The Koran in English: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books)

I'm not sure how I came upon this 2017 title, but it looks fantastic – I went to Barnes & Noble especially to check it out; I thumbed through several pages at the store and it seems to be much more than just an appraisal of English translations; it's a modern history, illustrating evolving relationships of both Muslim and non-Muslim translators and communities with the Quran. Can't wait to read – very engaging prose.

This reviewer's comment is strictly related to readability of hardcover format and NOT RELATED to content.We are returning this format and ordering Kindle version.Unable to comfortably read Hardcover version. Book is about half size. Apparently book layout was expecting to be printed in larger format but actually printed in reduced size. One needs a magnifying glass to read print in illustrations or recognize what is pictured.Print in kindle version on a smart phone is larger!

How do individuals that don’t speak Arabic access the Koran? Is the translated Koran the same as the Arabic original? What are the historical and contemporary politics, challenges and delights of translating the Koran into English? These riveting questions are answered by Bruce Lawrence, one of the one of the foremost authorities on Islam, in his masterful new book, The Koran in English: A Biography. This incredibly informative yet accessible text takes the reader on an expansive journey through seventh century Arabia, Muhammad’s birthplace, to the Englishman Robert of Ketton in the twelfth century, who first translated the Koran into Latin. Numerous other destinations and individuals also feature prominently. The book masterfully meanders across centuries and continents, focusing particularly on the modern era. Orientalist translations of the Koran into English in the eighteenth century are put in conversation with those of South Asian Muslim scholars living under colonial rule. The efforts of Muslim converts from across the West, who journeyed to colonial India also feature in Lawrence’s oeuvre.Always attuned to the latest developments, Lawrence spends many pages examining a variety of online Korans. Lawrence’s focus is especially important since Muslim tweens, millennials and everyone in between (like their non-Muslim counterparts) are often glued to their smartphones and turn to the internet for virtually every need, including religious guidance and Koranic knowledge. Refusing to shy away from controversial topics, Lawrence also discusses issues ranging from: contemporary debates over the Koran’s alleged permission of wife-beating; feminist translations of the Koran; Saudi Arabia’s campaign to promote its version of Islam and the Koran; etc.Making sure not to reduce the Koran to a Middle Eastern or non-Western document, Lawrence devotes several pages to an examination of Sandow Birks’ graphic American Qur’an. The visuals in this chapter and others serve as illustrations of the multifaceted nature of translations. They remind the reader that the Koran (translated or in Arabic) is not simply a written text but engenders visual, graphic and aural responses, among others.Despite covering enormous ground in a pithy 175 pages, The Koran in English, is neither densely obtuse nor too flighty to follow. Instead, Lawrence’s engaging writing style and his frequent insertion of himself in the book’s narrative brings distant places and earlier decades to life, making for a scintillating read. This book is a must for all serious students of the Koran as well as interested novices. Sections of the book, or even its entirety, would make for excellent reading in courses on Islam and the Quran.

Five-star book, worth your money.“The world is certainly full of shadows.” -ArberryLet Bruce B. Lawrence shed some light on the Koran’s various English translations. Lawrence has written a valuable study of many of the English translations of the Qur’an (Koran). I highly recommend it to scholars and laypersons interested in Islam and the Qur’an. His concise biography of Muhammad and the pivotal moments in his life is one of the best I’ve read in 22 years. For those interested in determining which English versions of the Qur’an to study deeply and which ones to read with a grain of salt this book is a must-have. For each Koran examined here, Lawrence discusses the authors credentials, intentions, and impact; as well as criticisms and praise for the books.I met the author of this book on my own book tour in 2017 while I was talking about my chronological modern English interpretation of the Qur’an. We both realized that we live less than 100 miles from each other and were writing our books at the same time and unfortunately never met. I wish I had read his drafts as I wrote my own version of the Qur’an in English.

Even when reading an "original" language we are translating, how much more and how slippery the process when a second language come in? Bruce Lawrence has given us all a highly estimable resource for thinking about the Quran and the Koran in English. The richness of this contemplation and the information it contains is truly illimunating, even urgent, reading. It will be an essential textbook for university courses on the Quran, from undergrad on. Two major insights: the Koran in English mirrors history and its various avatars emerge as historical documents of the highest value, especially with regard to Muslim/Christian relations. Second, it is the music of the Quran and the Koran that represents its true reality. The text of the Quran is a musical score as much as it is scripture. It's singular beauty must be heard and felt in order for the meaning event to happen. A splendid book (and beautifully produced - how unusual)!

For anyone interested in reading the original who doesn't understand Quranic Arabic, then Lawrence's book is an essential. Even more pointedly – since most Muslims don't speak Arabic (let alone Quranic Arabic) but rely on interpretations or translations of the Qur'an into their own language – anyone trying to understand how Muslims read, interpret, and engage the Qur'an should read Lawrence's book to appreciate the complexities involved with any translation. The author moves deftly between historical, linguistic, political, and religious matters that all play crucial roles in how Muslims and non-Muslims have come to know the Qur'an through English interpretations. It's rather shocking how much is packed into 172 pages of main text without the book ever losing its readability for a general audience.

The book keeps tightly focused to the biography of the Quran’s translations in English. Well researched, clear and thoughtful, this a well written manuscript

Wonderful book

German translation