Popular classical literature list. What to read from the classics? Tips, tricks, opinions

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The most recognized classic literature- list best books... World foreign and Russian classics. We highly recommend it. 😉

Sylvia Plath. Under a glass cover

Esther Greenwood is invited to New York for an internship at a women's fashion magazine. She goes there, determined to conquer the city and become a writer. But behind the magnificent backstage lies an indifferent society and difficulties adult life... Esther loses control of herself, and she is overcome by depression and loneliness. Farther

Ken Kesey. Over the cuckoo's nest

The work, describing the harsh and most honest images of the points of contact between common sense and madness, earned Ken Kesey the title of the most talented writer. At the time of its appearance, the novel was popular among representatives of beatniks and hippies, but even now it has not lost its relevance. Farther

William Somerset Maugham. Theatre

What does the book conceal in itself? The graceful and sarcastic narrative of a peerless, witty actress who goes through a midlife crisis by meeting a young kidnapper female hearts? Vanity stories of the runaway twenties? Or is it a gripping romance of all time? One thing is certain for sure, "Theater" will be to the taste of even the most fastidious reader. Farther

This book will be an assistant for schoolchildren of all ages. With her, neither children nor parents will have to spend a lot of their time looking for a certain work: the collection already contains a large number of necessary literature that teachers advise to read. Farther

The main character, who is a bank employee, is suddenly arrested on the day he turns 30. But he is not taken into custody, and he, using this, tries to figure out what he was guilty of. In this process, he is more and more immersed in the judicial world. Will the hero be able to figure out what is the essence of the accusation? Farther

Kerouac became famous all over the world thanks to his work "On the Road", although the attitude of different people towards him was very contradictory. The novel in a very unusual, non-linear way tells about the plight and suffering of one generation of people, and in the center of attention is Dean - a witty who loves to drink and women. Farther

A famous novel in Polish classics, written in historical genre... Events develop in the middle of the 16th century. Then the Swedes were eager to conquer Poland. But the Poles also caused confusion among their people: someone went over to the side of the enemies, someone tried with all their might to defend their land. And in the center of events - the adventures of a couple in love. Farther

A novel that will be relevant at all times. The book touches upon the themes of religion and philosophy, perfectly revealed in an ideally constructed plot: the actions of each hero carry in themselves great sense... In this work, the author showed how you can avoid immorality in society. Farther

The original opposite of the well-known dystopia "Oh wonderful world". What's worse for humans? A society dominated by consumption that has been reduced to meaninglessness? Or is it an idea-dominated society that has led to ideal perfection? Orwell believes that the worst thing is the massive loss of freedom. Farther

The book tells about the generations of the Buendía family clan. Events during the war, Forbidden love between family members, the appearance of new people, magic - all this can be found in the work of Marquez. The novel draws the reader into the feelings of each hero: his feelings and loneliness are acutely felt. Farther

Tragedies of people in wartime, problems lost generation... This book will reveal the gamut of all feelings from love to betrayal. The heroes of the novel are three friends who are united by the front, their feelings, thoughts about the past, desires and dreams are described. This work is for those who want to immerse themselves in the life of the last century. Farther

The book that laid the foundation for the culture of European postmodernism. It can be perceived in different ways: a masterpiece novel of avant-garde art, written in the style of surrealist philosophy, or, conversely, a masterpiece philosophical story written in the style of a novel with surrealism. Farther

The busy life of the 20s of the last century, when it was popular to throw luxurious parties, when people were confident that they would find happiness only after reaching great heights of power and wealth. And Gatsby, who was chasing the dream of love in vain, was inherent in all this. Farther

Boys who have just recently graduated from school and have not yet had time to know adulthood, found themselves in a war that does not spare anyone, together with their teacher. Young men try to find joy in the most ordinary things, in that which they had not paid attention to before, because every day may be the last. Farther

Events are developing in a sanatorium where people with tuberculosis are staying. There is an acute sense of being cut off from the rest of the world, with which occasionally it turns out to communicate via mail. Here, no one is afraid of death, everyone desperately clings to the slightest manifestations of relations between people, this helps not to go crazy. Farther

A masterpiece of art in literature that will never lose its relevance: people at all times will read this book with great pleasure. Jane Austen was the first to show that a novel can be a serious genre with no superficiality in its plot. With this she won universal love... Farther

A book that involves headlong into the story of hard fates two siblings who live separate lives after their father dies. Everyone on the way encounters many obstacles that prevent them from finally reaching their dreams. The work teaches you to find happiness in what you already have, but have not yet learned to appreciate. Farther

Hugo writes about how people who are not accepted by society live. For example, a person who was sentenced to as much as 20 years, because he was caught in a forced theft of bread, because his poor family starving; or a boy who lived on the street. The novel touches upon the themes of crime, police, politics and the church. Farther

At the time of the first delivery of the novel, the books were subjected to strict censorship, it was impossible to allow the publication of forbidden topics, so this work was cut by almost a third. This option books are collected on all materials that were found in the archive, it is the first full edition which you can read. Farther

An excellently written work that has received a film adaptation. But if you want to feel the whole gamut of emotions and completely immerse yourself in deep history about the crazy, leading nowhere, unrequited love of a beautiful paralyzed girl for a serviceman, it is worth reading this novel Zweig. Farther

It was the world's most popular classical literature - a list of the best books. There are far from all Russian and foreign classics here, but if you have your favorite works, write about them in the comments and we will add them to the list. 😉

(Russian) is a broad concept, and everyone puts their own meaning in it. If you ask readers what associations it evokes in them, the answers will be different. For some, this is the basis library stock, someone will say that the works of classical Russian literature are a kind of sample that has a high artistic merit. For schoolchildren, this is all that is learned at school. And they will all be absolutely right in their own way. So what is it - classic literature? Russian literature, today we will only talk about it. O foreign classics we'll talk in another article.

Russian literature

There is a generally accepted periodization of formation and development. domestic literature... Her story is divided into the following time periods:

What works are called classics?

Many readers are sure that classical literature (Russian) is Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy - that is, the works of those writers who lived in the 19th century. It's not like that at all. The epochs of the Middle Ages and the 20th century can be classic. What canons and principles should be used to determine whether a novel or a story is a classic? First, a classic piece must have a high artistic value, be a role model for others. Secondly, he must have worldwide recognition, it should be included in the fund of world culture.

And you need to be able to distinguish between the concepts of classical and popular literature... Classics are something that has been tested by time, but oh popular piece can forget quickly enough. If its relevance persists for more than a dozen years, it is possible that over time it will also become a classic.

The origins of Russian classical literature

V late XVIII century, only the established nobility of Russia split into two opposing camps: conservatives and reformers. This split was due to different attitude to those changes that took place in life: Peter's reforms, understanding the tasks of the Enlightenment, peasant question, attitude to power. This struggle of extremes led to the rise of spirituality, self-awareness, which gave rise to the Russian classics. We can say that it was forged in the course of the dramatic processes in the country.

Classical literature (Russian), born in the complex and contradictory 18th century, was finally formed in 19th century... Its main features: national identity, maturity, self-awareness.

Russian classical literature of the 19th century

The growth of national consciousness played an important role in the development of the culture of that time. More and more opens up educational institutions, increases public importance literature, writers begin to pay a lot of attention native language... even more made me think about what is happening in the country.

Influence of Karamzin on the development of 19th century literature

Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, a prominent Russian historian, writer and journalist, was the most influential Russian figure culture XVIII-XIX centuries His historical stories and the monumental "History of the Russian State" provided a huge impact on the work of subsequent writers and poets: Zhukovsky, Pushkin, Griboyedov. He is one of the great reformers of the Russian language. Karamzin introduced into use a large number of new words, without which we cannot imagine modern speech today.

Russian classical literature: a list of the best works

Choose and list the best literary works- the task is difficult, since each reader has his own preferences and tastes. A novel that will be a masterpiece for one person will seem boring and uninteresting to another. How can you compile a list of classic Russian literature that would satisfy the majority of readers? One way is to conduct surveys. On their basis, it is possible to draw conclusions which work the readers themselves consider the best of the proposed options. These methods of collecting information are carried out on a regular basis, although the data may change slightly over time.

List of the best creations of Russian classics, according to versions literary magazines and Internet portals looks like this:

In no case should this list be considered a reference. In some ratings and polls, the first place may not be Bulgakov, but Leo Tolstoy or Alexander Pushkin, and some of the listed writers may not be at all. Ratings are extremely subjective. It is better to compile for yourself a list of your favorite classics and focus on it.

The meaning of Russian classical literature

The creators of Russian classics have always had great social responsibility. They never acted as moralizers, did not give ready-made answers in their works. Writers put before the reader difficult task and made him think about her decision. They raised in their works serious social and social problems that still have for us great importance... Therefore, the Russian classics remain as relevant today.

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 historical events that touch on 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.

In this collection it was impossible not to include the most famous creation Nikolai Vasilievich 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 you 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. Adventures of English snobs who proclaimed themselves as explorers 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 greatest novels world classics. This title does not in the least detract from the fascination of Flaubert's creation - challenging story love adventures Emma Bovary is bold 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. You can enjoy watching Gray's moral decline, allegorically reflected in the visual change of his portrait, for 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 lower-class man who is trying with all his might 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 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 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." The characters' images are turned inside out so much in it. classic piece writer that cognitive dissonance in reading cannot be avoided.

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Historically, things are not the same in Russia as in other countries. Here is a special way of development of literature, the Russian soul is incomprehensible and mysterious to anyone. Russia is balancing between Asia and Europe. Therefore, the genres of Russian classics are special. Classical literature amazes readers with spirituality and truthfulness. One of the main actors in classical Russian literature, the soul is. The heroes of dramas, novels and poems do not strive for wealth, fame or position, for them the main thing is the search for a place of life, ideals and truth. Distinctive feature Russian literature has become an eternal search for spiritual and moral ideals.

In the early 19th century, poets turned to the life of the soul and all its diversity. Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin reached the heights of poetry. The verses sound love for the motherland, joy and pain for her, admiration for nature, the desire for freedom, the bitterness of loss, the joy of friendship, love. In poetry, images of people appear who are looking for use by their own forces, suffer from their imperfection and the imperfection of the world around them. These heroes were called unnecessary people... These two poets took a step towards realism.

Three novelists were very popular in the second half of the 19th century - these are Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev and Fyodor Dostoevsky. They were by different people, had different views, complex characters and talents that were completely different. They created great novels - Russian classics, which can be read online today on many sites. These works greatly influenced the life of the Russian people.

Another feature of the Russian classics is ridicule of the shortcomings of man and society, a critical view of reality. Satire and humor - specific traits works of Saltykov-Shchedrin and Gogol. Critics said the writers were libelous. Readers understood that there was suffering behind the humor. The characters were both tragic and comic at the same time. Their main task is to excite souls.

Many writers were also talented playwrights. Read books of Russian classics online, it is convenient and relevant in our time. Pay attention to such works: "Boris Godunov" by Pushkin, "The Inspector General" and "Woe from Wit" by Gogol. At one time, these works were a real event. Alexander Ostrovsky made a real revolution in the theater.

At the end of the 19th century, stories and stories became popular. The masters of these genres were Anton Chekhov and Ivan Bunin. Chekhov created a gallery of sad and comical images, showed the problems of an intellectual who is at odds with himself. Bunin became famous for his stories of love. All stages and shades of feelings were very subtly described in these works.

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 living in poverty is the author himself, whose family went broke when 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 against 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 forcibly, because of the need for money: gambling debts, the death of his brother Mikhail, leaving his family without funds. Crime and Punishment was inspired by the case of Pierre François Lasière, a French murderer and intellectual who believed that his actions were society's fault. 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 rather quickly lost interest in War and Peace, a few years later calling 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 the 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, a laureate 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 there are not only drug lords in Colombia, but also