Re: Неудобная статистика
Numerous letters and addresses made Leo Tolstoy write something in response: “Dear friends, I was very happy to know that the Nobel Prize was not awarded to me. First of all, it deprived me of a big problem of how to use this money. I am certain that this money, as well as money as it is, can only bring evil. Second of all, I was honored to get so many letters of sympathy and support from the people that I don’t know. I really enjoyed them. Please accept my sincerest gratitude. Leo Tolstoy.”
The story continued. Tolstoy’s new work “Great Sin” was published in 1905. This work has been unfortunately forgotten. The book was about the hard life of a Russian peasant. They do not recollect this work now, because Tolstoy set out his protest against the private property on land. The Russian Academy of Sciences decided to nominate Tolstoy for the competition to win the Nobel Prize in literature. The nomination note was approved by Russia’s highest literature institutions. In 1906 the note was sent to Sweden together with a copy of Tolstoy’s “Great Sin.”
As soon as Tolstoy learnt about this honor, he wrote a letter to his Finnish friend, writer Arvid Ernefeld: “If it was meant to happen, then it would be very unpleasant for me to refuse from it. That is why, I have a favor to ask. If you have any links in Sweden (I think you have), please try to make it so I would not be awarded with the prize. Please, try to do the best you can to avoid the award of the prize to me.”
Nine of ten Nobel Prize winners in literature were common “literature craftsmen.” They did not leave anything worth remembering. Only one or two of those ten winners were genius. So, why were they rewarded? It seems to me that the presence of a genius was giving Nobel Prize ceremonies the illusion of trustworthiness.
Probably, this is the way the Nobel committee is trying to show influence on literature and political predilections of the society and of the whole humankind. A Nobel Prize winner sounds so high and elevated. Yet, one should keep in mind the fact that the traitors of our country, Mikhail Gorbachev, Alexander Solzhenitsin, were also winners. Money makes the world go round. It seems that Leo Tolstoy was the first to realize that. He did not want his name to be used for such a horrid idea. So, why wasn’t the Nobel Prize awarded to Tolstoy? He wouldn’t have accepted it.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Izold
