It's National Book Lovers Day! To celebrate, we've gathered these fun facts about one of the most awesome inventions ever—books!
The World's Oldest Book
At over 2,500 years nold, the Etruscan Gold Book is believed to be the world's oldest multi-page book. Discovered 70 years ago in Bulgaria, the book consists of six sheets made of 24-carat gold. It dates back to about 660 BC. It was donated to Bulgaria’s National History Museum in Sofia by an anonymous 87 year old donor.
The World's First Mechanically-Printed Book
With all our modern conveniences, it's easy to take for granted how difficult it was to make books in the past. Originally, all books were copied by hand. It was a painstaking process that only the wealthy could afford. The invention of the printing press made book production faster and cheaper, and as a result, more people could afford them. The Gutenberg Bible is the oldest mechanically-produced book, printed in 1454 AD by Johannes Gutenberg, in Mainz, Germany. Only 21 complete copies still exist, one of which is in the New York Public Library.
The World's First Novel
Depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer. In the Western tradition, the first novel is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, published in 1605. In the East, it's The Tale of Genji, written by a Japanese noblewoman named Murasaki Shikibu in the 1200's.
The World's Most Notorious Book That Never Existed
This one's just our opinion, but the world's most notorious book that never existed is the Necronomicon as H.P. Lovecraft described it. Despite many opinions to the contrary, it is a fictional textbook of magic—it never actually existed, despite appearing in many of his stories. He first mentioned it in his 1924 story, The Hound.
Written by the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, it tells of cosmic beings known as the Old Ones, and the ways to summon them. It is characterised as an "evil" book, one that drives anyone who reads it insane. A copy is believed to exist in Lovecraft's fictional Miskatonic University library.
The World's Oldest Book
At over 2,500 years nold, the Etruscan Gold Book is believed to be the world's oldest multi-page book. Discovered 70 years ago in Bulgaria, the book consists of six sheets made of 24-carat gold. It dates back to about 660 BC. It was donated to Bulgaria’s National History Museum in Sofia by an anonymous 87 year old donor.
The World's First Mechanically-Printed Book
With all our modern conveniences, it's easy to take for granted how difficult it was to make books in the past. Originally, all books were copied by hand. It was a painstaking process that only the wealthy could afford. The invention of the printing press made book production faster and cheaper, and as a result, more people could afford them. The Gutenberg Bible is the oldest mechanically-produced book, printed in 1454 AD by Johannes Gutenberg, in Mainz, Germany. Only 21 complete copies still exist, one of which is in the New York Public Library.
The World's First Novel
Depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer. In the Western tradition, the first novel is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, published in 1605. In the East, it's The Tale of Genji, written by a Japanese noblewoman named Murasaki Shikibu in the 1200's.
The World's Most Notorious Book That Never Existed
This one's just our opinion, but the world's most notorious book that never existed is the Necronomicon as H.P. Lovecraft described it. Despite many opinions to the contrary, it is a fictional textbook of magic—it never actually existed, despite appearing in many of his stories. He first mentioned it in his 1924 story, The Hound.
Written by the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, it tells of cosmic beings known as the Old Ones, and the ways to summon them. It is characterised as an "evil" book, one that drives anyone who reads it insane. A copy is believed to exist in Lovecraft's fictional Miskatonic University library.