Nobel Prize for Literature Collection of Fine Masterpieces (Centennial Edition) - 74 volumes

Author: (German) Theodor Mommsen et al.
Translator: Wang Jian / Wang Bingjun et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-03-01
Features: On December 10th every year, the world holds its breath and turns its gaze to the Royal Swedish Academy: here, a king of literature is crowned. A hundred years have passed, and humanity has been bestowed one hundred inked monuments. The Nobel Prize in Literature is a realm of dreams, a citadel of the gods. Over the past century, countless literary awards have been introduced, yet no matter how substantial the prize money or how illustrious the pedigree, they can only serve as handmaidens beneath the robes of the goddess of the Nobel Prize in Literature. From Tagore to Solzhenitsyn, from Gitanjali to Cancer Ward—masters linked to classics, peaks piercing the heavens. For those who love books—no need to go to the seashore to gather pearls, no need to dig for gold in the sand, the pearls are right before your eyes!
The Nobel Prize in Literature Best Collection selects 45 writers from 97 laureates, truly a distillation of the finest. The chosen writers are as diverse as their regions, countries, ethnicities, beliefs, languages, literary styles, and aesthetics. This is to allow domestic readers and scholars to glimpse the essence and style of the works of the Nobel Prize-winning writers of the 20th century.
For each selected writer, the collection strives to provide a complete and comprehensive understanding. Every volume is designed to be an excellent selection, offering an insightful glimpse into the writer's works. Each volume achieves four key elements:
- Exemplary Curated Selections: Since the Nobel Prize in Literature primarily honors a writer's overall body of work rather than a specific piece, the translated selections must be chosen from works praised in the award citation and recognized by literary historians. Priority is given to their representativeness and influence, ensuring the authority of the selections, while also considering factors such as length, readability, overall balance, and minimizing overlap with other translations.
- Outstanding Translations: Whenever possible, translations are made directly from the best available versions in the original language, even for lesser-known small languages, with most of them based on the original works. New translations are prioritized, while a few older translations have been carefully revised for inclusion in the collection. This aims to maintain the freshness of the collection while preserving some highly regarded classic translations.
- In-depth Prefaces: Each volume includes scholarly analyses and critiques of the writer's works. Emphasis is placed on thorough research using primary sources, incorporating the latest foreign studies. Each preface is a well-researched and insightful critical essay on the writer.
- Comprehensive Appendices: Every volume strives to include award citations, acceptance speeches, significant interviews, and biographical details to provide readers with rich contextual information and original material for their own judgments. These appendices are more than mere add-ons—they are like the tail feathers of a phoenix, and readers will find their appeal no less than that of the main text. They are indispensable.