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Viktor Shklovsky's book "On the Theory of Prose" is a collection of his early studies in literary criticism and theory. The book, translated by Shushan Avagyan, delves into Shklovsky's thoughts on narrative, genre, and verbal art. While the new translation is recommended for those interested in literary criticism, it lacks an index and information on the history of the text. Shklovsky's work is seen as a precursor to the study of World Literature, although it is noted that his references to non-Russian works may be based on translations that could have altered the original text. The book covers various forms of fiction, progressing from simpler to more complex forms, and explores topics such as traditional tales, framed narratives, mystery narratives, and plotless prose. Shklovsky's Theory of Prose is discussed in the article, highlighting its contributions to narratology and literary history. Shklovsky's view is that a literary work is the sum of its devices, and while critics argue that this is reductive, Shklovsky believes that understanding a composition as a set of interacting elements is the first step in understanding it. Shklovsky's focus is primarily on plot and motivation in narrative composition, and he rejects historical approaches to literature that explain works in nonliterary terms. The article also mentions Shklovsky's exploration of nonnarrative fiction and the concept of defamiliarization. Overall, the article suggests [Extracted from the article]