The best authors in the world. The most famous Russian writers and their works

The best books are a relative concept. A good printed edition at the moment is a work that brings comfort, advice, knowledge, wisdom, vivid impressions to a person. Thus, the determining moment is the satisfaction of the demand of a certain reader by the book.

For some people, exclusively specialized literature is valuable: documentary, scientific, technical, medical, industry. But it's more of food for thought. However, most readers are still interested in fiction books. They contribute to the formation of the spiritual image. They will be discussed in this article.

The art book is a unique invention. Pleiades of thinkers of different times and eras trusted paper with their hopes, observations, understanding of truth, life, humanity. It's great when created by these authors vivid images together with deep and unique quotes (sometimes - decades ago, and sometimes - centuries) illuminate the life of our contemporaries!

The role of the Russian competition "Book of the Year"

The current one in Russia is unusually fruitful and has the characteristic features inherent in decadence:

Directing the literary process in a constructive direction, avoiding the erosion of the national and stimulating truly talented beginnings in it is an extremely important task of modern Russian culture. An indicator of the success of books written by our contemporaries is the annual national competitions of the "Book of the Year" type. They are organized to stimulate both writers and publishers.

For example, in the Russian competition of 2014, traditionally held in mid-September, 150 publishing houses participated, submitting more than half a thousand books to the competition. The winners in 8 categories were announced:

• prose works - the novel "The Abode" (Zakhar Prilepin);
• a poetic work - a translation of Shakespeare's "King Lear" (Gigory Kruzhkov);
• fiction for children - the story "Where does the cock horse? (Svetlana Lavova);
• art book - "Kargopol Journey" (prepared by the local architectural and art museum);
• nomination Humanitas - artistic and documentary album "Lermontov" (State Archive of Arts and Literature);
• e-book - media project " Yasnaya Polyana"and" Yaroslavl Temples "(project bureau" Sputnik ");
• nomination "Printed in Russia" - album "Vetka. book culture”;
• the main prize of the competition "Book of the Year 2014" - the three-volume book "Russia in World War I" (a team of 190 researchers from universities, museums, archives).

We summarize: the objectives of the above-mentioned competition are to increase the status of the book in the current public life; stimulation of the best authors and publishers. Over the sixteen years of its existence, this event has proven in practice its motivating role in the development of Russian literature.

At least they were nominated Russian writers, which can rightly be called classics:

• 2004, nomination "Prose" - "Sincerely yours, Shurik" (Lyudmila Ulitskaya); nomination "Bestseller" - " The night Watch"(Sergey Lukyanenko);
• 2005, nomination "Prose" - "Voltairians and Voltairians" (Vasily Aksenov);
• 2011, nomination "Prose" - "My lieutenant" (Daniil Ganin).

International book ratings

As we have already mentioned, the best, most sought-after books, thanks to the thought crystallized in them, become real friends, advisers, and joy for their readers. And the authors who wrote them are called classics.

The best books created by talent are studied in schools and universities. educational institutions, they are widely quoted in everyday life.

At the very least, navigating the web reveals dozens of variants of The 100 Best Books.

Such lists have a certain value. Thanks to them, it becomes much easier for a novice reader to find the really best books to read among tens and hundreds of thousands of works. If a person feels his gaps in the knowledge of world culture (an integral part of which is domestic and foreign literature), then such a rating can become a route map.

What direction to choose for such a landmark? If you are really interested in world literature, then we would recommend using one of the ratings by version:

• the English Broadcasting Company (BBC);
• The Observer;
• Writers' Union of Russia;
• the French newspaper Le Monde;
• American publishing house Modern Library;
• Norwegian book club.

Certainly, information Agency Each country, listing the best books, tries to give leading places in the lists to authors-compatriots. And it's justified. After all, the talents of recognized classics, who created their masterpieces from the time of the ancient world to the present day, are in fact incomparable. Each of them in their own way finds a path to the hearts of readers.

A phenomenon that has come down to us after millennia: the literature of the ancient world

The list of books that have come down to us through the millennia and inherited from other eras is rather limited. However, they also appear in modern ratings. That is why we write about them. Unfortunately, history has not preserved the ancient libraries: Gentiles fought with books in the same way as with enemies. So, for example, the richest library of Alexandria, numbering up to 700,000 papyrus scrolls, was destroyed.

Which books of our classical ancestors should be mentioned first of all, speaking of ancient world? Undoubtedly, glory in Latin deserves Publius Virgil Maron, the author of the Aeneid, and in ancient Greek - Homer, the author of the Odyssey and the Iliad. Guided by the theory of Virgil, the Russian scientist and poet Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov developed a syllabic-tonic system of versification, which served as a launching pad for further development national poetry.

However, not only Virgil and Homer are considered ancient classics. Horace, Cicero, Caesar also worked in Latin, and Aristotle, Plato, Aristophanes in ancient Greek. However, it is the two names mentioned earlier that present the literature of the ancient world to the greatest extent.

Books of Europe in the era of the formation of capitalism

Foreign literature, of course, is represented by a much richer list of authors than Greece and Ancient Rome. This was facilitated by the rapid development of European states.

France, with its Great Revolution, brought to life romantic human aspirations for freedom, equality, and fraternity. In the literature of Germany, which began to create its own statehood, in unison with French, romanticism also prevailed.

In contrast, industrialized, urbanized and politically stable Britain - the mistress of the seas - showed the most powerful and mature literary process, leaning towards realism.

It is generally accepted that the most famous writers who worked in French at that time is Victor Hugo (“Les Misérables”, “Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris”) and George Sand (“Consuelo”).

However, speaking of the French contribution to world literature, one should mention the names of Alexandre Dumas the Father ("The Iron Mask", "The Three Musketeers", "The Count of Monte Cristo"), Voltaire (the poem "Agathocles"), Charles Baudelaire (collections of poems " Parisian Spleen", "Flowers of Evil"), Molière ("Tartuffe", "The Tradesman in the Nobility", "The Miser"), Stendhal ("Perm Convent", "Red and Black"), Balzac ("Gobsek", "Eugene Gande ”, “Godis-sar”), Prosper Merimee (“Chronicles of the times of Charles IX”, “Tamango”).

We will continue the list of romantic books characteristic of early bourgeois Europe by mentioning the works of the Spaniards and Germans. A brilliant representative of Spanish classical literature is Cervantes ("The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha"). Of the German classics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe became famous ("Faust", "Wild Rose"), Heinrich Heine ("Journey through the Harz"), Friedrich Schiller ("The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa", "Robbers"), Franz Kafka ("Missing ", "Process").

Romantic adventure books discarded the entourage real life, their plot was based on the actions of exceptional heroes in unusual conditions.

Rise of British Literature

In the 19th century, British writers were rightfully considered to be the legislators of the “book fashion” on the European continent. French authors, initiated by the Great Revolution, after the collapse of Napoleon Bonaparte complained less.

The British had their literary tradition. Back in the XIV century, the whole world recognized the genius of William Shakespeare and innovative social ideas Thomas More. Developing their literature in a stable industrial society, British authors already in the 18th century began an evolutionary transition from the classic chivalric romance (romanticism) to social, psychological works.

They, more pragmatically than the French, tried to answer the philosophical question: "What is Man, and what is Society?" These new thinkers were Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe) and Jonathan Swift (Gulliver). However, at the same time, Britain marked a new direction of romanticism, as demonstrated by George Gordon Byron, author of Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.

The literary tradition of realism in the first half of the 19th century was powerfully developed by the following famous writers:

Brilliantly talented (whom F. M. Dostoevsky later called his teacher);

Intellectual to the point of uniqueness, stoically enduring hunger and poverty, Charlotte Bronte, famous for the novel "Jane Eyre";

The creator of the world famous Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle;

Kneeling and persecuted by the corrupt press ("Tess of the Dabervilles").

Russian golden literature of the 19th century. The Biggest Names

The classics of Russian literature are associated in the world primarily with the names of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Although on the whole in the 19th century (which is generally recognized) Russian literature turned into the most striking cultural phenomenon global level.

Let's illustrate the above. Tolstoy's style of writing novels has become an indisputable classic. Thus, the American writer Margaret Mitchell wrote her famous epic Gone with the Wind, imitating the style of Lev Nikolaevich.

The piercing psychologism of the highest standard inherent in Dostoevsky's work was also generally recognized in the world. In particular, the famous scientist Freud claimed that no one in the world could tell him anything new about inner world man, no one except Fyodor Mikhailovich.

And Chekhov's innovation inspired the authors to start writing works based on the world of human feelings. In particular, venerable British playwright Bernard Shaw recognized himself as his student. Thus, foreign literature in the 19th century received both powerful ideological nourishment and a new vector of development from Russian literature.

A Note About Literary Rankings

The fact remains: among hundreds the best works a significant part is occupied by books written in the 19th century. It is these writers that are usually studied in schools, for which inertial and unreasonably stable curricula have been developed.

Is it fair? Not at all. It is more expedient to change the curriculum, taking into account the tastes of a real advanced readership. In our opinion, no less than works of XIX century, the curriculum should include the work of writers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The classics of Russian literature today are not only the works of Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, but also the books of Mikhail Bulgakov, Viktor Pelevin. We deliberately express the thought figuratively, mentioning only individual names of famous poets and writers.

Raising the topic: “What books are the best?”, It is reasonable to tell in more detail about the works of the classics of the present and past centuries.

BBC's Best Book. critical eye

First place in BBC version, occupies the trilogy novel by John Ronald Tolkien "The Lord of the Rings". We will pay special attention in this article to this fantasy work. Books with a similar depth of study of the plot, based on ancient legends, are very rare.

What motivated the experts of the rating for such a high rating? Indeed, the professor at Oxford University has done Britain a great service with his most fascinating work. He, having deeply and comprehensively studied the folklore of Foggy Albion (hitherto disparate and fragmentary), figuratively speaking, untwisted it by a thread and wove it into a single concept of the struggle between Good and Evil. It is not enough to say that he did it with talent. A curious fact testifies to the uniqueness of the trilogy. Once, after his lecture, an angry scientist colleague came to the author of The Lord of the Rings and accused the writer of plagiarism.

Modern fiction, perhaps, hitherto did not have such associations. The writer's opponent turned out to be conclusive, he brought to the bewildered author of "The Ring" unknown to the latter copies of drawings from ancient British chronicles, which seemed to illustrate Tolkien's work.

It happens! One person managed the impossible - to unite, systematize and, what is important, presentably present the ancient folklore of his homeland. No wonder Queen Elizabeth II awarded the writer the honorary title of Knight of Britain.

Some other BBC rated books

• Children's fantasy trilogy "His Dark Materials" (Philip Pullman).
• To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
• "1984" (George Orwell).
• "Rebecca" (Daphne Du Maurier).
• "The Catcher in the Rye" (Jerome Salinger).
• The Great Gatsby (Francis Fitzgerald).

Opinion of Russian readers

What assessment is given to the fairness of the British rating on the Russian forums of book lovers? Short answer: ambiguous.

A rather high assessment is given to the work of the writer George Orwell. For many readers, the exciting novel with an unpredictable plot, Rebecca, has become a favorite book. For reading, children can recommend the story of the journey of the girl Lyra Belacqua from Oxford through fantastic worlds from Philip Pullman.

However, there are also quite motivated remarks. For example, for a domestic sophisticated reader who has fallen in love with such novels as Bulgakov's realistic-mystical novel The Master and Margarita, Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, as well as Picnic by the Road and Doomed City by the Strugatsky brothers, to put it mildly, the priority criterion for the BBC rating is not entirely clear.

Don't misunderstand: we're not trying to downgrade artistic value a number of talented novels like "Catch 22", "The Great Gatsby", "The Catcher in the Rye", when we state the fact: their genre is an ideological novel. Can they, objectively speaking, compete with the voluminous and multi-problem work The Master and Margarita?

Such books-novels, consistently revealing only one thought of the author, should be rated lower! After all, their depth of meaning is initially limited by design, devoid of volume, multidimensionality. Therefore, according to our readers, the dubious positioning of novels-ideas in the list of books at positions higher than War and Peace or Master and Margarita is completely absurd.

Modern postmodern books

Postmodernist books today are perhaps at the peak of popularity, as they represent the ideological antithesis of a stagnant mass consumer society. Modern postmodernist writers dissect the consumerist lifestyle that surrounds them, filled with soulless advertising and primitive glossy glamour.

There are such ideological authors even in well-fed America. Recognized in his homeland as a true expert on the problems of the consumer society writer Italian descent Don DeLillo (Underworld novels, White Noise). Another Italian scientist, professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna, Umberto Eco, immerses the reader in such an intellectually rich outline of the work (“Foucault's Pendulum”, “The Name of the Rose”) that his creations are in demand by an intellectual audience.

A softer postmodern is demonstrated by another author. One of the representatives of Russian modern literature of this trend is Boris Akunin. The books of this modern classic (“The Adventures of Erast Fandorin”, “Azazel”, “The Adventures of Sister Pelageya”) are in demand by the mass reader and even filmed. Many people note the power of the author's talent, his masterful style, the ability to create fascinating stories. In his reasoning, he demonstrates a special personal philosophy of the Eastern character.

The latter is particularly noticeable in his "Jade Rosary" and "Diamond Chariot".

It is noteworthy that, captivating the reader with detective stories taking place in the general outline of the historical events of Russia, the modern classic Akunin does not bypass the problems of poverty, corruption and theft. His books, however, are not kept within a strict framework. historical plot. In the West, this genre of prose is called folk-history.

The chronological point that determines the start of the concept of "modern Russian literature" is 1991. Since that time, the hitherto closed works of authors of the sixties have become the property of the broad masses of readers:

• "Sandro from Chegem" by Fazil Iskander.
• "Crimea Island" Vasily Aksenov.
• "Live and Remember" by Valentin Rasputin.

Following them in literature came contemporary writers whose worldview was initiated by perestroika. In addition to the above-mentioned Boris Akunin, other Russian literary stars of the first magnitude also brightly lit up: Viktor Pelevin (“Numbers”, “The Life of Insects”, “Chapaev and Emptiness”, “T”, “Empire B”) and Lyudmila Ulitskaya (“The Case of Kukotsky ”,“ Sincerely yours, Shurik ”,“ Medea and her children ”).

Modern fantasy books

Perhaps a sign of an era of decadence was the remake of the romantic genre, resurrected in the form of fantasy. What is worth only the phenomenon of the popularity of the cycle of Harry Potter novels from JK Rowling! This is true: everything is returning to normal, romanticism is regaining its lost ground from realism!

No matter how much they say that realism once (in the 30s of the 20th century) crushed romanticism to death, no matter how much its crisis is hidden, but it is back on horseback! It's hard not to notice. Let us recall just one of the classic definitions of this literary style: "Exceptional heroes act in unusual situations." Isn't the last statement in the spirit of fantasy?! What else to add...

• "Night Watch", "Day Watch" (Sergey Lukyanenko).
• "Forbidden Reality", "Gospel of the Beast", "Catharsis" (Vasily Golovachev).
• The cycle of novels "The Secret City", the cycle "Enclaves" (Vadim Panov).

We also recall the popularity of the fantasy cycle The Witcher in Russia. Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. In a word, adventure books are now again in favor with readers.

Looking through the forums of domestic readers, we found that among prominent writers In the 20th century, non-European and non-American books are much less frequently mentioned. However, among them there are very bright and talented works:

• "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (Colombian Marquez).
• "Woman in the Sands" (Japanese Abe Kobo).
• "Waiting for the Barbarians" (South African John Coetzee).

Conclusion

Endless literature! The books of its authors (meaning - the best) the average person, unfortunately, a priori will not be able to read throughout his life. Therefore, navigation in the boundless "sea" of books is extremely important. "Why is it necessary - purposefully read?" - an uninitiated person will ask ...

We will answer: “Yes, to decorate your life, to make real friends! After all, books are both advisers, and inspirers, and comforters.

In conclusion, we note that if you are lucky enough to find at least a dozen books in the future, each of which, like a tuning fork, will ideally suit you, your soul in a certain life situation, then we will consider that it was not in vain that we worked on this article. Happy reading!

The jury of 'The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books', led by a New York Times columnist, included such famous writers as: Jonathan Franzen, recognized by the Times magazine as the best American novelist, author of the novel "The Emperor's Children" Claire Mesud, Joyce Carol Oates, famous American novelist, and many others. The writers made a list of 10 best novels and writers, reviewing 544 titles. The novels were scored from 1 to 10.

Ten the greatest writers of all time, according to total points scored:

1. Leo Tolstoy - 327

One of the most widely known Russian writers and thinkers, revered as one of the world's greatest writers. Member of the defense of Sevastopol.
The writer, recognized during his lifetime as the head of Russian literature, whose work marked a new stage in the development of Russian and world realism, becoming a kind of bridge between the traditions of classical novel XIX century and literature of the 20th century.
The most famous works of Tolstoy are the novels War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Resurrection, the autobiographical trilogy Childhood, Boyhood, Youth, the stories The Cossacks, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Kreutzerov sonata”, “Hadji Murad”, a series of essays “Sevastopol Tales”, dramas “The Living Corpse” and “The Power of Darkness”, autobiographical religious and philosophical works “Confession” and “What is my faith?” and etc.

2. William Shakespeare - 293

English poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in the English language and one of the best playwrights in the world. Often referred to as the national poet of England. The works that have come down to us, including some written jointly with other authors, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 4 poems and 3 epitaphs. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language and are staged more often than the works of other playwrights.
Most of Shakespeare's works were written between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mostly comedies and chronicles, in which Shakespeare excelled. Then a period of tragedies began in his work, including the works of Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth, which are considered among the best on English language. At the end of his work, Shakespeare wrote several tragicomedies, and also collaborated with other writers.

3. James Joyce - 194

Irish writer and poet, a representative of modernism, Joyce greatly influenced world culture. He remains one of the most widely read English-language prose writers today. In 1998, Modern Library published a list of the "100 best novels The newest library”, which included all three James Joyce novels: Ulysses (number 1 on the list), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (number 3) and Finnegans Wake (number 77). In 1999, Time magazine included the writer in the list of "100 heroes and idols of the 20th century", saying that Joyce brought about a whole revolution. Ulysses has been called "demonstrating and summing up everything modern movement[modernism]."

4. Vladimir Nabokov - 190

Russian and American writer, poet, translator and entomologist.

Nabokov's works are characterized by a complex literary technique, deep analysis emotional state characters combined with an unpredictable, sometimes almost thriller plot. Among the most famous examples of Nabokov's work are the novels Mashenka, Luzhin's Defense, Invitation to Execution, and The Gift. The writer gained fame among the general public after the publication of the scandalous novel Lolita, which was subsequently made into several adaptations (1962, 1997).

5. Fyodor Dostoevsky - 177

One of the most significant and famous Russian writers and thinkers in the world. Dostoevsky's work had a great influence on Russian and world culture. literary heritage the writer is differently evaluated both at home and abroad. In the West, where Dostoevsky's novels have enjoyed popularity since the early 20th century, his work has had a significant impact on such generally liberal movements as existentialism, expressionism, and surrealism. Many people see him as the forerunner of existentialism. literary critics. However, abroad, Dostoevsky is usually regarded, first of all, as an outstanding writer and psychologist, while his ideology is ignored or almost completely rejected.

According to the ranking of the Internet database Index Translationum by UNESCO, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov are the most frequently translated Russian writers in the world! These authors are ranked second, third and fourth respectively. But Russian literature is also rich in other names who have made a huge contribution to the development of both Russian and world culture.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Not only a writer, but also a historian and playwright, Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a Russian writer who made his name in the post-Stalin era and the debunking of the cult of personality.

In some way, Solzhenitsyn is considered the successor of Leo Tolstoy, since he was also a great truth-seeker and wrote large-scale works about the life of people and social processes that took place in society. Solzhenitsyn's works were based on a combination of autobiographical and documentary.

His most notable works- "The Gulag Archipelago" and "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich". With the help of these works, Solzhenitsyn tried to draw the attention of readers to the horrors of totalitarianism, which modern writers have not yet written about so openly. Russian writers that period; wanted to tell about the fate of thousands of people who were subjected to political repression, were sent to camps innocent and were forced to live there in conditions that can hardly be called human.

Ivan Turgenev

Turgenev's early work reveals the writer as a romantic who felt nature very subtly. And the literary image of the “Turgenev girl”, which has long been presented as a romantic, bright and vulnerable image, is now something of a household word. At the first stage of creativity, he wrote poems, poems, dramatic works and, of course, prose.

The second stage of Turgenev's work brought the author the most fame - thanks to the creation of the "Notes of a Hunter". For the first time, he honestly portrayed the landowners, revealed the theme of the peasantry, after which he was arrested by the authorities, who did not like such work, and sent into exile to the family estate.

Later, the writer's work is filled with complex and multifaceted characters - the most mature period of the author's work. Turgenev tried to uncover such philosophical themes like love, duty, death. At the same time, Turgenev wrote his most famous work, both here and abroad, called "Fathers and Sons" about the difficulties and problems of relations between different generations.

Vladimir Nabokov

Creativity Nabokov completely runs counter to the traditions of classical Russian literature. The most important thing for Nabokov was the play of the imagination, his work became part of the transition from realism to modernism. In the author's works, one can single out the type of characteristic Nabokov's hero - a lonely, persecuted, suffering, misunderstood person with a touch of genius.

In Russian, Nabokov managed to write numerous stories, seven novels (Mashenka, The King, the Queen, the Jack, Despair, and others) and two plays before leaving for the United States. From that moment on, the birth of an English-language author takes place, Nabokov completely abandons the pseudonym Vladimir Sirin, with which he signed his Russian books. Nabokov will work with the Russian language only once more - when he will translate his novel Lolita, which was originally written in English, for Russian-speaking readers.

It was this novel that became the most popular and even notorious work of Nabokov - not too surprising, because it tells about the love of a mature forty-year-old man for a teenage girl of twelve years. The book is considered quite shocking even in our free-thinking age, but if there are still disputes about the ethical side of the novel, then it is perhaps simply impossible to deny Nabokov's verbal skill.

Michael Bulgakov

Bulgakov's creative path was not at all easy. Deciding to become a writer, he abandons his career as a doctor. He writes his first works, "Fatal Eggs" and "Diaboliad", having settled down to work as a journalist. The first story evokes rather resonant responses, since it resembled a mockery of the revolution. Bulgakov's story dog's heart”, exposing the authorities, refused to publish it at all and, moreover, took away the manuscript from the writer.

But Bulgakov continues to write - and creates the novel "The White Guard", which is based on a play called "Days of the Turbins". The success did not last long - in connection with another scandal over the works, all performances based on Bulgakov were removed from shows. The same fate would later befall Bulgakov's latest play, Batum.

The name of Mikhail Bulgakov is invariably associated with The Master and Margarita. Perhaps it was this novel that became the work of a lifetime, although it did not bring him recognition. But now, after the death of the writer, this work is also a success with foreign audiences.

This piece is like nothing else. We agreed to designate that this is a novel, but which one: satirical, fantastic, love-lyrical? The images presented in this work amaze and impress with their uniqueness. A novel about good and evil, about hatred and love, about hypocrisy, money-grubbing, sin and holiness. At the same time, during the life of Bulgakov, the work was not published.

It is not easy to remember another author who could so deftly and aptly expose all the falsehood and dirt of the bourgeoisie, the current government and the bureaucratic system. That is why Bulgakov was subjected to constant attacks, criticism and bans from the ruling circles.

Alexander Pushkin

Despite the fact that not all foreigners associate Pushkin with Russian literature, unlike most Russian readers, it is simply impossible to deny his legacy.

The talent of this poet and writer truly knew no bounds: Pushkin is famous for his amazing poems, but at the same time he wrote excellent prose and plays. Pushkin's work has received recognition not only now; his talent was recognized by others Russian writers and the poets of his contemporaries.

The theme of Pushkin's work is directly related to his biography - the events and experiences that he went through in his life. Tsarskoye Selo, Petersburg, time in exile, Mikhailovskoye, Caucasus; ideals, disappointments, love and affection - everything is present in the works of Pushkin. And the most famous was the novel "Eugene Onegin".

Ivan Bunin

Ivan Bunin is the first writer from Russia to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The work of this author can be divided into two periods: before emigration and after.

Bunin was very close to the peasantry, life common people which had a great influence on the work of the author. Therefore, among it is distinguished the so-called village prose, for example, "Sukhodol", "Village", which became one of the most popular works.

Nature also plays a significant role in Bunin's work, which inspired many great Russian writers. Bunin believed: she is the main source of strength and inspiration, spiritual harmony, that every person is inextricably linked with her, and in her lies the key to unraveling the mystery of being. Nature and love have become the main themes of the philosophical part of Bunin's work, which is mainly represented by poetry, as well as novels and short stories, for example, "Ida", "Mitina's Love", "Late Hour" and others.

Nikolay Gogol

After graduating from the Nizhyn Gymnasium, Nikolai Gogol's first literary experience was the poem "Hans Küchelgarten", which was not very successful. However, this did not bother the writer, and he soon began working on the play "Marriage", which was published only ten years later. This witty, colorful and lively work smashes to smithereens modern society, which made prestige, money, power its main values, and left love somewhere in the background.

Gogol was deeply impressed by the death of Alexander Pushkin, which affected others as well. Russian writers and artists. Shortly before this, Gogol showed Pushkin the plot of a new work called " Dead Souls”, so now he considered that this work was a “sacred testament” to the great Russian poet.

Dead Souls has become an excellent satire on Russian bureaucracy, serfdom and social ranks, and this book is especially popular among readers abroad.

Anton Chekhov

Chekhov began his creative activity from writing short essays, but very bright and expressive. Chekhov is best known for his humorous stories, although he wrote both tragicomic and dramatic works. And most often foreigners read Chekhov's play called "Uncle Vanya", the stories "The Lady with the Dog" and "Kashtanka".

Perhaps the most basic and famous hero of Chekhov's works is " small man”, whose figure is familiar to many readers even after the “Station Master” by Alexander Pushkin. This is not a single character, but rather a collective image.

Nevertheless, Chekhov's little people are not the same: one wants to sympathize, to laugh at others (“The Man in the Case”, “Death of an Official”, “Chameleon”, “Scum” and others). The main problem of this writer's work is the problem of justice ("Name Day", "Steppe", "Leshy").

Fedor Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky is best known for his works Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Each of these works is famous for its deep psychology - indeed, Dostoevsky is considered one of the best psychologists in the history of literature.

He analyzed the nature of human emotions, such as humiliation, self-destruction, murderous rage, as well as states that lead to insanity, suicide, and murder. Psychology and philosophy are closely linked in Dostoyevsky's portrayal of his characters, intellectuals who "feel ideas" in the depths of their souls.

Thus, "Crime and Punishment" reflects on freedom and inner strength, suffering and madness, disease and fate, the pressure of the modern urban world on the human soul, and raises the question of whether people can ignore their own moral code. Dostoevsky, together with Leo Tolstoy, are the most famous Russian writers in the whole world, and Crime and Punishment is the most popular of the author's works.

Lev Tolstoy

With whom do foreigners associate famous Russian writers So it is with Leo Tolstoy. He is one of the undeniable titans of world fiction, a great artist and person. Tolstoy's name is known all over the world.

There is something Homeric in the epic scope with which he wrote War and Peace, but unlike Homer, he depicted war as a senseless massacre, the result of the vanity and stupidity of the leaders of the nation. The work "War and Peace" became, as it were, a kind of result of everything that Russian society experienced during the period of the 19th century.

But the most famous all over the world is Tolstoy's novel called "Anna Karenina". It is eagerly read both here and abroad, and readers are invariably captivated by history. forbidden love Anna and Count Vronsky, which leads to tragic consequences. Tolstoy dilutes the narrative of the second storyline- the story of Levin, who dedicates his life to his marriage to Kitty, housekeeping and God. Thus the writer shows us the contrast between Anna's sin and Levin's virtue.

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Is it worth reading fiction? Maybe this is a waste of time, because such an activity does not bring income? Perhaps this is a way to impose other people's thoughts and program them for certain actions? Let's answer the questions in order...

Reading any book takes time, and often a lot of it. The number of books, one might say, is infinite, but life, alas, is the opposite. So you don't have to read everything. This is where difficulties arise: “What is good and what is bad?”. But, there is one small subtlety that makes it easier to find the answer to this question. Someone has already read any book before you. In the worst case - only the author and in the best - millions and millions. But the number of people who have read a particular book does not always indicate the quality of the book. What’s more, people have different tastes. So, you should choose to start with people whose opinion you can rely on.

Top 100 Writers and Top 100 Books
XIX-XX centuries

That's how it all started. The result is the table below. This is the result of a synthesis of about 20 ratings, opinions of various literary authorities, lists of winners of various awards (including the Nobel Prize). There is nothing from me personally in these ratings (author of this text: Andrey Matveev). The only thing that is mine here is the choice of the period (19-20 century). Of course, these ratings do not mean that all works should be read and the biographies of all writers should be studied from cover to cover. Moreover, this list is based mainly on Anglo-American ratings with a bias, naturally, towards English-language literature. However, the result obtained is curious and it seems worth getting acquainted with it.

Andrey Matveev, 2001

Top 100 Writers

Top 100 Books

It is impossible to deny the fact that the nature of the approaching or imminent changes in the life of human civilization was the first to be felt by those who were ahead of their time - famous writers.

Writers - liaison between the future and the present

Among the infinite multitude of writers of each epoch are those authors who, in addition to the merits recognized by all, fiction generously give humanity a new vision. It was they who, much more convincingly than scientists, formulated new concepts and ideas and, as a result, created the intellectual and emotional argumentation of the future. They managed to see his challenge in the everyday and ordinary, expose unsightly problems, point to ongoing conflicts, helping to realize the coming threats and give new hopes.

Great writers of world literature

This list is not perfect. It contains individual famous writers who can be safely called the greatest writers of all times and peoples.

Pleiad of geniuses of poetry and prose

The 19th century was so rich in talent that it managed to give birth to an outstanding galaxy of prose and poetry geniuses. The most famous writers are N. M. Karamzin, A. S. Griboyedov, A. S. Pushkin, K. F. Ryleev, M. Yu. Lermontov, N. A. Nekrasov, N. V. Gogol, A. A. Fet, I. S. Turgenev, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, G. Chernyshevsky, A. P. Chekhov, F. M. Dostoevsky.

Writers who had a significant impact on English literature

The famous created a great many outstanding works, in which they laid a powerful message, so they have retained their relevance in our days.

• Thomas More, and translator. Author of many translations from ancient Greek and poems, as well as 280 Latin epigrams.
• Jonathan Swift, a brave publicist and brilliant satirist, poet, is known to the general public as the creator of Gulliver's Travels.
• founding father of romantic "sensual" literature in Great Britain. With his three whale novels, he undoubtedly formed a stable foundation for his imperishable world fame.
• founder of English realistic novel, a prolific, profound playwright.
• Walter Scott, a comprehensively developed personality, warrior, writer, poet, specialist in advocacy and history, founder historical novel 19th century.

Writers who changed the world

After the horrors of the Second World War, it seemed to everyone that henceforth the world would rest on clear, simple and reasonable principles for everyone. social relations, global politics relied on the modernization of progress and positive trends, faith in education, science. However, from the beginning of the 70s, the idealistic world began to inexorably collapse, and people came to know a different reality. The famous writers and poets, who determined the mindset of the new generation, bore the brunt of the dramatic changes that had come.

Soul and mind of modernity

Below is a list of those writers who determined the soul and mind of our time.

• Marquez (lawyer). Major works: "The General in His Labyrinth", "Nobody Writes to the Colonel", "One Hundred Years of Solitude", "Born Leaves" and many others.
• Alexander Solzhenitsyn (teacher of physics and mathematics, famous Russian writer). Major works: Cancer Ward, Red Wheel, In the First Circle and the more than provocative Gulag Archipelago. Famous writers often fell into disgrace to the ruling system.
• Toni Morrison (editor). Main works: "Favorite", "Resin Scarecrow", "Jazz", "Love", "Paradise".
• Salman Rushdie (philologist). Main works: "Shame", "Rage", "Midnight's Children", "Shalimar the Clown", "Satanic Verses".
• Milan Kundera (director) Main works: "Ignorance", "Immortality", "Slowness", "Funny Loves" and others.
• Orhan Pamuk (architect). Main works: "Istanbul", "White Fortress", "Other Colors", " New life”, “Snow”, “Black Book”.
• Michel Houellebecq (environmental engineer). Main works: "Platform", " Elementary particles”,“ The possibility of the island ”,“ Lanzarote ”.
• JK Rowling (translator). 7 Harry Potter novels.

• Umberto Eco (philologist). Major works: "Baudolino", "The Name of the Rose", "The Island on the Eve", "Foucault's Pendulum".
• Carlos Castaneda (anthropologist). Main works: "The Gift of the Eagle", "The Power of Silence", "Special Reality", "Tales of Power", " inner fire”, “Wheel of Time”, “Second Circle of Power” and others. The category "famous writers" would be left out without mentioning this outstanding person.