Reading has been with humanity since ancient times, and it is a very subjective activity. Each individual reads books in different ways. And whether you have been reading books for a year or several decades, there are always things related to books and reading that surprise and interest you.

The world's oldest library still exists today at Khizanat al Qarawiyyin in Fes, Morocco. Photo: Infobae.com

The best-selling book of all time

In 2021, Guinness World Records announced that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time with about 5-7 billion copies sold. Here they refer specifically to the Christian version of the Bible (including the New and Old Testaments).

However, if the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, then what is the best-selling novel ever? In May 2023, Mr. Kevin Wong, a freelance journalist and contributor at IGN company, tried to find the answer after eliminating publications related to politics and religion. According to Kevin Wong's list, the best-selling novel of all time—by far—is Miguel de Cervantes's 1615 work Don Quixote: probably more than 500 million copies have been sold since its first publication in Spain in 1605 and then 1615.

The world's first novel

Many scholars have long believed that The Tale of Genji, a more than 1,000-year-old book by Japanese author Murasaki Shikibu written before 1021, is the world's first novel and a touchstone of Japanese literature. However, this issue is still controversial, most notably, a 2020 article by Bookriot analyzed the criteria for defining novels to confirm that Callirhoe was written in Greece in the 1st century AD is a much older book.

Earliest known author

A princess of the Akkadian Empire (located in ancient Mesopotamia, now the Near East) more than 4,000 years ago signed “Enheduanna” in her hymns in 2,300 BC. This is the earliest surviving example of an author signing their work. Many other works are either anonymous or have unknown authors until today.
In what year was the book first printed?

Around 1,000 AD, in China, Bi Sheng, a Chinese man invented the world's first printing technology by developing the first known movable-type system for printing in China around 1040 AD during the Northern Song dynasty, using ceramic materials. By 1440, Johannes Gutenberg, a German inventor and craftsman, introduced letterpress printing to Europe with his movable-type printing press. Though movable type was already in use in East Asia, Gutenberg invented the printing press which later spread across the world. His work led to an information revolution and the unprecedented mass-spread of literature throughout Europe. The first book mass-produced using Gutenberg's printing technique was the Bible. Today there are only about 49 copies of this Bible left in print and they are called the “Gutenberg Bible”.

Where is the oldest library in the world that still exists today?

This title has long belonged to the Khizanat al Qarawiyyin library in Fes, Morocco. The library was founded by a woman named Fatima al Fihria in the 9th century and what is interesting is that after more than 12 centuries, it was also restored by another woman, architect Aziza Chaouni.

What book is the most expensive?

According to Invaluable's list of the 15 most expensive books in the world published in 2021, the book that has sold for the most expensive price so far is the original handwritten copy of Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon. This book sold 35 million USD (more than 850 billion VND) in 2017.

The most translated book

After the first chapter of the Bible (translated into 3,350 languages), the most translated books to date include The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (translated into 380 languages) and The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (translated into 260 languages)

The longest running series

In 2020, Bookriot website has compiled statistics and ranked series of books according to each genre. One of the longest science fiction series to date is The Guin Saga by Japanese writer Kaoru Kurimoto and illustrated by Alexander O. Smith. This series has more than 150 episodes.

Reporting by TRAN DAC LUÂN - Translating by A.THU