Literature is a continuous process in world culture, and studying it in different countries and eras does not give a complete picture of its development. How are The Lord of the Rings and War and Peace similar? How did the chivalric romance and ancient literature influence Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin? What do Dostoevsky, Schiller and Kant have in common? The legendary teacher Professor Evgeniy Zharinov answers these and other questions. The book is addressed to philologists and students of humanities universities, as well as to everyone who is interested in literature. Evgeniy Viktorovich Zharinov – Doctor of Philology, Professor of the Department of Literature of the Moscow State Linguistic University, Professor of the Humanitarian Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting. M.A. Litovchina, host of the “Labyrinths” program on the Orpheus radio station, winner of two Golden Microphone awards.