前言：历史学家说，斯大林读起书来如狼似虎，平均每天读300页书。来看看斯大林最喜欢哪些书吧！

“The Ladies' Paradise” by Émile Zola

左拉《女士乐园》

Émile Zola was among the authors admired by Joseph Stalin. The mixture of the innocent country girl thrust into city life and struggle are reminiscent of Fantine in Les Misérables, while the exploration of business and politics also strike a similar note. The lion-like image of the department store ruling over human lives is symbolic of the highs and lows of consumerist culture today.

左拉是约瑟夫·斯大林景仰的作者之一。天真的乡村姑娘一头扎进城市生活里挣扎求生，让人想起《悲惨世界》里的芳汀，而对商业和政治的挖掘也激发出类似的感触。商店如狮虎般控制着人类的生命，象征了当今消费主义文化的起起落落。

“The Brothers Karamasov” by Dostoevsky

陀思妥耶夫斯基《 卡拉马佐夫兄弟》

Stalin mentioned Dostoyevsky as an example of a deep psychologist. It is known that since his youth Stalin was reading Dostoevsky with great interest. While reading "The Brothers Karamazov", Stalin has made a lot highlights and notes in the margins.This is of the best allegorical novels to explain the fractured nature of 19th century Russia. Each character is representative of one of the ruling classes. Throughout are themes of love, law, and duty.

斯大林提过，陀思妥耶夫斯基是位深刻的心理学家。众所周知，青年时期的斯大林读起陀思妥耶夫斯基的著作时兴趣满怀。阅读《卡拉马佐夫兄弟》时，用荧光笔圈划，并在空白处做笔记。这本书是最佳的讽喻小说之一，揭示了19世纪俄国分崩离析的本质。每个角色都代表了统治阶级的一员。贯穿全书的主题有爱、法律还有责任。

“The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind” by Gustave Le Bon

古斯塔夫·勒庞的《乌合之众》

Either meant for everyday reading or as an introduction to sociology, this book indicates why Wal-Mart crowds act both mindfully and mindlessly on Black Friday. The equality and unity of a crowd can be a powerful tool, or a double-edged sword. The secret lies in the capture of the imagination, for a crowd’s momentum can be enhanced or governed by images.

提起这本书，不是作为日常读物，便是作为社会学的介绍之用；这本书指出，缘何沃尔玛的顾客群体在黑色星期五这天既有所顾虑又无所用心。群体的平等与一致可以是有利的工具，也可能是双刃剑。秘诀在于抓住想象力，群众的动力可以提高，也可以被形象所掌控。

”The Knight in the Panther Skin” by Shota Rustavel

鲁斯塔韦利《虎皮武士》

Stalin knew all the old translations of this book, and when the new edition of the book was being published in 1940-1941, he even made several amendments to the translation from Georgian.

斯大林知晓这本书所有的译本，这本书1940至1941年间出新版之时，斯大林甚至还就格鲁吉亚译本作了若干修订。

The Bible

《圣经》

Stalin has been quoting long passages from the Bible.

斯大林一直就大幅引用圣经选段。

Stories of Anton Chekhov

《契诃夫短篇》

Stalin has been quoting passages from Chekhov many times. Almost every story has a redemptive note of hope mixed in with levels of bleak despair.

斯大林多次引用契诃夫的故事篇章。几乎每则故事都有一丝希望，带来救赎，却也混杂着重重绝望，暗无天日。

"The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli

尼科洛·马基雅维利《君主论》

This is said to be one of the most favorite books of Stalin, from which he took advice on governing the state. Machiavelli's posthumous work can be bundled on a reading list with the Art of War for true insight on how to build power and decimate enemies. Though the advice was meant for the Medici ruling family in Italy, the principles can still hold true, or at least shed a light on how to weave through the murky waters of politics.

据说这是斯大林最爱的书之一，他从中汲取治国之道。马基雅维利的遗作可以与《孙子兵法》比肩，深明洞悉如何建立权势、又如何斩杀敌人。尽管书中的建议指向意大利美第奇家族，但其原则仍然真实有效，至少对如何混迹政界、如何在一潭浑水里也游刃有余还是有借鉴之处的。