Mental Floss

BOOKS

On the set of The Wizard of Oz.

‘The Wizard of Oz’ is one of the most famous films of all time—but it differs quite a bit from the novel on which it was based. From the color of the coveted slippers to a one-eyed Wicked Witch, here are 10 key differences.

V.M. Braganza






Thomas Hardy and his beloved English countryside.

'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' author Thomas Hardy is best known for his novels of rural realism, but he started out as an architect.

Karin Crompton










Judy Blume.

From which character is the most like her to the book title she most regrets, here are some things you might not know about Judy Blume.

Sheri Radford


A self-portrait of Junji Ito with a cat.

From his first encounters with manga to his diverse range of artistic influences, here are a few things you might not know about the reigning king of horror manga.  

April Snellings






Clockwise from left: Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, and Nadine Gordimer.

The Swedish Academy has been awarding Nobel Prizes in Literature since 1901; here are a few laureates whose books you might want to consider picking up.

Erin McCarthy
Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language.

Noah Webster’s two-volume 'An American Dictionary of the English Language' earned him a place in linguistic history, and a reputation as the foremost lexicographer of American English.

Paul Anthony Jones