“Russian literature is the only unimpeded guide in the desire of the West to comprehend the secrets of the Russian soul, its culture and identity. No restrictions and prohibitions for you, political hostility and sanctions. I bought a volume of the Russian classic and you learn quietly, dosing - sitting, lying, standing, in the subway, at home ... Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov ... Be careful with Chekhov - you can go into a binge ... "
Abroad began to get acquainted with Russian literature thoroughly through the writer Ivan Turgenev, who settled in Baden-Baden in 1863. Having become close to the most famous Western writers, figures of culture and art, with the intelligentsia and politicians of that time, Turgenev very quickly becomes the most famous and most widely read Russian author in Europe. It was with the works of Turgenev that the Western reader began to comprehend the entire depth and richness of the Russian language.
In 1878, at the international literary congress in Paris, the writer was elected vice president; in 1879 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford. The Chancellor of the German Empire Chlodwig Hohenlohe called Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev the best candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Russia. He wrote about Turgenev: “Today I spoke with the most smart person Russia".
But main merit Ivan Turgenev - propaganda. Throughout his life abroad, he tirelessly "promoted" Russian literature as the most underestimated within Russia itself. So, Europe got acquainted with Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol...
It is said that people are interested in the literature of a particular country when there is interest in the country itself. This is partly true. With regard to Russia, this interest on the part of the West has never stopped and has reached its peak in the 21st century. It is noteworthy that once having discovered Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov and many other prolific masters of Russian literature, the West does not cease to associate Russian literature and Russia itself with these great names. Of course, in this connection contemporary writers is not easy, and oddly enough, Russian writers of the 21st century have to compete with Russian classics of the XIX century. After all, the demand for the export of Russian classics is still huge. The facts speak for this:
The film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" speaks of the popularity of the Russian classic abroad - more than 7 different versions of the film. Another example is Anna Karenina. different countries it was filmed about 18 times.
Chekhov still remains the leader in the number of foreign adaptations of Russian classics - his works became the basis for film / television versions about 200 times. He is one of the 3 most filmed writers in the world.
“In the galaxy of great European playwrights ... the name of Chekhov shines like a star of the first magnitude,” George Bernard Shaw wrote at the beginning of the 20th century.
However, if Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the West are known more from books, then Chekhov is more likely not read, but “watched”: the writer is little known as an author humorous stories, but is rightfully considered a playwright of the first magnitude along with Shakespeare, Shaw and Wilde. His plays are among the most popular in the world. But Chekhov himself did not imagine his future glory. He told his friend Tatyana Shchepkina-Kupernik: "They will read me for seven, seven and a half years, and then they will forget."
Another amazing moment. Fame in writing career directly depends on its "promotion". Writing with talent or genius is not enough. You need to invest in advertising, self-promotion. And the best PR is a scandal. Take at least world fame Nabokov, having written the scandalous Lolita, he could not write anything else. The scandalous plot itself, and all attempts to ban the publication of the novel, made its publication an event and provided the book with huge circulations. Solzhenitsyn talentedly made a name "in politics" and the propaganda machine helped him.
Now it is already difficult to play politics. It is practically impossible to realize a political intrigue on which one can "take off". The money remains.
Now, in general, few Russian names are noticeable in the West - of course, primarily because of the language barrier. IN pre-revolutionary Russia big difference between the bearers of Russian culture and European culture was not. All educated people in Russia they spoke English, French, and German well. Tolstoy almost won the first Nobel Prize for Literature, Turgenev was absolutely recognized in Paris as a writer, Dostoevsky had a huge influence on Freud and many others. Then there was a single multilingual culture. Now the opposite is true: globalization has led to the fact that English alone dominates. So it turns out that cultures are different, and the language of all writers is the same. At the same time, it cannot be said that the bearers of Russian culture have become victims of some kind of special discrimination. There is just one dominant culture and it is the English-speaking one.
But we digress.
And yet, by modern standards, which Russian writers are the most famous abroad?
Leo Tolstoy - "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina";
Fyodor Dostoevsky - "Crime and Punishment", "The Idiot", "The Brothers Karamazov";
Anton Chekhov - "Uncle Vanya", "Lady with a Dog", "Kashtanka";
Alexander Pushkin - "Eugene Onegin";
Nikolai Gogol - "Dead Souls";
Ivan Turgenev - "Fathers and Sons";
Mikhail Bulgakov - "Fatal Eggs", "Master and Margarita";
Vladimir Nabokov - "Lolita";
Alexander Solzhenitsyn - "The Gulag Archipelago", "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich";
Ivan Bunin - "Dry Valley", "Village";
Alexander Griboyedov - "Woe from Wit";
Mikhail Lermontov - "Hero of Our Time", "Demon";
Boris Pasternak - Doctor Zhivago.
With modern Russian literature, everything is much more complicated. Nevertheless, quite popular: Polina Dashkova, Dmitry Glukhovsky, Zakhar Prilepin, Mikhail Shishkin, Viktor Pelevin, Sergey Lukyanenko, Boris Akunin.
In the 1990s, the only modern Russian author whose books could be easily obtained in English was Pelevin - despite the fact that this is still a specific reading. Over the past ten years, however, something has changed, others have been transferred - greatest success Boris Akunin had: in England, his detective stories are still selling well ... In the West, they like a Russian writer to be bearded and serious.
In England it's understandable, but what about in the USA? According to a famous publicist Owen Matthews(Owen Matthews), "literature modern Russia cannot offer the American reader, brought up on philosophical novels Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, something that can bring them back to the "magical land" open to them in the books of the classics. That is why the percentage of Russian literature in modern America does not exceed 1-3%.
Deputy Head of Rospechat Vladimir Grigoriev thinks:
"That of our writers in Lately don't make stars, so it has a lot to do with non-literary moments." Remember the rise in popularity of Mikhail Shishkin in Western European countries after he spoke out against the Kremlin's policies... And vice versa - as soon as Zakhar Prilepin, who was quite successfully translated and published in English-speaking countries, began to speak out in support of the so-called Novorossiya, we began to experience certain difficulties. in its promotion."
That's really gone backwards. First, sport turned into an instrument of political pressure, now literature. You look and Grand Theatre stop touring the world. Perhaps even the hype for Russian painting will subside. But nothing. But we began to export twice as much gas, oil, tanks and Kalash ...
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The jury for ‘The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books’, led by a New York Times columnist, included: 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.
The ten 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 new stage in the development of Russian and world realism, becoming a kind of bridge between the traditions classic novel XIX century and literature of the XX century.
The most famous works of Tolstoy, such as the novels "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina", "Resurrection", autobiographical trilogy"Childhood", "Adolescence", "Youth", the stories "Cossacks", "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", "Kreutzer Sonata", "Hadji Murad", a series of essays " Sevastopol stories”, dramas“ Living Corpse ”and“ 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 English writer 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 came a period of tragedies in his work, including the works of "Hamlet", "King Lear", "Othello" and "Macbeth", which are considered among the best in the 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 includes 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 scandalous romance"Lolita", on which several adaptations were subsequently made (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.
culture
This list contains the names of the greatest writers of all time from different peoples who wrote on different languages. Those who are at least somehow interested in literature are undoubtedly familiar with them from their wonderful creations.
Today I would like to remember those who have remained on the pages of history as outstanding authors of great works that have been in demand for many years, decades, centuries and even millennia.
1) Latin: Publius Virgil Maro
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Gaius Julius Caesar, Publius Ovid Nason, Quintus Horace Flaccus
You must know Virgil by his famous epic work "Aeneid", which is dedicated to the fall of Troy. Virgil is probably the most strict perfectionist in the history of literature. He wrote his poem at an astonishingly slow rate - only 3 lines a day. He did not want to do it faster, to be sure that it was impossible to write these three lines better.
IN Latin subordinate clause, dependent or independent, can be written in any order, with a few exceptions. Thus, the poet has great freedom in determining how his poetry sounds, without changing the meaning in any way. Virgil considered every option at every stage.
Virgil also wrote two more works in Latin - "Bucoliki"(38 BC) and "Georgics"(29 BC). "Georgics"- 4 partly didactic poems about agriculture, including various kinds of advice, for example, not to plant grapes next to olive trees: olive leaves are very flammable, and at the end of a dry summer they can catch fire, like everything around, due to a lightning bolt.
He also praised Aristaeus, the god of beekeeping, because honey was the only source of sugar for the European world until sugar cane was brought to Europe from the Caribbean. Bees were deified, and Virgil explained how to acquire a hive if the farmer does not have one: kill a deer, a wild boar or a bear, rip open their belly and leave them in the forest, praying to the god Aristaeus. In a week he will send a beehive to the carcass of the animal.
Virgil wrote that he would like his poem "Aeneid" burned after his death, as it remained unfinished. However, the emperor of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, refused to do so, thanks to which the poem has survived to this day.
2) Ancient Greek: Homer
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Apostle Paul, Euripides, Aristophanes
Homer, perhaps, can be called greatest writer of all times and peoples, but not much is known about him. He was probably a blind man who told stories written down 400 years later. Or in fact, a whole group of writers worked on the poems, who added something about the Trojan War and the Odyssey.
Anyway, "Iliad" And "Odyssey" were written in ancient Greek, a dialect that came to be called Homeric in contrast to the Attic that followed later and which replaced it. "Iliad" describes the last 10 years of the struggle of the Greeks with the Trojans outside the walls of Troy. Achilles is the main character. He is furious that King Agamemnon treats him and his trophies as his own property. Achilles refused to participate in the war, which had already lasted 10 years and in which the Greeks lost thousands of their soldiers in the struggle for Troy.
But after persuasion, Achilles allowed his friend (and possibly lover) Patroclus, who did not want to wait any longer, to join the war. However, Patroclus was defeated and killed by Hector, the leader of the Trojan army. Achilles rushed into battle and forced the Trojan battalions to flee. Without outside help, he killed many enemies, fought with the god of the river Scamander. Achilles ultimately killed Hector, and the poem ends with funeral ceremonies.
"Odyssey"- an unsurpassed adventure masterpiece about the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, who tried to return home after graduation Trojan War along with their people. The details of the fall of Troy are mentioned very briefly. When Odysseus ventured into Land of the Dead, where he finds Achilles among others.
These are just two works of Homer that have survived and have come down to us, however, whether there were others is not exactly known. However, these works underlie all European literature. The poems are written in dactylic hexameter. In memory of Homer Western tradition many poems were written.
3) French: Victor Hugo
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: René Descartes, Voltaire, Alexandre Dumas, Molière, François Rabelais, Marcel Proust, Charles Baudelaire
The French have always been fans of long novels, the longest of which is the cycle "In Search of Lost Time" Marcel Proust. However, Victor Hugo is perhaps the most famous author French prose and one of the greatest poets of the 19th century.
His most famous works are "Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" (1831) and "Les Misérables"(1862). The first work even formed the basis famous cartoon "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" studios Walt Disney Pictures However, in Hugo's real novel, everything ended far from being so fabulous.
The hunchback Quasimodo was hopelessly in love with the gypsy Esmeralda, who treated him well. However, Frollo, an evil priest, had his eye on the beauty. Frollo followed her and saw how she almost turned out to be the mistress of Captain Phoebus. As revenge, Frollo handed over the gypsy to justice, accusing the captain of the murder, whom he actually killed himself.
After being tortured, Esmeralda confessed that she allegedly committed a crime and was supposed to be hanged, but in last moment she was saved by Quasimodo. In the end, Esmeralda was executed anyway, Frollo was thrown from the cathedral, and Quasimodo starved to death, hugging the corpse of his beloved.
"Les Misérables" also not a particularly cheerful novel, at least one of the main characters - Cosette - survives, despite the fact that she had to suffer almost all her life, like all the heroes of the novel. This classic story fanatical following the law, but practically no one can help those who really need help most.
4) Spanish: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Jorge Luis Borges
The main work of Cervantes, of course, is famous novel "The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". He also wrote collections of short stories, romantic novel "Galatea", novel "Persiles and Sihismunda" and some other works.
Don Quixote is a rather hilarious character, even today, whose real name is Alonso Quejana. He had read so much about the warrior knights and their honest ladies that he began to consider himself a knight, traveling through countryside and getting into all sorts of adventures, forcing everyone who meets him on the way to remember him for his recklessness. He made friends with an ordinary farmer Sancho Panza who tries to bring Don Quixote back to reality.
It is known that Don Quixote tried to fight with windmills, saved people who usually did not need his help, and was beaten many times. The second part of the book was published 10 years after the first and is the first work modern literature. The characters all know about the story of Don Quixote, which is told in the first part.
Now everyone he meets is trying to ridicule him and Panso, testing their faith in the spirit of chivalry. He eventually returns to reality when he loses a fight with the Knight of the White Moon, poisons himself at home, falls ill and dies, leaving all the money to his niece on the condition that she does not marry a man who reads reckless tales of chivalry.
5) Dutch: Jost van den Vondel
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Peter Hooft, Jakob Kats
Vondel is the most prominent Dutch writer who lived in the 17th century. He was a poet and playwright and was representative of the "Golden Age" of Dutch literature. His most famous play is "Geisbrecht of Amsterdam", a historical drama that was performed on New Year's Day at the Amsterdam City Theater between 1438 and 1968.
The play is about Geisbrecht IV, who, according to the play, invaded Amsterdam in 1303 to restore the honor of the family and return the titled nobility. He founded something like the title of baron in these places. historical sources The Vondel were infidels. In fact, the invasion was carried out by the son of Geisbrecht, Jan, who turned out to be a real hero, overthrowing the tyranny that reigned in Amsterdam. Today Geisbrecht is national hero due to this writer's error.
Vondel also wrote another masterpiece, an epic poem called "John the Baptist"(1662) about the life of John. This work is the national epic of the Netherlands. Vondel is also the author of the play "Lucifer"(1654), which examines the soul of a biblical character, as well as his character and motives in order to answer the question of why he did what he did. This play inspired the Englishman John Milton to write 13 years later "Paradise Lost".
6) Portuguese: Luis de Camões
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: José Maria Esa de Queiroz, Fernando António Nugueira Pessoa
Camões is considered the greatest poet Portugal. His most famous work is "Lusiades"(1572). The Lusiades were the people who inhabited the Roman region of Lusitania, on the site of which modern Portugal is located. The name comes from the name Lusa (Lusus), he was a friend of the god of wine Bacchus, he is considered the progenitor of the Portuguese people. "Lusiades"- an epic poem consisting of 10 songs.
The poem tells about all the famous Portuguese sea voyages to discover, conquer and colonize new countries and cultures. She is somewhat similar to "Odyssey" Homer, Camões praises Homer and Virgil many times. The work begins with a description of the journey of Vasco da Gama.
This historical poem, which recreates many battles, the Revolution of 1383-85, the discovery of da Gama, trade with the city of Calcutta, India. The Louisiads were always watched by the Greek gods, although da Gama, being a Catholic, prayed to his own god. At the end, the poem mentions Magellan and speaks of the glorious future of Portuguese navigation.
7) German: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Friedrich von Schiller, Arthur Schopenhauer, Heinrich Heine, Franz Kafka
Speaking of German music, one cannot fail to mention Bach, in the same way German literature would not be so complete without Goethe. Many great writers wrote about him or used his ideas in shaping their style. Goethe wrote four novels, a great many poems and documentaries, scientific essays.
Undoubtedly, his most famous work is a book "The Sorrows of Young Werther"(1774). Goethe founded the movement German Romanticism. Beethoven's 5th symphony completely coincides in mood with Goethe's "Werther".
Novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" talks about the unsatisfied romanticism of the protagonist, which leads to his suicide. The story is told in the form of letters and made popular epistolary novel at least for the next century and a half.
However, the masterpiece of Goethe's pen is still a poem "Faust" which consists of 2 parts. The first part was published in 1808, the second in 1832, the year of the writer's death. The legend of Faust existed long before Goethe, however dramatic story Goethe left alone famous history about this hero.
Faust is a scientist whose incredible knowledge and wisdom pleased God. God sends Mephistopheles or the Devil to check on Faust. The story of a deal with the devil has often been brought up in literature, but the most famous is perhaps the story of Goethe's Faust. Faust signs an agreement with the Devil, promising his soul in exchange for the Devil to do whatever Faust wishes on Earth.
He becomes young again and falls in love with the girl Gretchen. Gretchen takes a potion from Faust to help her mother's insomnia, but the potion poisons her. This drives Gretchen crazy, she drowns her newborn baby, signing her death warrant. Faust and Mephistopheles break into the prison to rescue her, but Gretchen refuses to go with them. Faust and Mephistopheles go into hiding, and God grants forgiveness to Gretchen while she awaits her execution.
The second part is incredibly difficult to read, as the reader needs to be well versed in Greek mythology. This is a kind of continuation of the story that began in the first part. Faust, with the help of Mephistopheles, becomes incredibly strong and corrupt until the very end of the story. He remembers the pleasure of being a good man and immediately dies. Mephistopheles comes for his soul, but the angels take it for themselves, they stand up for the soul of Faust, who is reborn and ascends to Heaven.
8) Russian: Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Today Pushkin is remembered as the father of primordially Russian literature, in contrast to that Russian literature, which had a clear connotation Western influence. First of all, Pushkin was a poet, but he wrote in all genres. Drama is considered his masterpiece. "Boris Godunov"(1831) and a poem "Eugene Onegin"(1825-32).
The first work is a play, the second is a novel in poetic form. "Onegin" written exclusively in sonnets, and Pushkin invented new form sonnet, which distinguishes his work from the sonnets of Petrarch, Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser.
The main character of the poem - Eugene Onegin - is the model on which all Russians are based. literary heroes. Onegin is treated as a person who does not meet any standards accepted in society. He wanders, plays gambling, fights in duels, he is called a sociopath, although not cruel or evil. This person, rather, does not care about the values and rules that are accepted in society.
Many of Pushkin's poems formed the basis of ballets and operas. They are very difficult to translate into any other language. for the most part because poetry just can't sound the same in another language. This is what distinguishes poetry from prose. Languages often do not match in the possibilities of words. The Inuit language of the Eskimos is known to have 45 different words for snow.
Nevertheless, "Onegin" translated into many languages. Vladimir Nabokov translated the poem into English, but instead of one volume, he got as many as 4. Nabokov retained all the definitions and descriptive details, but completely ignored the music of poetry.
All this is due to the fact that Pushkin had an incredibly unique writing style that allowed him to touch on all aspects of the Russian language, even inventing new syntactic and grammatical forms and words, establishing many rules that almost all Russian writers use even today.
9) Italian: Dante Alighieri
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: none
Name Durante in Latin means "hardy" or "eternal". It was Dante who helped streamline the various Italian dialects of his time into modern Italian. The dialect of Tuscany, where Dante was born in Florence, is the standard for all Italians thanks to "Divine Comedy" (1321), a masterpiece by Dante Alighieri and one of greatest works world literature of all times.
At the time this work was written, the Italian regions each had their own dialect, which were quite different from each other. Today, when you want to learn Italian as a foreign language, you will almost always start with the Florentine version of Tuscany because of its significance in literature.
Dante travels to Hell and Purgatory to learn about the punishments that sinners are serving. There are different punishments for different crimes. Those who are accused of lust are forever driven by the wind, despite their fatigue, because in life the wind of voluptuousness drove them.
Those whom Dante considers heretics are guilty of splitting the church into several branches, among them also the prophet Muhammad. They are sentenced to a split from the neck to the groin, and the punishment is carried out by the devil with a sword. In such a ripped state, they walk in a circle.
IN "Comedy" there are also descriptions of Paradise, which are also unforgettable. Dante uses Ptolemy's concept of paradise that Heaven is made up of 9 concentric spheres, each of which brings the author and Beatrice, his lover and guide, closer to God at the very top.
After meeting with different famous personalities from the Bible, Dante is face to face with the Lord God, depicted in the form of three beautiful circles light, merging into one, from which comes Jesus, the incarnation of God on Earth.
Dante is also the author of other smaller poems and essays. One of the works - "About folk eloquence" speaks of the importance Italian as conversational. He also wrote a poem "New life" with passages in prose in which he defends noble love. No other writer was as fluent in the language as Dante was in Italian.
10) English: William Shakespeare
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: John Milton, Samuel Beckett, Geoffrey Chaucer, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens
Voltaire called Shakespeare "that drunken fool", and his works "that huge dunghill". Nevertheless, the influence of Shakespeare on literature is undeniable, and not only English, but also the literature of most other languages of the world. Shakespeare is one of the most translated writers today. complete collection works have been translated into 70 languages, and various plays and poems have been translated into more than 200.
About 60 percent of all popular expressions, quotes and idioms in English come from King James Bible (English translation Bible), 30 percent from Shakespeare.
According to the rules of Shakespearean time, tragedies at the end demanded the death of at least one main character, but in an ideal tragedy everyone dies: "Hamlet" (1599-1602), "King Lear" (1660), "Othello" (1603), "Romeo and Juliet" (1597).
In contrast to tragedy, there is comedy, in which someone is sure to marry at the end, and in the ideal comedy, all the characters marry and get married: "Dream in midsummer night" (1596), "Much ado about nothing" (1599), "Twelfth Night" (1601), "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1602).
Shakespeare masterfully exacerbated the tension between the characters in an excellent combination with the plot. He knew how, like no one else, organically describe human nature. The real genius of Shakespeare can be called skepticism, which pervades all his works, sonnets, plays and poems. He, as it should be, praises the highest moral principles humanity, but these principles are always expressed in the conditions of an ideal world.
the day before world day writer "Levada Center" asked the question, who in the minds of the inhabitants of Russia is worthy to enter list of the most prominent domestic writers. The survey was completed by 1600 residents Russian Federation over 18 years old. The results can be called predictable: the top ten reflects the composition school curriculum on literature.
Almost close to her joined the human rights activist Solzhenitsyn (5%). Kuprin, Bunin and Nekrasov finished at the same time - each scored 4% of the vote. And then new names began to appear among the names familiar from textbooks, for example, Dontsova and Akunin took their place next to Griboedov and Ostrovsky (3% each), and Ustinova, Ivanov, Marinina and Pelevin stood on the same level with Goncharov, Pasternak, Platonov and Chernyshevsky ( 1%).
Opens the top 10 most prominent writers Russian poet-misanthrope, full of contempt for the soulless world, the creator of demonic characters and the singer of Caucasian exoticism in the form of mountain rivers and young Circassian women. However, even stylistic errors like “a lioness with a shaggy mane on a ridge” or “a familiar corpse” did not prevent him from climbing the Parnassus of Russian literature and taking tenth place in the ranking with a score of 6%.
9. Gorky
In the USSR, he was considered the ancestor Soviet literature and socialist realism, while Gorky's ideological opponents denied him talent for writing and intellectual scope and accused him of cheap sentimentalism. Received 7% of the votes.
8. Turgenev
He dreamed of a career as a philosopher and even tried to get a master's degree, but he failed to become a scientist. But he became a writer. And the writer is quite successful - his fees were among the highest in Russia. With this money (and income from the estate), Turgenev supported the entire family of his beloved Pauline Viardot, including her children and husband. Gained 9% in the poll.
7. Bulgakov
Russia rediscovered this writer only twenty-five years ago, after perestroika. Bulgakov was one of the first to face the horrors of communal apartments and obstacles on the way to a Moscow residence permit, which was later reflected in The Master and Margarita. His contribution to literature was appreciated by 11% of Russians.
6. Sholokhov
It is still unknown who exactly wrote " Quiet Don» — unknown writer from the "white" camp, or a group of comrades from the NKVD, or Sholokhov himself, who later received Nobel Prize. In the meantime, he occupies sixth place in the list of outstanding writers with a score of 13%.
5. Gogol
They love him not for moralizing, but for the door to the world of the grotesque and phantasmagoria, intricately woven with real life. Scored the same number of points with Sholokhov.
4. Pushkin
In his youth, he liked to play pranks (for example, to shock the inhabitants of Yekaterinoslav with an outfit of translucent muslin pantaloons without underwear), was proud of his thin waist and tried with all his might to get rid of the status of a “writer”. At the same time, already during his lifetime he was considered a genius, the first Russian poet and creator of the Russian literary language. In the minds of current readers, it ranks fourth with a score of 15%.
3. Chekhov
The author of humorous stories and the ancestor in Russian literature of tragicomedy in the world is considered a kind of " calling card» Russian dramaturgy. The Russians give him an honorable third place, giving him 18% of the vote.
2. Dostoevsky
Five books by the former convict and inveterate gambler were included in the list of "One Hundred best books of all times" according to the Norwegian Nobel Institute. Dostoevsky, like no one knows and describes with the utmost honesty the dark and painful depths human soul. He took second place in the ranking with a score of 23%.
1. Leo Tolstoy
"Mother Man" deserves fame brilliant writer and classics of Russian literature during his lifetime. His works have been repeatedly published and republished in Russia and abroad, and many times appeared on the movie screen. One "Anna Karenina" was filmed 32 times, "Resurrection" - 22 times, "War and Peace" - 11 times. Even his life itself served as material for several films. Perhaps it was thanks to recent high-profile film adaptations that he earned the fame of the first writer in Russia, receiving 45% of the vote.
(ratings: 28
, average: 4,29
out of 5)
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 classical literature was 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 by writing their the 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 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. IN full list The books include 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 that has collected best work 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.
