Why did the very first Nobel Prize for writing go to a poet almost nobody remembers today?

In 1901, a French poet named Sully Prudhomme received the very first Nobel Prize in Literature. It was meant to be the most prestigious award a writer could win. Prudhomme, born on March 16, 1839, in Paris, wrote poems about human emotions and the meaning of life. His poetry was popular in France, but even at the time, many people were surprised he won. The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, author of "War and Peace," was the favorite to win. So was the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Both were considered among the greatest writers alive. The Nobel committee chose Prudhomme because his poetry showed what they called "lofty idealism." Today, Prudhomme is rarely read outside of France, while Tolstoy and Ibsen remain celebrated worldwide. The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded over 120 times since then. Winners include famous names like Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Some winners are controversial. Every year, readers and critics debate whether the committee chose the right person. That debate started with the very first prize.