The Written World : The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, and Civilization

**The story of literature in sixteen acts—from Homer to Harry Potter, including __The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, The Communist Manifesto__, and how they shaped world history**In this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. Through sixteen foundational texts selected from more than four thousand years of world literature, he reveals how writing has inspired the rise and fall of empires and nations, the spark of philosophical and political ideas, and the birth of religious beliefs. We meet Murasaki, a lady from eleventh-century Japan who wrote the first novel, __The Tale of Genji__, and follow the adventures of Miguel de Cervantes as he battles pirates, both seafaring and literary. We watch Goethe discover world literature in Sicily, and follow the rise in influence of __The____Communist Manifesto__. Puchner takes us to Troy, Pergamum, and China, speaks with Nobel laureates Derek Walcott in the Caribbean and Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul, as well as the wordsmiths of the oral epic __Sunjata__ in West Africa. This delightful narrative also chronicles the inventions—writing technologies, the printing press, the book itself—that have shaped people, commerce, and history. In a book that Elaine Scarry has praised as “unique and spellbinding,” Puchner shows how literature turned our planet into a written world.**Praise for** __The Written World__“It’s with exhilaration . . . that one hails Martin Puchner’s book, which asserts not merely the importance of literature but its all-importance. . . . Storytelling is as human as breathing.”**—__The__ __New York Times Book Review__** “Puchner has a keen eye for the ironies of history. . . . His ideal is ‘world literature,’ a phrase he borrows from Goethe. . . . The breathtaking scope and infectious enthusiasm of this book are a tribute to that ideal.”**—__The Sunday Times__ (U.K.)** “Enthralling . . . Perfect reading for a long chilly night . . . [Puchner] brings these works and their origins to vivid life.”**__—BookPage__** “Well worth a read, to find out how come we read.”**—Margaret Atwood, via Twitter** The Story Of Literature In Sixteen Acts, From Alexander The Great And The Iliad To Ebooks And Harry Potter, This Engaging Book Brings Together Remarkable People And Surprising Events To Show How Writing Shaped Cultures, Religions, And The History Of The World-- Great Stories Of People, History, And Literature Are Combined To Show How The Power Of The Written Word Has Influenced Civilizations Throughout Time. Puchner Writes About Ezra And The Old Testament, A Young Woman In 9th Century Japan Who Wrote The First Novel, A Wild Story About Cervantes And Pirates, How Benjamin Franklin Became The Father Of Print In The United States, And More. Over This Remarkable, Engaging Book, Puchner Tells Stories Of Creative People Whose Lives And Beliefs Led Them To Create Groundbreaking Foundational Texts, And How Those Texts Affected The World They Were Born Into. Puchner Offers A Truly Comprehensive And Worldwide Literary Perspective, Spanning Time And Cultures, From The First Written Story--the Epic Of Gilgamesh--to The Wordsmiths Of Mande In Africa, To Harry Potter. He Also Focuses On Writing Technologies, Including The Invention Of Paper, The Printing Press, And The Modern Book, And How They Shaped Not Just Writing, But Religion And Economy, Too. Taking Us From Clay Tablets And Ancient Scrolls, All The Way To Internet Tablets And Scrolling Down On Computers Today, Puchner Will Change The Way You View The Past, Present, And Future Of Literature. Readers Will Find New Discoveries About Old Texts They Love, And New Stories They Hadn't Known Before, As Martin Puchner Tells The Story Of Literature In 17 Acts: How Stories Shaped History, And Gave Us The Written World-- Alexander's Pillow Book -- King Of The Universe : Of Gilgamesh And Ashurbanipal -- Ezra And The Creation Of Holy Scripture -- Learning From The Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, And Jesus -- Muraski And The Tale Of Genji : The First Great Novel In World History -- One Thousand And One Nights With Scheherazade -- Gutenberg, Luther, And The New Public Of Print -- The Popol Vuh And Maya Culture : A Second, Independent Literary Tradition -- Don Quixote And The Pirates -- Benjamin Franklin : Media Entrepreneur In The Republic Of Letters -- World Literature : Goethe In Sicily -- Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao : Readers Of The Communist Manifesto, Unite! -- Akhmatova And Solzhenitsyn : Writing Against The Soviet State -- The Epic Of Sunjata And The Wordsmiths Of West Africa -- Postcolonial Literature : Derek Walcott, Poet Of The Caribbean -- From Hogwarts To India. Martin Puchner. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 341-388) And Index. The story of literature in sixteen acts—from Homer to Harry Potter, including The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, The Communist Manifesto , and how they shaped world history In this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the how stories and literature have created the world we have today. Through sixteen foundational texts selected from more than four thousand years of world literature, he shows us how writing has inspired the rise and fall of empires and nations, the spark of philosophical and political ideas, and the birth of religious beliefs. We meet Murasaki, a lady from eleventh-century Japan who wrote the first novel, The Tale of Genji , and follow the adventures of Miguel de Cervantes as he battles pirates, both seafaring and literary. We watch Goethe discover world literature in Sicily, and follow the rise in influence of The Communist Manifesto . Puchner takes us to Troy, Pergamum, and China, speaks with Nobel laureates Derek Walcott in the Caribbean and Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul, and introduces us to the wordsmiths of the oral epic Sunjata in West Africa. This delightful narrative also chronicles the inventions—writing technologies, the printing press, the book itself—that have shaped people, commerce, and history. In a book that Elaine Scarry has praised as “unique and spellbinding,” Puchner shows how literature turned our planet into a written world. Praise for The Written World “It’s with exhilaration . . . that one hails Martin Puchner’s book, which asserts not merely the importance of literature but its all-importance. . . . Storytelling is as human as breathing.” — The New York Times Book Review “Puchner has a keen eye for the ironies of history. . . . His ideal is ‘world literature,’ a phrase he borrows from Goethe. . . . The breathtaking scope and infectious enthusiasm of this book are a tribute to that ideal.” — The Sunday Times (U.K.) “Enthralling . . . Perfect reading for a long chilly night . . . [Puchner] brings these works and their origins to vivid life.” —BookPage “Well worth a read, to find out how come we read.” —Margaret Atwood, via Twitter The story of literature in sixteen acts?from Homer to Harry Potter, including The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, The Communist Manifesto, and how they shaped world history In this groundbreaking book, Martin Puchner leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. Through sixteen foundational texts selected from more than four thousand years of world literature, he reveals how writing has inspired the rise and fall of empires and nations, the spark of philosophical and political ideas, and the birth of religious beliefs. We meet Murasaki, a lady from eleventh-century Japan who wrote the first novel, The Tale of Genji, and follow the adventures of Miguel de Cervantes as he battles pirates, both seafaring and literary. We watch Goethe discover world literature in Sicily, and follow the rise in influence of The Communist Manifesto . Puchner takes us to Troy, Pergamum, and China, speaks with Nobel laureates Derek Walcott in the Caribbean and Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul, as well as the wordsmiths of the oral epic Sunjata in West Africa. This delightful narrative also chronicles the inventions?writing technologies, the printing press, the book itself?that have shaped people, commerce, and history. In a book that Elaine Scarry has praised as "unique and spellbinding," Puchner shows how literature turned our planet into a written world. Praise for The Written World "It's with exhilaration ... that one hails Martin Puchner's book, which asserts not merely the importance of literature but its all-importance. ... Storytelling is as human as breathing."? The New York Times Book Review "Puchner has a keen eye for the ironies of history. ... His ideal is 'world literature, ' a phrase he borrows from Goethe. ... The breathtaking scope and infectious enthusiasm of this book are a tribute to that ideal."? The Sunday Times (U.K.) "Enthralling ... Perfect reading for a long chilly night ... [Puchner] brings these works and their origins to vivid life."?BookPage "Well worth a read, to find out how come we read."?Margaret Atwood, via Twitter The power of the written word has influenced civilizations throughout time. Puchner tells stories of creative people whose lives and beliefs led them to create groundbreaking foundational texts, and how those texts affected the world they were born into, from the first written story-- The Epic of Gilgamesh-- to Harry Potter. He also shows how writing technologies, including the invention of paper, the printing press, and the modern book, shaped not just writing, but religion and economy, too