What to read from Russian classics about love. Classic books everyone should read
Salman Rushdie, The Enchantress of Florence (2008)Rushdie's tenth novel, full of historical metaphors, touches on the important question of what came first - the East or the West. After reading a novel for any history book you look at them as if they were children’s fantasies - condescendingly and without due respect - realizing that there are no unambiguous historical truths, there are speculations and unknown quotes from someone, from which facts are subsequently formed that are bursting at the seams. George Orwell, Barnyard (1945)
Compulsory reading for all revolutionaries and revolutionary-minded comrades. In his famous dystopia, Orwell clearly demonstrates where “freedom, equality, fraternity” can lead a group of determined people, and that for any slogans there is one big “but” - the desire of some to subjugate and the readiness of others to obey. Like it or not, you draw parallels with the revolution of 1917 and everything that followed it. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871)
The triumph of the absurd, the start of the fantasy genre - and best fairy tale in the world. An amazingly powerful story about the adventures of the girl Alice, first in the rabbit hole, and then on the other side of the mirror. After two fairy tales about Alice, Carroll was called both a philosopher and a prophet, the books were disassembled into quotes, and several cartoons and films were made based on the books. Ken Kesey, Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962)
The main novel of the beat generation about the confrontation between a freedom-loving patient and an oppressive head nurse in a psychiatric hospital. The book is slightly different from the famous film adaptation with Jack Nicholson in leading role- the book is narrated from the perspective of one of the patients, who is relegated to the background in the film, and attention is concentrated on Nicholson’s character. The novel was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language works from 1923 to 2005. Francis Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
A wonderful story about typical American wealth of the early twentieth century - the First World War is behind us, the economy is progressing, those who profited from Prohibition are doing especially well, society is drowning in money and entertainment. Fitzgerald's hero ends up on Long Island, where he meets the cream of society and resists the abyss of parties, beautiful women and good drinks - at the head of the party movement is Gatsby, a strong and controversial personality. The best book is about how money ruins everything, and taverns and women lead you to what you know. Patrick Suskind, Perfumer. The Story of a Killer (1985)
Only the works of Remarque are more popular than this German novel. Criminal in its essence and incredibly beautiful in its form, the story is about a man who from birth was endowed with a phenomenal sense of smell - as a result, all his life he is a slave to his gift: trying to compose and preserve the perfect aroma, he goes on a murder, one after another, and in ultimately ends tragically. Süskind perfectly conveys aromas in letters, better than, say, the creators of the film adaptation of the novel did it in 2006. Stanley Kubrick himself once thought about a film adaptation, but in the end he came to the conclusion that it was impossible to transfer Süskind’s creation to the screen - it would ruin it . J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (1954)
The film adaptation by Peter Jackson, a famous Tolkienist, is so detailed and scrupulous that, it would seem, there is no need to re-read the source. Error. Being a philologist, an expert on medieval epics Northern Europe, Tolkien created his own separate world based on Finnish epic Kalevala and the legends of the Arthurian cycle (Celtic history of the British Isles). Yes, so convincingly that thousands of Tolkienists still gather somewhere in the forests and organize role-playing games. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1797)
His first and, as it became clear later, great novel Austen began writing at the age of 21 - she did not impress publishers in any way, and for more than 15 years she lay, as they say, under the carpet. Austen always wrote sincerely and realistically - her novels always touch the heartstrings, there is no grace or show off in them, ordinary feelings ordinary people, that is, whatever one may say, a classic. Roald Dahl, Stories with Surprise Endings (1979)
A Welshman with Norwegian roots, a master of paradoxes and something of a genius, Dahl gave us Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as Matilda, but he was best at shocking us with his Chekhov-like stories, with the only difference that in the end the reader, as a rule, , eyebrows sharply creep up, and his mouth breaks into an ironic smile. “I only write about what takes your breath away or makes you laugh. The children know that I’m on their side,” Dahl used to say. Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot (1869)
It is absolutely impossible to choose one thing from all of Dostoevsky, so we settled on our favorite. A great work of a brilliant man. Dostoevsky - he is always about cleanliness vs. vice. All attempts of the infantile epileptic Prince Myshkin to become an ordinary sinful person lead to nowhere - more precisely, only to a complication of the disease. Women, money, rivalry with other men, power and other temptations have no power over Myshkin - he gradually fades towards the end of the novel, but against the backdrop of total discord in the souls of all the other characters, Myshkin is like the resurrected Jesus. Iain Banks, Wasp Factory (1984)
Banks' debut in literature, a gothic novel about a strange boy, Frank, who, as he grows up, learns both the world and himself better, and is not always happy with what he has learned. Some details in the book cause outright nausea and contribute to some kind of pubertal reflections, but in general this is the ideal postmodern in literature: a philosophical presentation, multiplied by some kind of commercial absurdity. Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita (1966)
If you believe Bulgakov’s widow, his last words about the novel Master and Margarita before his death were “so that they know... so that they know...”. So that WHAT they know remains a mystery. That talent is not given with impunity? That a person is a little insect with no control over the next second of his life? Be that as it may, the mystical melodrama etched itself into the consciousness of millions - we personally knew people who, after the first few chapters, walked the streets, looking around. If Bulgakov had lived in the USA, the novel would have been filmed in Hollywood during his lifetime. In the USSR, M&M became an underground outlet for the intelligentsia - however, it remains that way to this day. Vladimir Nabokov, The Gift (1938)
You can, of course, read Lolita for your next bedtime. You can grow up a little and swallow a Camera Obscura in a couple of evenings, you can even take a swing at Luzhin’s Defense. But in order to go through the entire Gift, from beginning to end, not to get lost in these endless, two-page sentences, to distinguish autobiographical notes from fiction, to master the last, fourth chapter - a book within a book - only a person who needs the WORD in literature can not a matter. Jaroslav Hasek, The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik (1921)
The good soldier Schweik is somewhat similar to the Hollywood Forrest Gump - a kind of idiot who has a bad life, and he goes to war, and manages not to die there. Intelligent satire in the best execution - many jokes, however, are less understandable to us than to Hasek’s contemporaries, but the mockery of laziness, narrow-mindedness, drunkenness and the lack of any moral principles is obvious and timeless, because these are eternal “values”. I. Ilf, E. Petrov, 12 chairs, Golden Calf (1928)
Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov worked as literary blacks for the famous Soviet writer Valentina Kataeva: it was he who suggested that they write for him a novel about diamonds sewn into a chair, while he himself went on vacation to Batumi. Arriving some time later and reading the first six pages of the work, he first laughed like crazy, and then told Ilf and Petrov that he had no right to even stand next to these pages, that they were independent creative units - he blessed them, so to speak. What, we must say, HAPPINESS! Albert Camus, The Stranger (1948)
In the list of 100 books of the century by the French newspaper Le Monde, The Outsider comes first. Camus's laconic style (in the novel all the sentences are short, and, as a rule, in the past tense) was subsequently borrowed by many European writers of the twentieth century. The Outsider is about loneliness and hopelessness, about searching for oneself and the meaning of one’s existence. Existentialism clean water, headache and depression. Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea (1938)
The protagonist of the novel is sick of everything that surrounds him, and of himself - he analyzes the meaning of certain actions, discusses with himself the purpose of certain objects - the reader, observing this painstaking thankless work, begins to feel sick by the middle of the book. Nevertheless, Nausea, like any fruit of existentialism, forces us to face the truth: there is no meaning in most of our actions, what we create does not make us better, there is no peace in religion, there is no happiness in love, life is loneliness. Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go (2005)
It is difficult to attribute this work to any genre. Fantastic? Dystopia? No, rather, it’s an alternative history. Children study in closed school. They grow up, prepare homework together, draw, and participate in plays. They grow up knowing that they are different from those others living outside the perimeter. Over time, they learn that their fate is to be a kind of farm for growing donor organs. And now the terrible thing begins adulthood. When Katie or her friend goes through a notch, then another, and for some, a fourth, after which the end comes. And even if they manage to prove that they are also living people, with the same feelings and even capable of love, it will still not give anything. This book is scary because it easily describes terrible things. Only one thing is unclear - why no one is fighting for their future. Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago (1955)
Reading this book, you understand that Nobel Prize It was not in vain that I received Pasternak, no matter what they say. It is not the artistic level of the work that fascinates - Pasternak is more of a poet. And the plot describes all the vicissitudes of a huge, ruthless and completely incomprehensible war, in the very thick of which an ordinary person with his habits and principles finds himself. And one feels sorry for this person and feels bad for him. That he could not adapt to this new life, did not find his place. He became confused and lost all those who were close to him. Aldous Huxley, O Marvelous One, new world (1932)
This story is about a genetically programmed consumer society. Here one is born into an idyllic world and is guaranteed a life of luxury. And the other comes off the assembly line to another level and must be content with what he has. Everything here is orderly and on schedule. There is no evil or crime, there are no obligations, and marriage before 30 is considered defective. And with all this, everyone is happy with what they have and everyone is happy. With your miserable beggarly happiness. Taking into account the 30s, when Huxley created his world, the thought involuntarily creeps in: he knew something!
Anna Karenina. Lev Tolstoy
The greatest love story of all time. A story that has not left the stage, has been filmed countless times - and has still not lost the boundless charm of passion - destructive, destructive, blind passion - but all the more bewitching with its greatness.
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Master and Margarita. Michael Bulgakov
This is the most mysterious novel in history Russian literature XX century This is a novel that is almost officially called “The Gospel of Satan.” This is “The Master and Margarita”. A book that can be read and reread dozens, hundreds of times, but most importantly, it is still impossible to understand. So, which pages of “The Master and Margarita” were dictated by the Forces of Light?
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Wuthering Heights. Emily Brontë
A mystery novel included in the top ten best novels of all time! The story of a stormy, truly demonic passion that has been exciting the imagination of readers for more than one hundred and fifty years. Katie gave her heart to her cousin, but ambition and a thirst for wealth push her into the arms of a rich man. Forbidden attraction turns into a curse for secret lovers, and one day.
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Eugene Onegin. Alexander Pushkin
“Have you read “Onegin”? What can you say about “Onegin”? These are the questions that are constantly repeated among writers and Russian readers,” noted the writer, enterprising publisher and, by the way, the hero of Pushkin’s epigrams, Thaddeus Bulgarin, after the publication of the second chapter of the novel. For a long time now it has not been customary to evaluate ONEGIN. In the words of the same Bulgarin, it is “written in Pushkin’s poems. That's enough."
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Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris. Victor Hugo
A story that has survived centuries, become canon and given its heroes the glory of household names. A story of love and tragedy. The love of those to whom love was not given and not allowed - by religious dignity, physical weakness or someone else's evil will. The gypsy Esmeralda and the deaf hunchback bell-ringer Quasimodo, the priest Frollo and the captain of the royal riflemen Phoebus de Chateaupert, the beautiful Fleur-de-Lys and the poet Gringoire.
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Gone With the Wind. Margaret Mitchell
The Great Saga of Civil War in the USA and about the fate of the wayward and ready to go over heads Scarlett O'Hara was first published more than 70 years ago and does not become outdated to this day. This is Margaret Mitchell's only novel for which she received a Pulitzer Prize. A story about a woman whom neither an unconditional feminist nor a staunch supporter of house-building is ashamed to emulate.
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Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare
This is the highest tragedy about love that human genius can create. A tragedy that has been filmed and is being filmed. A tragedy that does not leave the theater stage to this day - and to this day it sounds as if it was written yesterday. Years and centuries go by. But one thing remains and will forever remain unchanged: “There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet...”
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The Great Gatsby. Francis Fitzgerald
“The Great Gatsby” is the pinnacle not only in Fitzgerald’s work, but also one of the highest achievements in world prose of the 20th century. Although the novel takes place in the “roaring” twenties of the last century, when fortunes were made literally from nothing and yesterday’s criminals became millionaires overnight, this book lives outside of time, because, telling the story of the broken destinies of the generation of the “Jazz Age”.
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Three Musketeers. Alexandr Duma
The most famous historical and adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas tells about the adventures of the Gascon d'Artagnan and his musketeer friends at the court of King Louis XIII.
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Count of Monte Cristo. Alexandr Duma
The book presents one of the most exciting adventure novels of the classic French literature XIX century Alexandre Dumas.
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Triumphal Arch. Erich Remarque
One of the most beautiful and tragic novels about love in history European literature. The story of a refugee from Nazi Germany Dr. Ravic and the beautiful Joan Madu, entangled in the “unbearable lightness of being,” takes place in pre-war Paris. And the alarming time in which these two happened to meet and fall in love with each other becomes one of the main characters of the Arc de Triomphe.
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The man who laughs. Victor Hugo
Gwynplaine, a lord by birth, was sold as a child to comprachico bandits, who made a fair jester out of the child, carving a mask of “eternal laughter” on his face (at the courts of the European nobility of that time there was a fashion for cripples and freaks who amused the owners). Despite all the trials, Gwynplaine retained the best human qualities and your love.
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Martin Eden. Jack London
A simple sailor, in whom it is easy to recognize the author himself, goes through a long, hardship-filled path to literary immortality... By chance, he finds himself in secular society, Martin Eden is doubly happy and surprised... both by the creative gift that has awakened in him, and by the divine image of young Ruth Morse, so unlike all the people he knew before... From now on, two goals are relentlessly facing him.
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Sister Kerry. Theodore Dreiser
The publication of Theodore Dreiser's first novel was fraught with such difficulties that it led its creator to severe depression. But further fate The novel “Sister Carrie” turned out to be lucky: it was translated into many foreign languages, reprinted in millions of copies. New and new generations of readers enjoy immersing themselves in the vicissitudes of the fate of Caroline Mieber.
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American tragedy. Theodore Dreiser
The novel “American Tragedy” is the pinnacle of creativity of the outstanding American writer Theodore Dreiser. He said: “No one creates tragedies - life creates them. Writers only portray them.” Dreiser managed to portray the tragedy of Clive Griffiths so talentedly that his story does not leave the modern reader indifferent.
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Les Misérables. Victor Hugo
Jean Valjean, Cosette, Gavroche - the names of the heroes of the novel have long become household names, the number of its readers in the century and a half since the publication of the book has not become smaller, the novel has not lost popularity. A kaleidoscope of faces from all strata of French society in the first half XIX century, bright, memorable characters, sentimentality and realism, intense, exciting plot.
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The adventures of the good soldier Schweik. Jaroslav Hasek
A great, original and outrageous novel. A book that can be perceived both as a “soldier’s tale” and as a classic work directly related to the traditions of the Renaissance. This is a sparkling text that makes you laugh until you cry, and a powerful call to “put down your arms,” and one of the most objective historical evidence in satirical literature.
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Iliad. Homer
The attractiveness of Homer’s poems lies not only in the fact that their author introduces us to a world separated from modernity by tens of centuries and yet unusually real thanks to the genius of the poet, who preserved in his poems the beat of contemporary life. Homer's immortality lies in the fact that in his brilliant creations contains inexhaustible reserves of universal human enduring values - reason, goodness and beauty.
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St. John's wort. James Cooper
Cooper managed to find and describe in his books that originality and unexpected brightness recently open continent, which managed to captivate the whole of modern Europe. Every new novel The writer was eagerly awaited. The exciting adventures of the fearless and noble hunter and tracker Natty Bumppo captivated both young and adult readers..
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Doctor Zhivago. Boris Pasternak
The novel “Doctor Zhivago” is one of the outstanding works of Russian literature, throughout for long years remained closed for wide range readers in our country, who knew about him only through scandalous and unscrupulous party criticism.
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Don Quixote. Miguel Cervantes
What do the names of Amadis of Gaul, Palmer of England, Don Belianis of Greece, Tyrant of the White tell us today? But it was precisely as a parody of novels about these knights that “The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was created. And this parody has survived the genre being parodied for centuries. “Don Quixote” was recognized as the best novel in the entire history of world literature.
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Ivanhoe. Walter Scott
"Ivanhoe" - key work in the series of novels by W. Scott, which take us to medieval England. The young knight Ivanhoe, who secretly returned from the Crusade to his homeland and was deprived of his inheritance by the will of his father, will have to defend his honor and the love of the beautiful lady Rowena... King Richard will come to his aid Lion Heart and the legendary robber Robin Hood.
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Headless horseman. Reed Main
The plot of the novel is so skillfully constructed that it keeps you in suspense until the very end. last page. It is no coincidence that the exciting story of the noble mustanger Maurice Gerald and his lover, the beautiful Louise Poindexter, investigating the sinister mystery of the headless horseman, whose figure terrifies the inhabitants of the savannah upon his appearance, was extremely loved by readers in Europe and Russia.
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Dear friend. Guy de Maupassant
The novel “Dear Friend” became one of the symbols of the era. This is the most strong romance Maupassant. Through the story of Georges Duroy, who is making his way to the top, the true morals of high French society are revealed; the spirit of corruption that reigns in all its spheres contributes to the fact that an ordinary and immoral person, such as Maupassant’s hero, easily achieves success and wealth.
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Dead Souls. Nikolay Gogol
The publication of the first volume of N. Gogol’s “Dead Souls” in 1842 caused heated controversy among contemporaries, splitting society into fans and opponents of the poem. “...Talking about “Dead Souls”, you can talk a lot about Russia...” - this judgment of P. Vyazemsky explained main reason disputes. The author’s question is still relevant: “Rus, where are you rushing, give me the answer?”
Books are one of the greatest legacies humanity. And if before the invention of printing, books were available only to a select caste of people, then books began to spread everywhere. Each new generation gave birth to talented writers who created world masterpieces of literature.
Great works have reached us, but we are reading the classics less and less. The literary portal Buklya presents to your attention 100 best books of all times and peoples, which is a must read. In this list you will find not only classical works, but also modern books who left their mark on history quite recently.
1 Mikhail Bulgakov
A novel that does not fit into the usual literary framework. This story mixes philosophy and everyday life, theology and fantasy, mysticism and realism, mysticism and lyricism. And all these components are intertwined with skillful hands into a solid and bright story, which can turn your world upside down. And yes, this is Bookly’s favorite book!
2
Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
Book from school curriculum, which is difficult to understand in tender adolescence. The writer showed duality human soul when black intertwines with white. The story is about Raskolnikov, who is going through an internal struggle.
3
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
A small story that contains a huge life meaning. A story that makes you look at familiar things differently.
4
Michael Bulgakov
A surprisingly subtle and sarcastic story about people and their vices. The story is about an experiment that proved that you can make a human out of an animal, but you cannot take an “animal” out of a human.
5
Erich Maria Remarque
It is impossible to tell what this novel is about. You need to read the novel, and then you will understand that this is not just a story, but a confession. Confession about love, friendship, pain. A story of despair and struggle.
6
Jerome Salinger
The story of a teenager who shows with his own eyes his perception of the world, his point of view, his renunciation of the usual principles and principles of morality of society that do not fit into his individual framework.
7
Mikhail Lermontov
A lyrical and psychological novel that tells the story of a man with a complex character. The author shows it with different sides. And the disrupted chronology of events makes you completely immerse yourself in the narrative.
8
Arthur Conan Doyle
The legendary investigations of the great detective Sherlock, which reveal the meanness of the human soul. Stories told by friend and assistant detective Dr. Watson.
9
Oscar Wilde
A story about pride, selfishness and a strong soul. A story that clearly shows what can happen to a person’s soul tormented by vices.
10
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
A fantastic trilogy about people and non-humans who fell under the power of the One Ring and its lord Sauron. The story is about those who are ready to sacrifice the most precious things and even their lives for the sake of friendship and saving the world.
11
Mario Puzo
A novel about one of the most powerful mafia families in America of the last century - the Corleone family. Many people know the film, so it’s time to start reading.
12
Erich Maria Remarque
After the First World War, many emigrants ended up in France. Among them is the talented German surgeon Ravik. This is the story of his life and love against the backdrop of the war he experienced.
13
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol
The story of the Russian soul and stupidity. And the author’s amazing style and language makes the sentences sparkle with colors and shades that fully reveal the history of our people.
14
Colin McCullough
A stunning novel that tells not only about the love of a man and a woman and complex relationships, but also about feelings for family, native places and nature.
15
Emily Brontë
A family lives on a secluded estate and a tense atmosphere reigns in their home. Difficult relationships have deep roots that are hidden in the past. The story of Heathcliff and Catherine will not leave any reader indifferent.
16
Erich Maria Remarque
A book about the war from the perspective of a simple soldier. The book is about how war breaks and cripples the souls of innocent people.
17
Hermann Hesse
The book simply turns all ideas about life upside down. After reading it, it is no longer possible to get rid of the feeling that you are one step closer to something incredible. This book has answers to many questions.
18
Stephen King
Paul Edgecombe former employee prison, which served in the block for death row prisoners. It tells the life story of suicide bombers who were destined to walk the Green Mile.
20
Victor Hugo
Paris 15th century. On one side it is full of grandeur, and on the other it looks like a sewer. On the background historical events A love story unfolds between Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Claude Frollo.
21
Daniel Defoe
The diary of a sailor who was shipwrecked and lived alone on an island for 28 years. He had to go through too many trials.
22
Lewis Carroll
Strange and misterious story about a girl who, in pursuit of a white rabbit, finds herself in a different and wonderful world.
23
Ernest Hemingway
There is war on the pages of the book, but even in a world full of pain and fear, there is a place for beauty. To a wonderful feeling called love, which makes us stronger.
24
Jack London
What can love do? Martin's love for the beautiful Ruth made him struggle. He overcame many obstacles to become something great. A story about spiritual development and personality development.
25
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
A fantastic and fascinating fairy tale in which magic intertwines with reality.
26
We are Evgeny Zamyatin
The novel is a dystopia, which describes an ideal society where there is no personal opinion, and everything happens according to schedule. But even in such a society there is a place for freethinkers.
27
Ernest Hemingway
Frederick volunteered to go to war, where he became a doctor. In the sanitary unit, where even the air is saturated with death, love is born.
28
Boris Pasternak
Beginning of the twentieth century. Russian empire has already embarked on the path of revolution. The story is about the life of the intelligentsia of that time, as well as the book raises questions of religion and touches on the mystery of life and death.
29
Vladimir Nabokov
A cautionary tale about people who betrayed their ideals. The book is about how bright and beautiful feelings evolve into something dark and disgusting.
30
Johann Wolfgang Goethe
The greatest work that draws you into the story of Faust, who sold his soul to the Devil. By reading this book you can walk the path of learning about life.
31
Dante Alighieri
The work consists of three parts. First we go to Hell to complete all 9 circles. Then Purgatory awaits us, through which we can atone for our sins. And only by reaching the top can you enter Paradise.
32
Anthony Burgess
Not the most pleasant story, but it shows human nature. A story about how you can make an obedient and silent doll out of any person.
33
Victor Pelevin
A complex story that is difficult to understand the first time. A story about the life of a decadent poet who is looking for his own path, and Chapaev leads Peter to enlightenment.
34
William Golding
What will happen to the children if they find themselves completely alone? Children have a delicate nature, which is quite susceptible to vices. And sweet, kind children turn into real monsters.
35
Albert Camus
36
James Clavell
The story of an English sailor who, by the will of fate, ended up in Japan. An epic novel with historical realities, intrigue, adventures and secrets.
37
Ray Bradbury
Collection fantasy stories, which tells about the life of people on Mars. They almost destroyed the Earth, but what awaits the other planet?
38
Stanislav Lem
There is an Ocean on this planet. He is alive and he has a mind. Researchers face the difficult task of transferring knowledge to the ocean. And he will help make their dreams come true...
39
Hermann Hesse
The book is about an internal crisis that can happen to anyone. Inner devastation can destroy a person if one day you don’t meet a person along the way who will give you just one book…
40
Milan Kundera
Plunge into the world of sensations and feelings of the libertine Tomas, who is used to changing women, so that no one dares to take away his freedom.
41
Boris Vian
Each of the group of friends has their own destiny. Everything goes easy and simple. Friendship. Love. Conversations. But one event can change everything and destroy your usual life.
42
Iain Banks
Frank tells the story of his childhood and describes the present. He has his own world, which can collapse at any moment. Unexpected turning points in the plot add a special flavor to the whole story.
43
John Irving
This book raises themes of family, childhood, friendship, love, betrayal and betrayal. This is the world we live in with all the problems and shortcomings.
44
Michael Ondaatje
This book contains many themes - war, death, love, betrayal. But the main leitmotif is loneliness, which can take on a variety of forms.
46
Ray Bradbury
Books are our future, but what will happen if they are replaced by TV and one opinion? The answer to this question is given by a writer who was ahead of his time.
47
Patrick Suskind
Story mad genius. His whole life is wrapped in smells. He will go to any lengths to create the perfect scent.
48
1984 George Orwell
Three totalitarian states, where even thoughts are controlled. The world is hateful, but there are people who can still resist the system.
49
Jack London
Alaska at the end of the 19th century. The era of the gold rush. And among human greed lives a wolf named White Fang.
50
Jane Austen
The Bennett family has only daughters, and the heir is distant relative. And once the head of the family dies, the young girls will be left with nothing.
51
Evgeny Petrov and Ilya Ilf
Who doesn’t know Ostap Bender and Kisa Vorobyaninov and their eternal failures, which are associated with the search for ill-fated diamonds.
52
Fedor Dostoevsky
53
Charlotte Bronte
Jane became an orphan early, and life in her aunt's house was far from happy. And love for a strict and gloomy man is far from a romantic story.
54
Ernest Hemingway
A short story from my own life ordinary person. But reading this work, you penetrate into amazing world which is full of emotions.
55
Francis Scott Fitzgerald
A magnificent novel that is filled with feelings. On the pages of the book awaits the beginning of the 20th century, when people were full of illusions and hopes. This story is about life values And true love.
56
Alexandr Duma
We are all familiar with the adventures of d'Artagnan and his closest friends. A book about friendship, honor, devotion, fidelity and love. And of course, like other works of the author, it was not without intrigue.
57
Ken Kesey
This story is told to the reader by a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Patrick McMurphy ends up in prison, in a psychiatric ward. But some people think that he is simply faking his illness.
59
Victor Hugo
The novel describes the life of an escaped convict who is hiding from the authorities. After escaping, he had to endure a lot of hardships, but he was able to change his life. But police inspector Javert is ready to do anything to catch the criminal.
60
Victor Hugo
The actor-philosopher met on his way a disfigured boy and a blind girl. He takes them under his wing. Against the background of physical defects, the perfection and purity of souls is clearly visible. It’s also a great contrast to the life of the aristocracy.
61
Vladimir Nabokov
The novel tightens its unhealthy web of passions and unhealthy love. The main characters gradually go crazy, subject to their base desires, like all of them. the world. This book definitely won't have a happy ending.
62
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
A fantastic story that describes the life of stalker Redrick Shewhart, who anomalous zones on Earth extracts extraterrestrial artifacts.
63
Richard Bach
Even a simple seagull can get tired of the drab life, and become bored with everyday life. And then Chaika devotes her life to her dream. The seagull gives his whole soul on the way to his cherished goal.
64
Bernard Werber
Michel ended up at the court of the archangels, where he will have to undergo the weighing of his soul. After the trial, he faces a choice - to go to earth in a new incarnation or become an angel. The path of an angel is not simple, just like the life of mere mortals.
65
Ethel Lilian Voynich
A story about freedom, duty and honor. And also about different types love. In the first case, it is the love of a father for his son, which has survived many trials and will pass through generations. In the second case, it is love between a man and a woman, which is like a fire, then goes out, then flares up again.
66
John Fowles
He is a simple town hall servant, lonely and lost. He has a passion - collecting butterflies. But one day he wanted to add to his collection a girl who captivated his soul.
67
Walter Scott
The narrative of the novel will take readers into the distant past. During the time of Richard the Lionheart and the first crusades. This is one of the first historical novels that everyone must read.
68
Bernhard Schlink
There are a lot of questions in the book that remain unanswered. The book makes you think and analyze not only what is happening on the pages, but also your life. This is a story about love and betrayal that will not leave anyone indifferent.
69
Ayn Rand
Socialists come to power and set a course for equal opportunities. The authorities believe that the talented and rich should improve the well-being of others. But instead of a happy future, the familiar world is plunging into chaos.
71
Somerset Maugham
The story of an actress who has worked in the theater all her life. And what is reality for her: acting on stage or acting in life? How many roles do you have to play every day?
72
Aldous Huxley
Dystopian novel. Satire novel. A world where Henry Ford became a god, and the creation of the first Ford T car is considered the beginning of time. People are simply raised, but they don’t know anything about feelings.
75
Albert Camus
Meursault lives a detached life. It seems that his life does not belong to him at all. He is indifferent to everything and even his actions are saturated with loneliness and renunciation of life.
76
Somerset Maugham
Philip's life story. He is an orphan and throughout his life he not only searches for the meaning of life, but also for himself. And the main thing is to understand the world and people around us.
77
Irvine Welsh
The story of friends who one day discovered drugs and euphoria. Each character is unusual and quite smart. They valued life and friendship, but only until the moment when heroin came first.
78
Herman Melville
Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship, set the goal of his life to take revenge on a whale named Moby Dick. Wit ruined too many lives to let him live. But as soon as the captain starts hunting, mysterious and sometimes terrible events begin to happen on his ship.
79
Joseph Heller
One of the best books about World War II. In it, the author was able to show the senselessness of war and the monstrous absurdity of the state machine.
80
William Faulkner
Four characters, each telling their own version of events. And to understand what we're talking about, you need to read to the end, where the puzzles will fit into a single picture of life and secret desires.
82
Joanne Rowling
83
Roger Zelazny
A classic of the fantasy genre. The chronicles are divided into two volumes of 5 books. In this cycle you can find travel in space and time, wars, intrigue, betrayal, as well as loyalty and courage.
84
Andrzej Sapkowski
One of the best fantasy series. The series includes 8 books, with the last one being “Season of Thunderstorms”, which is best read after the first or second book. This is a story about the Witcher and his adventures, his life and love, and also about the girl Ciri, who can change the world.
85
Honore de Balzac
An amazing story about the boundless and sacrificial love of a father for his children. About love that was never mutual. About the love that destroyed Father Goriot.
86
Gunther Grass
The story is about a boy named Oskar Matzerath, who, when the National Socialists came to power in Germany, refuses to grow up in protest. Thus, he expresses his protest to the changes in German society.
87
Boris Vasiliev
A poignant story of war. About true love for parents, friends, and the Motherland. This story must be read to feel the entire emotional component of this story.
88
Stendhal
The story is about Julien Sorel and the soul, in which there is a confrontation between two feelings: passion and ambition. These two feelings are so intertwined that it is often impossible to distinguish between them.
89
Lev Tolstoy
An epic novel that describes an entire era, delving into historical realities and art world that time. War will be replaced by peace, and the peaceful life of the characters depends on the war. Many heroes with unique personalities.
90
Gustave Flaubert
This story is recognized greatest work world literature. Emma Bovary dreams of being beautiful social life, but her husband, a provincial doctor, cannot satisfy her requests. She finds lovers, but will they be able to fulfill Madame Bovary's dream?
91
Chuck Palahniuk
No matter how much the work of this author is criticized, it cannot be denied that his book “Fight Club” is one of the symbols of our generation. This is a story about people who decided to change this dirty world. The story is about a man who was able to resist the system.
92
Markus Zusak
Winter Germany in 1939, when Death has too much work, and after six months the work will increase significantly. A story about Liesel, about fanatical Germans, about a Jewish fighter, about thefts and about the power of words.
93
Alexander Pushkin
The novel in verse tells the story of the fate of the noble intelligentsia with their vices and selfishness. And at the center of history love story no happy ending.
94
George Martin
A fantastic story about another world ruled by kings and dragons. Love, betrayal, intrigue, war and death, all for the sake of power.
95
David Mitchell
History of past, present and future. Stories of people from different times. But these stories make up a single picture of our entire world.
96
Stephen King
A fantastic series of novels by the master of horrors. This series interweaves genres. The books closely coexist with horror, western, Science fiction and other genres. This is the story of the gunslinger Roland, who is searching for the Dark Tower.
97
Haruki Murakami
A story about human destinies in Japan in the 60s of the twentieth century. A story about human loss. Memoirs of Tooru, which will introduce the reader to different people and their stories.
98
Andy Weir
By chance, an astronaut is left alone at a space base on Mars. He has a limited amount of resources, but no connection with people. But he doesn’t give up, he believes that they will come back for him.
100
Samuel Beckett
An amazing play where everyone determines for themselves the mysterious personality of Godot. The author gives you the opportunity to find the answer to the question “who is he?” A specific person? Strong personality? Collective image? Or God?
I would like to include many more books in this top. Therefore, dear readers, write in the comments about those books that you consider the best. We will add books to the top and, with your help, expand it to the 1000 best books of all times.
I'll quit smoking on Monday. Next week I'll start running and join the gym. This weekend I'll clean up my room and find a job. We should do something else, right?
2019 has fallen on our shoulders. It's time to get off the couch, open your eyes, drink mineral water and finally start. I have compiled for you 2 lists of books of world and Russian literature, which you should read at least in 2016, if you have not done so earlier. Let's start, perhaps, with the “boring” Russian classics. Listen!
Fyodor Dostoevsky "The Dream of a Funny Man"
Have you also thought about suicide at least once in your life? If not, then this is not a reason to ignore Dostoevsky’s story. Everyone knows this author purely from the book “Crime and Punishment,” however, in my opinion, in order to fully understand the essence of Dostoevsky, one should start with the story “The Dream of a Funny Man.” How can one understand the essence of human existence before the last shot in the head? How can you exchange paradise for world wars and hatred of your neighbor? And the main thing is how not to pull the trigger. The end of the story can be entitled with the expression “Cherchez la femme”; if you understand why, then everything was not in vain.
Anton Chekhov "Ward number 6"
Do you think Russian classics go better with a glass of vodka? I have a subjective opinion on this matter, but what about the views of Comrade Gromov? How to combine reading books, a glass of vodka, a psychiatric hospital and two brilliant people with completely different and at the same time identical views on existence in this world? This kind of oxymoron permeates the entire story about the sad truth of the cheerful Chekhov. Have you already figured out what to drink with your literature?
Evgeniy Zamyatin “We”
Evgeny Zamyatin can safely be considered the founder of the great genre of dystopia. I am sure that if you chose him, you simply must know such great dystopians as Orrwell and Huxley. If these names mean anything to you, then without even thinking, buy yourself Zamyatin and start devouring it by the tablespoonful. The construction system, coupon relations and all capital letters. Instead of people. Instead of names. Instead of life.
Leo Tolstoy "The Death of Ivan Ilyich"
On the cover of this book I would write in huge red letters: “Caution! Causes frustration, pain and awareness. Sentimental stupid people are strictly prohibited.” Forget about the hackneyed book "War and Peace", here is a completely different side of Leo Tolstoy, which is worth all the volumes of the huge novel. Trying to find deep semantic subtext in the story “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, you will miss the most important thing that lies on the surface. A banal, simple truth that is accessible to everyone, eludes us every time. If you found it in the story, and also learned to live by it, my bow and white envy to you.
Ivan Goncharov "Oblomov"
Here's something, and in the novel "Oblomov" it's easier than ever to find yourself. Alas. How wonderful it is to contemplate this life from the outside, when the stupid vanity of this world passes you by. The first love, which for some reason makes you get up from the sofa, obsessive friends who are always trying to drag your lazy ass into the world - how absurd this whole “bubbling life” is. Avoid it, contemplate, think and dream, dream, dream! If you are a like-minded person with this statement, congratulations, your soul mate has been found in the main character of the novel “Oblomov”.
Maxim Gorky "Passion-face"
It was no coincidence that Gorky’s work received such symbolic name“Passion-face”, because the story is impossible to read without trembling in the knees. If you love children too much, don't read. If you are impressionable and emotional, don’t read. If girls with syphilis absolutely disgust you, don’t read. In general, don’t listen to me now, open the book and start getting scared harsh realities this life. The social bottom, dirt, vulgarity and yet truly happy, “pure” people in children's and adults' swords about impossible happiness.
Nikolai Gogol "The Overcoat"
A small man against a huge scary society, or how to lose everything that is dear to you, even if it’s a simple overcoat. A stingy official, an unnecessary environment, little happiness in exchange for great disappointment and death as the only logical conclusion. It is on the example of Akakiy Bashmachkin that we will consider a large, weighty and significant problem of society - the theft of an overcoat.
Anton Chekhov "Man in a Case"
How do you maintain relationships with your work colleagues, classmates or friends? I'll recommend one great way increase your sociability - come visit them and remain silent. I give you a 100% guarantee that society will be delighted with you. An umbrella in a case, a watch in a case, a face in a case. A certain shell behind which a person tries to hide, to protect himself from outside world. A man who even managed to stuff his sincere love into a cover and protect it not only from the object of love, but also from himself. So what about maintaining relationships? Shall we keep quiet?
Alexander Pushkin “The Bronze Horseman”
Once again we face a big problem little man, only this time in Pushkin’s work “The Bronze Horseman”. Evgeny, Parasha, Peter and a love story, it would seem, what could be more ideal for the plot romantic drama? But no, this is not “Eugene Onegin”. We break love, we break a city, we break a person, we add a drop of symbolic image to this bronze horseman and we get perfect recipe one of best poems Pushkin.
Fyodor Dostoevsky "Notes from Underground"
And closing the list of Russian classics will be the one with whom we, in fact, started - the great beloved Dostoevsky. It is no coincidence that I put “Notes from the Underground” in the final place. After all, this work is not just exciting, it is wild in places, so to speak. Increased awareness of being - fatal disease. Activity is the lot of the limited and stupid. If you like these interpretations, then Dostoevsky will suit your taste, and if you have also humiliated prostitutes at least once in your life, then the “underground” will become your favorite place to stay.
Read about the 10 best foreign classic books in the second part of the list of books for 2016. Love Russian classics.
