The Shaving of Shagpat: An Arabian Entertainment

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July 13, 2026

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The Shaving of Shagpat: An Arabian Entertainment is a novel by English author George Meredith, published in 1855. It is described as an "Arabian Entertainment" and draws inspiration from the style of The Arabian Nights. The novel's conception is original, but its manner imitates the classic tales, leading some readers to question whether it should be interpreted as an allegory or a fairy tale. Despite initial confusion, it was praised by critics, including George Eliot, who called it a "work of genius, and of poetical genius."12

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George Meredith
Beginnings as poet and novelist.
…prose, writing a fantasy entitled The Shaving of Shagpat: An Arabian Entertainment, published in 1855. Original in conception but imitative of The Arabian Nights in manner, it baffled most readers, who did not know whether to regard it as allegory or fairy tale. But the most perceptive of the critics,…
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…prose, writing a fantasy entitled The Shaving of Shagpat: An Arabian Entertainment, published in 1855. Original in conception but imitative of The Arabian Nights in manner, it baffled most readers, who did not know whether to regard it as allegory or fairy tale. But the most perceptive of the critics,…
Read More