IN modern world there are fewer and fewer people who read. Sad but true. If earlier meeting a person with a book in public transport was something in the order of things, now it is a real rarity. Gadgets are crowding out literature, leaving it somewhere in the background. After all, it is much easier to turn on a toy or climb on social networks than to plunge into a complex fictional world. Reading has become a job, not an affordable pastime. It is sad. After all, books form a point of view on the world, religion, politics, art, love. They allow you to broaden your horizons and gain experience from the mistakes of others, bring up humanity and compassion. None computer game or Facebook won't let you.
Therefore, to expand the boundaries of one's own consciousness, it is necessary to read. At least worldwide famous works, the so-called classic books that everyone should read.
Russian literature
Not everyone can cut through the wilds of ancient Greek or ancient Roman cultural heritage and understand the works of Socrates, Aristotle or Plutarch. Therefore, it is better to start with what is closer in mentality: books of Russian classics that everyone should read. It can be like works known since school curriculum, but perceived in a completely different way in adulthood, when no one forces you to read under duress. So are books that are considered modern classics.
"Eugene Onegin"
First love, mental anguish, jealousy, choice - all this is on the pages famous novel in verse. And what used to slip away will sparkle with new colors and make you empathize with the heroes.
In addition, the novel perfectly conveys the spirit of its time and describes the realistic life of the nobility.
"Crime and Punishment"
One of the first psychological novels, which enjoys worldwide popularity, was written by Dostoevsky back in 1866. This work is included in the list of "100 classic books that everyone should read."
Any person can decide that he has the right to administer justice, but what is the price of these actions? Is it internal freedom or a crime? The lines between good and evil are so blurred that it is easy to stumble. And the hand will be given by the one who himself is already considered beyond the bounds.
"Fathers and Sons"
Turgenev's novel touches upon the issue of generations: "they are not like us" and the desire to prove that the new is better than the old. However ideological struggle fades when feelings come into play. What will the main character choose: following ideals or love for a woman, the desire to change the world and rebuild it anew, or a quiet life in native village? After all, maybe the ideals of the fathers are not as bad as they seem.
"Master and Margarita"
If you are interested in more modern novels with elements of mysticism and fantasy, pay attention to Bulgakov. This is a classic that everyone should read. Everything is here: partings and meetings, atrocities and retribution, execution and resurrection. Some parallel lines, one more interesting than the other, ambiguous characters ... The novel has been repeatedly filmed, based on it theatrical performances. And disputes around the meaning and the main characters are still ongoing.
Quiet Don
Which everyone should read are so diverse and diverse that you can find what you like. Those who are interested in history will be interested in this work by Mikhail Sholokhov. Together with the main characters, the reader will live through the First World War and the Civil War, see the events through the eyes of the participants.
"Not listed"
The story of Boris Vasilyev tells about a simple Russian guy who, instead of an easy path, chose a difficult one and put civic duty to his Motherland in the first place.
"We"
Now the dystopia genre has become popular, but few people remember that Russian authors have such works.
However, such a work was written by Yevgeny Zamyatin back in 1920 and still has not lost its relevance. It is also included in the list of books "classics that everyone should read."
Thirty-second century. A society with strict totalitarian control over everything and everyone. No names - instead of them numbers. There is no freedom of choice, even in clothes - instead of it, a uniform. There is no personal space. Even in own house it is impossible to find salvation from the all-seeing eye - glass walls hide nothing. There should be no place for love and attachment to anything. But what to do if they arise? Either convey, or join the opponents of the existing system. However, will a small group be able to withstand a huge and well-functioning machine?
Foreign literature
"Romeo and Juliet"
A young girl and a young boy from opposing families were supposed to hate each other a priori, but instead they fell in love. Instead of dutifully following the parental will, they decided to go against the traditions and fight for their happiness.
"Dracula"
The cult book has been repeatedly filmed, but nothing can overshadow the impression of the printed source.
The protagonist travels to Transylvania to sell the house to his client - the strange, eccentric old man Dracula. Not listening to the warning of random fellow travelers, the young man finds himself at the epicenter terrible events which he himself initiated. But who could have guessed that his client is a real Evil. Having miraculously escaped from captivity, the young man returns home. But the nightmare does not stop even in London.
"1984"
George Orwell's work is suspiciously reminiscent of Zamyatin's book. The same atmosphere of hopelessness, the same attempts to escape from control, doomed to failure in advance.
In a world where every step of a person is known almost in advance and the future is predetermined, it is difficult to resist the system. Difficult and scary. What happens to those who go against the current? They disappear... And then they appear brainwashed. The protagonist tried to be like everyone else, allowing himself only a little dissent. Maybe because he knew a little more than others. Meeting with unusual girl completely changed his life. She brought new colors into it, became the catalyst for many events.
"A little prince"
The list of "books - classics - that everyone should read" includes this unusual fairy tale for adults. Saint-Exupéry talks about adventures Little Prince, about his acquaintance with the Earth, but at the same time speaks of more important things: love, friendship, fidelity.
"Three Musketeers"
The adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas is known to many thanks to numerous adaptations. But nothing can convey the atmosphere of medieval France better than a book. On its pages, beloved characters come to life again and details are revealed that films are silent about.
The young D'Artagnan comes to Paris from the provinces in search of a better life and finds her, having entered the military service in a privileged part. And at the same time true friends on long years, no less loyal and insidious enemies, and, of course, adventure.
"Catcher in the rye"
Some refer to Salinger's novel, but not every teenager will be able to understand him.
The story is told from the perspective of an ordinary seventeen-year-old boy Holden, a student at a closed American school. One day he was kicked out for his behavior and had to spend a few days in New York alone.
It's hard to say what this novel is about. Everything and nothing in particular. The hero reflects on the meaning of life, his place in it, about goals and aspirations. His thoughts are mostly depressive. However, the story pulls you in and doesn't let go.
For children
No point in reading or giving kids younger school age complex works, as many parents like to do. It is unlikely that they will be able to understand and appreciate them. In addition, there is a lot of excellent literature designed specifically for young readers. So what are the books (classics) that every child should read?
"The Wizard of Oz"
The adventure story of little Ellie and Totoshka will not leave you indifferent. A girl who, by chance, ended up in magical land adventures full of dangers await. The yellow brick road was not as easy as it seemed at first. However, new friends will help to overcome all difficulties and find the way home.
"Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Restless Tom brings only problems to his family, he is such a restless and resourceful boy. Even the punishment he is able to turn in a favorable direction for himself. Tom manages to find adventures even where they could not be! But along with his true friend Gek, he is able to overcome any difficulties. Even bring to light the terrible Indian Joe.
"The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends"
In the Flower City, everyone does their own thing: Znayka invents, Vintik and Shpuntik repair, Tube draws, Dr. Pilyulkin heals ... One Dunno sits back and composes fables. But on the other hand, he has the most beautiful hat and tie - no one else has such. Due to the carelessness of Dunno, the rest of the inhabitants flower city often get into alterations. But he's not from evil ... And he will try to correct what he has done.
For teenagers
The list of "books (classics) that every teenager should read" includes works recognized as the "gold fund" of literature.
"Lord of the Flies"
Golding's novel should appeal to those who love young adult books. It is one of the first books written in this direction, and its echoes can be found in many authors.
A group of boys miraculously survived a plane crash and ended up on a desert island. At first everything was fine: the sea, palm trees, hunting, fruits, hope for salvation, organization of life in the image and likeness of Robinson Cruz. Two boys who want to be leaders and understand that there can only be one. From a tiny spark of enmity, a whole fire of hatred flared up, in which any idea of humanity was burned.
"Treasure Island"
Pirates, treasures, dangers at every turn - this was not what the young man was looking for when he searched the chest of the guest in search of money. But in addition to what he was looking for, the young man finds a shabby map of the island, where the location of the treasure is marked. Enlisting the help of senior comrades, he goes in search of treasure. But along with them, pirates go to the island ... Who will get the found treasure?
Modern classic
"Do not let me go"
There are books (classics) that everyone should read. And this is one of them. created an amazing work of art. At first, it is not entirely clear what in question, but then it is impossible to tear yourself away, even realizing the horror of what is happening on the pages.
These children grew up without knowing their parents, without knowing love, but convinced that they had a special destiny. They have been told about this since childhood, and they are used to considering it something ordinary, not strange and not terrible.
"Chocolate"
This is a very unusual story English writer Joanne Harris. Mystical, beautiful, with an indescribable feeling of immersion in the Middle Ages, although the action of the novel takes place in the early 1960s.
A new resident arrives in a small French town with her daughter. She opens a shop for sweets, which she cooks herself according to old recipes. Everyone who has tried them is sure to come back for a treat, and this looks very suspicious in the eyes of the local priest. And the woman is not as simple as it seems. She and her daughter are hiding a big secret.
"Perfumer. The Story of a Murderer
The story of a genius who turned into a monster, wanting to create the perfect fragrance. Even if for this it was necessary to commit a crime, the main character did not doubt for a minute. What does the life of a young innocent girl mean? Nothing. She is just the desired ingredient in a complex perfume composition.
After the film adaptation was released, the book produced the effect of an exploding bomb: stunned, disgusted, delighted. There were no indifferent people.
Instead of an afterword
Classic books everyone should read educated person, it is difficult to collect in a list limited by any framework. There are too many worthy works, the tastes of all people are different, so you just need to read and look for your own, not limited to “chewing gum for the brain”. Books that make you think and leave a mark on the memory are worth the time spent on them.
Closer to mid-February, it seems that even love vibes are in the air. And if you have not felt this mood yet, the gray sky and the cold wind spoil all the romance - will help you the best classic about love!
Antoine Francois Prevost, The Story of the Chevalier de Grieux and Manon Lescaut (1731)
This story takes place in the scenery of Regency France after death. Louis XIV. The story is told on behalf of a seventeen-year-old boy, a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy in northern France. Having successfully passed the exams, he is going to return to his father's house, but by chance he meets an attractive and mysterious girl. This is Manon Lesko, who was brought to the city by her parents to give to the monastery. Cupid's arrow pierces the heart of the young gentleman, and he, forgetting everything, persuades Manon to run away with him. Thus begins the eternal and beautiful love story of the Chevalier de Grieux and Manon Lescaut, which will inspire entire generations of readers, writers, artists, musicians, directors.
Author love story- Abbé Prevost, whose life tossed between monastic seclusion and secular society. His fate - complex, interesting, his love for a girl of another faith - forbidden and passionate - formed the basis of a fascinating and scandalous (for its era) book.
"Manon Lescaut" is the first novel where, against the background of a reliable image of material and everyday realities, a subtle and penetrating psychological picture heroes. The fresh, winged prose of Abbé Prevost is unlike all previous French literature.
This story, which tells about several years in the life of de Grieux, during which the young man, impulsive, sensitive, thirsty for love and freedom, manages to turn into a man with great experience and difficult fate. The beautiful Manon also grows up: her spontaneity and frivolity is replaced by a depth of feelings and a wise outlook on life.
“Despite the cruelest fate, I found my happiness in her eyes and in firm confidence in her feelings. Truly I have lost everything that other people honor and cherish; but I owned the heart of Manon, the only good that I honored.
A novel about clean and eternal love, which arises from the air, but the strength and purity of this feeling is enough to change the heroes and their destinies. But will this power be enough to change the life around?
Emily Bronte "Wuthering Heights" (1847)
Debuting in the same year, each of the Brontë sisters presented their novel to the world: Charlotte - "Jane Eyre", Emily - "Wuthering Heights", Anne - "Agnes Grey". Charlotte's novel made a sensation (it, like any book of the most famous Bronte, could be in this top), but after the death of the sisters, it was recognized that Wuthering Heights is one of the best works of that time.
The most mystical and reserved of the sisters, Emily Bronte, has created a poignant novel about madness and hatred, about strength and love. Contemporaries considered him too rude, but they could not help but fall under his magical influence.
The story of generations of two families unfolds against the picturesque backdrop of the Yorkshire fields, where the mad wind and inhuman passions rule. Central characters- freedom-loving Catherine and impulsive Heathcliff, obsessed with each other. Their complex characters social status, exceptional destinies - all together form a canon love story. But this book is more than just an early Victorian love story. According to modernist Virginia Woolf, “the thought that is at the basis of manifestations human nature there are forces that elevate her and raise her to the foot of greatness, and puts Emily Brontë's novel in a special, prominent place among similar novels.
Thanks to " Wuthering Pass"The beautiful fields of Yorkshire became a nature reserve, and we inherited, for example, such masterpieces as the film of the same name with Juliette Binoche, the popular ballad "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" performed by Celine Dion, as well as touching quotes:
What doesn't remind you of her? I can’t even look under my feet, so that her face does not appear here on the floor slabs! It is in every cloud, in every tree - it fills the air at night, during the day it appears in the outlines of objects - her image is everywhere around me! The most ordinary faces, male and female, my own features, all tease me with semblance. The whole world is a terrible freak show, where everything reminds me that she existed and that I lost her.
Leo Tolstoy "Anna Karenina" (1877)
There is a well-known legend about how it was discussed in the circle of writers that there are no good love stories in literature. Tolstoy started up at these words and accepted the challenge, saying that he would write good romance about love in three months. And he did write. True, for four years.
But that, as they say, is history. And Anna Karenina is a novel that is included in the school curriculum. Such school reading. And so, every decent graduate at the exit learns that “All happy families are alike…”, and in the Oblonsky house "everything is mixed..."
Meanwhile, "Anna Karenina" is real great book about great love. Today it is generally accepted (thanks, including to the cinema) that this is a novel about the pure and passionate love of Karenina and Vronsky, which became Anna's salvation from her boring tyrant husband and her own death.
But for the author himself, this is, first of all, family romance, a novel about love, which, having connected the two halves, develops into something more: a family, children. This, according to Tolstoy, is the main purpose of a woman. Because there is nothing more important, and most importantly, more difficult than raising a child, maintaining a real strong family. This idea in the novel is personified by the union of Levin and Kitty. This family, which Tolstoy wrote off in many ways from his union with Sofya Andreevna, becomes a reflection of the ideal union of a man and a woman.
The Karenins, on the other hand, are an “unhappy family,” and Tolstoy devoted his book to an analysis of the causes of this misfortune. However, the author does not indulge in moralizing, accusing the sinful Anna of destroying a decent family. Leo Tolstoy, "a connoisseur of human souls", creates complex work where there is no right or wrong. There is a society that influences the heroes, there are heroes who choose their own path, and there are feelings that the heroes do not always understand, but which they give themselves to in full.
On this I round off my literary analysis because much has already been written about this and better. I’ll just express my thought: be sure to reread the texts from the school curriculum. And not only from school.
Reshad Nuri Gyuntekin "King - songbird" (1922)
The question is which works Turkish literature have become world classics, can be confusing. The novel "The Songbird" deserves such recognition. Reshad Nuri Guntekin wrote this book at the age of 33, it became one of his first novels. These circumstances make one even more surprised at the skill with which the writer portrayed the psychology of a young woman, the social problems of provincial Turkey.
Fragrant and original book captures from the first lines. This diary entries beautiful Feride, who remembers her life and her love. When this book first came to me (and it was during my puberty), the tattered cover showed off "Chalikushu - a singing bird." Even now this translation of the name seems to me more colorful and sonorous. Chalykushu is the nickname of the restless Feride. As the heroine writes in her diary: “... my real name, Feride, became official and was used very rarely, like a festive outfit. I liked the name Chalykush, it even helped me out. As soon as someone complained about my tricks, I just shrugged my shoulders, as if saying: “I have nothing to do with it ... What do you want from Chalykushu? ..”.
Chalykushu lost her parents early. She is sent to be raised by relatives, where she falls in love with her aunt's son, Kamran. Their relationship is not easy, but young people are drawn to each other. Suddenly, Feride learns that her chosen one is already in love with another. In feelings, the impulsive Chalykushu fluttered out of the family nest towards real life, which met her with a hurricane of events ...
I remember how, after reading a book, I wrote quotes in my diary, realizing every word. It is interesting that you change over time, but the book remains the same poignant, touching and naive. But it seems that in our 21st century independent women, gadgets and social networks A little naivete doesn't hurt:
“A person lives and is tied by invisible threads to the people who surround him. Separation sets in, the threads stretch and break like the strings of a violin, making dull sounds. And every time the threads break at the heart, a person experiences the most acute pain.
David Herbert Lawrence Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928)
Provocative, scandalous, frank. Banned for over thirty years after first publication. The hardened English bourgeoisie did not tolerate the description of sexual scenes and "immoral" behavior main character. In 1960, a high-profile trial took place, during which the novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was rehabilitated and allowed for publication when the author was no longer alive.
Today, the novel and its storyline hardly seem so provocative to us. Young Constance marries the Baronet Chatterley. After their marriage, Clifford Chatterley is sent to Flanders, where he receives multiple wounds during the battle. He is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Connie's married life (as her husband affectionately calls her) has changed, but she continues to love her husband, caring for him. However, Clifford understands that it is hard for a young girl to spend all her nights alone. He allows her to have a lover, the main thing is that the candidate is worthy.
“If a man has no brains, he is a fool; if there is no heart, he is a villain; if there is no bile, he is a rag. If a man is not able to explode, like a tightly stretched spring, there is no masculine nature in him. This is not a man, but a good boy.
During one of the walks in the forest, Connie meets a new gamekeeper. It is he who will teach the girl not only the art of love, but also awaken real deep feelings in her.
David Herbert Lawrence - classic English Literature, author at least famous books"Sons and Lovers", "Women in Love", "Rainbow", he also wrote essays, poems, plays, travel prose. He created three versions of Lady Chatterley's Lover. The last version, which satisfied the author, was published. This novel brought him fame, but Lawrence's liberalism and the proclamation of freedom moral choice the person sung in the novel could be appreciated only many years later.
Margaret Mitchell Gone with the Wind (1936)
Aphorism "When a woman can't cry, it's scary", and the image itself strong woman written by the American writer Margaret Mitchell, who became famous thanks to the only novel. There is hardly a person who has not heard about the bestseller Gone with the Wind.
"Gone with the Wind" - a story civil war between the northern and southern states of America in the 60s, during which cities and destinies collapsed, but something new and beautiful could not but be born. This is the story of the growing up of young Scarlett O'Hara, who is forced to take responsibility for the family, learn to manage her feelings and achieve simple female happiness.
This is that successful love story when, in addition to the main and rather superficial theme, it gives something else. The book grows with the reader: open in different time, it will be perceived each time in a new way. One thing remains unchanged in it: the anthem of love, life and humanity. And unexpected and open final inspired several writers to create sequels to the love story, the most famous being Alexander Ripley's Scarlett or Donald McCaig's Rhett Butler's People.
Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago" (1957)
A complex symbolist novel by Pasternak, written in no less complex and rich language. A number of researchers point to the autobiographical nature of the work, but the events or characters described bear little resemblance to the real life of the author. Nevertheless, this is a kind of "spiritual autobiography", which Pasternak characterized as follows: “I am currently writing a long novel in prose about a man who constitutes a kind of resultant between Blok and me (and Mayakovsky and Yesenin, perhaps). He will die in 1929. From him there will be a book of poems, which is one of the chapters of the second part. The time embraced by the novel is 1903-1945.
The main theme of the novel is reflections on the future of the country and the fate of the generation to which the author belonged. Historical events play an important role for the heroes of the novel, it is the whirlpool of a complex political situation that determines their lives.
The main characters of the book are the doctor and poet Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova, the hero's beloved. Throughout the novel, their paths accidentally crossed and separated, seemingly forever. What really captivates in this novel is the inexplicable and immense love that the characters carried through their whole lives.
This love story culminates in several winter days in the snow-covered estate of Varykino. It is here that the main explanations of the characters take place, here Zhivago writes his best poems dedicated to Lara. But even in this abandoned house, they can not hide from the noise of war. Larisa is forced to leave in order to save the life of herself and her children. And Zhivago, going mad with loss, writes in his notebook:
From the threshold a man looks
Not recognizing at home.
Her departure was like an escape
There are signs of destruction everywhere.
Chaos is everywhere in the rooms.
He measures ruin
Doesn't notice because of tears
And a migraine attack.
There is some noise in my ears in the morning.
Is he in memory or dreaming?
And why does he mind
All the thought of the sea climbs? ..
Doctor Zhivago is a Nobel Prize-winning novel, a novel whose fate, like the fate of the author, turned out to be tragic, a novel that is still alive today, like the memory of Boris Pasternak, is a must-read.
John Fowles "The French Lieutenant's Mistress" (1969)
One of Fowles' masterpieces, which is a shaky interweaving of postmodernism, realism, the Victorian novel, psychology, allusions to Dickens, Hardy and other contemporaries. A novel that is central work English literature of the 20th century, is considered one of the main books about love.
The canvas of the story, like any plot of a love story, looks simple and predictable. But Fowles is a postmodernist, influenced by existentialism and passionate about historical sciences, created a mystical and deep love story from this story.
An aristocrat, a wealthy young man named Charles Smithson, along with his chosen one, meet Sarah Woodruff on the seashore - once "the mistress of the French lieutenant", and now - a maid who avoids people. Sarah appears reclusive, but Charles manages to connect with her. During one of the walks, Sara opens up to the hero, talking about her life.
“Even your own past does not seem to you to be something real - you dress it up, try to whitewash or denigrate it, you edit it, patch it up somehow ... In a word, turn it into fiction and put away on the shelf - this is your book, your novelized autobiography. We are all running from reality. This is the main distinguishing feature homo sapiens".
A difficult but special relationship is established between the characters, which will develop into a strong and fatal feeling.
The variability of the endings of the novel is not only one of the main techniques postmodern literature, but also reflects the idea that in love, as in life, everything is possible.
And for lovers acting Meryl Streep: A 1981 film of the same name directed by Karel Reisch starring Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. The film, which received several film awards, has become a classic. But watch it like any movie based on literary work better after reading the book itself.
Colin McCullough "The Thorn Birds" (1977)
Colleen McCullough wrote more than ten novels in her life, the historical cycle "Lords of Rome", a series of detective stories. But she was able to occupy a prominent place in Australian literature and thanks to just one novel - "The Thorn Birds".
seven parts fascinating history big family. Several generations of the Cleary clan who move to Australia to settle here and from simple poor farmers to become prominent and successful family. The central characters of this saga are Maggie Cleary and Ralph de Bricassar. Their story, which unites all the chapters of the novel, tells about eternal struggle duty and feeling, reason and passion. What will the heroes choose? Or will they have to stand on opposite sides and defend their choice?
Each of the parts of the novel is dedicated to one of the members of the Cleary family and subsequent generations. In the fifty years during which the action of the novel takes place, not only surrounding reality, but also life ideals. So Maggie's daughter - Fia, whose story opens in the last part of the book, no longer seeks to create a family, to continue her kind. So the fate of the Cleary family is in jeopardy.
The Thorn Birds is a finely crafted, filigree work about life itself. Colin McCullough managed to reflect complex overflows human soul, longing for the love that lives in every woman, passionate nature and inner strength of a man. Perfect long reading winter evenings under a blanket or hot days on a summer veranda.
“There is a legend about a bird that sings only once in its entire life, but it is the most beautiful in the world. One day she leaves her nest and flies to look for a thorn bush and will not rest until she finds it. Among the thorny branches she sings a song and throws herself at the longest, sharpest thorn. And, rising above the inexpressible torment, it sings so, dying, that both the lark and the nightingale would envy this jubilant song. The only, incomparable song, and it comes at the cost of life. But the whole world freezes, listening, and God himself smiles in heaven. For all the best is bought only at the cost of great suffering ... At least, so the legend says.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez Love in the Time of Plague (1985)
I wonder when it appeared famous expression that love is a disease? However, it is this truth that becomes the impetus for understanding the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which proclaims that "... the symptoms of love and the plague are the same". And the most important thought of this novel is contained in another quote: “If you meet your true love, then she will not go anywhere from you - not in a week, not in a month, not in a year.”
This happened to the heroes of the novel "Love in the Time of Plague", the plot of which revolves around a girl named Fermina Daza. In her youth, Florentino Arisa was in love with her, but, considering his love only a temporary hobby, she marries Juvenal Urbino. Urbino's profession is a doctor, and his life's work is the fight against cholera. However, Fermina and Florentino are destined to be together. When Urbino dies, the feelings of longtime lovers flare up with renewed vigor, painted in more mature and deeper tones.
Being an active reader, I will try to take on the role of an assistant and sketch out a few ideas, making a list of the most recognized and most successful, from my point of view, works of both domestic and foreign literature. Most of these novels have already won, and continue to gain popularity, which means that these are exactly the books that you need to read in order to discover and know this magical, mysterious and so tempting world of literature.
- What to read from the classics? The relevance of the issue.
Usually a similar question arises among those who suddenly realized the need for self-education or decided to fill in their gaps from the school course on Russian literature.
This is where it comes up main difficulty. Everyone wants to read something from the collection of world masterpieces. But is there such a thing as a literary masterpiece? Critics argue that unequivocally answer to this question impossible: someone likes Russian literature, and someone foreign, someone reads it to the holes, and someone cannot imagine an evening without an exciting love story.
Having visited one of the major second-hand bookshops in the capital, I asked the sellers what questions visitors most often ask. As it turned out, one of the most common requests is precisely the request for advice on what to read from the classics.
It turns out that in fact there are many who want it, literature of this kind is in demand, but low awareness sometimes scares away potential customers.
First of all, let's take a look at the novels. By the way, they should be understood as more short form presentation of current events than, for example, a story or a story. This type of narrative is characterized by the presence of only one storyline and the number of actors is very limited.
I would highlight the following works:
- Augustine "Treatises"
- D. Swift "Gulliver's Travels"
- F. Kafka "Process"
- M. de Montaigne "Complete Essay"
- N. Hawthorne "Letter to Scarlet"
- G. Melville "Moby Dick"
- R. Descartes "Principles of Philosophy"
- Ch. Dickens "Oliver Twist"
- G. Flaubert "Madame Bovary"
- D. Austin "Pride and Prejudice"
- Aeschylus "Agamemnon"
- Sophocles "The Myth of Oedipus"
- Euripides "Medea"
- Aristophanes "Birds"
- Aristotle "Poetics"
- W. Shakespeare "Richard III", "Hamlet", "Dream in midsummer night"
- Molière "Tartuffe"
- W. Congreve "So do in the world"
- Henrik Johan Ibsen "A Doll's House"
Dreamers and romantics very often try to find answers to the questions posed in verses. What to read from the classics in the poetic genre? Many things. But I would especially highlight:
- Homer "Iliad" and "Odyssey"
- Horace "Odes"
- Dante Alighieri "Hell"
- W. Shakespeare "Sonnets"
- D. Milton" Lost heaven"
- W. Wordsworth "Favorites"
- S.T. Coleridge "Poems"
As for the works of our country, is there really nothing worthy? - Well, of course not! - If I were asked to answer the question of what to read from the Russian classics, I would, of course, recommend “Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov, “Mtsyri” by M. Lermontov, poems and poems by A. Pushkin.
3. Reading masterpieces of world literature. What does this give us?
Is it worth returning to this direction or is it better and more correct to pay more attention contemporary works? It is very, very difficult to answer this question unambiguously.
Sometimes opinions are divided just the same cardinally.
For example, opponents argue that it is already completely outdated, has lost its relevance, gradually turning into a kind of utopia. In turn, philologists and students of linguistic universities defend the masterpieces of the world epic, insisting that without studying the history, culture and subtleties of the language, it is impossible to understand and comprehend our today's world.
Well, well ... Each side is right in its own way ... Probably, everyone will agree that, say, Homer's "Odyssey" is not the so-called tabloid reading for vacation or empty pastime. It is difficult to read a work of such a plan and you need to do it thoughtfully, slowly and without being distracted, comprehending and remembering the details. Not everyone can do it.
It is these books that can introduce the reader to the world of both native and foreign literature, help to better understand the traditions, culture and mentality of peoples. And they will also reveal all the charm and richness of the colors of the narrative language, thereby replenishing lexicon reading.
Undoubtedly, reading all the books mentioned in this article may take several years, but in any case, it certainly will not be time wasted.
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In Russia, literature has its own direction, different from any other. The Russian soul is mysterious and incomprehensible. The genre reflects both Europe and Asia, therefore the best classical Russian works are unusual, amaze with sincerity and vitality.
Main actor- soul. For a person, the position in society, the amount of money is not important, it is important for him to find himself and his place in this life, to find truth and peace of mind.
The books of Russian literature are united by the traits of a writer who possesses the gift of the great Word, who has completely devoted himself to this art of literature. Best Classics saw life not flatly, but multifaceted. They wrote about the life of not random destinies, but expressing being in its most unique manifestations.
Russian classics are so different, with different destinies, but they are united by the fact that literature is recognized as a school of life, a way of studying and developing Russia.
Russian classic literature created best writers from different parts of Russia. It is very important where the author was born, because this determines his formation as a person, his development, and it also affects writing skills. Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky were born in Moscow, Chernyshevsky in Saratov, Shchedrin in Tver. Poltava region in Ukraine is the birthplace of Gogol, Podolsk province - Nekrasov, Taganrog - Chekhov.
Three great classics, Tolstoy, Turgenev and Dostoevsky, were absolutely different people, had different fates, complex characters and great gifts. They made a huge contribution to the development of literature, writing their best works, which still excite the hearts and souls of readers. Everyone should read these books.
Another important difference books of Russian classics - ridiculing the shortcomings of a person and his way of life. Satire and humor are the main features of the works. However, many critics said that this was all slander. And only true connoisseurs saw how the characters are both comical and tragic at the same time. Books like this always touch my heart.
Here you can find the best works of classical literature. You can download Russian classic books for free or read online, which is very convenient. 
We present to your attention the 100 best books of Russian classics. The complete list of books includes the best and most memorable works of Russian writers. This literature known to everyone and recognized by critics from all over the world.
Of course, our list of top 100 books is just a small part of the best works of the great classics. It can be continued for a very long time.
One hundred books that everyone should read in order to understand not only how they used to live, what were the values, traditions, priorities in life, what they aspired to, but to find out in general how our world works, how bright and pure a soul can be and how valuable it is for a person, for the formation of his personality.
The top 100 list includes the best and most notable works Russian classics. The plot of many of them is known from school bench. However, some books are difficult to understand at a young age, and this requires wisdom that is acquired over the years.
Of course, the list is far from complete and can be continued indefinitely. Reading such literature is a pleasure. She not only teaches something, she radically changes lives, helps to realize simple things that we sometimes do not even notice.
We hope you enjoyed our list of classic Russian literature books. Perhaps you have already read something from it, but something not. Great opportunity to make your own personal list books, your top, which you would like to read.
🔥 For readers of our site, a promo code for Litres books. 👉 .
The most recognized classical literature - the list of the best books. World foreign and Russian classics. We highly recommend. 😉
Sylvia Plath. Under a glass cover
Esther Greenwood is invited to New York for an internship at a women's fashion magazine. She goes there determined to conquer the city and become a writer. But behind the magnificent backstage hide an indifferent society and difficulties. adult life. Esther ceases to control herself, and she is overcome by depression and loneliness. Further
Ken Kesey. Above the cuckoo's nest
A work describing tough and maximally honest images of common ground common sense and craziness, brought Ken Kesey the title of the most talented writer. At the time of its appearance, the novel was popular among representatives of beatniks and hippies, but even now it has not lost its relevance. Further
William Somerset Maugham. Theater
What is hidden in the book? The graceful and sarcastic narration of an incomparable, witty actress who goes through a midlife crisis while dating a young thief of women's hearts? Conceited stories of the rampant twenties? Or is it a thrilling romance for all time? One thing is clear for sure, "Theater" will be to the taste of even the most fastidious reader. Further
This book will help students of all ages. With it, neither children nor parents will have to spend a lot of their time looking for a certain work: the collection already contains a large number of necessary literature recommended by teachers. Further
The main character, who is a bank employee, is suddenly arrested on the day he turns 30. But he is not taken into custody, and he, using this, tries to figure out what he was guilty of. In this process, he becomes more and more immersed in the judicial world. Will the hero be able to figure out what the essence of the accusation is? Further
Kerouac became famous all over the world thanks to his work "On the Road", although the attitude towards him different people was very controversial. The novel tells about the plight and suffering of one generation of people in a very unusual, non-linear way, and the focus is on Dean, a wit who loves to drink and women. Further
Famous novel in the Polish classics, written in historical genre. Events develop in the middle of the 16th century. Then the Swedes were eager to conquer Poland. But the Poles also caused confusion among their people: someone went over to the side of the enemy, someone tried with all his might to protect his land. And in the center of events - the adventures of a couple in love. Further
A novel that will be relevant absolutely at all times. The book touches on the themes of religion and philosophy, perfectly revealed in a perfectly constructed plot: the actions of each character carry great sense. In this work, the author showed how immorality can be avoided in society. Further
The original opposite of the well-known dystopia "Oh wonderful world". What's worse for people? A consumer-dominated society that has been reduced to meaninglessness? Or is it an idea-dominated society that has led to ideal perfection? Orwell believes that the worst thing is the massive loss of freedom. Further
The book tells about the generations of the Buendia family. Events during the war Forbidden love between family members, the emergence of new people, magic - all this can be found in the work of Marquez. The novel involves the reader in the feelings of each character: his feelings and loneliness are acutely felt. Further
Tragedies of people in wartime, problems lost generation. This book will reveal the gamut of all feelings from love to betrayal. The heroes of the novel are three friends who are united by the front, their feelings, thoughts about the past, desires and dreams are described. This is a work for those who want to immerse themselves in the life of the last century. Further
The book that laid the foundation for the culture of European postmodernism. It can be perceived in different ways: a masterpiece novel of avant-garde, written in the style of surrealist philosophy, or vice versa, a masterpiece philosophical story, written in the style of a novel with surrealism. Further
The busy life of the 20s of the last century, when it was popular to have luxurious parties, when people were sure that they would find happiness only after reaching great heights of power and wealth. And Gatsby, who futilely pursued the dream of love, was inherent in all this. Further
The boys, who had just recently graduated from school and had not yet had time to know adult life, found themselves in a war that spares no one, along with their teacher. Young men try to find joy in the most ordinary things, in what they had not paid attention to before, because every day may be the last. Further
Events are developing in a sanatorium in which there are people with tuberculosis. There is an acute sense of being cut off from the rest of the world, with which it is occasionally possible to communicate via mail. Here, no one is afraid of death anymore, everyone desperately clings to the slightest manifestations of relationships between people, this helps not to go crazy. Further
A masterpiece in literature that will never lose its relevance: people of all times will read this book with great pleasure. Jane Austen was the first to show that the novel can be a serious genre that lacks superficiality in the plot. With this, she won universal love. Further
A book that involves headlong into the story of the difficult fate of two brothers and a sister who begin to live separate lives after their father dies. Everyone on the way meets many obstacles that prevent you from finally reaching your dream. The work teaches you to find happiness in what you already have, but have not yet learned to appreciate. Further
Hugo writes about how people who are not accepted by society live. For example, a man who was sentenced to as much as 20 years because he was caught forced to steal bread, because he poor family was starving; or the boy who lived on the street. The novel touches on the themes of crime, police, politics and the church. Further
At the time of the first delivery of the novel, books were subjected to strict censorship, it was impossible to allow the publication of forbidden topics, therefore this work was cut by almost a third. This option books collected from all the materials that were found in the archive, he is the first complete edition which you can read. Further
A well-written piece that deserves to be filmed. But if you want to feel the full gamut of emotions and fully immerse yourself in a deep story about a crazy woman leading nowhere, unrequited love of a beautiful paralyzed girl to a soldier, it is worth reading this novel Zweig. Further
It was the world's most popular classical literature - a list of the best books. Here, far from all Russian and foreign classics, but if you have favorite works, write about them in the comments and we will add to the list. 😉
