HISTORY OF RUSSIA
“Prix Nobel? Oui, ma belle". This is what Brodsky joked long before receiving the Nobel Prize, which is the most important award for almost any writer. Despite the generous scattering of Russian literary geniuses, only five of them managed to receive the highest award. However, many, if not all, of them, having received it, suffered enormous losses in their lives.
Nobel Prize 1933 "For the truthful artistic talent with which he recreated in prose the typical Russian character."
Bunin became the first Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize. This event was given a special resonance by the fact that Bunin had not appeared in Russia for 13 years, even as a tourist. Therefore, when he was notified of a call from Stockholm, Bunin could not believe what had happened. In Paris, the news spread instantly. Every Russian, regardless of financial status and position, squandered their last pennies in a tavern, rejoicing that their compatriot turned out to be the best.
Once in the Swedish capital, Bunin was almost the most popular Russian person in the world; people stared at him for a long time, looked around, and whispered. He was surprised, comparing his fame and honor with the glory of the famous tenor. 
Nobel Prize ceremony.
I. A. Bunin is in the first row, far right.
Stockholm, 1933
Nobel Prize 1958 "For significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the tradition of the great Russian epic novel"
Pasternak's candidacy for the Nobel Prize was discussed by the Nobel Committee every year, from 1946 to 1950. After a personal telegram from the head of the committee and Pasternak’s notification of the award, the writer replied in the following words: “Grateful, glad, proud, embarrassed.” But after some time, after the planned public persecution of the writer and his friends, public persecution, sowing an impartial and even hostile image among the masses, Pasternak refused the prize, writing a letter of more voluminous content.
After the award of the prize, Pasternak bore the full burden of the “persecuted poet” firsthand. Moreover, he carried this burden not at all for his poems (although it was for them, for the most part, that he was awarded the Nobel Prize), but for the “anti-conscience” novel “Doctor Zhivago”. Nes, even refusing such an honorable prize and a substantial sum of 250,000 crowns. According to the writer himself, he still would not have taken this money, having sent it to another, more useful place than his own pocket.
On December 9, 1989, in Stockholm, Boris Pasternak's son, Evgeniy, was awarded a diploma and the Nobel Medal to Boris Pasternak at a gala reception dedicated to the Nobel Prize laureates of that year. 
Pasternak Evgeniy Borisovich
Nobel Prize 1965 "for artistic power and the integrity of the epic about Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia".
Sholokhov, like Pasternak, repeatedly appeared in the field of view of the Nobel Committee. Moreover, their paths, like their offspring, involuntarily, and also voluntarily, crossed more than once. Their novels, without the participation of the authors themselves, “prevented” each other from winning the main award. There is no point in choosing the best of two brilliant, but very different works. Moreover, the Nobel Prize was (and is) given in both cases not for individual works, but for the overall contribution as a whole, for a special component of all creativity. Once, in 1954, the Nobel Committee did not award Sholokhov only because the letter of recommendation from Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Sergeev-Tsensky arrived a couple of days later, and the committee did not have enough time to consider Sholokhov’s candidacy. It is believed that the novel (“ Quiet Don") was not politically beneficial to Sweden at that time, but artistic value always played a secondary role for the committee. In 1958, when Sholokhov’s figure looked like an iceberg in the Baltic Sea, the prize went to Pasternak. Already gray-haired, sixty-year-old Sholokhov was awarded his well-deserved Nobel Prize in Stockholm, after which the writer read a speech as pure and honest as all his work. 
Mikhail Alexandrovich in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall
before the start of the Nobel Prize presentation.
Nobel Prize 1970 "For the moral strength gleaned from the tradition of great Russian literature."
Solzhenitsyn learned about this prize while still in the camps. And in his heart he strived to become its laureate. In 1970, after he was awarded the Nobel Prize, Solzhenitsyn replied that he would come “personally, on the appointed day” to receive the award. However, as twelve years earlier, when Pasternak was also threatened with deprivation of citizenship, Solzhenitsyn canceled his trip to Stockholm. It's hard to say that he regretted it too much. Reading the program for the gala evening, he kept coming across pompous details: what and how to say, a tuxedo or tailcoat to wear at this or that banquet. “...Why does it have to be a white bow tie,” he thought, “but not in a camp padded jacket?” “And how can we talk about the main task of our whole life at the “feast table”, when the tables are laden with dishes and everyone is drinking, eating, talking...”
Nobel Prize 1987 "For a comprehensive literary activity distinguished by clarity of thought and poetic intensity."
Of course, it was much “easier” for Brodsky to receive the Nobel Prize than for Pasternak or Solzhenitsyn. At that time, he was already a persecuted emigrant, deprived of citizenship and the right to enter Russia. The news of the Nobel Prize found Brodsky having lunch at a Chinese restaurant near London. The news practically did not change the expression on the writer’s face. He only joked to the first reporters that now he would have to wag his tongue for a whole year. One journalist asked Brodsky who he considers himself to be: Russian or American? “I am a Jew, a Russian poet and an English essayist,” Brodsky replied.
Known for his indecisive character, Brodsky took two versions of the Nobel lecture to Stockholm: in Russian and in English. To last moment no one knew in what language the writer would read the text. Brodsky settled on Russian.
On December 10, 1987, Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity.”
The Nobel Prize was created by and named after the Swedish industrialist, inventor and chemical engineer, Alfred Nobel. It is considered the most prestigious in the world. The laureates receive a gold medal with an image of A.B. Nobel, a diploma, and a check for a large sum. The latter consists of the amount of profits that the Nobel Foundation receives. In 1895 he made a will, according to which his capital was placed in bonds, shares and loans. The income that this money brings is divided equally into five parts every year and becomes a prize for achievements in five areas: chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, and also for activities to strengthen peace.
The first Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded on December 10, 1901, and has since been awarded annually on that date, which is the anniversary of Nobel's death. The winners are awarded in Stockholm by the Swedish king himself. After receiving the award, Nobel Prize winners in literature must give a lecture on their work within 6 months. This is an indispensable condition for receiving the award.
The decision on who is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature is made by the Swedish Academy, located in Stockholm, as well as the Nobel Committee itself, which announces only the number of applicants, without naming their names. The selection procedure itself is secret, which sometimes causes angry reviews from critics and ill-wishers who claim that the award is given for political reasons and not for literary achievements. The main argument that is given as proof is that Nabokov, Tolstoy, Bokhres, Joyce were bypassed by the prize. However, the list of authors who received it still remains impressive. There are five writers from Russia who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more about each of them below.
The 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded for the 107th time, going to Patrick Modiano and screenwriter. That is, since 1901, 111 writers have received the award (since four times it was awarded to two authors at the same time).
It would take quite a long time to list all the laureates and get to know each of them. The most famous and widely read Nobel Prize winners in literature and their works are brought to your attention.
1. William Golding, 1983
William Golding received the award for his famous novels, of which there are 12 in his oeuvre. The most famous, Lord of the Flies and The Descendants, are among the best-selling books written by Nobel laureates. The novel Lord of the Flies, published in 1954, brought the writer worldwide fame. Critics often compare it to Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in terms of its significance for the development of literature and modern thought in general.
2. Toni Morrison, 1993
The Nobel Prize winners in literature are not only men, but also women. One of them is Toni Morrison. This American writer was born into a working-class family in Ohio. After attending Howard University, where she studied literature and English, she began writing her own works. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), was based on a story she wrote for a university literary circle. It is one of Toni Morrison's most popular works. Another of her novels, Sula, published in 1975, was nominated for the US National.
3. 1962
Most famous works Steinbeck - "East of Eden", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Of Mice and Men". The Grapes of Wrath became a bestseller in 1939, selling more than 50,000 copies, and today it sells more than 75 million copies. Until 1962, the writer was nominated for the prize 8 times, and he himself believed that he was unworthy of such an award. And many American critics noted that his later novels were much weaker than his previous ones, and responded negatively to this award. In 2013, when some documents from the Swedish Academy (kept secret for 50 years) were declassified, it became clear that the writer was awarded because he was "the best in bad company" that year.
4. Ernest Hemingway, 1954
This writer became one of nine winners of the literature prize, to whom it was awarded not for creativity in general, but for a specific work, namely for the story “The Old Man and the Sea.” The same work, first published in 1952, brought the writer the following year, 1953, another prestigious award - the Pulitzer Prize.
In the same year, the Nobel Committee included Hemingway in the list of candidates, but the winner of the award that time was Winston Churchill, who by that time had already turned 79 years old, and therefore it was decided not to delay the presentation of the award. And Ernest Hemingway became a well-deserved winner of the award the following year, 1954.
5. Marquez, 1982
The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 included Gabriel García Márquez among their ranks. He became the first writer from Colombia to receive an award from the Swedish Academy. His books, including Chronicle of a Death Proclaimed, The Autumn of the Patriarch, and Love in the Time of Cholera, became the best-selling works written in Spanish in its history. The novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), which another Nobel Prize laureate, Pablo Neruda, called the greatest creation in Spanish after Cervantes' Don Quixote, has been translated into more than 25 languages, and the total circulation of the work was more than 50 millions of copies.
6. Samuel Beckett, 1969
The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Samuel Beckett in 1969. This Irish writer is one of the most... famous representatives modernism. It was he who, together with Eugene Ionescu, founded the famous “theater of the absurd”. Samuel Beckett wrote his works in two languages - English and French. The most famous creation of his pen was the play "Waiting for Godot", written in French. The plot of the work is as follows. The main characters throughout the play are waiting for a certain Godot, who should bring some meaning to their existence. However, he never appears, so the reader or viewer has to decide for himself what kind of image it was.
Beckett was fond of playing chess and enjoyed success with women, but led a rather secluded lifestyle. He did not even agree to come to the Nobel Prize ceremony, sending his publisher, Jerome Lindon, in his place.
7. 1949
The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 went to William Faulkner. He also initially refused to go to Stockholm to receive the award, but was eventually persuaded by his daughter. John Kennedy sent him an invitation to a dinner organized in honor of Nobel Prize winners. However, Faulkner, who all his life considered himself “not a writer, but a farmer,” in his own words, refused to accept the invitation, citing old age.
The author's most famous and popular novels are The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. However, success did not come to these works immediately; for a long time they practically did not sell. The Sound and the Fury, published in 1929, sold only three thousand copies in its first 16 years of publication. However, in 1949, by the time the author received the Nobel Prize, this novel was already an example classical literature America.
In 2012, a special edition of this work was published in the UK, in which the text was printed in 14 different colors, which was done at the request of the writer so that the reader could notice different time planes. The limited edition of the novel was only 1,480 copies and sold out immediately after its release. Now the cost of a book of this rare edition is estimated at approximately 115 thousand rubles.
8. Doris Lessing, 2007
The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded in 2007. This British writer and poet received the award at the age of 88, making her the oldest recipient. She also became the eleventh woman (out of 13) to receive the Nobel Prize.
Lessing was not very popular with critics, since she rarely wrote on topics devoted to pressing social issues; she was even often called a propagandist of Sufism, a teaching that preaches the renunciation of worldly vanity. However, according to The Times magazine, this writer ranks fifth on the list of the 50 greatest British authors published after 1945.
The most popular work Doris Lessing's novel "The Golden Notebook", published in 1962, is considered. Some critics classify it as an example of classic feminist prose, but the writer herself categorically disagrees with this opinion.
9. Albert Camus, 1957
French writers also received the Nobel Prize in Literature. One of them, a writer, journalist, and essayist of Algerian origin, Albert Camus, is the “conscience of the West.” His most famous work is the story "The Stranger", published in 1942 in France. In 1946, an English translation was made, sales began, and within a few years the number of copies sold amounted to more than 3.5 million.
Albert Camus is often classified as a representative of existentialism, but he himself did not agree with this and in every possible way denied such a definition. Thus, in a speech delivered at the presentation of the Nobel Prize, he noted that in his work he sought to “avoid outright lies and resist oppression.”
10. Alice Munro, 2013
In 2013, nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature included Alice Munro on their list. A representative of Canada, this novelist became famous in the short story genre. She began writing them early, in her teenage years, but the first collection of her works, entitled “Dance of the Happy Shadows,” was published only in 1968, when the author was already 37 years old. In 1971, the next collection, “The Lives of Girls and Women,” appeared, which critics called “an education novel.” Others her literary works include the books: “Who exactly are you?”, “The Fugitive”, “Too Much Happiness”. One of her collections, “The Hateful Friendship, Courtship, Love, Marriage,” published in 2001, was even made into a Canadian film called “Away From Her,” directed by Sarah Polley. The author’s most popular book is “Dear Life,” published in 2012.
Munro is often called the "Canadian Chekhov" because the writers' styles are similar. Like the Russian writer, he is characterized psychological realism and clarity.
Nobel Prize laureates in literature from Russia
To date, five Russian writers have won the prize. The first laureate was I. A. Bunin.
1. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, 1933
This is a famous Russian writer and poet, an outstanding master of realistic prose, and an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1920, Ivan Alekseevich emigrated to France, and when presenting the award, he noted that the Swedish Academy acted very bravely by awarding the emigrant writer. Among the contenders for this year’s prize was another Russian writer, M. Gorky, however, largely thanks to the publication of the book “The Life of Arsenyev” by that time, the scales nevertheless tipped in the direction of Ivan Alekseevich.
Bunin began writing his first poems at the age of 7-8 years. Later, his famous works were published: the story “The Village”, the collection “Sukhodol”, the books “John the Weeper”, “The Gentleman from San Francisco”, etc. In the 20s he wrote (1924) and “ Sunstroke"(1927). And in 1943, the pinnacle of Ivan Aleksandrovich’s work, the collection of stories “Dark Alleys,” was born. This book was devoted to only one topic - love, its “dark” and gloomy sides, as the author wrote in one of his letters.
2. Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, 1958
The Nobel Prize laureates in literature from Russia in 1958 included Boris Leonidovich Pasternak on their list. The poet was awarded the prize at a difficult time. He was forced to abandon it under threat of exile from Russia. However, the Nobel Committee regarded Boris Leonidovich’s refusal as forced, and in 1989 transferred the medal and diploma to his son after the writer’s death. The famous novel "Doctor Zhivago" is Pasternak's true artistic testament. This work was written in 1955. Albert Camus, laureate in 1957, spoke with admiration of this novel.
3. Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov, 1965
In 1965, M. A. Sholokhov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Russia in once again proved to the whole world that she has talented writers. Having begun his literary activity as a representative of realism, depicting the deep contradictions of life, Sholokhov, however, in some works finds himself captive of the socialist trend. During the presentation of the Nobel Prize, Mikhail Alexandrovich made a speech in which he noted that in his works he sought to praise “the nation of workers, builders and heroes.”
In 1926 he started his main novel, Quiet Don, and completed it in 1940, long before he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sholokhov's works were published in parts, including "Quiet Don". In 1928, largely thanks to the assistance of A.S. Serafimovich, a friend of Mikhail Alexandrovich, the first part appeared in print. The second volume was published the following year. The third was published in 1932-1933, already with the assistance and support of M. Gorky. The last, fourth, volume was published in 1940. This novel had great value both for Russian and world literature. It was translated into many languages of the world, became the basis of the famous opera by Ivan Dzerzhinsky, as well as numerous theatrical productions and films.
Some, however, accused Sholokhov of plagiarism (including A. I. Solzhenitsyn), believing that most of the work was copied from the manuscripts of F. D. Kryukov, a Cossack writer. Other researchers confirmed the authorship of Sholokhov.
In addition to this work, in 1932 Sholokhov also created “Virgin Soil Upturned,” a work telling about the history of collectivization among the Cossacks. In 1955, the first chapters of the second volume were published, and at the beginning of 1960 the last ones were completed.
At the end of 1942, the third novel, “They Fought for the Motherland,” was published.
4. Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, 1970
The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 was awarded to A. I. Solzhenitsyn. Alexander Isaevich accepted it, but did not dare to attend the award ceremony because he was afraid of the Soviet government, which regarded the decision of the Nobel Committee as “politically hostile.” Solzhenitsyn was afraid that he would not be able to return to his homeland after this trip, although the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970, which he received, increased the prestige of our country. In his work, he touched upon acute socio-political problems and actively fought against communism, its ideas and the policies of the Soviet regime.
The main works of Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn include: “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” (1962), story “ Matrenin Dvor", the novel "In the First Circle" (written from 1955 to 1968), "The Gulag Archipelago" (1964-1970). The first published work was the story "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", which appeared in the magazine "New World". This publication caused great interest and numerous responses from readers, which inspired the writer to create “The Gulag Archipelago.” In 1964, Alexander Isaevich’s first story received the Lenin Prize.
However, a year later he lost the favor of the Soviet authorities, and his works were prohibited from being published. His novels “The Gulag Archipelago”, “In the First Circle” and “Cancer Ward” were published abroad, for which the writer was deprived of citizenship in 1974 and he was forced to emigrate. Only 20 years later he managed to return to his homeland. In 2001-2002, Solzhenitsyn’s great work “Two Hundred Years Together” appeared. Alexander Isaevich died in 2008.
5. Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky, 1987
The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 joined their ranks with I. A. Brodsky. In 1972, the writer was forced to emigrate to the USA, so world encyclopedia even calls it American. Among all the writers who received the Nobel Prize, he is the youngest. With his lyrics, he comprehended the world as a single cultural and metaphysical whole, and also pointed out the limitations of the perception of man as a subject of knowledge.
Joseph Alexandrovich wrote not only in Russian, but also in English, poetry, essays, literary criticism. Immediately after the publication of his first collection in the West, in 1965, Brodsky came to international fame. The author’s best books include: “Embankment of the Incurables”, “Part of Speech”, “Landscape with Flood”, “The End of a Beautiful Era”, “Stopping in the Desert” and others.
The Nobel Prize in Literature is an award for achievements in the field of literature, awarded annually by the Nobel Committee in Stockholm. Contents 1 Requirements for nominating candidates 2 List of laureates 2.1 1900s ... Wikipedia
Medal awarded to a Nobel Prize laureate The Nobel Prizes (Swedish: Nobelpriset, English: Nobel Prize) are one of the most prestigious international prizes, awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions or... ... Wikipedia
Medal of the USSR State Prize Laureate The USSR State Prize (1966 1991) is one of the most important prizes in the USSR along with the Lenin Prize (1925 1935, 1957 1991). Established in 1966 as a successor to the Stalin Prize, awarded in 1941-1954; laureates... ...Wikipedia
Swedish Academy Building The Nobel Prize in Literature is an award for achievements in the field of literature, awarded annually by the Nobel Committee in Stockholm. Contents... Wikipedia
Medal of the USSR State Prize Laureate The USSR State Prize (1966 1991) is one of the most important prizes in the USSR along with the Lenin Prize (1925 1935, 1957 1991). Established in 1966 as a successor to the Stalin Prize, awarded in 1941-1954; laureates... ...Wikipedia
Medal of the USSR State Prize Laureate The USSR State Prize (1966 1991) is one of the most important prizes in the USSR along with the Lenin Prize (1925 1935, 1957 1991). Established in 1966 as a successor to the Stalin Prize, awarded in 1941-1954; laureates... ...Wikipedia
Medal of the USSR State Prize Laureate The USSR State Prize (1966 1991) is one of the most important prizes in the USSR along with the Lenin Prize (1925 1935, 1957 1991). Established in 1966 as a successor to the Stalin Prize, awarded in 1941-1954; laureates... ...Wikipedia
Books
- According to the will. Notes on the laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Ilyukovich A.. The basis of the publication consists of biographical sketches about all laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature over 90 years, from the moment it was first awarded in 1901 to 1991, supplemented by ...
A poem is a colossal accelerator of consciousness, thinking, and attitude. Having experienced this acceleration once, a person is no longer able to refuse to repeat this experience; he becomes dependent on this process, just as one becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol. A person who is in such a dependence on language, I believe, is called a poet.
Boris Pasternak was expelled from the Writers' Union, he was threatened with expulsion from the country, and a criminal case was even opened on charges of treason. All this forced Pasternak to refuse the Nobel Prize (the diploma and medal were awarded to his son in 1989).
William Butler YEATS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1923
Irish poet William Yeats was awarded the prize for his inspired poetic creativity, conveying the national spirit in a highly artistic form. Yeats maintained a connection with his people, while being a most exquisite artist. Yeats's works reveal ancient world with his indefatigable imagination and love for fascinating stories, strong men and beautiful women.
Eivind JONSON
Eivind Jonsson was awarded the prize for narrative art that illuminates space and time and serves freedom. The Romance of Uluf, a four-volume tale of teenagers, has become a classic of Swedish literature. A rationalist and humanist who, in his novels, defends democracy, common sense and reasonable standards of behavior.
Yasunari Kawabata. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1968
Yasunari Kawabata was awarded the prize for writing that captures the essence of Japanese consciousness. Kawabata's novels, which are distinguished by their background and understatement, intertwine modernist techniques and elements of traditional Japanese culture. The mysterious story "The Thousand-Winged Crane", which is based on the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, is best known in the West.
Albert CAMUS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1957
Albert Camus received the prize for his enormous contribution to literature, highlighting the importance of human conscience. The story "The Outsider", which is an analysis of alienation, meaninglessness human existence, brought Camus international fame. Dedicated to the theme of universal evil best play writer "Caligula". The work is considered a significant milestone in the history of the theater of the absurd.
Elias CANETTI. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1981
Elias Canetti was awarded the prize for works marked by the breadth of worldview, richness of ideas and artistic power. The novel "Blinding" has been called one of the few great books of our century. A book about human madness that exposed fascism was officially banned in Nazi Germany. There is so much fantastic and demonic in it that associations with Gogol and Dostoevsky arise.
Giosue CARDUCCI. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1906
Italian poet Giosue Carducci was awarded the prize for the creative energy, freshness of style and lyrical power of his poetic masterpieces. The collection “Barbarian Odes” with its historical theme prevailing in them, as well as the more lyrical “New Poems” are considered the most skillful in his work; they convey a deep, albeit somewhat alienated vision of the continuity of human existence.
Eric KARLFELDT. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1931
Eric Karlfeldt was awarded the prize posthumously, since during his lifetime he refused the prize, citing his position in the Academy: he was on the Nobel Committee for Literature. In his homeland, K. was highly regarded, but was little known outside of Sweden. His poems are difficult to translate. K.'s poetry is thoughtful, refined, and extremely figurative.
Salvatore QUASIMODO. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1959
Salvatore Quasimodo was awarded the prize for his lyric poetry, which expresses with classical vividness the tragic experience of our time. His poems are encrypted imagery, a cult of words and strict, sometimes mysterious intellectualism. Quasimodo is widely known for his translations of Shakespeare and ancient authors.
Rudyard KIPLING. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1907
Rudyard Kipling was awarded the prize for his powers of observation, vivid imagination, maturity of ideas and outstanding talent as a storyteller. The most popular book, the story of the life of the human cub Mowgli among the wild with vivid, psychologically reliable images of animals, is imbued with the idea of primordial life untouched by civilization with its nakedly simple and obvious hierarchy of values.
Per LAGERKVIST. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1951
Per Lagerkvist was awarded the prize for his artistic strength and absolute independence of judgment as a writer who sought answers to the eternal questions facing humanity. The novel “Barabbas” is Lagerkvist’s masterpiece about man’s attempt to find God, about the need to have faith, where the gospel story is told with great authenticity and spiritual power.
Selma LAGERLEF. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1909
Selma Lagerlöf received the prize as a tribute to the high idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual insight that characterize all her works. Her most famous children's novel, Nils Holgersson's Wonderful Journey Through Sweden, is written in the spirit of folk tales, combining the dreaminess of fairy tales with peasant realism.
Haldour LAXNESS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1955
Haldór Laxness received the prize for his powerful epic force that revived Iceland's great narrative art. Laxness returned literature to its roots and enriched the Icelandic language with new artistic means to express modern content. The most significant novel, “The Light of the World,” is a four-volume saga about the love of beauty and rejection of social injustice.
Sinclair LEWIS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1930
Sinclair Lewis was awarded the prize for his powerful and expressive art of storytelling and for his rare ability to create new types and characters with satire and humor. Lewis is considered one of the most daring, incisive and controversial writers in the United States. The novels “Babbitt” and “Main Street” are called social documents of the highest order.
Thomas MANN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1929
Thomas Mann wins prize for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has become a classic modern literature. Mann's greatness lies in his ability to reconcile poetic elation and intellectuality with love for everything earthly, for simple life. The theme of the destructive impact of art on the psyche prevails in one of the most remarkable short stories in world literature, “Death in Venice.”
Roger MARTIN DU GARD. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1937
Roger Martin du Gard was awarded the prize for artistic strength and truth in depicting a person and the most significant aspects modern life. In the famous tragic novel The Family Thibaud, Martin duGard extols the idealism of the human spirit. He welcomes the independent individual who avoids the temptation of fanatical ideologies and focuses on self-discovery.
Harry MARTINSON. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1974
Harry Martinson was awarded the prize for his creativity, which contains everything from a drop of dew to space. The most famous poem “Aniara” is a symbolic story of humanity that has lost its spiritual values. The first poet of the space age, self-taught Martinson surprised with his amazing erudition, stylistic and linguistic innovation.
Bend MAHFUZ. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1988
A homebody and long-liver, a ministerial civil servant who only once left Egypt became the first Arab - Nobel laureate. Prohibitions and censorship only contributed to the popularity of his works. The transformer and patriarch of the Arabic-language novel, whose books contain the entire turbulent history of Egypt in the 20th century, participated in the development of Egyptian cinema and was known as a famous oral storyteller.
Maurice METERLINK. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1911
Maurice Maeterlinck was awarded the prize for dramatic works marked by richness of imagination and poetic fantasy. Maeterlinck often turned to the fairy tale genre because the fairy tale is the deepest and simplest expression of collective consciousness; it appeals to human feelings. Maeterlinck's most popular play, The Blue Bird, was first staged by Stanislavsky in Moscow.
Czeslaw MILOSH. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1980
The prize was awarded to Czeslaw Miłosz, who showed with fearless clairvoyance human insecurity in a world torn by conflict. Through his art, Milosz found a solution to the most pressing spiritual dilemma of our time: how to bear the burden of historical memory and not fall into despair. Milosz’s poetry included the entire bloody history of the 20th century. and the painful experience of emigration.
Gabriela MISTRAL. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1945
Gabriela Mistral was awarded the prize for poetry of true feeling, which made her name a symbol of idealistic aspiration for all Latin America. Exile and return, mourning and revival - these are the themes that run through her entire life, and only faith, according to the poetess, can bring salvation. In Spanish-speaking countries, Gabriela's poems are known in every home.
Frederic MISTRAL
Frédéric Mistral was awarded the prize for the freshness and originality of his poetic works, which truly reflect the spirit of the people. Mistral represents modern Provence with such strength, fullness and brightness that it is difficult to find its equal. Alfred Nobel himself considered the main criterion for the award to be the idealism of Mistral, who devoted his entire life to the revival of the national spirit, native language and literature.
Theodor MOMMSEN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1902
Theodor Mommsen, one of the greatest historical writers, a prize was awarded for the monumental work “Roman History”. A work that is distinguished by refined language and encyclopedic knowledge of history and culture Ancient Rome, brought to Mommsen worldwide fame and is still considered a significant contribution to history and literature.
Eugenio Montale. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1975
Eugenio Montale received the award for his achievements in poetry, which is distinguished by great insight and expression of views on life, completely devoid of illusions. Montale's global pessimism does not contradict the poet's humility, which contains a spark of confidence. The collection “Cuttlefish Shell” is an original work, freed from literary conventions; the poems are distinguished by clarity and specificity, and unconventional imagery.
Francois MAURIAC. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1952
François Mauriac was awarded the prize for his deep spiritual insight and artistic power with which he reflected the drama in his novels human life. Best Novel"A Tangle of Snakes" has been called a brilliant example of a Catholic novel. As a journalist, Mauriac gathered a huge readership, wittily commenting on political and literary events.
Pablo NERUDA. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1971
Pablo Neruda was awarded the prize for poetry, which with supernatural power embodied the fate of an entire continent. Marxist views did not prevent his work from taking a central place in Spanish-language poetry of the 20th century. The monumental work “The Universal Song” with illustrations by Siqueiros and Rivera is considered Neruda’s masterpiece.
Eugene O'NEAL. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1936.
Eugene O'Neill was the first American playwright to be awarded the prize for impact, truth and depth. dramatic works, interpreting the tragedy genre in a new way. Although the characters are often pseudo-tragic because they lack greatness of spirit and vitality, O'Neill practically created the American naturalistic drama.
Octavio PAS. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1990
It is believed that he created the language of Latin American poetry. It is argued that it is impossible to discuss the national Mexican character without referring to his prose. He is called one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. The creator of surreal experimental poems, publicist, translator and diplomat himself admitted that his work is an attempt to return to the “present”, to find “modernity”.
Boris PASTERNAK. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1958
Boris Pasternak was awarded the prize for significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel. P.’s divergence from communist ideals led to the fact that until the 80s it was not published in his homeland, although the novel “Doctor Zhivago” was read by the whole world.
Luigi PIRANDELLO. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1934
Luigi Pirandello was awarded the prize for his creative courage and ingenuity in the revival of dramatic and performing arts. The most remarkable feature of Pirandello's art. lies in his almost magical ability to turn psychological analysis into a good play. The play "Henry IV", according to many critics, is the pinnacle of Pirandello's work.
Henrik PONTOPPIDAN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1917
Henrik Pontoppidan was awarded a prize for his truthful description of modern life in Denmark. One of the greatest realists and most insightful novelists of his country; he is an observant writer of everyday life who knows how to write completely impartially. All his works are a struggle against deceptive and treacherous illusions, against false authority, romanticism, reckless faith in beautiful words, against moral cowardice.
Bertrand RUSSELL. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950
Bertrand Russell was awarded the prize as one of the most brilliant representatives of rationalism and humanism, a fearless fighter for freedom of speech and freedom of thought in the West. The greatest philosopher was at the same time a very controversial political figure; he was compared to Voltaire for his freethinking. Like the philosophers of old, he is a master of English prose.
Vladislav REYMONT. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1924
Vladislav Reymont was awarded a prize for the outstanding national epic - the novel “Men”. The work is purely Polish in spirit and color, but at the same time it amazes with its versatility. The novel was translated into several languages and brought the writer international fame. After the death of the writer, his popularity in the West fell; his works are known mainly to specialists.
Romain ROLLAN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1915
Romain Rolland received the Prize for High Idealism literary works, for sympathy and love of truth. The ten-volume novel “Jean-Christophe” about the life of Beethoven gained worldwide fame and brought Rolland recognition. But he is remembered more not as a writer, but as a defender of human dignity and freedom, a fighter for a more just and humane social system.
Jean Paul SARTRE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1964
Jean Paul Sartre was awarded the prize for his creativity, rich in ideas, permeated with the spirit of freedom and the search for truth, which has had a huge impact on our time. Sartre's main philosophical work, Being and Nothingness, became the bible for young French intellectuals. Sartre was more of a philosopher and politician trying to reconcile Marxism and existentialism than a writer.
Yaroslav SEIFERT. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1984
Jaroslav Seyfert was awarded the prize for poetry that is distinguished by freshness, sensuality and rich imagination and testifies to the independence of spirit and versatility of man. Seyfert's light, even transparent poetry turns out to be complex and multi-valued. The language of poetry helped Seyfert in the struggle for the independence of Czechoslovakia.
Camilo José SELA. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1989
Prose writer, poet, founder of tremendism - a “terrible” movement in Spanish literature. He criticized the morality and conventions of society, wrote about the poorest segments of the population. He experimented a lot with form and language. Novels often lack a plot and consistent presentation; they use such means and techniques as allegory, phantasmagoria, surrealism, and grotesque. Travel notes, on the contrary, are full of lyrical descriptions.
Saint-John PERS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1960
Saint-John Perse was awarded the prize for his sublimity and imagery, which through poetry reflect the circumstances of our time. Saint-John Perse is one of the most original poets of the 20th century, distinguished by daring and at the same time allegorical imagery, his language is very literary. A grandiose poet, an Old Testament storyteller, writing on modern topics.
Henryk SENKIEWICZ. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1905
Henryk Sienkiewicz was awarded a prize for outstanding achievements in the field of epic. Sienkiewicz's creativity is vast and at the same time carefully thought out. Sienkiewicz embodied the spirit of the nation. His colorful and believable historical novels “The Flood”, “Pan Volodyevsky”, “With Fire and Sword” formed a trilogy, strengthening the authority of the writer - a master of the historical novel.
Georgos SEFERIS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1963
Georgos Seferis was awarded the Prize for Outstanding lyrical works, filled with admiration for the world of the ancient Hellenes. A talented diplomat, Seferis at the same time managed to create works comparable in meaning to the poems of the classics of European poetry. In his poems, myth suddenly comes to life, antiquity and modernity form a metaphor without any tension or contradiction.
France SILLANPYA. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1939
Frans Sillanpää was awarded the prize for his deep insight into the lives of Finnish peasants and his excellent description of their customs and connection with nature. His novel “Dead in Youth,” which brought the writer European fame, enjoyed the greatest success. Sillanpää is a poetic visionary who combines tender lyricism with insightful intellectual analysis.
Claude SIMON. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1985
Claude Simon was awarded the prize for the combination of poetic and pictorial principles in his work. Simon's books are characterized by an interest in time, memory, order and chaos, a desire for associativity and broken composition. The writer builds his works according to the laws of “collage”, where all events and experiences, as on an artistic canvas, are located on the same level.
Alexander SOLZHENITSYN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1970
Alexander Solzhenitsyn was awarded the prize for the moral strength drawn from the tradition of great Russian literature. Solzhenitsyn believed that the artist is the last guardian of truth. “The Gulag Archipelago” recreates officially defunct Soviet history to honor the memory of those “ground into camp dust.” Other novels are devoted to the tragic story of how the Russians themselves destroyed both their past and their future.
John STEINBECK. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1962
John Steinbeck was awarded the prize for his realistic and poetic gifts, combined with gentle humor and keen social vision. Steinbeck is best known as the author of great novels about the Great Depression. Like no other American writer, Steinbeck consistently strives to appreciate human life and do him justice. Nine of his novels have been filmed.
Rene SULLY-PRUDHOUSE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1901
René Sully-Prudhomme became the first winner of the prize for literature for outstanding literary merit, high idealism, artistic excellence and an unusual combination of warmth and talent. The presentation of the prize came as a surprise to all those who considered Leo Tolstoy the most likely contender. The humanistic ideals of Sully-Prudhomme brought poetry out of the darkness of pessimism.
Rabindranath TAGORE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913
Rabindranath Tagore received the prize for his deeply felt, original and beautiful poems, which expressed his poetic thinking with exceptional skill. Tagore's poems are filled with universal human meaning; they bring the worlds of East and West closer together. Tagore’s famous “Sacrificial Songs” are filled with the highest wisdom, reminding us of everything that flies out of our heads in the chaos of Western life.
Patrick WHITE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1973
Australian writer Patrick White has been awarded the prize for his epic and psychological mastery, thanks to which a new literary continent was discovered. The best novel, Fosse, is a parable in which White shows how in the human heart there is a struggle between pride and humility, faith in oneself and faith in God, an attempt to break through to the spiritual center of Australian society.
Sigrid UNSET. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1928
Sigrid Undset was awarded the prize for her memorable depiction of the Scandinavian Middle Ages. The trilogy "Christine, daughter of Lavrans" is called greatest novel, where the atmosphere of medieval life is conveyed very accurately. Unset combined modern method psychological analysis with in a narrative manner Norse sagas, with their emphasis on plot rather than on the storyteller's reasoning.
William FAULKNER. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1949
William Faulkner was awarded the prize for his significant and artistically unique contributions to the development of the modern American novel. Faulkner's prose is distinguished by creative principle“double vision”, with the help of which the same events and characters are revealed from different points of view. The novel “Sanctuary,” a Greek tragedy with a detective plot, became a bestseller.
Anatole FRANCE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1921
Anatole France was awarded the prize for brilliant literary achievements, marked by sophistication of style, deeply suffered humanism and truly Gallic temperament. He is the prince of prose, a satirist and a great French wit. The novel “The Crime of Sylvester Bonnard” in the image of the main character embodied the personality of the writer himself and the spirit of the era and still remains France’s most read book.
Werner von HEIDENSTAM. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1916
Werner von Heydenstam was awarded the prize as the most prominent representative of the new era in world literature. An original lyrical artist who revived Swedish poetry. Dedicated to Sweden's past best books Heydenstam, where the largest historical figures are drawn, the novels are distinguished by deep idealism and patriotic spirit.
Paul HAYSE. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1910
Paul Heise was awarded a prize for artistry and idealism as a lyric poet, playwright, novelist and author of world-famous short stories. Heise is rightfully considered the creator of the modern psychological novel. For his ability to create female images, he is even called a “feminist.” Heise's original poems are forgotten, but his translations from Italian poets are well known.
Ernest HEMINGWAY. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1954
Ernest Hemingway was awarded the prize for his narrative mastery, once again demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea. Surprisingly described his inner world Hemingway himself: “Creativity is, at best, loneliness. After all, a writer creates alone, and if he is enough good writer, he has to deal every day with eternity - or the lack thereof."
Juan Jimenez. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1956
Juan Jimenez was awarded the prize for lyric poetry, an example of high spirit and artistic purity in Spanish poetry. Jiménez occupies a completely unique place in Spanish literature because of his desire for the nakedness, universality and infinity of poetry. In his poems one can hear an original poetic voice, elegant, musical, with a touch of mystery.
Winston CHURCHILL. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1953
Winston Churchill was awarded the prize for the excellence of his works of a historical and biographical nature, as well as for his brilliant oratory, with the help of which the highest human values were defended. Churchill's political and literary achievements are so great that he can be compared with both Caesar and Cicero. Churchill's magnificent, passionate speeches are an example of courage and steadfastness.
Wole SHOYINKA. Nobel Prize in Literature, 1986
Wole Soyinka is the first African writer to receive an award for creating theater of great cultural perspective and poetry. His plays widely and skillfully use a wide variety of stage techniques, and above all traditionally African ones: ritual dance, masks and pantomimes, rhythm and music, recitation, the technique of theater within the theater.
Mikhail SHOLOKHOV. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1965
Mikhail Sholokhov was awarded a prize for the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia. The original version of the novel “Quiet Don” is a great and at the same time touching love story, perhaps the only true romance novel in Soviet literature.
George Bernard SHAW. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1925
George Bernard Shaw was awarded the prize for his work, marked by idealism and humanism, for his sparkling satire, which is often combined with exceptional poetic beauty. The satirist and social reformer, accused of frivolity and an overly irresponsible sense of humor, left a rich dramatic legacy. Shaw took advantage of everything that is in the theater storerooms and in the minds of people.
Karl Spitteler. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1919
Karl Spitteler received the prize for his incomparable epic “Olympic Spring”. This epic poem has been recognized as a masterpiece of German-language literature. A complex conglomerate of mythology, humor, fantasy, religion and allegory, written in iambic hexameter. Spitteler's mythology is a unique form of expression in which human suffering, hopes and disappointments appear at the level of ideal imagination.
Rudolf AIKEN. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1908
Rudolf Aiken was awarded the prize for his serious search for truth, the all-penetrating power of thought, broad outlook, liveliness and persuasiveness with which he defended and developed idealistic philosophy. Professor Aiken wrote serious studies in various branches of philosophy and was a champion of true spirituality, not of superficial morality, but of a life full of nobility and dignity.
Thomas Stearns Eliot. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1948
Thomas Stearns Eliot was awarded the prize for his outstanding innovative contribution to modern poetry. Eliot's poetry plumbs the depths of morality and psychology. Eliot understood the changing, paradoxical nature of our most hidden emotions and judgments and tried to express this paradox in his style, characterized by the violation of syntax and meaning.
Odyseas ELITIS. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1979
Odyseas Elytis received the prize for his poetic work, which, in line with the Greek tradition, depicts the struggle with sensual strength and intellectual insight modern man for freedom and independence. He has a romantic and lyrical mind, prone to sensual metaphysics. His poems are a spell; they call to life the imperishable Greek world.
Xoce ECHEGARAY. Nobel Prize for Literature, 1904
José Echegaray was awarded the prize for his numerous services to the revival of the traditions of Spanish drama. Echegeray's plays are characterized by colorfulness, true tragedy, the struggle of beauty and heroism with blind fate or with indomitable idealism, which honors jealousy and vindictiveness above all else. Echegeray combines in his work the unity of rich imagination and refined artistic taste.
These works represent more than the thousands of other books that fill bookstore shelves. Everything about them is beautiful - from the laconic language of talented writers to the topics that the authors raise.
Scenes from Provincial Life, John Maxwell Coetzee
South African John Maxwell Coetzee is the first writer to be awarded the Booker Prize twice (in 1983 and 1999). In 2003, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for creating countless guises of amazing situations involving outsiders." Coetzee's novels are characterized by well-crafted composition, rich dialogue, and analytical skill. He mercilessly criticizes the cruel rationalism and artificial morality of Western civilization. At the same time, Coetzee is one of those writers who rarely talks about his work, and even less often about himself. However, "Scenes from Provincial Life" is amazing autobiographical novel, - exception. Here Coetzee is extremely frank with the reader. He talks about his mother's painful, suffocating love, about the hobbies and mistakes that followed him for years, and about the path he had to go through to finally start writing.
"The Humble Hero", Mario Vargas Llosa
Mario Vargas Llosa is a distinguished Peruvian novelist and playwright who received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his cartography of power structures and his vivid images of resistance, rebellion and the defeat of the individual.” Continuing the line of great Latin American writers such as Jorge Luis Borges, García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, he creates amazing novels balancing on the brink of reality and fiction. In the new book by Vargas Llosa, “The Humble Hero,” the Marinera masterfully twists two parallel storylines. The hard worker Felicito Yanaque, decent and trusting, becomes a victim of strange blackmailers. At the same time successful businessman Ismael Carrera, at the end of his life, seeks revenge on his two slacker sons who want his death. And Ismael and Felicito, of course, are not heroes at all. However, where others cowardly agree, these two stage a quiet rebellion. Old acquaintances also appear on the pages of the new novel - characters from the world created by Vargas Llosa.
"Moons of Jupiter", Alice Munro
Canadian writer Alice Munro is a master of the modern short story and winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. Critics constantly compare Munro to Chekhov, and this comparison is not without reason: like the Russian writer, she knows how to tell a story in such a way that readers, even those belonging to a completely different culture, recognize themselves in the characters. These twelve stories, presented in seemingly simple language, reveal amazing plot abysses. In just twenty pages, Munro manages to create a whole world - alive, tangible and incredibly attractive.
"Beloved", Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison received the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature as a writer "who brought to life an important aspect of American reality in her dreamy and poetic novels." Her most famous novel, Beloved, was published in 1987 and received a Pulitzer Prize. The book is based on real events that took place in Ohio in the 80s of the nineteenth century: this amazing story the black slave Sethe, who decided on a terrible act - to give freedom, but take life. Sethe kills her daughter to save her from slavery. The novel is about how difficult it can sometimes be to tear out the memory of the past from the heart, about difficult choices that change fate, and people who remain loved forever.
"Woman from Nowhere", Jean-Marie Gustave Leclezio
Jean-Marie Gustave Leclezio, one of the largest living French writers, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008. He is the author of thirty books, including novels, stories, essays and articles. In the presented book, for the first time in Russian, two stories by Leclezio are published at once: “The Storm” and “The Woman from Nowhere.” The action of the first takes place on an island lost in the Sea of Japan, the second - in Cote d'Ivoire and the Parisian suburbs. However, despite such a vast geography, the heroines of both stories are very similar in some ways - these are teenage girls who are desperately striving to find their place in an inhospitable, hostile world. The Frenchman Leclezio, who lived for a long time in the countries South America, in Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Thailand and on his native island of Mauritius, writes about how a person who grew up in the lap of pristine nature feels in the oppressive space of modern civilization.
My Strange Thoughts, Orhan Pamuk
Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006 “for his search for the melancholy soul hometown found new symbols for the clash and interweaving of cultures.” “My Strange Thoughts” is the author’s latest novel, on which he worked for six years. Main character, Mevlut, works on the streets of Istanbul, watching as the streets fill with new people and the city gains and loses new and old buildings. Before his eyes, coups take place, authorities change each other, and Mevlut still wanders the streets winter evenings, wondering what distinguishes him from other people, why he has strange thoughts about everything in the world, and who really is his beloved, to whom he has been writing letters for the last three years.
“Legends of our time. Occupation Essays”, Czeslaw Miłosz
Czeslaw Miłosz is a Polish poet and essayist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980 “for showing with fearless clairvoyance the vulnerability of man in a world torn by conflict.” “Legends of Modernity” is the first translated into Russian “confession of the son of the century”, written by Milosz on the ruins of Europe in 1942–1943. It includes essays on outstanding literary (Defoe, Balzac, Stendhal, Tolstoy, Gide, Witkiewicz) and philosophical (James, Nietzsche, Bergson) texts, and polemical correspondence between C. Milosz and E. Andrzejewski. Exploring modern myths and prejudices, appealing to the tradition of rationalism, Milos tries to find a foothold for European culture humiliated by two world wars.
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