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Library of World Literature

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Works by Mark Twain, Hans Christian Andersen, Prosper Merimee, Adam Mickiewicz, Walter Scott and Byron from 'Library of World Literature'

The Library of World Literature (Russian: Библиотека всемирной литературы; Transliteration: Biblioteka vsemirnoi literaturi; ABBREVIATION БВЛ / BVL) is a 200-volume Soviet book series dedicated to world literature, published in the years 1967 to 1977 by the publishing house "Khudozhestvennaya literatura" in the USSR.[1]

It was the most ambitious, centralised, and best-funded effort to date to transform the workings of literary production, and consumption both in the Soviet Union and worldwide.[2]

Numerous scholars and translators have contributed to the series. The volumes are provided with detailed thematic introductions, commentaries and illustrations.

The series ranges over the literary works of various epochs and civilisations, including the literature of the ancient East, ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the 17th and 18th centuries (Series One), the 19th century (Series Two), and the 20th century (Series Three). Several volumes are devoted to British, Australian and American writers. For example, Volume 192, published in 1975 in 303,000 copies, includes William Faulkner's "Light in August" (1932) and "The Mansion" (1960). The illustrations were done by Vitali Goryayev.[3]

A catalogue of the Library of World Literature was published in 1979.[4]

Illustrations

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More than 100 Soviet artists participated in the illustrating of The Library of World Literature, including Olgert Abelite, Savva Brodsky, Orest Vereisky, Boris Dekhterev, Leonid Zusman, Yevgeny Kibrick, Mikhail Mayofis, Boris Noskov, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Irakli Toidze, Aleksandr Deyneka, Vladimir Favorsky, Kukryniksy, Aleksandr Gerasimov, Georgiy Traugot and his sons Aleksandr and Valeriy, Dementiy Shmarinov, Dmitry Bisti.[5]

Awards

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The Library of World Literature was awarded a gold medal in Leipzig Book Fair in 1971.[6]

Catalogue

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The cover of "Poetry and Prose of Ancient East" published in 1973 in a series "Library of World Literature" volume 1.

Series One. Literature of the ancient East, ancient Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the 17th and 18th centuries

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Ancient East

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The cover of "Homer: Iliad. Odyssey" published in 1967 in a series "Library of World Literature", volume 3.


Ancient Greece and Rome

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The Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the 17th century

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The cover by Vladimir Favorsky of "Robert Burns: Poetry. Scottish Ballads" in 1971 in a series "Library of World Literature", volume 47.

Literature of the 18th century

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Series Two. Literature of XIX century

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Series Three. Literature of the 20th century

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References

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  1. ^ Каталог Библиотеки всемирной литературы [Catalogue of Library of World Literature] (in Russian). Москва: "Художественная литература". 1979. p. 153.
  2. ^ "The Soviet Project of World Literature and its Legacies - ZfL Berlin". www.zfl-berlin.org. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  3. ^ Каталог Библиотеки всемирной литературы [Catalogue of Library of World Literature] (in Russian). Москва: "Художественная литература". 1979. p. 73.
  4. ^ "Путеводитель по справочным и библиографическим ресурсам. Литературоведение". nlr.ru. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. ^ Каталог Библиотеки всемирной литературы [Catalogue of Library of World Literature] (in Russian). Москва: "Художественная литература". 1979. p. 159.
  6. ^ Scholze, Martin (1972). Papier und Druck [Paper and Press] (in German). Vol. 21. p. 192.
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