1. The longest book ever written is "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust. It clocks in at over 4,200 pages and took Proust over 13 years to write.
2. The first printed book in the English language was "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer. Printed in 1476, this marked a significant moment in the history of printing and the dissemination of literature.
3. "The Lord of the Rings" was originally published as three separate volumes. J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy was initially released as *The Fellowship of the Ring*, *The Two Towers*, and *The Return of the King*.
4. The first novel written in English was "Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded" by Samuel Richardson. Published in 1740, this epistolary novel explored the themes of virtue, love, and social class.
5. The word "literature" comes from the Latin word "littera," which means "letter." It initially referred to the study of written language but evolved to encompass creative writing and literary works.