Best Books modern prose autumn 2018

Our rating of the top 100 best modern books turned out to be quite diverse and brought a lot of new works. It includes books that are recognized all over the world and have received numerous awards, as well as works that have become popular thanks to the Internet. Our list of the best modern books includes all the books that you were looking for in the fall of 2018 on the Internet. And that is why we are sure that only the best are collected here. modern books. And we really hope that our list of modern prose will help you find works worthy of your attention.

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Book " Good year» Author: Peter Mail Year of publication of the book: 2004 The book "Good Year" became popular in our country after the release of the film of the same name by Ridley Scott. This director has long been good friend Peter Meyl and therefore gladly took up the film adaptation of the writer's work. Especially since "Good Year" to read the book was quite popular as […]

Ancient Greece

Homer "Odyssey" and "Iliad"

Did Homer really write these poems? Was he blind? And did it exist at all? These and other questions still remain unanswered, but pale in the face of eternity and the value of the texts themselves. The epic Iliad tells about Trojan War, for a long time was better known than The Odyssey, and more influenced European literature. But the wanderings of Odysseus, written plain language, is almost a novel, perhaps the first one that has come down to us.

Great Britain

Charles Dickens "The Adventures of Oliver Twist"

A groundbreaking novel featuring real life without embellishment, Dickens composed at the age of 26. He did not have to strain his imagination strongly: main character who lived in poverty is the author himself, whose family went bankrupt when future writer was just a child. And even the name of the main villain Feygin Dickens took from life, borrowing, however, from his best friend.

The release of "Oliver Twist" had a bombshell effect in England: society, in particular, vied with each other to discuss - and condemn - child labor. Through the novel, readers learned that literature can act as a mirror.

Jane Austen "Pride and Prejudice"

Cornerstone for British literature a text as classic as "Eugene Onegin" in Russia. Quiet home young lady Austin wrote "Pride" quite young, but published only 15 years later, after the success of the book "Sense and Sensibility". Austen's phenomenon, among other things, is that almost all of her novels are classics, but Pride and Prejudice stands out against the general background with the presence of one of the most amazing couples in world literature - Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Darcy is a household name, without him Britain is not Britain. In general, “Pride and Prejudice” is the very case when the sign “ female romance”causes not a smirk, but admiration.

Germany

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Faust"

The 82-year-old Goethe completed the last, second part of Faust six months before his death. He began work on the text when he was twenty-five. Goethe put all the scrupulousness, efficiency and attention to detail inherited from the pedant-father into this ambitious work. Life, death, world order, good, evil - "Faust", like "War and Peace", in its own way is an exhaustive book in which everyone will find answers to any answers.

Erich Maria Remarque "Arc de Triomphe"

“One of the two always abandons the other. The whole question is who will get ahead of whom”, “Love does not tolerate explanations. She needs deeds ”- Remarque’s novel from those books that diverge into quotes. The love story in Paris besieged by the Germans turned the heads of more than one generation of readers, and the author's romance with Marlene Dietrich, and persistent rumors that it was Dietrich who became the prototype of Joan Mado, only add to the charm of this wonderful book.

Russia

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote this novel by force, because of the need for money: gambling debts, the death of his brother Mikhail, which left his family without funds. The plot of Crime and Punishment was "inspired" by the case of Pierre François Lacière, a French intellectual murderer who believed that society was to blame for his deeds. Dostoevsky composed parts, each of which was published in the journal Russkiy Vestnik. Later, the novel was released as a separate volume, in a new edition, abridged by the author, and began independent life. Today, Crime and Punishment is part of the world classics, one of the symbols of Russian literature and culture in general, translated into many languages ​​and filmed many times (up to the manga comic of the same name).

Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace"

The epic four-volume masterpiece, written in several passes, ended up taking Tolstoy nearly six years. "War and Peace" is inhabited by 559 heroes, the names of the main ones - Bezukhov, Natasha Rostova, Bolkonsky, have become household names. This novel is a large-scale (many people think that it is completely exhaustive) statement about everything in the world - war, love, the state, etc. The author himself quickly lost interest in War and Peace, a few years later calling the book "wordy", and at the end of his life - just "nonsense".

Colombia

Gabriel Garcia Marquez "One Hundred Years of Solitude"

The saga of the Buendía family is the second most popular text in Spanish all over the world (the first is Cervantes' Don Quixote). An example of the "magic realism" genre, which has become a kind of brand that unites completely different authors such as Borges, Coelho and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. One Hundred Years of Solitude was written by 38-year-old Marquez in a year and a half; To write this book, a father of two quit his job and sold his car. The novel came out in 1967, at first it was sold somehow, but in the end it gained world fame. The total circulation of "One Hundred Years" today is 30 million, Marquez is a classic, winner of everything in the world, including Nobel Prize, a symbolic writer who has done more for his native Colombia than anyone else. It is thanks to Marquez that the world knows that in Colombia there are not only drug lords, but also

All the romantic pathos that shrouded the Middle Ages is presented in Ivanhoe. Valiant Knights, lovely ladies, castle sieges and the political subtleties of vassal relations - all this found a place in the novel by Walter Scott.

In many ways, it was his creation that contributed to the romanticization of the Middle Ages. The author described historical events, which cover the period in English history after the Third crusade. Of course, there were some serious artistic improvisations and fiction, but this made the story only more exciting and beautiful.

It was impossible not to include in this selection the most famous creation of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. For many schoolchildren, the study of "Dead Souls" is the highlight of the literature lessons.

Nikolai Gogol is one of the few classics who knew how to write about the problems of petty-bourgeois life and Russia as a whole in such a sarcastically direct tone. There is neither the epic heaviness of Tolstoy, nor the unhealthy psychologism of Dostoevsky. Reading is easy and enjoyable. However, hardly anyone will deny him the depth and subtlety of the observed phenomena.

The adventure novel "The Headless Horseman" is multi-layered: detective and love motives are intertwined in it. Plot intricacies create intrigue and keep in suspense until the very last pages books. Who is this headless horseman? A ghost, a figment of the heroes' imagination, or someone's insidious trick? You are unlikely to fall asleep until you get an answer to this question.

Charles Dickens was extremely popular during his lifetime. People were waiting for him following novels about the same as we are now waiting for the release of some "Transformers". The educated English public loved his books for inimitable style and story dynamics.

"Death notes Pickwick Club"- the funniest work of Dickens. The adventures of English snobs who proclaimed themselves explorers human souls are full of ridiculous and comical situations. Social issues, of course, is present here, but it is presented in such a simple form that one cannot fall in love with English classic after reading it is simply impossible.

"Madame Bovary" is rightfully considered one of the greatest novels world classics. This title does not detract from the fascination of Flaubert's creation - the defiant story of Emma Bovary's love adventures is bold and daring. After the publication of the novel, the writer was even brought to trial for insulting morality.

The psychological naturalism that permeates the novel allowed Flaubert to clearly reveal the problem that is relevant in any era - the convertibility of love and money.

Most famous work Oscar Wilde is touched by the deeply developed image of the protagonist. Dorian Gray, an aesthete and a snob, has an extreme beauty that contrasts with the internal ugliness that develops over the course of the story. You can revel in watching Gray's moral decline, allegorically reflected in the visual change in his portrait, for hours on end.

"American tragedy" - the wrong side american dream. The desire for wealth, respect, position in society, money is characteristic of all people, however, for the majority, the path to the top is closed by default for various reasons.

Clyde Griffiths - a native of the grassroots, who is trying with all his might to break into high society. He is ready to do anything for his dreams. But society, with its ideals of success as an absolute life purpose is itself a catalyst for the violation of morality. As a result, Clyde breaks the law in order to achieve his goals.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an autobiographical novel. Harper Lee described her childhood memories. The result is a story with an anti-racist message, written in a simple and in plain language. Reading the book is useful and interesting, it can be called a textbook of morality.

Not so long ago, a continuation of the novel was published under the title " Go set a watchman". It's got so much inside out characters. classical work writers that cognitive dissonance when reading cannot be avoided.

Lifehacker can receive a commission from the purchase of goods presented in the publication.

All the romantic pathos that shrouded the Middle Ages is presented in Ivanhoe. Valiant knights, beautiful ladies, castle sieges and the political subtleties of vassal relations - all this found a place in the novel by Walter Scott.

In many ways, it was his creation that contributed to the romanticization of the Middle Ages. The author described the historical events that affect the period in the history of England after the Third Crusade. Of course, there were some serious artistic improvisations and fiction, but this made the story only more exciting and beautiful.

It was impossible not to include in this selection the most famous creation of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. For many schoolchildren, the study of "Dead Souls" is the highlight of the literature lessons.

Nikolai Gogol is one of the few classics who knew how to write about the problems of petty-bourgeois life and Russia as a whole in such a sarcastically direct tone. There is neither the epic heaviness of Tolstoy, nor the unhealthy psychologism of Dostoevsky. Reading is easy and enjoyable. However, hardly anyone will deny him the depth and subtlety of the observed phenomena.

The adventure novel "The Headless Horseman" is multi-layered: detective and love motives are intertwined in it. The plot intricacies create intrigue and keep you in suspense until the very last pages of the book. Who is this headless horseman? A ghost, a figment of the heroes' imagination, or someone's insidious trick? You are unlikely to fall asleep until you get an answer to this question.

Charles Dickens was extremely popular during his lifetime. People were waiting for his next novels in much the same way that we are now waiting for the release of some Transformers. The educated English public loved his books for their inimitable style and plot dynamism.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is Dickens' funniest work. The adventures of English snobs, who proclaimed themselves to be researchers of human souls, are full of ridiculous and comical situations. Social issues, of course, are present here, but it is presented in such a simple form that it is simply impossible not to fall in love with the English classic after reading it.

Madame Bovary is rightfully considered one of the greatest novels of the world classics. This title does not detract from the fascination of Flaubert's creation - the defiant story of Emma Bovary's love adventures is bold and daring. After the publication of the novel, the writer was even brought to trial for insulting morality.

The psychological naturalism that permeates the novel allowed Flaubert to clearly reveal the problem that is relevant in any era - the convertibility of love and money.

The most famous work of Oscar Wilde touches the nerve with a deeply developed image of the protagonist. Dorian Gray, an aesthete and a snob, has an extreme beauty that contrasts with the internal ugliness that develops over the course of the story. You can revel in watching Gray's moral decline, allegorically reflected in the visual change in his portrait, for hours on end.

"An American Tragedy" is the underside of the American Dream. The desire for wealth, respect, position in society, money is characteristic of all people, however, for the majority, the path to the top is closed by default for various reasons.

Clyde Griffiths - a native of the lower classes, who is trying with all his might to break into high society. He is ready to do anything for his dreams. But society, with its ideals of success as an absolute life goal, is itself a catalyst for the violation of morality. As a result, Clyde breaks the law in order to achieve his goals.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an autobiographical novel. Harper Lee described her childhood memories. The result is a story with an anti-racist message, written in simple and accessible language. Reading the book is useful and interesting, it can be called a textbook of morality.

Not so long ago, a continuation of the novel was published under the title " Go set a watchman". It turns inside out the images of the characters of the writer's classic work so much that cognitive dissonance cannot be avoided when reading.

Lifehacker can receive a commission from the purchase of goods presented in the publication.

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, which is natural English literature. However, the result obtained is curious and it seems worth getting acquainted with it.

Andrey Matveev, 2001

Top 100 Writers

Top 100 Books