Ariosto and the Arabs: Contexts for the 'Orlando Furioso.'.

The article discusses a collection of essays titled "Ariosto and the Arabs," which explores the connections between the Italian Renaissance poem "Orlando Furioso" and various Mediterranean cultures. The essays examine the poem's origins, its contemporary context, and its influence on European literature. The collection also delves into the wider literary traditions of the Mediterranean, including Arabic, Occitan, and Provençal literature. However, the article raises concerns about the book's use of Islamophobic and Orientalist language, as well as its failure to critically address the entangled relationship between imperialism, Orientalism, and the Western literary tradition. Despite these concerns, the collection offers valuable insights into the poem and its cultural significance. [Extracted from the article]