Fun Facts About Books

Fun Facts

About Books

The Earliest Work of Literature

The earliest known work of literature is an epic poem titled the Epic of Gilgamesh. The ancient poem is from Ancient Mesopotamia. Because paper books did not exist at the time, the whole tale is told on 12 tablets. Today, the Epic of Gilgamesh is available on a digital tablet or e-reader.

The First Modern Novel

The Tale of Genji is the world’s first novel as we know it. Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting, wrote the novel in 11th century Japan. In the original edition, almost none of the characters had names and were referred to by titles and honorifics because of Heian-era Japanese court etiquette.

The Most Expensive Book Ever

The most expensive book in the world is a first edition of the Bay Psalm Book, first printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640. One of the first books to be printed with a press in the New World is The Bay Psalm Book. The pioneering book entered production merely a couple decades after the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth. The Bay Psalm Book sold for $14,165,000 at a 2013 auction in New York.