami Ganjavi, Dick Davis - translator introduction
Narrated by: Dick Davis, Peter Ganim, Serena Manteghi, Sean Rohani
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

The Persian epic that inspired Eric Clapton's unforgettable love song "Layla" and that Lord Byron called "the Romeo and Juliet of the East", in a masterly new translation.

The iconic love story of the Middle East, by a 12th-century Persian poet who has been compared to Shakespeare for his subtlety, inventiveness, and dramatic force, Layli and Majnun tells of star-crossed lovers whose union is tragically thwarted by their families and whose passion continues to ripple out across the centuries. Theirs is a love that lasts a lifetime, and in Nezami's immortal telling, erotic longing blends with spiritual self-denial in an allegory of Sufi aspiration, as the amenities of civilization give way to the elemental wilderness, desire is sublimated into a mystical renunciation of the physical world, and the soul confronts its essence.

This is a tour de force of Persian literature, in a translation that captures the extraordinary power and virtuosity of the original.

This audiobook includes a PDF that contains notes from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Nezami Ganjavi and Dick Davis (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Classics Middle Eastern Poetry Persian Poetry
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“A highly engaging tale of impossible love.... The first verse translation of the 12th-century Persian poet Nezami...Davis’s rhythmic translation is full of lush imagery.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Nezami...paints a visionary world full of erotic tension and trepidation which is both sublimated and enriched with psychological chiaroscuro.” (Italo Calvino)

What listeners say about Layli and Majnun

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

It was a good read. Some amazing poetry and overall a good message. Read allegorically.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

"Cringeworthy" narration spoils all

I'd like to read the book, and I will. But the narrator who reads the part of Majnun is terrible. He cannot read verse, pausing at every line end... his delivery also seems rushed. I'm surprised a house like Penguin could release such a product with its name on it, but maybe they aren't as committed to quality as previously.

And I know this is personal preference but the other two narrators didn't float my boat either. Everything is wrong with the narration of this classic.

The translation seems pitiful at times, as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful