Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern is a comprehensive collection of literary masterpieces from various cultures and time periods. This anthology offers readers a diverse selection of writings, ranging from classic Greek tragedies to modern American poetry.

The sheer breadth of works included in this collection is impressive, showcasing the depth and richness of world literature. Readers will find themselves immersed in the words of renowned authors such as Shakespeare, Dickens, and Emily Dickinson, as well as lesser-known gems from international writers.

What makes this anthology truly special is its commitment to inclusivity. The editors have made a conscious effort to represent a wide range of voices, ensuring that readers encounter a variety of perspectives and experiences. Whether you're interested in exploring the folklore of ancient civilizations or the cutting-edge literature of the 20th century, this anthology has something to offer everyone.

Overall, Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern is a must-have for any literature lover's bookshelf. Its carefully curated selection of works will delight and inspire readers, inviting them to discover the timeless power of great writing.

Book Description:
The Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, is a work of enormous proportions. Setting out with the simple goal of offering "American households a mass of good reading", the editors drew from literature of all times and all kinds what they considered the best pieces of human writing, and compiled an ambitious collection of 45 volumes (with a 46th being an index-guide). Besides the selection and translation of a huge number of poems, letters, short stories and sections of books, the collection offers, before each chapter, a short essay about the author or subject in question. In many cases, chapters contemplate not one author, but certain groups of works, organized by nationality, subject or period; there is, thus, a chapter on Accadian-Babylonian literature, one on the Holy Grail, and one on Chansons, for example.

The result is a collection that holds the interest, for the variety of subjects and forms, but also as a means of first contact with such famous and important authors that many people have heard of, but never read, such as Abelard, Dante or Lord Byron. According to the editor Charles Dudley Warner, this collection "is not a library of reference only, but a library to be read."

This first volume contains chapters from "Abelard" to "Amiel".