Recently, the BBC showed a series based on Tolstoy's "War and Peace". In the West, everything is like ours - there, too, the release of a film (television) adaptation dramatically increases interest in the literary source. And now the masterpiece of Lev Nikolaevich suddenly became one of the bestsellers, and with it the readers became interested in all Russian literature. On this wave, the popular literary site Literary Hub published the article "10 Russian Literary Heroines You Should Know" (The 10 Russian Literary Heroines You Should Know). It seemed to me that this is a curious look from the outside on our classics and I translated the article for my blog. I post it here too. The illustrations are taken from the original article.
Attention! The text contains spoilers.
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We know that all happy heroines are equally happy, and each unhappy heroine is unhappy in her own way. But the fact is that there are few happy characters in Russian literature. Russian heroines tend to complicate their lives. It should be so, because their beauty as literary characters largely comes from their ability to suffer, from their tragic destinies, from their “Russianness”.
The most important thing to understand about Russians female characters: their destinies are not stories of overcoming obstacles to achieve "and they lived happily ever after." Keepers of primordial Russian values, they know that there is more to life than happiness.
1. Tatyana Larina (A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin")
In the beginning there was Tatyana. This is a kind of Eve of Russian literature. And not only because it is chronologically the first, but also because Pushkin occupies a special place in Russian hearts. Almost any Russian is able to recite the poems of the father of Russian literature by heart (and after a few shots of vodka, many will do this). Pushkin's masterpiece, the poem "Eugene Onegin", is the story not only of Onegin, but also of Tatyana, a young innocent girl from the provinces, who falls in love with the protagonist. Unlike Onegin, who is shown as a cynical bon vivant spoiled by fashionable European values, Tatyana embodies the essence and purity of the mysterious Russian soul. Including a penchant for self-sacrifice and neglect of happiness, which is shown by her famous rejection of the person she loves.
2. Anna Karenina (L.N. Tolstoy "Anna Karenina")
Unlike Pushkin's Tatyana, who resists the temptation to get along with Onegin, Anna Tolstoy leaves both her husband and son to run away with Vronsky. Like a real dramatic heroine, Anna voluntarily does not right choice, an option for which she will have to pay. Anna's sin and its source tragic fate not in the fact that she left the child, but in the fact that selfishly indulging her sexual and romantic desires, she forgot the lesson of Tatyana's selflessness. If you see a light at the end of a tunnel, make no mistake, it could be a train.
3. Sonya Marmeladova (F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment")
In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Sonya appears as the antipode of Raskolnikov. A whore and a saint at the same time, Sonya accepts her existence as a path of martyrdom. Upon learning of Raskolnikov's crime, she does not push him away, on the contrary, she attracts him to herself in order to save his soul. Characteristic here is the famous scene when they read biblical history about the resurrection of Lazarus. Sonya is able to forgive Raskolnikov, because she believes that everyone is equal before God, and God forgives. For a repentant killer, this is a real find.
4. Natalia Rostova (L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace")
Natalia is everyone's dream: smart, funny, sincere. But if Pushkin's Tatyana is too good to be true, Natalya seems alive, real. Partly because Tolstoy added other qualities to her image: she is capricious, naive, flirtatious and, for the mores of the early 19th century, a little daring. In War and Peace, Natalia starts out as a charming teenager, exuding joy and vitality. Throughout the novel, she grows older, learns the lessons of life, tames her fickle heart, becomes wiser, her character acquires integrity. And this woman, which is generally uncharacteristic for Russian heroines, after more than a thousand pages, is still smiling.
5. Irina Prozorova (A.P. Chekhov "Three Sisters")
At the beginning of Chekhov's play Three Sisters, Irina is the youngest and full of hope. Her older brothers and sisters are whiny and capricious, they are tired of life in the provinces, and Irina's naive soul is filled with optimism. She dreams of returning to Moscow, where, in her opinion, she will find her true love and will be happy. But as the chance to move to Moscow fades, she becomes increasingly aware that she is stuck in the countryside and is losing her spark. Through Irina and her sisters, Chekhov shows us that life is just a series of dull moments, only occasionally punctuated by short bursts of joy. Like Irina, we waste our time on trifles, dreaming of a better future, but gradually we realize the insignificance of our existence.
6. Lisa Kalitina (I.S. Turgenev "The Noble Nest")
In the novel " Noble Nest» Turgenev created a sample of the Russian heroine. Liza is young, naive, pure in heart. She is torn between two suitors: a young, handsome, cheerful officer and an old, sad, married man. Guess who she chose? The choice of Lisa says a lot about the mysterious Russian soul. She is clearly on her way to suffering. The choice of Lisa shows that the desire for sadness and melancholy is no worse than any other option. At the end of the story, Lisa is disappointed in love and goes to a monastery, choosing the path of sacrifice and deprivation. “Happiness is not for me,” she explains her act. “Even when I hoped for happiness, my heart was always heavy.”
7. Margarita (M. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita")
Chronologically last on the list, Bulgakovskaya Margarita, an extremely strange heroine. At the beginning of the novel, this is an unhappy woman in marriage, then she becomes the lover and muse of the Master, in order to later turn into a witch flying on a broomstick. For Master Margarita, this is not only a source of inspiration. She becomes, like Sonya for Raskolnikov, his healer, lover, savior. When the Master is in trouble, Margarita turns to none other than Satan himself for help. Having concluded, like Faust, a contract with the Devil, she nevertheless reunites with her lover, albeit not quite in this world.
8. Olga Semyonova (A.P. Chekhov "Darling")
In Darling, Chekhov tells the story of Olga Semyonova, who loves and gentle soul, common man who is said to live by love. Olga becomes a widow early. Twice. When there is no one around to love, she closes herself in the company of a cat. In a review of Darling, Tolstoy wrote that, intending to ridicule a narrow-minded woman, Chekhov accidentally created a very endearing character. Tolstoy went even further, he condemned Chekhov for being too harsh on Olga, urging her to judge her soul, not her intellect. According to Tolstoy, Olga embodies the ability of Russian women to love unconditionally, a virtue unknown to men.
9. Anna Sergeevna Odintsova (I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons")
In the novel "Fathers and Sons" (often mistranslated "Fathers and Sons"), Mrs. Odintsova is a lonely woman middle age, the sound of her surname in Russian also hints at loneliness. Odintsova is an atypical heroine who has become a kind of pioneer among female literary characters. Unlike other women in the novel, who follow the obligations imposed on them by society, Mrs. Odintsova is childless, she has no mother and husband (she is a widow). She stubbornly defends her independence, like Pushkin's Tatyana, refusing the only chance to find true love.
10. Nastasya Filippovna (F.M. Dostoevsky "The Idiot")
The heroine of The Idiot, Nastasya Filippovna, gives an idea of how complex Dostoevsky is. Beauty makes her a victim. Orphaned as a child, Nastasya becomes a kept woman and mistress of the elderly man who picked her up. But every time she tries to break free from the clutches of her position and build her own destiny, she continues to feel humiliated. Guilt casts a fatal shadow on all her decisions. According to tradition, like many other Russian heroines, Nastasya has several options for fate, mainly associated with men. And in keeping with tradition, she fails to make the right choice. Resigned to fate instead of fighting, the heroine drifts to her tragic end.
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The author of this text is the writer and diplomatic worker Guillermo Erades. He worked in Russia for some time, knows Russian literature well, is a fan of Chekhov and the author of Back to Moscow. So this view is not entirely outsider. On the other hand, how to write about Russian literary heroines without knowing the Russian classics?
Guillermo does not explain his choice of characters in any way. In my opinion, the absence of Princess Mary is surprising or " poor Lisa"(which, by the way, was written earlier than Pushkin's Tatyana) and Katerina Kabanova (from Ostrosky's Thunderstorm). It seems to me that these Russians literary heroes none are more famous with us than Liza Kalitina or Olga Semyonova. However, this is my subjective opinion. Who would you add to this list?
Every book that has become a masterpiece has its heroes (bad and good). Today we want to talk about characters that, even after 100 years, remain relevant and famous. Many of these books were filmed, so we sometimes recognize many of the characters from films. Let's start with Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes
Literary character created by Arthur Conan Doyle. His works, dedicated to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the famous London private detective, are considered classics. detective genre. The prototype of Holmes is considered to be Dr. Joseph Bell, a colleague of Conan Doyle who worked at the Edinburgh Royal Hospital and was famous for his ability to the smallest details guess the character and past of a person.
The first work about the famous detective, the story "A Study in crimson colors", written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. Latest compilation, The Sherlock Holmes Archive, published 1927. Sherlock Holmes is apparently a biochemist by training. At the time of meeting Watson, he worked as a laboratory assistant in one of the London hospitals.
Hercule Poirot
famous literary character English writer Agatha Christie, Belgian detective, main character 33 novels, 54 short stories and 1 play written between 1920 and 1975 and made into films, television series, theater and radio shows.
Poirot is a Belgian immigrant, a former policeman. Poirot himself in the book "A Tragedy in Three Acts" says that "... in my youth I was poor and had many brothers and sisters ... worked for some time in the police in Belgium ... then the War began, I was wounded ... I was sent to England for treatment, where I stayed…”.
Robin Hood
Popular hero of medieval English folk ballads, noble leader of the forest robbers. According to legend, he acted with his gang in Sherwood Forest near Nottingham - robbed the rich, giving the spoils to the poor.
The identity of the prototype of these ballads and legends has not been established. Presumably, he lived at the beginning of the XIV century, during the reign of King Edward II. However, at present, the artistic version of Walter Scott is the most popular, according to which Robin lived in the second half of the 12th century (that is, he was a contemporary of Richard Lion Heart and John the Landless). In favor of the first version and against Scott's version, a number of historical details: so, archery competitions began to be held in England no earlier than the 13th century.
E rast Fandorin
Hero of a series of historical detectives Russian writer Boris Akunin "The Adventures of Erast Fandorin". In this series, the writer set himself the task of writing one detective different styles: conspiracy detective, spy detective, hermetic detective, ethnographic detective, etc.
The reviewers expressed the opinion that the name Fandorin is an allusion to the journalist Jerome Fandor, the hero of a series of detective novels French writers Marcel Allen and Pierre Souvestre about Fantômas (1911-1913) and the 1960s French film trilogy based on these novels.
Erast Petrovich Fandorin was born on January 8 (20), 1856 in the old noble family. The boy's mother died during childbirth. Therefore, either out of annoyance, or in mockery of the bitter fate, the father, Pyotr Isaakievich, mourning his wife Elizabeth, called the boy Erast.
To Commissioner Maigret
Commissaire Jules Maigret
Commissioner Jules Maigret is the hero of the popular series of detective novels and short stories by Georges Simenon, a wise policeman.
Jules Joseph Anselm Maigret was born in 1884 in the village of Saint-Fiacre near Mantignon in the family of the estate manager, Count Saint-Fiacre. There he spent his childhood and youth. Simenon repeatedly mentions Maigret's peasant roots. The commissioner's mother died in childbirth. When he was 8 years old, he spent several months at the Lyceum, where he had a very hard time, and, in the end, his father sent him to his sister, who was married to a baker in Nantes. Arriving in Paris, Megre began to study as a doctor, but for a number of reasons and circumstances he left his studies and decided to join the police.
Megre, with his talent and perseverance, rose from an ordinary inspector to the position of divisional commissar, head of a brigade for the investigation of especially serious crimes.
Maigret is unimaginable without smoking pipe He has a whole collection of them.
Z orro
A fictional character, a variation on the theme of Robin Hood, a "masked hero" who comes to the aid of the destitute people of New Spain. Zorro was originally a character in Johnston McCully's adventure books.
Zorro was originally a character in Johnston McCully's adventure books. He first appeared in the story The Curse of Capistrano, published in 1919. According to one version, when creating the image, McCully was based on stories about a certain William Lamport. The following year saw the first Fox film, The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks in leading role. Subsequently, many films were made about Zorro both in America and abroad.
T arzan
Fictional character created by writer Edgar Rice Burroughs and first appeared in the book Tarzan of the Apes. Journal publication of the novel took place in 1912, in 1914 it came out as a separate book, followed by twenty-three sequels. Tarzan is called the most recognizable literary character in the world. In addition to a huge number of books written by Burroughs himself and other authors, the character has also appeared in many films, television programs, on radio, in comics and parodies.
d racula
Vampire, the title character and main antagonist of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. As the archetypal vampire, Dracula has appeared in numerous works. mass culture, not even directly related to Bram Stoker's novel.
B the right soldier Schweik
A satirical character invented by the Czech writer Jaroslav Hasek; the protagonist of the unfinished novel "The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik during the World War", written in 1921-1923, a cycle of 5 stories "The Good Soldier Schweik. Fascinating Adventures of an Honest Servant" and the story "The Good Soldier Schweik in Captivity".
According to the literary critic S. V. Nikolsky, the prototypes of the good soldier Schweik were two people with whom Hasek was familiar: corporal Josef Schweik and Frantisek Strashlipka, the orderly of the real lieutenant Lukash, Hasek's company commander during the First World War.
B etman
Fictional superhero comic book character published by DC Comics who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. Along with Superman, Batman is one of the most popular and famous heroes comics. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. Until recently, Bob Kane was considered the main creator of the character, but after much research, authorship was transferred to Bill Finger in 2015, since Kane's real contribution to the creation of the character was very small.
Tom Sawyer
One of the main characters in Mark Twain's novels: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "Tom Sawyer Abroad" and "Tom Sawyer - Detective"; also a character in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Sawyer is in at least three more unfinished works Mark Twain - School Hill, The Tom Sawyer Conspiracy and Huck and Tom Among the Indians.
The fictional character's name may have been taken from real person named Tom Sawyer, whom Twain met in San Francisco, California, where Mark Twain worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Call. Mark Twain states in the preface that the character was based on three boys he knew as a child.
Literary characters are usually fiction author. But some of them still have real prototypes that lived at the time of the author, or known historical figures. We will tell you who these strangers were a wide range figure readers.
1. Sherlock Holmes
Even the author himself admitted that Sherlock Holmes has a lot common features with his mentor Joe Bell. On the pages of his autobiography, one could read that the writer often recalled his teacher, spoke of his eagle profile, inquisitive mind and amazing intuition. According to him, the doctor could turn any business into an accurate, systematic scientific discipline.
Often, Dr. Bell used deductive methods of inquiry. Only by one type of person could he tell about his habits, about his biography, and sometimes even made a diagnosis. After the release of the novel Conan Doyle corresponded with the "prototype" of Holmes, and he told him that perhaps this is how his career would have developed if he had chosen a different path.
2. James Bond
Literary history James Bond began with a series of books written by spy Ian Fleming. The first book in the series - "Casino Royale" - was published in 1953, a few years after Fleming was assigned to follow Prince Bernard, who had defected from German service to British intelligence. After long mutual suspicions, the scouts became good friends. Bond took over from Prince Bernard to order a Vodka Martini, while adding the legendary "Shake, don't stir."
3. Ostap Bender
The man who became the prototype of the great combinator from the "12 chairs" of Ilf and Petrov at the age of 80 still worked as a conductor on railway on the train from Moscow to Tashkent. Born in Odessa, Ostap Shor, from tender nails, was prone to adventures. He presented himself either as an artist, or as a chess grandmaster, and even acted as a member of one of the anti-Soviet parties.
Only thanks to his remarkable imagination, Ostap Shor managed to return from Moscow to Odessa, where he served in the criminal investigation department and fought against local banditry. Probably, hence the respectful attitude of Ostap Bender to the Criminal Code.
4. Professor Preobrazhensky
Professor Preobrazhensky from the famous Bulgakov novel " dog heart» was also real prototype- French surgeon of Russian origin Samuil Abramovich Voronov. This man at the beginning of the 20th century made a splash in Europe, transplanting monkey glands to humans to rejuvenate the body. The first operations showed a simply amazing effect: in elderly patients, there was a resumption of sexual activity, an improvement in memory and vision, ease of movement, and mentally retarded children gained mental alertness.
Thousands of people underwent treatment in Voronova, and the doctor himself opened his own monkey nursery on the French Riviera. But very little time passed, the patients of the miracle doctor began to feel worse. There were rumors that the result of the treatment was just self-hypnosis, and Voronov was called a charlatan.
5. Peter Pan
The boy with the beautiful Tinker Bell fairy was presented to the world and to James Barry himself, the author of the written work, by the Davis couple (Arthur and Sylvia). The prototype for Peter Pan was Michael, one of their sons. fairy tale hero received from real boy not only age and character, but also nightmares. And the novel itself is a dedication to the author's brother, David, who died a day before his 14th birthday while skating.
6. Dorian Gray
It's a shame, but the protagonist of the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" significantly spoiled the reputation of his life original. John Gray, who in his youth was Oscar Wilde's protégé and close friend, was handsome, solid, and had the appearance of a 15-year-old boy. But their happy union came to an end when journalists became aware of their relationship. Enraged, Gray went to court, got an apology from the editors of the newspaper, but after that his friendship with Wilde ended. Soon John Gray met Andre Raffalovich - a poet and a native of Russia. They converted to Catholicism, and after a while Gray became a priest at St. Patrick's Church in Edinburgh.
7. Alice
The story of Alice in Wonderland began on the day Lewis Carroll walked with the daughters of the rector of Oxford University, Henry Lidell, among whom was Alice Lidell. Carroll came up with a story on the go at the request of the children, but the next time he did not forget about it, but began to compose a sequel. Two years later, the author presented Alice with a manuscript consisting of four chapters, to which was attached a photograph of Alice herself at the age of seven. It was entitled "Christmas present for a dear girl in memory of a summer day."
8. Karabas-Barabas
As you know, Alexei Tolstoy only planned to present "Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodio in Russian, but it turned out that he wrote an independent story, in which analogies with cultural figures of that time were clearly drawn. Since Tolstoy had no weakness for the Meyerhold theater and its biomechanics, it was the director of this theater that got the role of Karabas-Barabas. You can guess the parody even in the name: Karabas is the Marquis of Carabas from Perro's fairy tale, and Barabas is from the Italian word for swindler - baraba. But no less speaking role the seller of leeches Duremar went to Meyerhold's assistant, who worked under the pseudonym Voldemar Luscinius.
9. Lolita
According to the memoirs of Brian Boyd, the biographer of Vladimir Nabokov, when the writer was working on his scandalous romance"Lolita", he regularly scanned the newspaper columns, which published reports of murders and violence. His attention was drawn to the sensational story of Sally Horner and Frank LaSalle, which took place in 1948: a middle-aged man kidnapped 12-year-old Sally Horner and kept her for almost 2 years until the police found her in a common California hotel. Lasalle, like the hero of Nabokov, passed off the girl as his daughter. Nabokov even casually mentions this incident in the book in the words of Humbert: "Did I do to Dolly what Frank Lasalle, a 50-year-old mechanic, did to eleven-year-old Sally Horner in '48?"
10. Carlson
The history of the creation of Carlson is mythologized and incredible. Literary critics claim that possible prototype this funny character was Hermann Goering. And although the relatives of Astrid Lindgren refute this version, such rumors still exist today.
Astrid Lindgren met Göring in the 1920s when he was organizing an air show in Sweden. At that time, Goering was just "in his prime", a famous ace pilot, a man with charisma and an excellent appetite. The motor behind Carlson's back is an interpretation of Goering's flight experience.
Adherents of this version note that for some time Astrid Lindgren was an ardent admirer of the National Socialist Party of Sweden. The book about Carlson was published in 1955, so there could be no direct analogy. Nevertheless, it is possible that the charismatic image of the young Goering influenced the appearance of the charming Carlson.
11. One-legged John Silver
Robert Louis Stevenson in the novel "Treasure Island" portrayed his friend Williams Hansley not at all as a critic and poet, which he was in fact, but as a real villain. As a child, William suffered from tuberculosis, and his leg was amputated to the knee. Before the book hit store shelves, Stevenson told a friend, “I have to tell you, Evil-looking but kind-hearted, John Silver was based on you. You're not offended, are you?"
12. Bear cub Winnie the Pooh
According to one version, known to the whole world Teddy bear got its name in honor of the favorite toy of the son of the writer Milne Christopher Robin. However, like all the other characters in the book. But in fact, this name is from the nickname Winnipeg - that was the name of the bear who lived in London Zoo from 1915 to 1934. This bear had a lot of kids-admirers, including Christopher Robin.
13. Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise
Despite the fact that the main characters in the book are called Sal and Dean, Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road is purely autobiographical. One can only guess why Kerouac dropped his name in the most famous book for beatniks.
14. Daisy Buchanan
In the novel The Great Gatsby, its author Francis Scott Fitzgerald described Ginevra King, his first love, deeply and penetratingly. Their romance lasted from 1915 to 1917. But due to different social statuses they separated, after which Fitzgerald wrote that "poor boys should not even think of marrying rich girls". This phrase was included not only in the book, but also in the film of the same name. Ginevra King also inspired Isabelle Borge in Beyond Paradise and Judy Jones in Winter Dreams.
Especially for those who like to sit up for reading. If you choose these books, you won't be disappointed.
Men rule the roost in literature: writers, heroes, villains. But aren't women less interesting and talented? We have selected several heroines who inspire with intelligence, ingenuity, strong character and kindness.
Women and goddesses from ancient literature
Scheherazade fought "toxic masculinity" before the term even existed. Persian king Shahriyar faced the infidelity of his first wife and his brother's wife and decided that all women are vicious whores. Since he still could not do without women, he decided to marry innocent girls and execute them after the first wedding night. smart and beautiful daughter Vizier Scheherazade decided to rid the country of the tyranny of such misogyny. She came to the king as new bride. And then you know: she began to tell interesting story and cut her off at the most intriguing moment. Curiosity took possession of Shahriyar, and he kept the girl alive until the next night. This went on for a thousand days (almost three years!), during which time Scheherazade gave birth to three children. When at last she fell at his feet and asked to save her life for the sake of their common sons, Shahriyar replied that he had pardoned her long ago. This is how the courage, intelligence and skill of the storyteller saved many innocent lives.
Elizabeth. "Pride and Prejudice "
Witty and observant, Elizabeth conquered not only the impregnable and proud Mr. Darcy, but also millions of readers around the world. She loves her family very much, especially her sisters, whom she tries to protect. Moreover, she is offended to see the shortcomings of her parents, but she does not try to remake people close to her or rebel: she only wants to find an acceptable place for herself in her modern society.
Scarlett O'Hara. "Gone With the Wind "
Bright, wayward and eccentric, Scarlett causes conflicting feelings among readers. Many believe that she herself is to blame for her misfortunes and was generally an intolerable woman. Writer Margaret Mitchell herself was ambivalent about her character. But beautiful and strong women who are not accustomed to losing often infuriate others. Unlike men: they are praised for the same qualities. Still, it is worth admiring the fortitude of the green-eyed Irish woman: she survived civil war, the death of parents and deprivation, having coped with all the hardships herself.
Margarita. "The Master and Margarita "
A beautiful woman who preferred love to a poor artist over a profitable marriage. For his sake, she went to humiliation, made a deal with the devil and took revenge on the offenders of her betrothed. Some see sacrifice in Margarita, but we know that she understood well for whom she risked everything. She is admired for the strength of her love and courage.
Pippi Longstocking. The cycle of stories
Astrid Lindgren was still a prankster and did not hesitate to break the far-fetched rules of decency. For example, she made a daring attempt to walk from her native Vimmerby to Lake Vättern (a distance of 300 kilometers) in the company of five women and completely without male help. Believe me, for Sweden at that time it was a challenge! It is not surprising that her heroines also cause boring inhabitants to itch. Pippi Longstocking easily violates social norms and infuriates adults: she goes to bed when she wants, keeps a horse on the balcony, beats thieves and generally lives without parental supervision. She also annoys real moms and dads: there were even complaints that because of Pippi, children "have the opportunity to find a socially acceptable excuse for aggression against their parents." But the children like her, because she can do everything that they would like, but they will not become out of fear of the “big ones”. The fact that Pippi has become so popular speaks only of a longing for direct, bright heroines, masterful and funny.
Hermione. Harry Potter book series
How not to love Hermione? We spend all our (and her) childhood with her. We meet her as a little girl who is very smart and wants to be no worse than others in the class. After all, she immediately realized that it would be more difficult for her, because she does not know those things that the children of wizards know from childhood. She makes friends, falls in love, grows stronger before our eyes. Hermione learns from her mistakes: after the story with the windbag Lockhart, she does not trust everyone, but only those who deserve her respect. She is brave and knows how to sympathize with the weak, and now someone who has an emotional range is clearly wider than a toothpick.
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Heroes famous books and films, we sometimes perceive as good friends, but still remember that these characters are fictional. And the more interesting it is to find out that the writers were inspired to create them real people. The authors borrowed their appearance, habits and even favorite words from them.
Editorial website collected prototypes of famous heroes of films and books - it is simply unbelievable that they actually lived.
"Scattered" Marshak -
Academician Ivan Kablukov
It turns out that "the scattered man from Basseynaya Street" from the poem by Samuil Marshak actually existed! He was the famous eccentric, academician Ivan Kablukov, who was famous for his impracticality and distraction. For example, instead of the words "chemistry and physics," the professor often said to students "chemistry and physics." And instead of the phrase “the flask burst, and a piece of glass fell into the eye,” he could get: “the spade shook, and a piece of the eye fell into the glass.” The expression "Mendelshutkin" meant "Mendeleev and Menshutkin", and Ivan Alekseevich's usual catchwords were "not at all" and "I, that is, not me."
The professor read a poem, and one day he remembered Marshak's brother, the writer Ilyin, shaking his finger: "Your brother, of course, aimed at me!" In Marshak's drafts there is such a variant of the beginning of the poem, in which the hero was directly called by the name and surname of the prototype:
Lives in Leningrad
Ivan Kablukov.
He calls himself
Heel Ivanov.
Sources: Miron Petrovsky "Books of our childhood », « Moscow's comsomolets »
Dr. House - Dr. Thomas Bolty
Dr. Thomas Bolty, nicknamed "the real House", is also eccentric. Here he is rushing to the patient, circling traffic jams on rollers.
The creators of the series about Dr. House became interested in the story of the doctor Thomas Bolty from New York, who cured the owner of the gallery, who suffered from migraines for 40 years. The man walked around dozens of doctors who stuffed him with a bunch of medicines for headaches. And Thomas Bolti was hooked on the fact that the patient could not stand the egg yolk. He once again carefully studied the tests and realized that the patient had been suffering from heavy metal poisoning for 40 years. After treatment, the man forgot what a migraine is. And this is not an isolated case - Bolti's talent and erudition allow him to take on the most difficult cases. He is even called "medical detective".
The creators of the House were inspired by cases from the practice of Bolti and his somewhat eccentric behavior. He himself is not enthusiastic about the series: “Yes, there are some similarities between us, but I don’t like the film. I'm totally against going over heads like House to make a diagnosis." But by the way, after that, Dr. Bolty's career went uphill, and now he is the official doctor of the MTV office.
Sources: HistoryTime, RealDoctorHouse
Dorian Gray - Poet John Gray
The English poet John Gray, whom Oscar Wilde met in the late 1980s, became the prototype of Dorian Gray. A sophisticated decadent poet, smart, handsome and ambitious, he inspired the writer with the image of the eternally young and beautiful Dorian Gray. After leaving famous novel many began to call John Gray after the hero, and the poet himself signed at least one of his letters to Wilde "Dorian". Surprisingly, after 30 years, John Gray abandoned the bohemian life, became a Catholic priest and even received a parish.
Sources: The Man Who Was Dorian Gray, « Wikipedia »
Sherlock Holmes - Professor Joseph Bell
Sherlock Holmes has much in common with Edinburgh University professor Joseph Bell, for whom Conan Doyle worked as an assistant in the hospital. The writer often recalled his teacher, spoke of his eagle profile, inquisitive mind and amazing intuition. Bell was tall, lean, brisk in his movements and smoked a pipe.
He knew how to accurately determine the profession and character of his patients and always encouraged students to use deduction. He invited to lectures strangers and asked the students to say who they were and where they came from. Once he brought a man in a hat into the audience, and when no one could answer Bell's questions, he explained that since he forgot to take off his hat, then, most likely, in recent times he served in the army. There it is customary to remain in a headdress in order to salute. And since he has symptoms of a West Indian fever, this man must have arrived from Barbados.
Sources: " School of Life ", « historical truth »
James Bond - "King of Spies" Sydney Reilly
There are disputes about the prototype of James Bond, and this image is largely collective (former intelligence officer Ian Fleming gave the hero his own features). But many agree that the character is very similar to the "king of spies", a British intelligence officer and adventurer. Russian origin Sydney Reilly.
Incredibly erudite, he spoke seven languages, loved to play politics and manipulate people, adored women and twisted numerous novels. Reilly did not fail in any operation entrusted to him and was known for being able to find a way out of almost any situation. He was able to instantly transform into a completely different person. By the way, he had a great “legacy” in Russia: his track record even included preparations for an assassination attempt on Lenin.
Sources: " AiF », a book by Robin Bruce LockhartSydney Reilly: spy legend of the 20th century »
Peter Pan - Michael Davis
On the wonderful book about Peter Pan, the writer James Barry was inspired by the son of the writer's friends, Sylvia and Arthur Davis. He had known the Davises for a long time, was friends with all their five sons, but it was four-year-old Michael (a brilliant boy, as they said about him) who became the prototype of Peter Pan. From him, he wrote off character traits and even nightmares that tormented a frisky and courageous, but sensitive child. By the way, the sculpture of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens has Michael's face.
Christopher Robin - Christopher Robin Milne
Christopher Robin from Alan Milne's books about Winnie the Pooh is the son of the writer, whose name was exactly that - Christopher Robin. In childhood, relations with parents did not develop - the mother was busy only with herself, the father - with his work, he spent a lot of time with the nanny. He later wrote: "There were two things that darkened my life and from which I had to escape: the glory of my father and Christopher Robin." The child grew up very kind, nervous and shy. “The prototype of Christopher Robin and Piglet at the same time,” as psychologists will later say about him. The boy's favorite toy was a Teddy bear, which his father gave him for his first birthday. And the bear, as you may have guessed, is best friend Robin Winnie the Pooh.
Sources: BBC News, Independent
The Wolf of Wall Street - Broker Jordan Belfort
On the left is Jordan Belfort, and it is about his biography that we learn from the successful Hollywood movie. Life has lifted the stockbroker to the top and dropped him into the dirt. First, he plunged headlong into beautiful life, and later sent him to prison for almost 2 years for fraud in the securities market. After his release, Belfort easily found use for his talents: he wrote 2 books about his life and began to conduct seminars as a motivational speaker. The main rules of success according to his version are as follows: “Act with boundless faith in yourself, and then people will believe you. Act as if you have already achieved amazing success, and then you will really succeed!”
Sources: HistoryTime, magazine "Spark"
Ostap Bender - Osip Shor
The fate of Ostap Bender's prototype is no less surprising than the story of the "great strategist". Osip Shor was a man of many talents: he played football very well, was well versed in jurisprudence, worked for several years in the criminal investigation department and went through many troubles, from which he got out with the help of artistry and inexhaustible imagination in half with impudence.
His big dream was to go to Brazil or Argentina, so Osip began to dress in a special way: he wore light-colored clothes, a white captain's cap and, of course, a scarf. Writers borrowed signature phrases from him, for example, "My dad is a Turkish citizen." This was Shor's first scam - in order to avoid being drafted into the army, he decided to impersonate a Turk and forged documents.
The tricks of the adventurer Osip were innumerable: in 1918-1919 in Odessa, in order to earn a living, he presented himself as an artist, then as a chess grandmaster, then as a representative of an underground anti-Soviet organization, then he sold places in paradise to bandits. And once he asked Ilf and Petrov for money - “for the image” (later he admitted that this was a joke). Valentin Kataev tells about these events in his book “My Diamond Crown”.
Sources: " Russian planet », « Wikipedia »
