Why do some regional stories develop global appeal but others don’t?
Eg: King Arthur, Arabian Nights
Translations? Empire? Trade?
Conversation
Replying to
Looking briefly at the Arabian Nights Wikipedia page, it suggests that its popularity in Europe exceeded that it had enjoyed in the Arab world, where fiction was comparatively low-status. First major translation into French 1704 although influence through Spain prior is possible.
Replying to
1. Timing
2. Universal appeal in regional/exotic cover
3. Spread over short time (insert your reasons here)
Replying to
There's a certain interpretive geometry and viscosity to them that allow an efficient packing and transportation of the mores of other cultures.
1
Replying to
Worth attempting to distinguish between appeal and currency. Appeal? The optimal point between translatable and exotic/iconic, plus usual features of a "good story" (i.e. fun to repeat). Currency? Probably much less to do with the story than who benefits from retelling it.




