The Shaving of Shagpat

George Meredith

The Shaving of Shagpat — George Meredith’s first published novel is one of his early works of fantasy. It sold poorly despite good reviews; Meredith later published another fantasy, Farina, in 1857. The Shaving of Shagpat nevertheless enjoys a good reputation today and remains a classic of fantasy literature. George Eliot praised it as a “work of genius.” The book is set in the medieval fantasy-Persia of the Arabian Nights and other oriental romances. Shibli Bagarag, a poor but talented barber, encounters a mystical crone named Noorna. Together they embark on a quest to save the city of Shagpat from a tyrant who holds the city under his command by virtue of the powers of his magical hair. On the way they battle genies and afreets, save princesses, hunt for treasures, and so on. Meredith’s language is purposefully florid, evoking the richness of the setting, and his frequent usage of quotations and aphorisms from “the poet” give the fantasy a decidedly literate air.

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