Obsuždaem tematičeskij plan Goslitizdata [10-09-1938] - [D079]

Concise description of the directive:

1. Razgovor po sushchestvu: 4 out of 8 volumes of Shakespeare, few volumes of Balzac; collections of the classics are not published in full. The demand for Dumas’ books shows how much there is a need for interesting books today. Hugo could have been published instead of Dumas; unfortunately, the plan for Vsemirnaya literatura drawn up by Gorky has not yet been realised. The method of publishing the classics, the print runs and the publication format should be changed.
2. Alongside the highly demanded books, Goslitizdat publishes those not wanted by readers. Maupassant and Calderon should not be published in equal print runs (Librarian of the Academy of Sciences’ Scientist House Library).
3. Anthologies of Spanish, French, German and English literature should be published for young Soviet readers (literature teacher at a Moscow school).
4. Balzac is our readers’ favourite writer, yet Goslitizdat has not published him much. We can only offer the reader Le Père Goriot and Les Paysans. This year Goslitizdat should satisfy the masses’ desire by publishing the books of Dickens, London, Rolland and others. The works of these writers are requested daily and insistently by hundreds of working-class readers. Books by Dumas and Hugo are constantly being requested, but they are not there (librarian at the Stalin car factory).
5. Our publishing house is to publish Russian and foreign classics in popular editions in large print runs (editor of Goslitizdat).
6. The thematic plan of Goslitizdat should be structured along these main lines: popular editions; selected works of the classics and contemporary authors collected in the same volume; complete collections and academic editions of the classics of world literature. It is very important to organise the publication of classical and contemporary literature considering Comrade Stalin’s words on the need to keep our people ready for military defence. An important place in the plan should belong to the series of historical novels, as well as to complete and scholarly editions of collections of classical works. We can no longer take so many years to publish them. The volumes of Stendhal and France are currently in this condition, which is not acceptable (Deputy Editor of Goslitizdat).