A survey of recipients of the Nobel literary prize, offering concise biographies, critical assessments of major works, and selective bibliographies for each laureate up to the author's time. The volume opens with an account of Alfred Nobel and the conditions of his bequest, then proceeds through chapters that group poets, novelists, dramatists, and scholars, discussing characteristic styles and representative works. Illustrations, a chronological list of laureates, and a bibliography provide reference support, and the commentary is presented as an invitation to further reading rather than an exhaustive treatment of any single author.