Why Tolstoy Was Denied The Nobel Prize In Literature

  Learn why eminent writer Leo Tolstoy did not receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. What happened behind the scenes? Was Tolstoy not worth the Nobel Prize in Literature? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading.

Are Nobel Prize Judges the wisest of the wisest or mere mortals?

  Every year, the Nobel Prizes are awarded. But one cannot understand the hype it generates. Is it because the laureates created a work of distinction that supposedly confer ‘the greatest benefit to mankind’?

  If so the members of the Nobel Prize Committee must be endowed with godly wisdom so as to decide what constitutes the ‘greatest work’.

  Are they? May be! But here are some of the famous cases dug up from history of Nobel Prizes that suggest otherwise.

  If a curious mind penetrates behind the scene, he will learn that the Judges or Members of the Selection Committee of the Nobel Prizes are mere mortals filled with high-flying vanities, prejudices, petty rivalries, frailties all perfectly blended with intelligence, honesty, wisdom and courage.

  Alfred Bernhard Nobel {1833-1896} virtually opened the floodgates of controversies and congratulations by unintentionally [or deliberately?] omitting in his will the yardsticks to measure what constitutes ‘the greatest work’.

  On 10th December 1901, the first crowning ceremony started off with a bang with five distinguished persons winning the Prize, but the bang did emanate some jarring notes that was to be heard for many long years to come.

Leo Tolstoy

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy 1828-1910

  Tolstoy authored War and Peace and Anna Karenina which were acknowledged as the greatest works of realist fiction.

Why Tolstoy was denied the Nobel Prize

  When Sully Prudhomme {1839-1907}, a French poet was selected and awarded the Nobel Prize by Swedish Academy for his literary works that interpreted the conflict between emotions and reason, the world opinion protested. Not because Prudhomme got the Prize, but Tolstoy was ignored; and to this effect 42 scientists and artists signed a tribute to the slighted celebrity {Tolstoy} in protest against the Academy’s indifference to Tolstoy.

  Yet the Swedish Academy did not consider him even for 1902 Literary Prize. Thanks to Swede’s only literary expert of the time, Carl David af Wirsen {1842-1912 the Academy’s Permanent Secretary and Chairman, Nobel Committee for literature whose verdict put out all hopes of Tolstoy ever winning the Prize.

Carl David af Wirsen

  Carl David af Wirsen opined, “‘War and Peace’ and ‘Annakerenina’ deserved the Prize… while his religious sociological and political writings were regarded as both immature and misleading… he has condemned all forms of civilization and urged instead a primitive mode of life divorced from all forms of higher culture… though completely inexperienced in Biblical criticism he has ambitiously rewritten the New Testament in a half-rationalistic, half-mystical spirit confronted by such expressions of narrow minded hostility to all forms of civilization, one feels dubious. One does not like to bestow recognition… it would be wrong to force on the great writer such a reward…”

  Having read the Chairman Wirsen’s report what one would say but sigh in vain!?

Maxim Gorky

  Even Maxim Gorky’s {1868 – 1936} famous autobiography could have been ‘placed in the front rank’ for the Prize. But the Academy found it difficult to arrive at a wholly objective judgment as the intellectual part he had played during the revolution and his other works were ‘politically colored’.

  Judging literary merits on political colors! Truly, this is not one of the main stipulations in Nobel’s will. That explains why the Russians did not get even one Prize for the first 50 years until World War II in all the faculties except for minor writer Ivan Bunin {1870-1953; 1933} and Ivan Petrovic Pavlov {1849-1936; 1904} for literature and physiology respectively.

  Likewise, since the initiation of the Nobel Prizes in 1901, there were several instances where so many deserving celebrated personalities suffered victimization and were denied the Nobel Prize.

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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Why Maugham, Joyce and Greene Didn't Get The Prize in Literature ?

  Learn why eminent classic writers like William Somerset Maugham, James Joyce, and Graham Greene did not receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. What happened behind the scenes? Why were they denied the Nobel Prize in Literature? Are they not worth it? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading. 

  Why was it the famous classic writers were denied the Nobel Prize in Literature when they truly deserved? Why is it William Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene and James Joyce were denied the Prize? Is it because their works are inferior and did not possess literary merits? Is it because they did not produce the most distinguished works of idealistic tendency, which Alfred Nobel clearly stipulated as a criterion in his will?

  If one peeps behind the scenes and read between the lines, he will learn that the judges or members of the Selection Committee of the Nobel Prizes are mere mortals filled with high-flying vanities, prejudices, petty rivalries, frailties all mixed up with intelligence, honesty, wisdom and courage.

  Hedin, on of the powerful judges on the Nobel Committee with his shortsightedness delivered his judgment on William Somerset Maugham as ‘Too popular and undistinguished’. When questioned about James Joyce (1882-1941}, Hedin reportedly remarked, ‘Who is he’?

James Joyce {1882-1941}

W S Maugham {1874-1965}

Graham Greene {1904-1991}

 And William Somerset Maugham(1874-1965} cannot be too popular and undistinguished at the same time. If he is popular he is distinguished, if he is unpopular he is undistinguished. William Somerset Maugham truly deserved the Nobel Prize in Literature for his ‘Of Human Bondage’. 

  Such a soul-stirring semi-autobiographical classic ‘Of Human Bondage’ © 1915; the story revolves around a club-footed youth who genuinely falls in love with a beautiful girl. He then goes beyond his means to give anything in this world to win her. In return, he often finds himself being snubbed by her derisively and ruthlessly exploited suffering humiliation in the process. Yet he takes everything in his stride. And the way this club-footed youth reasons with his soul and justifies his actions and indulgences makes the novel a more moving classic. This is also in a way a semi-autobiography. Truly a masterpiece that is full of literary merit ‘Of Human Bondage’ that deserved the Prize.

  In 1974 too, Graham Greene {1904-1991} of England, Vladimir Nabokov of Russia and Saul Bellow of United States were hot contenders for the Nobel Prize in Literature. But Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson both Sweden nationals and who are unknown outside their home country were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. But does anyone know that these two authors were Nobel Judges themselves. What an Irony!

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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The Victim of Nobel Prize: H G Wells

  Learn why eminent classic writer and dreamer H G Wells did not receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. What happened behind the scenes? Why was he denied the Prize in Literature? Is he not worth it? 

  Why was it, the all-time famous classic writer was denied the Nobel Prize in Literature when he truly deserved? Why is it H G Wells, was denied the Prize? Is it because his works are inferior and did not possess literary merits? Is it because he did not produce the most distinguished works of idealistic tendency, which Nobel clearly stipulated as a criterion in his will?

  If one peeps behind the scene and read between the lines, he will learn that the Judges or Members of the Selection Committee of the Nobel Prizes are mere mortals filled with high-flying vanities, prejudices, petty rivalries, frailties all mixed up with intelligence, honesty, wisdom and courage.

Herbert George Wells {1866-1946}

  Herbert George Wells who was born in 1866 in Bromley, in the country of Kent was a prolific English writer writing in many genres like history, politics, social commentaries, text books, novels and science fiction. In fact, H G Wells is best known for his works in the genre of science fiction. He is popularly referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction" along with Hugo Gernsback and Jules Verne.

  Indeed H G Wells was a dreamer who foresaw things well in advance that would shape the world. It has aptly been reflected in his many a books, such as 'The Time Machine' {©1895}, 'The First Men in the Moon' {©1901}, 'The War in the Air' {©1908}, and 'Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Human Life and Thought' {©1901} and many more.


  In 1932, H G Wells was a serious candidate and yet he lost to John Galsworthy {1867-1933} who received the Prize for his ‘Forsyte Saga’. “H G Wells”, said Osterling, a judge on the Nobel Committee, “surpassed Galsworthy both in strength of intellect and fertility of imagination.” Yet he was denied the Prize because, “He was too minor and journalistic.” said Sven Anders Hedin, another judge on the Nobel Committee.

  But these people do not know that H G Wells was a dreamer who dreamt of flying machines {Time Machine © 1895} long before Wright Brothers came on the scene with their Airplanes, which are in fact, inferior when compared to that of Wells’ imaginary 4th dimensional plane. And Wells dreamt of men in the moon long before the first man set his foot on the moon in 1969. Sadly, the Nobel Prize in Literature eluded this dreamer. May be the Nobel Prize Committee on literature might have thought that this dreamer, H G Wells corpus lacked literary merit worth the Prize.  

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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The Only Politician Who Rejected Peace Prize But Got One in Literature !

 

  Did Churchill's works really mattered? Churchill is a great writer, no doubt. But do his works confer the greatest benefit on mankind as stipulated in Nobel's Will? Was he really worth the Prize in Literature? Did he really deserve the Nobel Prize in Literature? What went on behind the doors? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading. This article does not intend to belittle the stature of one of the finest writers and the greatest Statesman, Sir Winston Churchill. 

  

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill {1874-1965}

  Here is one more instance of favoritism. In 1953, the Nobel trustees were anxious to award one of their Prizes to Winston Churchill. But which Prize? They racked their brains, as there is no Prize for Statesmanship. But a peace Prize does exist. And they decided to thrust it on him. 

  But Churchill after going through the list said, “Thank you very much I would rather not”. Churchill pretty well knew it would become a sham if he accepted it, for he was the man who ran all over the world looking for wars, Cuba, Indian frontiers, Sudan and South Africa and thrusting himself into them. And he strode onto the world stage as one of the greatest leader of a nation and an empire at wars that history recorded.

  In such circumstances, it is quite natural for the Nobel trustee to have been awed by this giant with an intending desire to honor him with one of their Prizes.

  Undaunted by his rejection of Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee on Literature delightfully decided to thrust the Literature Prize on him. Thus Winston Churchill won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. His citation reads, ‘For his mastery in the presentation of history and biography and for the brilliant oratory with which he has stepped forward to the defense of our civilizations’. He won the Nobel Prize for his “My Early Life’ an account of his youthful adventures and "also one of the world's most entertaining adventure stories" according to S. Siwertz, Member of the Swedish Academy. 

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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Was Pearl Buck Worth The Nobel Prize in Literature ?

  Did her works really mattered? Was she really worth the Prize in Literature? What went on behind the doors? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading.

Pearl S Buck

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck {1892-1973}

  Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973) was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia. She grew up in China and lived there till 1934. Pearl S Buck began her writings in 1920s. Her first collection of short stories titled, "East Wind, West Wind, was published in 1930. It was followed by "The Good Earth" (1931), "Sons" (1932), "The First Wife and Other Stories" (1933), "The Mother" (1934), "A House Divided" (1935), and "This Proud Heart" (1938) and several other books. She also published a biographical novel of her parents titled "The Exile" and "Fighting Angel" were published in 1936 and later brought out together as "The Spirit and the Flesh" (1944). Her novel "The Good Earth" (1931) became the best-selling book ultimately winning her the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and Nobel Prize in 1938.
 

  When Pearl Sydenstricker Buck’s name was proposed in 1938 for the laureate in literature, ten of the eighteen judges opposed her. Dr Osterling, the then Secretary of Swedish Academy with a voting right on literary awards led the opposition from the front while Dr Hedin along with Selma Lagerlof, a laureate in 1909 successfully rallied round Buck.

  What is emphasized here is the division in Committee vote was not due to the questionable merits of her works; but because Dr Osterling was eminently prejudiced against Americans. He is reported to have quipped that the Americans do not need Nobel Cheque for they receive more money from Hollywood than the Prize is worth.

Sven Anders Hedin – 1865-1952

  And Sven Anders Hedin’s support to Buck… well read on what Hedin said later ruefully, ‘Pearl Buck and her husband published my last book, a biography of Chiank Kai-Shek. They gave me too little money for it, and to think of how I got her the Prize.’ This is how the judges deliberated. 

  Anyway Pearl S Buck got her Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938 much to the delight of her fans; and her citation read as follows: "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces". 

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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