The most popular modern writers. Famous writers. A galaxy of geniuses

Modern Russian literature is rich in a variety of names. Many book resources compile their own ratings of the most read authors, best-selling books, top-selling books (RoyalLib.com, bookz.ru, LitRes. Ozon.ru, Labirint.ru, Read-Gorod, LiveLib.ru). We present the “twenty” of the most popular contemporary writers in Russia, whose works can be found in the collections of the Centralized Library System of Volgodonsk.

Speaking about modern Russian literature, one cannot help but recall the masters of writing novels.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya. A bright representative of Russian literature of the post-Soviet period. She began writing prose when she was already over forty. In her own words: “First I raised children, then I became a writer.” The first collection of stories by the writer, “Poor Relatives,” was published in 1993 in France and was published in French. Ulitskaya’s book “Medea and Her Children” brought her to the finalists for the 1997 Booker Prize and made her truly famous. The “Big Book” prize was awarded to: the collection of stories “Our Tsar’s People”, “Daniel Stein, Translator”, which soon received bestseller status. In 2011, Ulitskaya presented the novel “The Green Tent,” which tells about dissidents and the lives of people of the “sixties” generation. The writer’s autobiographical prose and essays were included in the book “Sacred Trash,” published in 2012. Fans of the writer characterize her work exclusively as bold, subtle, and intelligent.

Dina Rubina. Critics often call her a “women's writer,” although her novel On the Sunny Side of the Street won her third Big Book Prize in 2007, when the first went to Ulitskaya's Stein. The 2004 novel “The Syndicate,” which describes the Moscow branch of the Israeli agency “Sokhnut” with a satirical intonation, quarreled her with many in Israel. But Russian readers still remain big fans of her work. The story “When Will It Snow” brought particular popularity to the author. The work went through several editions, was filmed, and played on theater stages. The writer's books are distinguished by their colorful language, colorful characters, rough sense of humor, adventurous plots and ability to speak clearly about complex problems and things. From latest works- trilogy “Russian Canary”. The plot, the character of the characters, the Rubin language - it’s impossible to tear yourself away from all this!

Alexey Ivanov.High-quality Russian prose in the genre of realism. The words of one critic that “Alexei Ivanov’s prose is the gold and foreign exchange reserves of Russian literature” are often reproduced on the covers of his books. Ivanov’s heroes - be they the mythical Voguls of the 15th century (“The Heart of Parma”), the semi-mythical raftsmen of the 18th century (“The Gold of Revolt”) or the mythologized modern Permians (“The Geographer Drank the Globe Away”), they say special language and think in a special way. All works are very different, but they are united by the author’s subtle humor, which gradually turns into satire. The writer Alexey Ivanov is notable for the fact that, while emphasizing his “provincialism,” he nevertheless carefully ensures that the plot follows all the laws of a Hollywood action movie in any novel. His latest novel, Bad Weather, was received ambiguously by the reading public. Some talk about the cardboardness and lifelessness of the characters, the hackneyed nature of the criminal theme, others speak with delight about the writer’s ability to create a portrait of our contemporary - a man brought up during socialism, who received a good Soviet education, and during the global breakdown of society, he was left alone with his conscience and questions. Isn't this a reason to read the novel and form your own opinion about it?

Oleg Roy. Bright name among novelists. He lived outside of Russia for a little over a decade. It was at this time that his creative career as a writer began. The title of the debut novel, “Mirror,” was presented to post-Soviet readers as “Amalgam of Happiness.” After this book he became famous in book circles. O. Roy is the author of more than two dozen books of various genres for adults and children, as well as articles in popular print publications. The writer's work will appeal to those who simply love good prose. He writes in the genre of urban novel - life stories, slightly seasoned with mysticism, which gives the author’s work a special flavor.

Pavel Sanaev.The book “Bury Me Behind the Baseboard” was highly appreciated by critics and readers - a story in which the theme of growing up seems to be turned upside down and takes on the features of surreal humor! A book in which the very idea of ​​a happy childhood is parodied in a homerically funny and subtly evil way. The continuation of the now cult story was published only in 2010 under the title “The Chronicles of Razdolbay.”

Evgeny Grishkovets. He started out as a playwright and performer of his plays, but then dramatic scene it seemed to him not enough. He added music studies to this, and then turned to prose writing, releasing the novel “The Shirt.” It was followed by a second book, “Rivers.” Both works, judging by the reviews, were warmly received by readers. Short stories and collections of stories began to be published. Despite the fact that the author works very seriously on each of his works and then proudly notes that his “author’s position” in this book is not at all similar to the “author’s position” in the previous one, one gets the impression that Grishkovets, with his plays, performances, in prose and songs all his life he writes the same text of his name. And at the same time, each of his viewers/readers can say: “He wrote this directly about me.” The author’s best books: “Asphalt”, “A...a”, collections of stories “Plank” and “Traces on Me”.

Zakhar Prilepin.His name is known to the widest circle of readers. Prilepin spent his childhood and youth in the USSR, and grew up in the difficult 90s of the 20th century. Hence the frequent reviews of him as the “voice of generations.” Zakhar Prilepin was a participant in the Chechen campaigns of 1996 and 1999. His first novel, “Pathology,” which tells about the war in Chechnya, was written by the author in 2003. The writer’s best books are the social novels “Sin” and “Sankya,” in which he shows the life of modern youth. Most of the author’s books were warmly received by the public and critics; “Sin” received rave reviews from fans and two awards: “National Bestseller” and “Loyal Sons of Russia.” The writer also has the “Supernational Best” award, which is awarded for the best prose of the decade, as well as the All-Chinese award “Best foreign novel" The new novel, “The Abode,” about life in the Solovetsky special purpose camp, became a bestseller due to its historical and artistic content.

Oksana Robski.She made her debut as a writer with the novel “Casual,” which laid the foundation for the genre of “secular realism” in Russian literature. Books by Oksana Robski - “The Day of Happiness is Tomorrow”, “About LuOFF/ON”, “Oysters in the Rain”, “Casual 2. Dancing with Head and Feet”, etc. caused numerous and contradictory reviews from critics. According to some observers, the novels truthfully reproduce the atmosphere of “Rublevka” and indicate the lack of spirituality and artificiality of the world of the so-called Rublevka wives. Other critics point out numerous inconsistencies and say that Robski's works have little in common with reality everyday life business elite. The artistic merits of her works are generally assessed as low; At the same time, some critics emphasize that Robski, in fact, does not pretend to high artistic goals, but presents events easily, dynamically and in clear language.

Boris Akunin.Fiction writer. Akunin is a pseudonym, and not the only one. Publishes his works of art also under the names of Anna Borisova and Anatoly Brusnikin. And in life - Grigory Chkhartishvili. The author became famous for his novels and stories from the “New Detective” series (“The Adventures of Erast Fandorin”). He also created the series “Provincial Detective” (“The Adventures of Sister Pelagia”), “The Adventures of the Master”, “Genres”. In each of his “brainchild”, a creative person amazingly combines literary text with cinematic visuality. Positive reviews from readers indicate the popularity of all stories without exception.

Many readers prefer detective genres and adventure literature.

Alexandra Marinina. She is called by critics nothing less than the queen, the prima donna of the Russian detective story. Her books are read in one sitting. They are distinguished by realistic plots, which makes the reader wholeheartedly experience the events that happen to the characters, empathize with them and think about important life issues. Some of the author's new works, which have already become bestsellers: "Execution without malice", “Angels Can’t Survive on Ice,” “Last Dawn.”

Polina Dashkova.The writer gained wide fame after the publication of the detective novel “Blood of the Unborn” in 1997. During the period 2004-2005. The author’s novels “A Place in the Sun” and “Cherub” were filmed. The writer's style is characterized by vivid characters, an exciting plot, and good style.

Elena Mikhalkova. Critics say she is a master of the "life" detective story. The best books of the writer are detective stories in which all the characters have their own story, which is no less interesting to the reader than the main storyline. The author takes plot ideas for his works from everyday life: a conversation with a supermarket salesperson, leaflet texts, a family conversation at breakfast, etc. The plots of her works are always thought out to the smallest detail, making each book very easy to read. Among the most popular books: “The Whirlpool of Other People’s Desires”, “Cinderella and the Dragon”.

Anna and Sergei Litvinov. They write in the genres of adventure and detective literature. These authors know how to keep the reader in suspense. They have written more than 40 novels together: “The Golden Maiden”, “Sky Island”, “The Sad Demon of Hollywood”, “Fate Has Another Name” and many others. In their reviews, readers admit that the Litvinovs are masters of intrigue and exciting plots. They harmoniously combine in their texts a mysterious crime, bright characters and a love line.

One of the most popular literary genres among Russian readers is female romance novel.

Anna Berseneva. This literary pseudonym Tatiana Sotnikova. She wrote her first novel, Confusion, in 1995. Anna Berseneva is the only author who managed to populate modern women's novels with extraordinary male heroes. After all, it is the lack of expressive male characters, according to sociologists, that is the reason that women's novels are practically absent from the domestic book market. A series of novels by A. Berseneva about several generations of the Grinev family - “An Unequal Marriage”, “The Last Eve”, “The Age of Third Love”, “The Catcher of Small Pearls”, “The First, the Accidental, the Only” - formed the basis for the multi-part television film “Captain’s Children” "

Ekaterina Vilmont. Her books are loved by readers all over Russia. She wrote her first romance novel at the age of 49 (“The Journey of an Optimist, or All Women are Fools”). Then I tried myself in the genre children's detective. In their women's novels Wilmont reveals the inner world of modern, mature, independent women, capable of managing circumstances, talking about their failures and victories, tragedies and joys, and about what worries every reader - about love. Ekaterina Vilmont's novels are full of humor, cheerfulness and witty titles: “In Search of Treasures”, “The Happiness Hormone and Other Nonsense”, “Incredible Luck”, “With All the Dope!” , "An Intellectual and Two Ritas". This is an ironic, light, lively prose that is read in one breath and charges readers with optimism and self-confidence.

Maria Metlitskaya. Her works appeared on the market of modern women's love literature relatively recently, but have already managed to win the respect of fans. The first novel has been published since 2011. The writer's best books are known for their precision of detail, life-affirming mood and light humor. Reviews from her fans indicate that these books helped them find a way out of difficult life situations. Today, the list of the writer’s works includes more than 20 novels and stories. Among her latest works, it is worth highlighting the following: “Our Little Life”, “Mistake of Youth”, “The Road to Two Streets”, “Faithful Husband”, “Her the last hero"and others.

In Russian modern science fiction there is a whole galaxy of talented writers whose names and works deserve attention.

Sergei Lukyanenko. One of the most widely circulated authors among science fiction writers. The first circulation of his book “The Last Watch” was 200 thousand copies. Films based on his novels have become important factor increasing popularity. The release of the blockbusters “Night Watch” and “Day Watch” increased the circulation of this author’s books by more than seven times.

Nick Perumov.He gained widespread fame after his first publication in 1993 of the epic "The Ring of Darkness", set in the Middle-earth of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. From novel to novel, Nick's style becomes more and more individual and unique, and the initial opinion of critics and him as a Tolkienist is a thing of the past. The best books by Perumov and his series are included in the treasury of Russian science fiction literature: “The Chronicles of Hjervard”, “Chronicles of the Rift”, “Soul Stealers”, “Black Blood” and many others.

Andrey Rubanov.His fate was not easy: he had to work as a driver and bodyguard in the difficult 90s, and live in the Chechen Republic at the height of the military campaign. But it gave him the necessary life experience and helped me successfully start my journey in literature. The most flattering reviews were earned by the works that are rightly included in the list of the best books of the science fiction writer: “Chlorophylia”, “Plant and it will grow”, “Living Earth”.

Max Fry.The author's genre is urban fantasy. Her books are for people who have not lost faith in fairy tales. Stories about ordinary life and a light style can captivate any reader. What makes the image of the main character popular and extraordinary is the attractive contrast: the male external role and behavior and the female motives for action, the way of describing and assessing what is happening. Among popular works: “The Power of the Unfulfilled (collection)”, “Volunteers of Eternity”, “Obsessions”, “Simple Magical Things”, “The Dark Side”, “Stranger”.

These are not all the names of modern Russian literature. The world of Russian works is diverse and fascinating. Read, learn, discuss - live with the times!

Anna Karenina. Leo Tolstoy

The greatest love story of all time. A story that has not left the stage, has been filmed countless times - and has still not lost the boundless charm of passion - destructive, destructive, blind passion - but all the more bewitching with its greatness.

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The Master and Margarita. Mikhail Bulgakov

This is the most mysterious of the novels in the entire history of Russian literature of the 20th century. This is a novel that is almost officially called “The Gospel of Satan.” This is “The Master and Margarita”. A book that can be read and reread dozens, hundreds of times, but most importantly, it is still impossible to understand. So, which pages of “The Master and Margarita” were dictated by the Forces of Light?

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Wuthering Heights. Emily Brontë

A mystery novel included in the top ten best novels of all time! The story of a stormy, truly demonic passion that has been exciting the imagination of readers for more than one and a half hundred years. Katie gave her heart to her cousin, but ambition and a thirst for wealth push her into the arms of a rich man. Forbidden attraction turns into a curse for secret lovers, and one day.

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Evgeny Onegin. Alexander Pushkin

“Have you read “Onegin”? What can you say about “Onegin”? These are the questions that are constantly repeated among writers and Russian readers,” noted the writer, enterprising publisher and, by the way, the hero of Pushkin’s epigrams, Thaddeus Bulgarin, after the publication of the second chapter of the novel. For a long time now it has not been customary to evaluate ONEGIN. In the words of the same Bulgarin, it is “written in Pushkin’s poems. That's enough."

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Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris. Victor Hugo

A story that has survived centuries, become canon and given glory to its heroes common noun images. A story of love and tragedy. The love of those to whom love was not given and not allowed - by religious dignity, physical weakness or someone else's evil will. The gypsy Esmeralda and the deaf hunchback bell-ringer Quasimodo, the priest Frollo and the captain of the royal riflemen Phoebe de Chateaupert, the beautiful Fleur-de-Lys and the poet Gringoire.

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Gone with the Wind. Margaret Mitchell

The great saga of the American Civil War and the fate of the headstrong Scarlett O'Hara was first published more than 70 years ago and does not become outdated to this day. This is Margaret Mitchell's only novel for which she received a Pulitzer Prize. A story about a woman whom neither an unconditional feminist nor a staunch supporter of house-building is ashamed to emulate.

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Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare

This is the highest tragedy about love that human genius can create. A tragedy that has been filmed and is being filmed. A tragedy that does not leave the theater stage to this day - and to this day it sounds as if it was written yesterday. Years and centuries go by. But one thing remains and will forever remain unchanged: “There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet...”

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The Great Gatsby. Francis Fitzgerald

“The Great Gatsby” is the pinnacle not only in Fitzgerald’s work, but also one of the highest achievements in world prose of the 20th century. Although the novel takes place in the “roaring” twenties of the last century, when fortunes were made literally from nothing and yesterday’s criminals became millionaires overnight, this book lives outside of time, because, telling the story of the broken destinies of the generation of the “Jazz Age”.

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Three Musketeers. Alexandre Dumas

The most famous historical and adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas tells about the adventures of the Gascon d'Artagnan and his musketeer friends at the court of King Louis XIII.

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Count of Monte Cristo. Alexandre Dumas

The book presents one of the most exciting adventure novels of the classic of French literature of the 19th century, Alexandre Dumas.

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Arc de Triomphe. Erich Remarque

One of the most beautiful and tragic love novels in history European literature. The story of Dr. Ravic, a refugee from Nazi Germany, and the beautiful Joan Madu, who is entangled in the “unbearable lightness of being,” takes place in pre-war Paris. And the alarming time in which these two happened to meet and fall in love with each other becomes one of the main characters of the Arc de Triomphe.

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The man who laughs. Victor Hugo

Gwynplaine, a lord by birth, was sold as a child to comprachico bandits, who made a fair jester out of the child, carving a mask of “eternal laughter” on his face (at the courts of the European nobility of that time there was a fashion for cripples and freaks who amused the owners). Despite all the trials, Gwynplaine retained the best human qualities and your love.

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Martin Eden. Jack London

A simple sailor, in whom it is easy to recognize the author himself, goes through a long, hardship-filled path to literary immortality... By chance, he finds himself in secular society, Martin Eden is doubly happy and surprised... both by the creative gift that has awakened in him, and by the divine image of young Ruth Morse, so unlike all the people he knew before... From now on, two goals are relentlessly facing him.

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Sister Kerry. Theodore Dreiser

The publication of Theodore Dreiser's first novel was fraught with such difficulties that it led its creator to severe depression. But further fate The novel “Sister Carrie” turned out to be lucky: it was translated into many foreign languages, reprinted in millions of copies. New and new generations of readers enjoy immersing themselves in the vicissitudes of the fate of Caroline Mieber.

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American tragedy. Theodore Dreiser

The novel “American Tragedy” is the pinnacle of creativity of the outstanding American writer Theodore Dreiser. He said: “No one creates tragedies - life creates them. Writers only portray them.” Dreiser managed to portray the tragedy of Clive Griffiths so talentedly that his story does not leave the modern reader indifferent.

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Les Misérables. Victor Hugo

Jean Valjean, Cosette, Gavroche - the names of the heroes of the novel have long become household names, the number of its readers in the century and a half since the publication of the book has not become smaller, the novel has not lost popularity. A kaleidoscope of faces from all layers of French society in the first half of the 19th century, bright, memorable characters, sentimentality and realism, a tense, exciting plot.

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The adventures of the good soldier Schweik. Jaroslav Hasek

A great, original and outrageous novel. A book that can be perceived both as a “soldier’s tale” and as a classic work directly related to the traditions of the Renaissance. This is a sparkling text that makes you laugh until you cry, and a powerful call to “put down your arms,” and one of the most objective historical evidence in satirical literature.

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Iliad. Homer

The attractiveness of Homer’s poems is not only that their author introduces us to a world separated from modernity by tens of centuries and yet unusually real thanks to the genius of the poet, who preserved in his poems the beat of contemporary life. Homer's immortality lies in the fact that his brilliant creations contain inexhaustible reserves of universal human values ​​- reason, goodness and beauty.

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St. John's wort. James Cooper

Cooper managed to find and describe in his books the originality and unexpected brightness of the newly discovered continent, which managed to captivate the whole of modern Europe. Each new novel by the writer was eagerly awaited. The exciting adventures of the fearless and noble hunter and tracker Natty Bumppo captivated both young and adult readers..

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Doctor Zhivago. Boris Pasternak

The novel “Doctor Zhivago” is one of the outstanding works of Russian literature, throughout many years which remained closed to a wide circle of readers in our country, who knew about it only through scandalous and unscrupulous party criticism.

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Don Quixote. Miguel Cervantes

What do the names of Amadis of Gaul, Palmer of England, Don Belianis of Greece, Tyrant of the White tell us today? But it was precisely as a parody of novels about these knights that “ Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. And this parody has survived the genre being parodied for centuries. “Don Quixote” was recognized as the best novel in the entire history of world literature.

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Ivanhoe. Walter Scott

"Ivanhoe" - key work in the series of novels by W. Scott, which take us to medieval England. The young knight Ivanhoe, who secretly returned from the Crusade to his homeland and was deprived of his inheritance by the will of his father, will have to defend his honor and the love of the beautiful lady Rowena... King Richard the Lionheart and the legendary robber Robin Hood will come to his aid.

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Headless Horseman. Reed Main

The plot of the novel is so skillfully constructed that it keeps you in suspense until the very last page. It is no coincidence that the exciting story of the noble mustanger Maurice Gerald and his lover, the beautiful Louise Poindexter, investigating the sinister mystery of the headless horseman, whose figure terrifies the inhabitants of the savannah upon his appearance, was extremely loved by readers in Europe and Russia.

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Dear friend. Guy de Maupassant

The novel “Dear Friend” became one of the symbols of the era. This is Maupassant's most powerful novel. Through the story of Georges Duroy, who is making his way to the top, the true morals of high French society are revealed; the spirit of corruption that reigns in all its spheres contributes to the fact that an ordinary and immoral person, such as Maupassant’s hero, easily achieves success and wealth.

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Dead souls. Nikolai Gogol

The publication of the first volume of N. Gogol’s “Dead Souls” in 1842 caused heated controversy among contemporaries, splitting society into fans and opponents of the poem. “...Talking about “Dead Souls”, you can talk a lot about Russia...” - this judgment of P. Vyazemsky explained the main reason for the controversy. The author’s question is still relevant: “Rus, where are you rushing, give me the answer?”

The best books are a relative concept. Good printed edition at the moment- this is a work that brings a person comfort, advice, knowledge, wisdom, vivid impressions. Thus, the determining factor is whether the book satisfies the needs of a particular reader.

For some people, only specialized literature is valuable: documentary, scientific, technical, medical, industrial. But this is rather food for thought. However, most readers are still interested in fiction books. They are the ones who contribute to the formation of a spiritual image. They will be discussed in this article.

A fiction book is a unique invention. A galaxy of thinkers from different times and eras trusted paper with their hopes, observations, understanding of truth, life, and humanity. It’s wonderful when created by these authors vivid images together with deep and unique quotes (sometimes decades ago, and sometimes centuries ago) illuminate the lives of our contemporaries!

The role of the Russian Book of the Year competition

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

Send literary process in a constructive direction, to avoid erosion of the national and to stimulate truly talented beginnings in it is an extremely important task of modern Russian culture. An indicator of the success of the books written by our contemporaries are the annual national competitions of the “Book of the Year” type. They are organized with the aim of stimulating both writers and publishing houses.

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

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

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

At least, they nominated Russian writers who can rightfully be called classics:

• 2004, nomination “Prose” - “Sincerely yours, Shurik” (Lyudmila Ulitskaya); nomination “Bestseller” - “Night Watch” (Sergei Lukyanenko);
• 2005, nomination “Prose” - “Voltairians and Voltairians” (Vasily Aksenov);
• 2011, nomination “Prose” - “My Lieutenant” (Daniil Ganin).

International book ratings

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

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

At the very least, browsing the Internet reveals dozens of variations of the “Top 100 Books.”

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

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

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

Of course, the news agency of each country, listing the best books, tries to give leading places in the compiled lists to fellow countrymen authors. And this is justified. After all, the talents of the recognized classics, who created their masterpieces from the times of the ancient world to the present day, are in fact incomparable. Each of them finds a path to the hearts of readers in their own way.

A phenomenon that has come down to us thousands of years later: the literature of the ancient world

The list of books that have come to us through millennia and inherited from other eras is quite limited. However, they also appear in modern ratings. That's why we write about them. Unfortunately, history has not preserved ancient libraries: Gentiles fought with books as well as with enemies. For example, the richest Library of Alexandria, numbering up to 700,000 papyrus scrolls.

Which books of our classical ancestors should be mentioned first when talking about the ancient world? Of course, Publius Virgil Maro, the author of the Aeneid, deserves fame in Latin, and Homer, the author of the Odyssey and Iliad, deserves fame in ancient Greek. Guided by Virgil's theory, the Russian scientist and poet Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov developed a syllabic-tonic system of versification, which served as a launching pad for the further development of Russian poetry.

However, not only Virgil and Homer are considered ancient classics. Horace, Cicero, and Caesar also wrote in Latin, and Aristotle, Plato, and Aristophanes wrote in ancient Greek. However, it is precisely the two names mentioned earlier that best represent the literature of the ancient world.

Books from Europe during the emergence of capitalism

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

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

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

It is generally accepted that the most famous writers writing in French at that time were Victor Hugo (Les Miserables, Notre Dame de Paris) and George Sand (Consuelo).

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

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

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

The Rise of British Literature

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

The British had their own literary tradition. Back in the 14th century, the whole world recognized the genius of William Shakespeare and the innovative social ideas of Thomas More. Developing their literature in the conditions of a stable industrial society, British authors already in the 18th century began an evolutionary transition from the classic chivalric romance (romanticism) to social and psychological works.

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

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

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

Intellectual to the point of uniqueness, stoically enduring hunger and poverty, Charlotte Bronte, known for the novel “Jane Eyre”;

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

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

Russian golden literature of the 19th century. The biggest names

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

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

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

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

A note about literary ratings

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

Is this fair? Not at all. It is more expedient to change the curriculum, taking into account the tastes of the real advanced reading audience. In our opinion, works of writers of the 20th and 21st centuries should occupy no less a share than the works of the 19th century in the curriculum.

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

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

Best book according to the BBC. Critical view

According to the BBC, the first place is occupied by John Ronald Tolkien's novel-trilogy "The Lord of the Rings". Let us pay special attention in this article to this fantasy work. Books with such depth of plot development, based on ancient legends, are very rare.

What motivated the rating experts to give such a high rating? Indeed, the Oxford University professor has done Britain a great service with his fascinating work. Having deeply and comprehensively studied the folklore of Foggy Albion (hitherto scattered and fragmented), figuratively speaking, he unraveled it by thread and wove it into a single concept of the struggle between Good and Evil. It’s not enough to say that he did it with talent. An interesting fact testifies to the uniqueness of the trilogy. One day, an angry scientist colleague came to the author of “The Lord of the Rings” after his lecture and accused the writer of plagiarism.

Modern fiction, perhaps, has never had such associations before. The writer’s opponent turned out to be demonstrative; he brought the confused author of “The Ring” unknown copies of drawings from ancient British chronicles, which seemed to illustrate Tolkien’s work.

It happens! One person managed the impossible - to unite, systematize and, most importantly, presentably present the ancient folklore of his homeland. It is not for nothing that Queen Elizabeth II awarded the writer the honorary title of Knight of Britain.

Some other BBC rated books

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

Opinion of Russian readers

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

The work of the writer George Orwell is given a fairly high rating. For many readers, their favorite book was an exciting novel with an unpredictable plot - “Rebecca”. For children to read, we can recommend the story of the journey of the girl Lyra Belacqua from Oxford through fantasy worlds by Philip Pullman.

However, there are also quite motivated comments. For example, for the domestic sophisticated reader who loves such books-novels as Bulgakov’s realistic-mystical novel “The Master and Margarita”, the work “Doctor Zhivago” from Boris Pasternak, as well as “Picnic by the Road” and “The Doomed City” from the Strugatsky brothers, To put it mildly, the BBC's rating priority criterion is not entirely clear.

Please understand correctly: we are by no means trying to reduce artistic value a number of talented novels like “Catch 22”, “The Great Gatsby”, “The Catcher in the Rye”, when we state the fact: their genre is an ideological novel. Can they, objectively speaking, compete with the voluminous and multi-problem work “The Master and Margarita”?

Such novel books, which consistently reveal only one idea of ​​the author, should be rated lower! After all, their depth of meaning is initially limited by design, devoid of volume, multidimensionality. Therefore, in the opinion of our readers, the dubious positioning of novels-ideas in the list of books in positions higher in rating than “War and Peace” or “The Master and Margarita” is completely absurd.

Modern postmodern books

Postmodernist books today are perhaps at the peak of their popularity, since they represent an ideological antithesis to the stagnating society of mass consumption. Contemporary postmodern writers dissect the consumer lifestyle around them, filled with soulless advertising and primitive glossy glamor.

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

Another author demonstrates a softer postmodern. One of the representatives of the Russian modern literature This movement is Boris Akunin. The books of this modern classic (“The Adventures of Erast Fandorin”, “Azazel”, “The Adventures of Sister Pelageya”) are in demand among mass readers and have even been filmed. Many note the strength of the author’s talent, his masterful style, and ability to create fascinating stories. In his reasoning, he demonstrates a special personal philosophy of an eastern character.

The latter is especially noticeable in his “Jade Rosary” and “Diamond Chariot”.

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

The chronological point defining the start of the concept of “modern Russian literature” is 1991. Since that time, hitherto closed works by sixties authors have become available to the general public:

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

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

Modern fantasy books

Perhaps a sign of the era of decadence was the remake of the romantic genre, revived in the form of fantasy. Just look at the phenomenon of popularity of the series of novels about Harry Potter by JK Rowling! This is really so: everything is returning to normal, romanticism is regaining lost ground from realism!

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

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

Let us also recall the popularity in Russia of the fantasy series “The Witcher” by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. In a word, adventure books are now again in favor with readers.

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

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

Conclusion

Bottomless fiction! The average person, unfortunately, a priori will not be able to read the books of its authors (meaning the best ones) throughout his entire life. Therefore, navigation in the boundless book “sea” is extremely important. “Why do you need to read this purposefully?” - an uninitiated person will ask...

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

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

If you decide to spend the evening reading an interesting book, then the proposed list of popular literature will help you in choosing an artistic creation. Famous contemporary and classic writers offer readers some of today's most captivating works.

Based on reviews from lovers of fiction and demand for works in stores, a list of the TOP 10 most read books in Russia today was compiled.

The top ten ranking is a novel by an English writer. The main characters do not yet know that their meeting will radically change their lives. Lou Clark has a boyfriend for whom she has no real feelings. The girl loves life and her job at the bar. And it seemed like nothing foreshadowed the emergence of problems that the girl would have to face in the near future.

Fate brings Lou together with a guy named Will Taylor. The young man received serious injuries from the motorcycle that hit him. His only goal is to find the culprit and take revenge.

But the acquaintance of Lou and Will becomes a turning point for the heroes. life path. They had to go through tests to find each other. The novel captivates with its eccentricity, where there is no hint of banality.

A work of fiction Dmitry Glukhovsky "Metro 2035" has become a sensational novel this year, which is a continuation of the previous parts: “Metro 2033” and “Metro 2034”.

Nuclear war has killed all life on the planet and people are forced to live in the subway.

In the final story of the trilogy, readers will find out whether humanity will be able to return to earth again, after a long imprisonment underground. The main character will still be Artyom, who is so beloved by book lovers. The fantastic dystopia rightfully ranks ninth among the most read books today.

The eighth position in the ranking is occupied by a psychological novel with detective elements. British writer Paula Hawkins "The Girl on the Train". The young woman Rachel herself destroyed her family by becoming addicted to alcohol. She has nothing but an image perfect couple Jess and Jason, whose lives she watches from the train window. But one day this picture of a perfect relationship disappears. Jess disappears under strange circumstances.

Rachel, who had been drinking alcohol the day before, is trying to remember what happened and whether she has anything to do with the strange disappearance. She begins to investigate a mysterious case.

According to 2015 data, the bestseller is among the top 10 best-selling books in the country.

Donna Tart released the third part of a masterpiece of psychological prose "Goldfinch". Art is closely intertwined with the fate of teenager Theodor Trekker, under tragic circumstances. A boy loses his mother during an explosion in art gallery. Escaping from the rubble, the main character decides to take with him a painting by the famous author Fabritius “The Goldfinch”. The boy still has no idea how a work of art will influence his future destiny.

The novel has already fallen in love with many readers in Russia and rightfully occupies 7th place in the top 10 most popular books today.

New detective story by Russian writer Alexandra Marinina "Execution without malice" entered the top 10 most read books in Russia. Anastasia Kamenskaya and her service partner Yuri Korotkov come to a Siberian town to resolve personal issues. The trip becomes another investigation for the heroes into a mysterious wave of crimes. Professionals in their field will have to figure out how the murders of environmentalists and the fur farm that litters the surrounding area are connected. The reader is treated to an exciting story about an unusual investigation.

Immortal manuscript Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"- one of the most read books in Russia today.

The classic of world literature tells about true, devoted love and insidious betrayal. The master of words managed to create a book within a book, where reality is intertwined with the other world and another era. The arbiter of human destinies will be dark world evil, doing good and justice. Bulgakov managed to combine the incompatible, so the novel remains firmly in the TOP 10.

"Planet Water" is a new work by Boris Akunin, which consists of three works. The first story, “Planet Water,” tells about the amazing adventures of Erast Petrovich Fandorin, who rushes in search of a maniac hiding on the island. For this reason, he has to interrupt the underwater expedition. The second part of the book “Lonely Sail” tells about the hero’s investigation into a murder. Turns out to be a victim ex-lover Erast Petrovich. The final story, “Where Should We Go,” introduces the reader to the robbery case. Main character looking for clues that will lead him to the criminals. The book was published in 2015 and is quickly gaining popularity among today's readers.

Paulo Coelho became popular in Russia thanks to his philosophical creation "Alchemist". The parable tells about the shepherd Santiago, who is in search of treasure. The hero's journey ends with finding true value. The young man meets an alchemist and learns philosophical science. The purpose of life is not material wealth, but love and doing good deeds for all humanity. The book has remained the most read in Russia for many years.

Professor Robert Langdon has to solve the murder mystery. The code that was found next to the murdered museum employee will help the hero with this. The solution to the crime lies in the immortal creations of Leonardo da Vinci, and the code is the key to them.

Most a book to read Russia today is a dystopia George Orwell "1984". This is a story about a world where there is no place for true feelings. Absurd ideology, brought to the point of automatism, rules here. Consumer society considers the ideology of the Party to be the only correct one. But among the “dead souls” there are those who do not want to put up with the existing foundations. The main character of the novel, Winston Smith, finds a like-minded person in Julia. A man falls in love with a girl, and together they try to take steps to change the current situation. The couple is soon declassified and tortured. Smith “breaks down” and renounces his ideas and his lover. The book about the totalitarian regime of government remains popular throughout the world to this day.

Reading any book takes time and often a lot of it. The number of books, one might say, is endless, but life, alas, is the opposite. This means that 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. Moreover, people have very diverse tastes. This means that you should first choose people whose opinions you can rely on.

100 best writers and 100 best books
XIX-XX centuries

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

Andrey Matveev, 2001

Top 100 Writers

100 best books