Agop J. HACIKYAN
( 1931 - 2015 )

Preserving Armenia's rich literary tradition from a multitude of viewpoints has been the aim of this three-volume work. This third volume joins the previous two in making excerpts of Armenian masterpieces accessible in beautifully rendered English translations, while enabling readers to enjoy the immediacy of these works through lively discussions of the authors and their times. Here the focus is on the eighteenth through twentieth centuries.
The volume begins with a comprehensive overview of the entire historical, social, and literary panorama of the periods covered: the Armenian Renaissance, the development of modern Armenian (with its Western and Eastern versions), the emergence of a national identity and democratic thinking (with their impact on literature and theater), and such literary schools as Romanticism, Realism, and Aestheti-cism. Biographies of more than 130 prominent authors appear in these pages, together with critical comments concerning their works and extensive excerpts from the works themselves. The texts are edited, annotated with footnotes, and presented in a format that permits easy comprehension.
Serving as both a reference and a textbook, The Heritage of Armenian Literature unveils a rich pageant of works in historical perspective. The varied experiences from the Armenian past come alive, allowing for new understandings and comparisons to literatures of other nations.

The second volume of "The Heritage of Armenian Literature" continues the highly acclaimed and monumental project of presenting Armenia's literary treasures to an English-speaking audience. Nowhere else can students and general readers easily find a comprehensive, English-language guide to these masterpieces, complete with important background information and vivid, accurate translations of key sample passages. Volume 2 takes readers through the medieval period up to the eighteenth century. As in the previous volume, the editors here offer a wide and varied range of readings that encompasses the literary panorama of this ancient civilization. They situate each work as extensively as possible within its theological, historical, and philosophical contexts, while highlighting aspects that will be meaningful to readers in light of modern scholarship.

Armenian written literature originated almost sixteen centuries ago with the invention of the Armenian alphabet in A.D. 405. Throughout history, the Armenian people have fought for the retention of their religion and national identity. The Heritage of Armenian Literature is the first anthology of Armenian literature in English translation to take a comprehensive approach to capturing the essence of the literature of* the period covered.
Agop J. Ilacikyan. Gabriel Basmajian. Edward S. Franchuk. and Nourhan Ouzounian preserve the Armenian literary tradition in this collection of songs, epics, folk tales, poetry, and theological and philosophical works. Beginning with the oral tradition and continuing through the golden age of Armenian literature in the fifth century, the editors place the literature in historical and literary context with introductory essays to each section.
Students and scholars of Armenian literature and history. Middle Eastern languages and cultures, and Byzantine and Russian studies will find this anthology indispensable.