The best books are a relative concept. good printed edition V at the moment- this is a work that brings a person comfort, advice, knowledge, wisdom, and 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 the vivid images created by these authors, 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:
Directing the literary process in a constructive direction, avoiding the erosion of the national and stimulating truly talented beginnings in it is an extremely important task of modern Russian culture. An indicator of the success of books written by our contemporaries is the annual national competitions according to 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 improve the status of the book in the 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 were 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 universities. 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 further development 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 who worked on French at that time, it was Victor Hugo (“Les Miserables,” “Notre Dame”) and George Sand (“Consuelo”).
However, speaking about the French contribution to world literature, the names of Alexander Dumas the Father should be mentioned (“The Iron Mask”, “The Three Musketeers”, “The Count of Monte Cristo”), Voltaire (the poem “Agathocles”), Charles Baudelaire (collections of poems “The Parisian Spleen”, “The 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 (" 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 of real life; their plot was based on the actions of exceptional heroes in unusual conditions.
The Rise of British Literature
In the 19th century, the legislators of “book fashion” on the European continent were rightfully considered British writers. 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 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 inner world person, 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, no less than a share works of the XIX centuries, the curriculum should include the works of writers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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's pay special attention in this article this work of fantasy. 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 to the confused author of “The Ring” copies of drawings from ancient British chronicles, unknown to the latter, 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 fairness? 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 has become 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 lower the artistic value of a number of talented novels like “Catch 22”, “The Great Gatsby”, “The Catcher in the Rye” when we state a fact: their genre is 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. Italian-born writer Don DeLillo (novels Underworld, White Noise) is recognized in his homeland as a true expert on the problems of consumer society. 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, ability to create fascinating stories. In his reasoning, he demonstrates a special personal philosophy of an oriental character.
The latter is especially noticeable in his “Jade Rosary” and “Diamond Chariot”.
It is noteworthy that, captivating the reader with detective stories taking place in the general outline historical events Russia, does not avoid the problems of poverty, corruption and theft modern classic Akunin. 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 that determines 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 given literary style: “Exceptional heroes act in extraordinary 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 discovered that among the outstanding writers of the 20th century, non-European and non-American books are much less often mentioned. 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 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, will ideally suit 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!
(estimates: 29
, average: 4,31
out of 5)
In Russia, literature has its own direction, different from any other. The Russian soul is mysterious and incomprehensible. The genre reflects both Europe and Asia, which is why the best classical Russian works are extraordinary, striking in their soulfulness and vitality.
Main character- soul. For a person, his position in society, the amount of money is not important, it is important for him to find himself and his place in this life, to find the truth and peace of mind.
The books of Russian literature are united by the features of a writer who has the gift of the great Word, who has completely devoted himself to this art of literature. The best classics They saw life not flatly, but multifacetedly. They wrote about life not of random destinies, but of those expressing existence in its most unique manifestations.
Russian classics are so different, with different destinies, but what unites them is that literature is recognized as a school of life, a way of studying and developing Russia.
Russian classical literature was created by the best writers from different corners Russia. It is very important where the author was born, because this determines his formation as a person, his development, and it also affects his writing skills. Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky were born in Moscow, Chernyshevsky in Saratov, Shchedrin in Tver. Poltava region in Ukraine is the birthplace of Gogol, Podolsk province - Nekrasov, Taganrog - Chekhov.
The three great classics, Tolstoy, Turgenev and Dostoevsky, were completely different people from each other, had different destinies, complex characters and great talents. They made a huge contribution to the development of literature by writing their best works, which still excite the hearts and souls of readers. Everyone should read these books.
Another important difference between the books of Russian classics is that they ridicule the shortcomings of a person and his way of life. Satire and humor are the main features of the works. However, many critics said that this was all slander. And only true connoisseurs saw how the characters are both comical and tragic at the same time. Such books always touch the soul.
Here you can find the best works of classical literature. You can download books of Russian classics for free or read them online, which is very convenient. 
We present to your attention the 100 best books of Russian classics. The full list of books includes the best and most memorable works of Russian writers. This literature known to everyone and recognized by critics from all over the world.
Of course, our list of top 100 books is just a small part that brings together the best works of the great classics. It can be continued for a very long time.
A hundred books that everyone should read in order to understand not only how they used to live, what were the values, traditions, priorities in life, what they were striving for, but to find out in general how our world works, how bright and pure the soul can be and how valuable it is for a person, for the development of his personality.
The top 100 list includes the best and most famous works of Russian classics. The plot of many of them is known from school. However, some books are difficult to understand at a young age and require wisdom that is acquired over the years.
Of course, the list is far from complete; it can be continued endlessly. Reading such literature is a pleasure. She doesn’t just teach something, she radically changes lives, helps us understand simple things that we sometimes don’t even notice.
We hope you liked our list of classic books of Russian literature. You may have already read some of it, and some not. A great reason to make your own personal list of books, your top ones that you would like to read.
“Russian literature is the only unhindered guide in the West’s desire to understand the secrets of the Russian soul, its culture and identity. No restrictions or prohibitions, political hostility or sanctions for you. I bought a volume of a Russian classic and you get to know yourself quietly, dosing it - sitting, lying down, standing, in the subway, at home... Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov... Be careful with Chekhov - you can go on a drinking binge...”
Abroad began to become thoroughly acquainted with Russian literature through the writer Ivan Turgenev, who settled in Baden-Baden in 1863. Having become close to the most famous Western writers, cultural and artistic figures, with the intelligentsia and politicians of that time, Turgenev very quickly became the most famous and most widely read Russian author in Europe. It was with the works of Turgenev that the Western reader began to comprehend the full depth and richness of the Russian language.
In 1878, at the international literary congress in Paris, the writer was elected vice-president; in 1879 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. Chancellor of the German Empire Clovis Hohenlohe called Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev the best candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Russia. He wrote about Turgenev: “Today I spoke with the most smart person Russia."
But Ivan Turgenev’s main merit is propaganda. Throughout his entire life abroad, he tirelessly “promoted” Russian literature as the most undervalued within Russia itself. Thus, Europe met Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol...
They say that people become interested in the literature of a particular country when they show interest in the country itself. This is partly true. In relation to Russia, this interest on the part of the West never ceased and reached its peak in the 21st century. It is noteworthy that once having discovered Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov and many other prolific masters of Russian literature, the West never ceases to associate Russian literature and Russia itself with these great names. Of course, in this regard, modern writers have a hard time, and, oddly enough, Russian writers XXI century has to compete with the Russian classics of the 19th century. After all, the demand for the export of Russian classics is still huge. The facts speak about this:
The film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” speaks of the popularity of the Russian classic abroad - there are more than 7 different versions of the film. Another example is “Anna Karenina” - it was filmed about 18 times in different countries.
Chekhov still remains the leader in the number of foreign film adaptations of Russian classics - his works became the basis for film/television versions about 200 times. He is one of the 3 most screened writers in the world.
“In the galaxy of great European playwrights... the name of Chekhov shines like a star of the first magnitude,” wrote George Bernard Shaw at the beginning of the 20th century.
However, if Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the West are known more from books, then Chekhov is more likely not read, but “watched”: the writer is little known as an author humorous stories, but is rightfully considered a playwright of the first magnitude along with Shakespeare, Shaw and Wilde. His plays are some of the most popular in the world. But Chekhov himself did not foresee his future fame. He told his friend Tatyana Shchepkina-Kupernik: “They will read me for seven, seven and a half years, and then they will forget.”
One more thing is surprising. Fame in a writing career directly depends on its “promotion”. Writing with talent or genius is not enough. You need to invest in advertising and self-PR. And the best PR is a scandal. Take, for example, Nabokov’s world fame, having written the scandalous “Lolita,” he might not have written anything else. The scandalous plot itself, and all the attempts to ban the publication of the novel, made its publication an event and provided the book with huge circulations. Solzhenitsyn talentedly made his name “in politics” and the propaganda machine helped him.
Now it’s already difficult to play politics. It is almost impossible to realize a political intrigue on which you can “take off.” There is money left.
Nowadays, few Russian names are noticeable in the West - of course, primarily due to the language barrier. In pre-revolutionary Russia there was not much difference between the bearers of Russian culture and European culture. All educated people in Russia spoke English, French, and German well. Tolstoy almost got first Nobel Prize in literature, Turgenev was absolutely recognized in Paris as a writer, Dostoevsky had a huge influence on Freud and many others. Then there was a single multilingual culture. Now it’s the other way around: globalization has led to a situation where English alone dominates. So it turns out that cultures are different, but all writers have the same language. At the same time, it cannot be said that bearers of Russian culture became victims of any special discrimination. There is simply one dominant culture and it is English-speaking.
But we digress.
And yet, which Russian writers, by modern standards, are the most famous abroad?
Leo Tolstoy - “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”;
Fyodor Dostoevsky - “Crime and Punishment”, “The Idiot”, “The Brothers Karamazov”;
Anton Chekhov - “Uncle Vanya”, “Lady with a Dog”, “Kashtanka”;
Alexander Pushkin - “Eugene Onegin”;
Nikolai Gogol - “Dead Souls”;
Ivan Turgenev - “Fathers and Sons”;
Mikhail Bulgakov - “Fatal Eggs”, “The Master and Margarita”;
Vladimir Nabokov - “Lolita”;
Alexander Solzhenitsyn - “The Gulag Archipelago”, “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”;
Ivan Bunin - “Sukhodol”, “Village”;
Alexander Griboedov - “Woe from Wit”;
Mikhail Lermontov - “Hero of Our Time”, “Demon”;
Boris Pasternak - Doctor Zhivago.
With modern Russian literature everything is much more complicated. Nevertheless, quite popular: Polina Dashkova, Dmitry Glukhovsky, Zakhar Prilepin, Mikhail Shishkin, Victor Pelevin, Sergei Lukyanenko, Boris Akunin.
In the 90s, the only modern Russian author whose books could be easily obtained in English was Pelevin - despite the fact that this was still a specific reading. Over the past ten years, however, some things have changed, others have been translated - Boris Akunin has had the greatest success: in England his detective stories still sell well... In the West they like a Russian writer to be bearded and serious.
In England it’s clear, but what about in the USA? According to the famous publicist Owen Matthews(Owen Matthews), "literature modern Russia cannot offer the American reader brought up on philosophical novels Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, something that can return them to the “magical land” open to them in the books of the classics.” That is why the percentage of Russian literature in modern America does not exceed 1-3%.
Deputy Head of Rospechat Vladimir Grigoriev believes:
“That of our writers in Lately“If they don’t make stars, it has a lot to do with extra-literary moments.” Remember the growing popularity of Mikhail Shishkin in Western European countries after he spoke out against the Kremlin’s policies... And vice versa - as soon as Zakhar Prilepin, who was quite successfully translated and published in English-speaking countries, began to speak out in support of the so-called Novorossiya, we began to experience certain difficulties in its promotion."
We've really gone backwards. First, sport turned into a tool of political pressure, now literature. You look and Grand Theatre will stop touring the world. Perhaps the excitement for Russian painting will even subside. But nothing. But we began to export twice as much gas, oil, tanks and Kalash rifles...
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Anna Karenina. Lev 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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Master and Margarita. Michael 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 hundred and fifty 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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Notre Dame Cathedral. 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 Phoebus 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 the only novel Margaret Mitchell, 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 by the classic of 19th century French literature, Alexandre Dumas.
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Arc de Triomphe. Erich Remarque
One of the most beautiful and tragic love novels in the history of 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 comprachicos 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, full of hardships path to literary immortality... By chance, finding himself in secular society, Martin Eden is doubly happy and surprised... both by the creative gift that awakened in him, and by the divine image of the young Ruth Morse, so not similar to 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 “An American Tragedy” is the pinnacle of the work 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 classic, 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 lies not only in the fact 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. Every new novel 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 remained closed for wide range readers in our country, who knew about him 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, Tirant the White tell us today? But it was precisely as a parody of novels about these knights that “The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was created. 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” is a 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 love 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 when he appears, is extremely beloved 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?”
Culture
This list contains the names of the greatest writers of all time from different nations, writing in different languages. Those who are at least somewhat interested in literature are undoubtedly familiar with them through their wonderful creations.
Today I would like to remember those who remained on the pages of history as outstanding authors of great works that have been in demand for many years, decades, centuries and even millennia.
1) Latin: Publius Virgil Maro
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Gaius Julius Caesar, Publius Ovid Naso, Quintus Horace Flaccus
You should know Virgil from his famous epic work "Aeneid", which is dedicated to the fall of Troy. Virgil is probably the most severe perfectionist in the history of literature. He wrote his poem at an amazingly slow speed - only 3 lines a day. He did not want to do it any faster, so as to be sure that it was impossible to write these three lines better.
In Latin subordinate clause, dependent or independent, can be written in any order with a few exceptions. Thus, the poet has great freedom to define what his poetry sounds like without changing the meaning in any way. Virgil considered every option at every stage.
Virgil also wrote two more works in Latin - "Bucolics"(38 BC) and "Georgics"(29 BC). "Georgics"- 4 partly didactic poems about agriculture, including various kinds of advice, for example, that you should not plant grapes next to olive trees: olive leaves are very flammable, and at the end of a dry summer they can catch fire, like everything around them, due to a lightning strike.
He also praised Aristaeus, the god of beekeeping, because honey was the only source of sugar for the European world until sugar cane was brought to Europe from the Caribbean. Bees were deified, and Virgil explained how to get a beehive if the farmer does not have one: kill a deer, wild boar or bear, rip open their belly and leave it in the forest, praying to the god Aristaeus. After a week, he will send a beehive to the animal's carcass.
Virgil wrote that he wanted his poem "Aeneid" burned after his death as it remained unfinished. However, the Emperor of Rome Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus refused to do this, thanks to which the poem has survived to this day.
2) Ancient Greek: Homer
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Apostle Paul, Euripides, Aristophanes
Homer, perhaps, can be called greatest writer of all times and peoples, but not much is known about him himself. He was probably a blind man who told stories that were recorded 400 years later. Or, in fact, a whole group of writers worked on the poems, who added something about the Trojan War and the Odyssey.
Anyway, "Iliad" And "Odyssey" were written in ancient Greek, a dialect that came to be called Homeric in contrast to the Attic that followed later and which replaced it. "Iliad" describes the last 10 years of the Greeks' struggle with the Trojans outside the walls of Troy. The main character is Achilles. He is furious that King Agamemnon treats him and his spoils as his property. Achilles refused to participate in the war, which had lasted for 10 years and in which the Greeks lost thousands of their soldiers in the fight for Troy.
But after some persuasion, Achilles allowed his friend (and possibly lover) Patroclus, who did not want to wait any longer, to join the war. However, Patroclus was defeated and killed by Hector, the leader of the Trojan army. Achilles rushed into battle and forced the Trojan battalions to flee. Without outside help, he killed many enemies and fought with the river god Scamander. Achilles ultimately kills Hector, and the poem ends with funeral ceremonies.
"Odyssey"- an unsurpassed adventure masterpiece about the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, who tried to return home after the end of the Trojan War along with his people. Details of the fall of Troy are mentioned very briefly. When Odysseus ventures to the Land of the Dead, where he finds Achilles among others.
These are just two of Homer’s works that have survived and come down to us, however, whether there were others is not known for sure. However, these works form the basis of all European literature. The poems are written in dactylic hexameter. In memory of Homer Western tradition many poems were written.
3) French: Victor Hugo
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Rene Descartes, Voltaire, Alexandre Dumas, Moliere, Francois Rabelais, Marcel Proust, Charles Baudelaire
The French have always been fans of long novels, the longest of which is the cycle "In Search of Lost Time" Marcel Proust. However, Victor Hugo is perhaps the most famous author French prose and one of the greatest poets of the 19th century.
His most famous works are "Notre Dame Cathedral"(1831) and "Les Miserables"(1862). The first work even formed the basis of a famous cartoon "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" studios Walt Disney Pictures, however, in Hugo’s real novel, everything ended far from being so fabulous.
The hunchback Quasimodo was hopelessly in love with the gypsy Esmeralda, who treated him well. However, Frollo, an evil priest, has his eye on the beauty. Frollo followed her and saw how she almost ended up as the mistress of Captain Phoebus. As revenge, Frollo turned the gypsy over to justice, accusing him of murdering the captain, whom he actually killed himself.
After torture, Esmeralda confessed that she had allegedly committed a crime and was supposed to be hanged, but in last moment she was saved by Quasimodo. Ultimately, Esmeralda was executed anyway, Frollo was thrown from the cathedral, and Quasimodo died of hunger while hugging the corpse of his beloved.
"Les Miserables" also not a particularly cheerful novel, at least one of the main characters - Cosette - survives, despite the fact that she had to suffer almost all her life, like all the heroes of the novel. This classic story fanatical adherence to the law, but practically no one can help those who really need help most.
4) Spanish: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Jorge Luis Borges
Cervantes's main work, of course, is famous novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". He also wrote collections of short stories, a romantic novel "Galatea", novel "Persiles and Sikhismunda" and some other works.
Don Quixote is a rather cheerful character, even today, whose real name is Alonso Quejana. He read so much about warrior knights and their honest ladies that he began to consider himself a knight, traveling through the countryside and getting into all sorts of adventures, causing everyone who met him to remember him for his recklessness. He befriends an ordinary farmer, Sancho Panza, who tries to bring Don Quixote back to reality.
Don Quixote is known to have tried to fight windmills, saved people who didn't usually need his help, and been beaten many times. The second part of the book was published 10 years after the first and is the first work of modern literature. The characters know everything about the story of Don Quixote, which is told in the first part.
Now everyone he meets tries to ridicule him and Panso, testing their faith in the spirit of chivalry. He is eventually brought back to reality when he loses a fight with the Knight of the White Moon, is poisoned home, falls ill and dies, leaving all the money to his niece on the condition that she does not marry a man who reads foolish tales of chivalry.
5) Dutch: Joost van den Vondel
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Peter Hoft, Jacob Kats
Vondel is the most outstanding writer Holland, who lived in the 17th century. He was a poet and playwright and a representative of the "Golden Age" of Dutch literature. His most famous play is "Geysbrecht of Amsterdam", a historical drama that was performed on New Year's Day at the Amsterdam City Theater between 1438 and 1968.
The play is about Geisbrecht IV, who, according to the play, invaded Amsterdam in 1303 to restore the family's honor and regain the titled nobility. He founded something like a baronial title in these parts. Historical sources The Vondels were infidels. In fact, the invasion was carried out by Geisbrecht's son, Jan, who turned out to be a real hero, overthrowing the tyranny that reigned in Amsterdam. Today Geisbrecht is a national hero because of this writer's mistake.
Vondel also wrote another masterpiece, an epic poem called "John the Baptist"(1662) about the life of John. This work is national epic Netherlands. Vondel is also the author of the play "Lucifer"(1654), which explores the soul of a biblical character, as well as his character and motives, to answer the question of why he did what he did. This play inspired the Englishman John Milton to write 13 years later "Paradise Lost".
6) Portuguese: Luis de Camões
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: José Maria Esa de Queiroz, Fernando António Nugueira Pessoa
Camões is considered the greatest poet Portugal. His most famous work is "The Lusiads"(1572). The Lusiads were a people who inhabited the Roman region of Lusitania, where modern Portugal is located. The name comes from the name Luz (Lusus), he was a friend of the god of wine Bacchus, he is considered the progenitor of the Portuguese people. "The Lusiads"- an epic poem consisting of 10 songs.
The poem talks about all the famous Portuguese sea travel for the discovery, conquest and colonization of new countries and cultures. She is somewhat similar to "Odyssey" Homer, Camões praises Homer and Virgil many times. The work begins with a description of the journey of Vasco da Gama.
This is a historical poem that recreates many battles, the Revolution of 1383-85, the discovery of da Gama, trade with the city of Calcutta, India. The Louisiades were always watched by the Greek gods, although da Gama, being a Catholic, prayed to his own God. At the end, the poem mentions Magellan and speaks of the glorious future of Portuguese navigation.
7) German: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Friedrich von Schiller, Arthur Schopenhauer, Heinrich Heine, Franz Kafka
Talking about German music, one cannot fail to mention Bach, in the same way German literature would not be so complete without Goethe. Many great writers wrote about him or used his ideas in shaping their style. Goethe wrote four novels, a great many poems and documentaries, and scientific essays.
Undoubtedly, his most famous work is the book "The Sorrows of Young Werther"(1774). Goethe founded the German Romanticism movement. Beethoven's 5th Symphony is completely identical in mood to Goethe's "Werther".
Novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" tells about the unsatisfied romanticism of the main character, which leads to his suicide. The story is told in the form of letters and made the epistolary novel popular for at least the next century and a half.
However, Goethe's masterpiece is still the poem "Faust", which consists of 2 parts. The first part was published in 1808, the second in 1832, the year of the writer’s death. The legend of Faust existed long before Goethe, but Goethe's dramatic story remained the most known history about this hero.
Faustus is a scientist whose incredible knowledge and wisdom pleased God. God sends Mephistopheles or the Devil to test Faust. The story of the deal with the devil has often been raised in literature, but the most famous is perhaps the story of Goethe's Faust. Faust signs an agreement with the Devil, promising his soul in exchange for the Devil to do whatever Faust wishes on Earth.
He becomes young again and falls in love with the girl Gretchen. Gretchen takes a potion from Faust that is supposed to help her mother with insomnia, but the potion poisons her. This drives Gretchen crazy and she drowns her newborn baby, signing her death warrant. Faust and Mephistopheles break into the prison to rescue her, but Gretchen refuses to go with them. Faust and Mephistopheles go into hiding, and God grants Gretchen forgiveness while she awaits execution.
The second part is incredibly difficult to read, as the reader needs to have a good understanding of Greek mythology. This is a kind of continuation of the story that began in the first part. Faust, with the help of Mephistopheles, becomes incredibly powerful and corrupted until the very end of the story. He remembers the pleasure of being a good man and then dies. Mephistopheles comes for his soul, but the angels take it for themselves, they stand up for the soul of Faust, who is reborn and ascends to Heaven.
8) Russian: Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky
Today, Pushkin is remembered as the father of native Russian literature, in contrast to that Russian literature that had a clear tinge of Western influence. First of all, Pushkin was a poet, but he wrote in all genres. Drama is considered his masterpiece "Boris Godunov"(1831) and poem "Eugene Onegin"(1825-32).
The first work is a play, the second is a novel in poetic form. "Onegin" written exclusively in sonnets, and Pushkin invented a new sonnet form, which distinguishes his work from the sonnets of Petrarch, Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser.
The main character of the poem is Eugene Onegin - the model on which all Russians are based literary heroes. Onegin is treated as a person who does not meet any standards accepted in society. He wanders, gambles, fights duels, and is called a sociopath, although he is not cruel or evil. This person, rather, does not care about the values and rules that are accepted in society.
Many of Pushkin's poems formed the basis for ballets and operas. They are very difficult to translate into any other language, mostly because poetry simply cannot sound the same in another language. This is what distinguishes poetry from prose. Languages often do not match the possibilities of words. It is known that in the Inuit language of the Eskimos there are 45 different words for snow.
Nevertheless, "Onegina" translated into many languages. Vladimir Nabokov translated the poem into English, but instead of one volume, he ended up with 4 volumes. Nabokov retained all the definitions and descriptive details, but completely ignored the music of poetry.
This is all due to the fact that Pushkin had an incredibly unique writing style that allowed him to touch on all aspects of the Russian language, even inventing new syntactic and grammatical forms and words, establishing many rules that almost all Russian writers use even today.
9) Italian: Dante Alighieri
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: none
Name Durante in Latin means "hardy" or "eternal". It was Dante who helped organize the various Italian dialects of his time into the modern Italian language. The dialect of the region of Tuscany, where Dante was born in Florence, is the standard for all Italians thanks to "Divine Comedy" (1321), Dante Alighieri's masterpiece and one of the greatest works of world literature of all time.
At the time this work was written, the Italian regions each had their own dialect, which were quite different from each other. Today, when you want to learn Italian as a foreign language, you will almost always start with the Florentine version of Tuscany because of its significance in literature.
Dante travels to Hell and Purgatory to learn about the punishments that sinners serve. There are different punishments for different crimes. Those who are accused of lust are always driven by the wind, despite their fatigue, because during their lifetime the wind of voluptuousness drove them.
Those whom Dante considers heretics are responsible for splitting the church into several branches, including the prophet Muhammad. They are sentenced to be split from neck to groin, and the punishment is carried out by a devil with a sword. In this ripped up state they walk in circles.
IN "Comedy" there are also descriptions of Paradise, which are also unforgettable. Dante uses Ptolemy's concept of heaven, that Heaven consists of 9 concentric spheres, each of which brings the author and Beatrice, his lover and guide, closer to God at the very top.
After meeting various famous figures from the Bible, Dante finds himself face to face with the Lord God, depicted as three beautiful circles of light merging into one, from which emerges Jesus, the incarnation of God on Earth.
Dante is also the author of other smaller poems and essays. One of the works - "On Popular Eloquence" talks about the importance of Italian as a spoken language. He also wrote a poem "New Life" with passages in prose in which noble love is defended. No other writer spoke the language as flawlessly as Dante spoke Italian.
10) English: William Shakespeare
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: John Milton, Samuel Beckett, Geoffrey Chaucer, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens
Voltaire called Shakespeare "that drunken fool", and his works "this huge pile of dung". Nevertheless, Shakespeare's influence on literature is undeniable, not only in English, but also in the literature of most other languages of the world. Today Shakespeare is one of the most translated writers, his full meeting works have been translated into 70 languages, and various plays and poems - more than 200.
About 60 percent of all catchphrases, quotes and idioms English language coming from King James Bible (English translation Bible), 30 percent from Shakespeare.
According to the rules of Shakespeare's time, tragedies at the end required the death of at least one main character, but in an ideal tragedy everyone dies: "Hamlet" (1599-1602), "King Lear" (1660), "Othello" (1603), "Romeo and Juliet" (1597).
In contrast to tragedy, there is a comedy in which someone is sure to get married at the end, and in an ideal comedy all the characters get married: "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1596), "Much ado about nothing" (1599), "Twelfth Night" (1601), "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1602).
Shakespeare was a master at heightening the tension between characters in perfect harmony with the plot. He knew how, like no one else, to organically describe human nature. Shakespeare's real genius is the skepticism that permeates all of his works, sonnets, plays and poems. He, as expected, praises the highest moral principles of humanity, but these principles are always expressed in the conditions of an ideal world.