The best works of classical world literature, which are worth reading for the soul. Classic books everyone should read

The collection of classical literature at different times was replenished by the outstanding geniuses of their peoples and their era. We love them for the opportunity to plunge into the world of the distant past, so classical literature remains popular at all times.

Classical literature: general characteristics

It happens that a certain mood makes us pay attention to classic books, because the most famous works are often the best. Not in vain, because it was these best works that inspired others famous authors- representatives of subsequent popular generations in literature. The golden classics, an eternal series of books, will be a salvation for those who are not seduced by modern literary works, because it was the authors from this list of classics who were genre pioneers long before the postmodern era began, and literary world broke out all genre diversity, which was difficult even to imagine in the conventional 19th century. Nevertheless, all this became possible precisely thanks to the classics, as evidenced by numerous reviews.

World classics books: list

As is known, classical works- these are not just books, but also markers of the era, which are considered exemplary examples of how the best writers saw their literary heritage. In addition, most often the problems of classical works have something in common with the attitude of a whole generation, which makes the general reader love these books with all his heart. This is also the reason that these books are often included in the school curriculum of different countries, because such works help to understand what a whole section of society was thinking and breathing about in a specific time frame.

This list contains just a few of the best examples of classic literature. But if you are wondering what to read from the literature included in the golden fund of world culture, then here you will definitely find something for yourself.

Ancient Greece

Homer "Odyssey" and "Iliad"

Did Homer really write these poems? Was he blind? And did it exist in principle? These and other questions still remain unanswered, but pale in the face of eternity and the value of the texts themselves. The epic Iliad, which tells about Trojan War, for a long time was better known than the "Odyssey", and to a greater extent influenced European literature... But Odysseus's wanderings, written simple language, - this is almost a novel, perhaps the first of those that have come down to us.

United Kingdom

Charles Dickens "The Adventures of Oliver Twist"

Groundbreaking novel featuring real life unadorned, Dickens composed at the age of 26. He didn't have to strain his imagination: the main character, who lived in poverty, is the author himself, whose family was ruined when the future writer was just a child. And even the name of the main villain Feigin 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 have learned that literature can act as a mirror.

Jane Austen "Pride and Prejudice"

A cornerstone text for British literature, as classic as Eugene Onegin in Russia. Quiet housewife Austin wrote Pride when she was very young, but did not publish it until 15 years after the success of Sense and Sensibility. Austin's phenomenon, among other things, is that almost all of her novels are classics, but Pride and Prejudice stands out from the general background by the presence of one of the most amazing couples in world literature - Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Darcy is a household name at all, without him Britain is not Britain. In general, “Pride and Prejudice” is the very case when the sign “ female romance"Evokes not a smirk, but admiration.

Germany

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Faust"

The last, second part of "Faust" 82-year-old Goethe finished six months before his death. He began work on the text when he was twenty-five. All the scrupulousness, efficiency and attention to detail inherited from the pedant father, Goethe invested in 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 throws the other. The whole question is who will be ahead of whom ”,“ Love does not tolerate explanations. She needs actions ”- Remarque's novel is one of those books that diverge into quotations. The love story in Paris besieged by the Germans turned the head 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 Madou, only add to the charm of this beautiful book.

Russia

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote this novel by necessity, 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 Lasière, a French intellectual assassin who believed that society was to blame for his actions. Dostoevsky composed parts, each of which was published in the journal "Russian Bulletin". Later, the novel came out as a separate volume, in a new version, abridged by the author, and began independent life... Today "Crime and Punishment" is a 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 strip of the same name).

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy "War and Peace"

The epic four-volume masterpiece, written with several passes, eventually took 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 believe 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", after a few years he called the book "verbose", and at the end of his life - just "nonsense".

Colombia

Gabriel García Márquez One Hundred Years of Solitude

The saga of the Buendía family is the second most popular text on Spanish all over the world (first - "Don Quixote" by Cervantes). An example of the “magic realism” genre, which has become a kind of brand uniting very different authors such as Borges, Coelho and Carlos Ruiz Safon. One Hundred Years of Solitude was written by 38-year-old Marquez in a year and a half; to write this book, the father of two children quit his job and sold his car. The novel was released in 1967, at first it was sold somehow, but in the end it found world fame... The total circulation of "Hundred Years" today is 30 million, Marquez is a classic, laureate of everything, including the 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

Closer to mid-February, it seems that even love vibes are in the air. And if you have not yet felt this mood, the gray sky and the cold wind spoil all the romance - will come to your aid best classic about love!

Antoine François Prévost "The Story of the Chevalier de Grieu and Manon Lescaut" (1731)

This story takes place in the backdrop of Regency France after death. Louis XIV... The story is told on behalf of a seventeen-year-old boy, a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy in the north of France. Having successfully passed the exams, he is about to return to his father's house, but accidentally meets an attractive and mysterious girl... This is Manon Lescaut, who was brought to the city by her parents to give to the monastery. Cupid's arrow pierces the heart of the young gentleman and he, forgetting about everything, persuades Manon to run away with him. This is how the eternal and beautiful love story of the Chevalier de Grieu and Manon Lescaut begins, which will inspire entire generations of readers, writers, artists, musicians, directors.

The author of the love story is Abbot Prevost, whose life was tossed between monastic solitude and secular society... His fate is complex, interesting, his love for a girl of another faith - forbidden and passionate - formed the basis of a fascinating and scandalous (for his era) book.

"Manon Lescaut" is the first novel, where a subtle and heartfelt psychological picture heroes. The fresh, winged prose of Abbot Prévost is unlike all previous French literature.

This story tells about several years in the life of de Grieu, during which an impulsive, sensitive, yearning for love and freedom, a young man manages to turn into a man with great experience and difficult fate... The beautiful Manon also grows up: her spontaneity and frivolity is replaced by the depth of feelings and a wise outlook on life.

“Contrary to the cruel fate, I found my happiness in her eyes and in the firm confidence in her feelings. Indeed, I have lost everything that other people honor and cherish; but I owned the heart of Manon, the only good that I honored. "

A novel about clean and eternal love, which arises from the air, but the strength and purity of this feeling is enough to change the heroes and their destinies. But is this strength enough to change the life around?

Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights (1847)

Debuting in one year, each of the Brontë sisters presented their novel to the world: Charlotte for Jane Eyre, Emily for Wuthering Heights, Anne for Agnes Gray. Charlotte's novel caused a sensation (he, like any books of the most famous of Bronte, could be in this top), but after the death of the sisters, it was recognized that "Wuthering Heights" is one of the best works that time.

The most mystical and withdrawn of the sisters, Emily Brontë, has created a poignant novel about madness and hatred, about power and love. Contemporaries considered him too rude, but they could not help but fall under his magical influence.

The story of generations of two families unfolds against the picturesque backdrop of Yorkshire fields, where the mad wind and inhuman passions reign. Central heroes- freedom-loving Katherine and impulsive Heathcliff are obsessed with each other. Their complex characters, different social status, exceptional fates - all together form a canon love story... But this book is more than just an early Victorian love novel. According to the modernist Virginia Woolf, "The idea that the manifestations of human nature are based on forces that raise it and rise to the foot of greatness, and puts Emily Brontë's novel in a special, prominent place among similar novels."

Thanks to "Wuthering Heights", the beautiful fields of Yorkshire became a nature reserve, and we inherited, for example, such masterpieces as the film of the same name with Juliette Binoche, the popular ballad "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" performed by Celine Dion, and touching quotes:

“What doesn't remind you of her? I can't even look under my feet, so that her face does not appear here on the floor slabs! It is in every cloud, in every tree - it fills the air at night, in the daytime it appears in the outlines of objects - its image is everywhere around me! The most ordinary faces, male and female, my own features - everything teases me with its likeness. The whole world is a terrible freak show, where everything reminds me that she existed and that I lost her. "

Leo Tolstoy "Anna Karenina" (1877)

Exists famous legend about how it was discussed in the circle of writers that there are no good love novels in literature. Tolstoy roused himself at these words and accepted the challenge, saying that he would write good romance about love in three months. And he did. True, in four years.

But this, as they say, is history. And Anna Karenina is a novel that is included in the school curriculum. Such school reading... And so, every decent graduate learns on the way out that "all happy families similar to each other ... ", and in the Oblonskys' house "Everything is confused ...".

Meanwhile, "Anna Karenina" is a real great book O great love... Today it is generally accepted (thanks, among other things, to the cinema) that this is a novel about the pure and passionate love of Karenina and Vronsky, which became Anna's salvation from her boring tyrant husband and her own death.

But for the author himself, this is, first of all, family romance, a novel about love, which, having united the two halves, develops into something more: a family, children. This, according to Tolstoy, is the main purpose of a woman. Because there is nothing more important, and most importantly, more difficult than raising a child, keeping a real strong family. This idea is embodied in the novel by the union of Levin and Kitty. This family, which in many respects Tolstoy wrote off from his union with Sofya Andreevna, becomes a reflection of the ideal union of a man and a woman.

The Karenins are “an unhappy family,” and Tolstoy devoted his book to an analysis of the causes of this unhappiness. However, the author does not indulge in moralizing, accusing the sinful Anna of destroying a decent family. Leo Tolstoy, "expert on human souls", creates complex work where there is no right or wrong. There is a society that affects the heroes, there are heroes who choose their own path, and there are feelings that the heroes do not always understand, but to which they are given in full.

On this I round off my literary analysis, because much and better have already been written about this. I'll just express my thought: be sure to reread the texts from the school curriculum. And not only from school.

Reshad Nuri Gyuntekin "Kinglet - songbird" (1922)

The question of which works from Turkish literature have become world classics can be confusing. The novel "Singing Bird" deserves such recognition. Reshad Nuri Gyuntekin wrote this book at the age of 33, it became one of his first novels. These circumstances make us even more surprised at the skill with which the writer portrayed the psychology of a young woman, the social problems of provincial Turkey.

A fragrant and original book captures from the first lines. it diary entries beautiful Feride, who remembers her life and her love. When this book first came to me (and it was at the time of my puberty), on the battered cover was "Chalykushu - a songbird." Even now this translation of the name seems to me more colorful and sonorous. Chalykushu is the nickname of the restless Ferida. As the heroine writes in her diary: "…my real name, Feride, became official and was used very rarely, like a festive outfit. I liked the name Chalykush, it even helped me out. As soon as someone complained about my tricks, I just shrugged my shoulders, as if saying: “I have nothing to do with it ... What do you want from Chalykush? ..”.

Chalykusha lost her parents early. She is sent to be raised by relatives, where she falls in love with her aunt's son, Kamran. Their relationship is not easy, but young people are drawn to each other. Suddenly Feride learns that her chosen one is already in love with another. In feelings, the impulsive Chalykushu fluttered out of family nest towards real life who greeted her with a hurricane of events ...

I remember how, after reading the book, I wrote quotes in my diary, realizing every word. It is interesting that you change over time, but the book remains the same piercing, touching and naive. But it seems in our 21st century of independent women, gadgets and social networks a little naivety doesn't hurt:

“A person lives and is bound by invisible threads to the people around him. Parting sets in, the strings stretch and break like the strings of a violin, making dull sounds. And every time the threads break at the heart, the person experiences the most acute pain. "

Lady Chatterley's Lover, David Herbert Lawrence (1928)

Provocative, scandalous, outspoken. Forbidden for over thirty years after first publication. The hardened English bourgeoisie did not tolerate description sex scenes and "immoral" behavior the main character... In 1960 there was a loud trial, during which the novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" was rehabilitated and released for publication when the author was no longer alive.

Today the novel and his story line hardly seem so provocative to us. Young Constance marries Baronet Chatterley. After their marriage, Clifford Chatterley travels to Flanders, where he receives multiple wounds during the battle. He is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Connie's married life (as her husband affectionately calls her) has changed, but she continues to love her husband, courting him. However, Clifford realizes that it is difficult for a young girl to spend all the nights alone. He allows her to have a lover, the main thing is that the candidacy is worthy.

“If a man has no brains, he is a fool, if there is no heart, he is a villain, if there is no bile, he is a rag. If a man is not capable of exploding, like a tightly stretched spring, there is no masculine nature in him. This is not a man, but a good boy. "

During one of the walks in the forest, Connie meets a new huntsman. It is he who will teach the girl not only the art of love, but also awaken real deep feelings in her.

David Herbert Lawrence is a classic of English literature, author of the equally famous books "Sons and Lovers", "Women in Love", "Rainbow", also wrote essays, poems, plays, travel prose. He authored three versions of Lady Chatterley's Lover. The last version, which satisfied the author, was published. This novel brought him fame, but Lawrence's liberalism and proclamation of freedom moral choice people, sung in the novel, were able to appreciate only many years later.

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell (1936)

Aphorism "When a woman cannot cry, it's scary.", and the image itself strong woman belong to the pen of the American writer Margaret Mitchell, who became famous thanks to the only novel... There is hardly anyone who has not heard of the bestseller Gone With the Wind.

Gone with the Wind - History civil war between the northern and southern states of America in the 60s, during which cities and destinies collapsed, but something new and beautiful could not but be born. This is the story of growing up young Scarlett O'Hara, who is forced to take responsibility for her family, learn to manage her feelings and achieve simple female happiness.

This is that successful love novel, when, in addition to the main and rather superficial theme, it gives something else. The book grows with the reader: opened in different time, it will be perceived in a new way every time. One thing in her remains unchanged: a hymn to love, life and humanity. And the unexpected and open ending inspired several writers to create a continuation of the love story, the most famous of which are "Scarlett" by Alexander Ripley or "People of Rhett Butler" by Donald McCaig.

Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago" (1957)

A complex symbolist novel by Pasternak, written in no less complex and rich language. A number of researchers point to the autobiographical nature of the work, but the events or characters described barely resemble the real life of the author. Nevertheless, this is a kind of "spiritual autobiography" that Pasternak characterized as follows: "I am writing now great romance in prose about a man who makes up some resultant between Blok and me (and Mayakovsky, and Yesenin, perhaps). He will die in 1929. From him will remain a book of poetry, which is one of the chapters of the second part. The time the novel embraces is 1903-1945 ”.

The main theme of the novel is reflections on the future of the country and the fate of the generation to which the author belonged. Historical events play an important role for the heroes of the novel, it is the whirlpool of a complex political situation that determines their lives.

The main actors books are the doctor and poet Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova, the hero's beloved. Throughout the novel, their paths accidentally crossed and separated, it would seem, forever. What really conquers in this novel is the inexplicable and immense love that the heroes carried through their whole lives.

This love story culminates in several winter days in the Varykino estate covered with snow. It is here that the main explanations of the heroes take place, here Zhivago writes his best poems dedicated to Lara. But even in this abandoned house, they cannot hide from the noise of the war. Larisa is forced to leave in order to save the life of herself and her children. And Zhivago, mad with loss, writes in his notebook:

A man looks from the doorway

Not recognizing at home.

Her departure was like an escape

Everywhere there are traces of defeat.

Chaos is everywhere in the rooms.

He measures ruin

Doesn't notice because of tears

And a migraine attack.

In the ears in the morning some noise.

Is he dreaming in his memory?

And why does it come to his mind

Does all the thought of the sea climb? ..

Doctor Zhivago is a Nobel Prize-winning novel, a novel whose fate, like the fate of the author, turned out to be tragic, a novel that is still alive today, like the memory of Boris Pasternak, is a must-read.

John Fowles "The French Lieutenant's Mistress" (1969)

One of Fowles's masterpieces, which is a fluid interweaving of postmodernism, realism, Victorian romance, psychology, allusions to Dickens, Hardy and other contemporaries. A novel being central piece English literature of the 20th century, is considered one of the main books about love.

The canvas of the story, like any plot of a love story, looks simple and predictable. But Fowles is a postmodernist, influenced by existentialism and passionate about historical sciences, created a mystical and deep love story out of this story.

An aristocrat, a wealthy young man named Charles Smithson, together with his chosen one, meet Sarah Woodruff on the seashore - once "The mistress of the French lieutenant", and now - a maid who avoids people. Sarah looks unsociable, but Charles manages to establish contact with her. During one of the walks, Sarah opens up to the hero, talking about her life.

“Even your own past does not seem to you to be something real - you dress it up, try to whitewash or blacken it, you edit it, somehow patch it up ... In a word, turn it into fiction and put it on the shelf - this is your book, your romanized autobiography. We're all running from real reality... This is the main distinguishing feature of homo sapiens. "

Difficult but special relationships are established between the characters, which will develop into a strong and fatal feeling.

The variability of the endings of the novel is not only one of the main techniques postmodern literature, but also reflects the idea that everything is possible in love, as in life.

And for lovers acting Meryl Streep: In 1981, the film of the same name was released by director Karel Reisch, where the main characters were played by Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. The film, which received several film awards, has become a classic. But watch it like any movie based on literary work better after reading the book itself.

Colin McCullough, The Thorn Birds (1977)

Colin McCullough has written more than ten novels in her life, the historical cycle The Lords of Rome, and a series of detective stories. But she was able to take a prominent place in Australian literature, and thanks to just one novel - "The Thorns Singers."

Seven parts of a fascinating story big family... Several generations of the Cleary clan who move to Australia to settle here and from simple poor farmers to become a prominent and successful family. The central characters of this saga are Maggie Cleary and Ralph de Bricassard. Their story, which unites all the chapters of the novel, tells about the eternal struggle between duty and feeling, reason and passion. What will the heroes choose? Or will they have to stand on opposite sides and defend their choice?

Each of the parts of the novel is dedicated to one of the members of the Cleary family and subsequent generations. Over the fifty years during which the novel takes place, not only the surrounding reality changes, but also the ideals of life. So Maggie's daughter Fia, whose story opens in the last part of the book, no longer strives to create a family, to continue its kind. Thus, the fate of the Cleary family is threatened.

"Singing in the Thorns" is a delicately made, filigree work about life itself. Colin McCullough managed to overcome difficult spillovers human soul, thirst for love that lives in every woman, passionate nature and the inner strength of a man. Perfect long reading winter evenings under a blanket or sultry days on a summer veranda.

“There is a legend about a bird that sings only once in its entire life, but it is more beautiful than anyone else in the world. One day she leaves her nest and flies to look for a thorn bush and will not rest until she finds it. Among the thorny branches, she sings a song and throws herself with her chest on the longest, sharpest thorn. And, towering above the indescribable torment, he sings so, dying, that both a lark and a nightingale would envy this jubilant song. The only, incomparable song, and it comes at the cost of life. But the whole world freezes, listening, and God himself smiles in the heavens. For all the best is bought only at the cost of great suffering ... At least, so the legend says. "

Gabriel García Márquez Love in the Time of the Plague (1985)

I wonder when it appeared famous expression, that love is a disease? Nevertheless, it is this truth that is the impetus for the understanding of the work of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, which proclaims that "... the symptoms of love and the plague are the same"... And the most important idea of ​​this novel is contained in another quote: "If you meet your true love, then it will not go anywhere from you - not in a week, not in a month, not in a year."

This happened with the heroes of the novel "Love in the Time of the Plague", the plot of which unfolds around a girl named Fermina Das. In her youth, Florentino Arisa was in love with her, but considering his love only a temporary hobby, she marries Juvenal Urbino. Urbino's profession is a doctor, and his life's work is the fight against cholera. However, Fermina and Florentino are destined to be together. When Urbino dies, the feelings of old lovers flare up with renewed vigor, painted in more mature and deeper tones.

The whole romantic pathos, which is shrouded in the Middle Ages, is presented in "Ivanhoe". Valiant Knights, lovely ladies, castle sieges and 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, it was not without serious artistic improvisation and fiction, but this only made the story 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 most striking event in literature lessons.

Nikolai Gogol is one of the few classics who knew how to write about the problems of philistine life and Russia as a whole in such a sarcastic and direct tone. There is neither the epic ponderousness of Tolstoy, nor the unhealthy psychology of Dostoevsky. Reading the work is easy and pleasant. 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 intricacies of the plot create intrigue and keep in suspense to the very last pages books. Who is this headless horseman? A ghost, a figment of the imagination of heroes, or someone's insidious trick? You are unlikely to fall asleep until you get the answer to this question.

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

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

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

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

The most famous work Oscar Wilde is touched by the deeply worked out image of the protagonist. Dorian Gray, an esthete and snob, has an extraordinary beauty that contrasts with the inner ugliness that develops throughout the plot. Revel in watching moral decline Gray, allegorically reflected in the visual change of his portrait, can be spent hours on end.

American Tragedy - Inside Out american dream... The desire for wealth, respect, position in society, money is characteristic of all people, however, for the majority, the way up is closed by default for various reasons.

Clyde Griffiths is a bottom-up who is trying his best to break into high society. He is ready to do anything for the sake of his dream. But society, with its ideals of success as an absolute life purpose itself is a catalyst for violation of morality. As a result, Clyde breaks the law 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 accessible language... Reading the book is useful and interesting, it can be called a moral textbook.

Not so long ago there was a sequel to the novel called "Go and Set a Watchman." In it, the images of the characters in the writer's classic work are so turned inside out that cognitive dissonance cannot be avoided when reading.

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Books are one of greatest legacies humanity. And if before the invention of printing books were available only to a select caste of people, then books began to spread everywhere. In each new generation, talented writers were born who created world masterpieces of literature.

Great works have come down to us, but we read the classics less and less. Literary portal Buklya presents to your attention the 100 best books of all times and peoples, which must be read. In this list you will find not only classics, but also modern books that have left their mark on history quite recently.

1 Mikhail Bulgakov

A novel that does not fit into the usual literary framework. This story combines philosophy and everyday life, theology and fantasy, mysticism and realism, mysticism and lyrics. And all these components are intertwined with skillful hands into an integral and vivid story that can turn your world upside down. And yes, this is Buckley's favorite book!

2 Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

A book from the school curriculum that is difficult to understand in tender adolescence. The writer showed the duality of the human soul, when black is intertwined with white. The story of Raskolnikov, who is experiencing an internal struggle.

3 Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A small story that contains a huge life meaning... A story that makes you look at the usual things in a different way.

4 Michael Bulgakov

A surprisingly subtle and sarcastic story about people and their vices. The story is about an experiment that proved that it is possible to make a man out of an animal, but it is impossible to deduce an "animal" from a man.

5 Erich Maria Remarque

It is impossible to tell what this novel is about. The novel needs to be read, and then the understanding will come that this is not just a story, but a confession. Confession of love, friendship, pain. A story of despair and struggle.

6 Jerome Salinger

The story of a teenager who shows with his own eyes his perception of the world, a point of outlook, a renunciation of the usual principles and foundations of the morality of society, which do not fit into its individual framework.

7 Mikhail Lermontov

A lyric-psychological novel that tells about a person with a complex character. The author shows it from different angles. And the broken chronology of events makes you completely immerse yourself in the narrative.

8 Arthur Conan Doyle

Legendary investigations of the great detective Sherlock, which reveal the meanness of the human soul. Stories told by friend and assistant detective Dr. Watson.

9 Oscar Wilde

A story about self-love, selfishness and a strong soul. A story that clearly shows what can happen to a human soul tormented by vices.

10 John Ronald Ruel Tolkien

A fantastic trilogy about people and non-humans who fell under the rule of the Ring of Omnipotence and its ruler Sauron. The story is about those who are ready to sacrifice the most precious things and even their lives for the sake of friendship and the salvation of the world.

11 Mario Puzo

A novel about one of the most powerful mafia families in America of the last century - the Corleone family. A lot of people know the movie, so it's time to get down to reading.

12 Erich Maria Remarque

After the First World War, many emigrants ended up in France. Among them is the talented German surgeon Ravik. This is the story of his life and love against the backdrop of the war he experienced.

13 Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol

The history of the Russian soul and stupidity. And the amazing style and language of the author makes the proposals sparkle with colors and shades that fully reveal the history of our people.

14 Colin McCullough

An amazing novel that tells not only about the love of a man and a woman and difficult relationships, but also about feelings for the family, for their native places and nature.

15 Emily Brontë

A family lives in a secluded estate with a tense atmosphere in the house. Complex relationships have deep roots that are hidden in the past. The story of Heathcliff and Catherine will not leave indifferent any reader.

16 Erich Maria Remarque

A book about the war on behalf of a common soldier. The book is about how war breaks and maims the souls of innocent people.

17 Hermann Hesse

The book simply turns over all ideas about life. After reading it, it is no longer possible to get rid of the feeling that you have become one step closer to something incredible. This book has answers to many questions.

18 Stephen King

Paul Edgecomb is a former prison officer who served in the convict unit for death penalty... It tells the story of the life of death row men who were destined to walk the Green Mile.

20 Victor Hugo

Paris of the 15th century. On the one hand, it is full of greatness, and on the other, it looks like a cesspool. On the background historical events a love story unfolds - Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Claude Frollo.

21 Daniel Defoe

Diary of a sailor who was wrecked and lived alone on the island for 28 years. He had to endure too many trials.

22 Lewis Carroll

Strange and misterious story about a girl who, in pursuit of a white rabbit, finds herself in a different and wonderful world.

23 Ernest Hemingway

There is war on the pages of the book, but even in a world full of pain and fear, there is a place for beauty. A wonderful feeling called love that makes us stronger.

24 Jack London

What can love do? Martin's love for the beautiful Ruth made him fight. He overcame many obstacles to become something bigger. A story about spiritual development and the formation of personality.

25 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

A fantastic and fascinating fairy tale in which magic is intertwined with reality.

26 We are Evgeny Zamyatin

The novel is a dystopia, which describes an ideal society where there is no personal opinion, and everything happens on schedule. But even in such a society there is a place for free-thinkers.

27 Ernest Hemingway

Frederick volunteered to go to war, where he became a doctor. In the sanitary section, where even the air is saturated with death, love is born.

28 Boris Pasternak

The beginning of the twentieth century. Russian empire has already embarked on the path of revolutions. The story of the life of the intelligentsia of that time, as well as the book, raises questions of religion and touches on the mystery of life and death.

29 Vladimir Nabokov

A cautionary tale about people who betrayed their ideals. The book is about how bright and beautiful feelings evolve into something dark and disgusting.

30 Johann Wolfgang Goethe

The greatest work that draws into the story of Faust, who sold his soul to the Devil. Reading this book, you can walk the path of knowing life.

31 Dante Alighieri

The work consists of three parts. First, we go to Hell to counter all 9 circles. Then Purgatory awaits us, after passing which you can atone for your sins. And only after reaching the top you can get to Paradise.

32 Anthony Burgess

Not the most pleasant story, but it shows the human nature. A story about how you can make an obedient and silent doll out of any person.

33 Victor Pelevin

A complex story that is difficult to understand the first time. A story about the life of a decadent poet who is looking for his own path, and Chapaev leads Peter to enlightenment.

34 William Golding

What will happen to the children if they are all alone? Children have a subtle nature, which is quite prone to vices. And lovely kind children turn into real monsters.

35 Albert Camus

36 James Clavell

The story of an English sailor who, by the will of fate, ended up in Japan. An epic novel, where there are historical realities, intrigues, adventures and secrets.

37 Ray Bradbury

Collection fantastic stories, which tells about the life of people on Mars. They almost destroyed the earth, but what awaits another planet?

38 Stanislav Lem

This planet has an Ocean. He is alive and he has a mind. The challenge for researchers is to transfer knowledge to the ocean. And he will help make their dreams come true ...

39 Hermann Hesse

The book is about an internal crisis that can happen to anyone. Internal devastation can destroy a person, if one day on the way you do not meet a person who will give you just one book ...

40 Milan Kundera

Plunge into the world of sensations and feelings of the libertine Tomas, who is used to changing women, so that no one dares to take his freedom.

41 Boris Vian

Each of the group of friends has its own destiny. Everything goes easy and simple. Friendship. Love. Conversations. But one event can change everything and destroy the usual life.

42 Ian Banks

Frank tells the story of his childhood and describes the present. He has his own world, which can collapse at any moment. Unexpected plot turning points give a special flavor to the whole story.

43 John Irving

This book raises the themes of family, childhood, friendship, love, betrayal and betrayal. This is the world in which we live with all the problems and shortcomings.

44 Michael Ondaatje

This book contains many topics - war, death, love, betrayal. But the main leitmotif is loneliness, which can take on a variety of forms.

46 Ray Bradbury

Books are our future, but what will happen if they are replaced by TV and one opinion? The answer to this question is given by a writer who was ahead of his time.

47 Patrick Suskind

The story of a crazy genius. His whole life is in smells. He will go to great lengths to create the perfect scent.

48 1984 George Orwell

Three totalitarian states where even thoughts are controlled. A world of hate, but there are people who can still resist the system.

49 Jack London

Alaska, late 19th century. The era of the gold rush. And among human greed lives a wolf named White Fang.

50 Jane Austen

The Bennett family has only daughters, and a distant relative is the heir. And as soon as the head of the family dies, young girls will be left with nothing.

51 Evgeny Petrov and Ilya Ilf

Who does not know Ostap Bender and Kisa Vorobyaninov and their eternal failures, which are associated with the search for ill-fated diamonds.

52 Fedor Dostoevsky

53 Charlotte Brontë

Jane became an orphan early, and life in her aunt's house was far from happy. And love for a strict and sullen man is far from a romantic story.

54 Ernest Hemingway

A little story from the life of himself an ordinary person... But reading this work, you get into wonderful world that is full of emotions.

55 Francis Scott Fitzgerald

A great romance that is filled with feelings. On the pages of the book, the beginning of the 20th century awaits, when people were full of illusions and hopes. This story is about life values and true love.

56 Alexandr Duma

We are all familiar with the adventures of d'Artagnan and his closest friends. The book is about friendship, honor, devotion, loyalty and love. And of course, like other works of the author, it was not without intrigue.

57 Ken Kesey

This story will be told by a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Patrick McMurphy goes to prison, to the psychiatric ward. But some people think that he is just pretending to be sick.

59 Victor Hugo

The novel describes the life of a fugitive convict who is hiding from the authorities. After fleeing, he had to endure many hardships, but he was able to change his life. But the police inspector Javert is ready to do anything to catch the criminal.

60 Victor Hugo

The philosopher actor met a disfigured boy and a blind girl on his way. He takes them under his wing. Against the background of physical disabilities, the perfection and purity of souls is clearly visible. It is also a great contrast to the life of the aristocracy.

61 Vladimir Nabokov

The novel draws on its unhealthy web of passions and unhealthy love. The main characters gradually go crazy, subject to their base desires, like all of them the world... There will definitely not be a happy ending in this book.

62 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

A fantastic tale that describes the life of the stalker Redrick Shewhart, who from anomalous zones extraterrestrial artifacts are mined on Earth.

63 Richard Bach

Even a simple seagull can get tired of the gray life, and the routine is boring. And then Seagull devotes his life to a dream. The seagull gives all its soul on the way to the cherished goal.

64 Bernard Werber

Michel went to the court of the archangels, where he has to go through the soul weighing procedure. After the trial, he is faced with a choice - to go to earth in a new incarnation or to become an angel. The path of an angel is not easy, like the life of mere mortals.

65 Ethel Lilian Voynich

A story about freedom, duty and honor. And more about different types love. In the first case, it is the love of a father for his son, which has gone through many trials and will pass through generations. In the second case, it is love between a man and a woman, which looks like a fire, then it goes out, then it flares up again.

66 John Fowles

He is a simple town hall servant, lonely and lost. He has a passion for collecting butterflies. But one day he wanted a girl in his collection who conquered his soul.

67 Walter Scott

The novel's narration will take readers into the distant past. During the time of Richard the Lionheart and the first crusades. This is one of the first historical novels, which everyone is obliged to read.

68 Bernhard Schlink

There are a lot of unanswered questions in the book. The book makes you think and analyze not only what is happening on the pages, but also your life. This is a story about love and betrayal that will not leave anyone indifferent.

69 Ayn Rand

Socialists come to power and set a course for equal opportunities. The authorities believe that the talented and the wealthy should improve the welfare of others. But instead of a happy future, the familiar world is plunging into chaos.

71 Somerset Maugham

The story of an actress who has worked in the theater all her life. And what is reality for her, playing on stage or playing in life? How many roles do you have to play every day?

72 Aldous Huxley

The novel is a dystopia. The novel is a satire. The world where Henry Ford became a god, and the creation of the first Ford T car is considered the beginning of time. People are simply raised, and they do not know anything about feelings.

75 Albert Camus

Meursault lives a detached life. One gets the impression that his life does not belong to him at all. Everything is indifferent to him and even his actions are saturated with loneliness and renunciation of life.

76 Somerset Maugham

Philip's life story. He is an orphan and throughout his life he not only searches for the meaning of life, but also for himself. And the main thing is to understand the surrounding world and people.

77 Irwin Welch

The story of friends who once discovered drugs and euphoria. Each character is unusual and quite clever. They appreciated life and friendship, but exactly until the moment when heroin came to the fore.

78 Herman Melville

Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship, made it his life's goal to take revenge on a whale named Moby Dick. Vit kill too many lives to keep him alive. But as soon as the captain starts hunting, mysterious and sometimes terrible events begin to take place on his ship.

79 Joseph Heller

One of the best books on World War II. In it, the author was able to show the senselessness of war and the monstrous absurdity of the state machine.

80 William Faulkner

Four characters, each of whom tells his own version of events. And to understand what in question, you need to read to the end, where the puzzles will form a single picture of life and secret desires.

82 Joanne Rowling

83 Roger Zelazny

A classic of the fantasy genre. The chronicles are divided into two volumes of 5 books. In this cycle, you can find travel in space and time, wars, intrigue, betrayal, as well as loyalty and courage.

84 Andrzej Sapkowski

One of the best fantasy series. The series includes 8 books, while the last one is "Season of Thunderstorms" is better to read after the first or second book. This is a story about the Witcher and his adventures, his life and love, and also about the girl Ciri, who can change the world.

85 Honore de Balzac

An amazing story about the boundless and sacrificial love of a father for his children. About love that has never been mutual. About the love that killed Goriot's father.

86 Gunther Grass

The story is about a boy named Oskar Macerat, who refuses to grow up in protest since the National Socialists came to power in Germany. Thus, he expresses his protest against the changes in German society.

87 Boris Vasiliev

A poignant tale of war. About true love for parents, friends, and homeland. This story must be read in order to feel the entire emotional component of this story.

88 Stendhal

The story of Julien Sorel and the soul, in which there is a confrontation between two feelings: passion and ambition. These two feelings are so intertwined that it is often impossible to tell the difference between them.

89 Lev Tolstoy

An epic novel that describes an entire era, delving into the historical realities and the artistic world of that time. War will be replaced by peace, and the peaceful life of the characters depends on the war. Many heroes with unique characters.

90 Gustave Flaubert

This story is recognized as the greatest work of world literature. Emma Bovary dreams of a beautiful high life but her husband, a provincial doctor, cannot satisfy her requests. She finds lovers, but can they fulfill Madame Bovary's dream?

91 Chuck Palahniuk

No matter how much the work of this author is criticized, it cannot be denied that his book "Fight Club" is one of the symbols of our generation. This is a story about people who decided to change this dirty world... A story about a man who was able to resist the system.

92 Markus Zusak

Winter Germany in 1939, when Death gets too much work, and in six months the work will increase significantly. A story about Liesel, about fanatical Germans, about a Jewish brawler, about thefts and the power of words.

93 Alexander Pushkin

The novel in verse tells a story about the fate of the noble intelligentsia with their vices and selfishness. And in the middle of history love story without a happy ending.

94 George Martin

A fantastic story about another world ruled by kings and dragons. Love, betrayal, intrigue, war and death, and all for the sake of power.

95 David Mitchell

History of the past, present and future. Stories of people from different times. But these stories make up a single picture of our entire world.

96 Stephen King

Fantastic cycle of novels of the lord of horror. In this series, genres are intertwined. The books are closely related to horror, western, science fiction and other genres. This is the story of the shooter Roland looking for the Dark Tower.

97 Haruki Murakami

A story about human destinies in Japan in the 60s of the twentieth century. The story of human loss. Memories of Tooru, which will acquaint the reader with by different people and their stories.

98 Andy Weir

By chance, the astronaut is left alone at the space base on Mars. He has a limited amount of resources, but he has no connection with people. But he does not give up, he believes that they will return for him.

100 Samuel Beckett

An amazing play where everyone determines for himself mysterious personality Godot. The author makes it possible to find the answer to the question "who is he?" A specific person? Strong personality? Collective image? Or God?

I would like to include many more books in this top. Therefore, dear readers, write in the comments about those books that you think are the best. We will add books to the top and with your help we will expand it to the 1000 best books of all times and peoples.