The Nobel Prize winners in literature

"The Nobel Prize winners in literature" by Annie Russell Marble is a literary study and critical survey written in the early 20th century. It traces the origins, principles, and administration of the Nobel Prize in Literature and presents concise biographical and critical profiles of early laureates, offering readers a guided entry point for deeper exploration. The opening of the book sets out a research-based preface that frames the work as a compact roadmap with suggestive bibliographies, followed by a substantial first chapter on Alfred Nobel—his family background, inventions (especially dynamite), personal isolation, the influence of Bertha von Suttner, and the ideal behind his will. It clearly explains the Code of Statutes, awarding bodies, eligibility and nomination rules, the lecture requirement, and the role of the Swedish Academy and Nobel Institute, then weighs early criticisms (notably the tendency to honor late careers) alongside the prize’s broadening influence and its stress on “idealistic” literature. The narrative then turns to brisk portraits of the first laureates: Sully-Prudhomme as a philosophical poet torn between reason and feeling; Mistral as the Provençal revivalist of Mireio, the Félibrige, and a major lexicon; Mommsen as the vivid historian of Rome; and Eucken as a modern idealist opposing materialism. It also profiles Björnson as Norway’s nationally minded novelist-dramatist, from lyrical peasant tales to social problem plays, and begins the section on Carducci, introducing him as Italy’s commanding lyric voice and patriot.