The superlatives of the book world – Oldest, longest, largest, smallest books

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Which is the oldest written work?

The oldest written work that still exists is the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates back to around 2100 BCE. It is a collection of stories and poems that tells the tale of the legendary king Gilgamesh of Uruk, and is written in cuneiform script on clay tablets.

Which is the longest, written work in the world?

The longest written work in the world is generally considered to be the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata. It is estimated to be around 200,000 verses long, which is roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. The Mahabharata is a composite work of many authors and it tells the story of the Kuru dynasty, the struggles of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, and the lessons of dharma, karma, and moksha.

Which is the most-read book in the world?

The most-read book in the world is the Bible. It is estimated that around 5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold worldwide and it is considered as one of the most influential books in human history. The Bible is widely used in Christianity as the sacred text, but it is also widely read and studied by people of other religions and those who are not religious. The Bible is available in many languages and has been translated into more languages than any other book in history. 

Bible – The most read book(Image: Pixabay)

Which is the most disliked book?

It is difficult to say which book is the most disliked as opinions on literature are highly subjective. Different people have different tastes and dislikes when it comes to reading. However, there are some books that have been widely criticized and have a reputation for being disliked.

One example is Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) which is widely considered to be an anti-Semitic and racist book. The book outlines Hitler’s political ideology and plans for the future of Germany and is widely rejected and condemned by people.

Another example is James Joyce’s “Ulysses” a novel that is considered one of the most difficult, if not impossible, books to read and understand. Some readers find it to be a masterpiece of modern literature, while others find it to be a tedious, unreadable book.

It is worth noting that, many books that were once rejected, and deemed as disliked, are now considered classics and appreciated by many.

Which is the shortest book in the world?

The shortest book in the world is considered to be “Hello” by Sandro Del-Prete. The book is a single word on one page and it is considered as a conceptual art piece.

Which is the most expensive book?

The most expensive book ever sold is the Codex Leicester, a manuscript written by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century. It is a collection of scientific writings and drawings, including theories on astronomy, water, and rocks. In 1994, Bill Gates purchased the Codex Leicester for $30.8 million at an auction, making it the most expensive book ever sold.

Another example is the Gutenberg Bible which is one of the first books ever printed with a movable type press, it was sold for $5.4 million in 1978.

WCodex Leicester (Image- Public Domain)

Which is the Largest book?

The largest book in the world is considered to be “The Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom”. The book is over 3 meters long and 2 meters wide and weighs around 4 tons. The book contains over 700 pages of photographs and text and it was produced by Michael Hawley, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Another example of large book is “The Amazing Book is Not on Fire” by Dan and Phil, it is a hardcover book that measures 12.5 x 12.5 inches and contains over 400 pages of content.

Which is the first book to be printed?

The first book to be printed with movable type is widely considered to be the Gutenberg Bible, which was printed in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany. This was a significant development in the history of the book because it made the mass production of books possible for the first time. Prior to this, books were copied by hand, which was a time-consuming and costly process. The Gutenberg Bible was a Latin version of the Bible and it is considered as one of the most valuable books in the world.

It’s worth noting that there were other forms of printing before Gutenberg’s invention such as block printing and woodcut printing, but these methods were not as efficient as movable type printing.

Which is the smallest book?

The smallest book in the world is considered to be “Teeny Ted from Turnip Town” by Malcolm Douglas Chaplin. It measures only 0.9 x 0.9 x 1.9 cm, and is considered as the world’s smallest published and bound book. The book was published in 2001 and it contains a short poem about Teeny Ted, the smallest bear in the world.

Another example of small book is “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry which is a novella that published in 1943 and considered as one of the most translated and best-selling books in the world, it measures only 7.5 x 10.5 cm.

It’s also worth noting that there are other examples of small books like “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens and “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams which are also considered to be very small books.

Where is the largest number of books found?

The largest number of books can be found in the world’s largest libraries. Some notable examples include:

  1. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., USA, which is the largest library in the world by shelf space. It holds more than 158 million items, including books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and more.
  2. The British Library in London, England, is the second-largest library in the world by shelf space. It holds over 170 million items, including books, manuscripts, newspapers, magazines, and more.
  3. The National Library of China in Beijing, China, is the third largest library in the world by shelf space. It holds over 35 million items, including books, manuscripts, and more.

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