Classics read the best online. best books of Russian literature: “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov

Domestic fiction has always been characterized by a focus on depicting the inner world of heroes. This is the main feature of the work of Russian writers. The ability to depict the morals of characters in such a way that the reader has a vivid emotional response is admired by many critics of past centuries and today. Descriptions of mental contradictions, overcoming obstacles of a moral nature, attempts to find the right solution in situations where personal needs are in confrontation with public ideas about duty and decency, the search for one’s own path - all this the best Russian books hide behind their bindings and covers. This current review contains works that have played a significant role in the personal development of more than one generation. Non-trivial plots, memorable characters who have become symbols of eras, elements of merciless sarcasm and sad irony are perceived by readers in different ways, but even those who are not accustomed to absorbing the meaning of printed lines with every cell of an open heart do not remain indifferent. So, top 10 best Russian books of all times.

10. Two captains, Veniamin Kaverin

Written by the Soviet prose writer Veniamin Kaverin, during the author’s lifetime this novel brought the creator the highest literary award of that time in the USSR - the Stalin Prize. Inspired by the spirit of patriotic heroism and adventurous adventures, the work tells the story of the amazing intersection of the destinies of two worthy people of the era. The dangerous expedition of Captain Tatarinov to the northern shores haunted Sanka Grigoriev from early childhood. Having matured, the young man decides to repeat the route of the brave navigator. On this difficult path, many unexpected meetings and discoveries await him, as well as the opportunity to find love and discover qualities in himself, the presence of which in other circumstances is difficult to guess. Some heroes of history have real prototypes. The expedition to the land of eternal ice is described with the accuracy with which it is possible to interpret the circumstances described in the diaries of members of the team of Arctic explorers Brusilov and Sedov.

9. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky

Included in the school curriculum, the philosophical novel of the great Russian classic F. M. Dostoevsky undoubtedly provides much more reasons for thought than the minds of high school students are capable of grasping. However, the work can influence the formation of their internal views and beliefs, become a motivating phenomenon for the desire to form their own opinion and tell others about it. The question of whether a person has the right to dispose of someone else’s life (even in the context of subsequent good deeds) is an eternally relevant one. The main character is a student who has overcome the threshold of poverty and is steadily striving towards the social abyss, towards poverty. Desperation leads him to the idea of ​​getting money by committing murder. Justifying his action, Raskolnikov convinces himself that the future victim is an unworthy person, and her means will help many more noble people improve their lives. Does the hero have any reason to reason in this way when his main opponent is his own conscience? In this inevitable dialogue, there are obviously losers, but the outcome becomes known only after a fatal decision is made.

8. Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol

The work, conceived by the author in the format of three volumes, has a genre definition that is unusual for a prosaic text. Gogol called his epistolary work a poem and presented it to the world in 1842. Masterfully using the technique of generalization where appropriate, the author managed to create an encyclopedic collection of characters from representatives of various social strata of the mid-nineteenth century. At the center of the presentation is the adventurer Chichikov. He accumulates around himself people who embody vivid and eloquent images of landowners, noble or ruined. The task of the visiting guest is to acquire serfs who, according to documents, are listed as deceased. What caused this interest, and which souls are actually long dead? The immortal literary classic and one of the best Russian books appears as a field for limitless knowledge in the ephemeral sphere of human passions.

7. Amphibian Man, Alexander Belyaev

“Amphibian Man” is one of the best Russian science fiction books, which gained enormous popularity among readers of Soviet society and remained the standard of the corresponding genre in the modern world. It is based on the amazing experiment of Dr. Salvator. With the initially noble goal of saving the life of a dying child, the surgical experience led to the emergence of a man with the unique ability to breathe underwater. The sea has become Ichthyander’s native element, but insidious people decide to use the hero’s capabilities to their advantage. The love line fits organically into the plot and adds sensuality to the story and provokes empathy. The struggle for life and love, merged into a single powerful reason to resist evil, prompted talented Soviet directors to create an artistic film that attracted a record number of viewers for that time.

6. Heart of a Dog, Mikhail Bulgakov

A vivid personification of the essence of socialist society, which was formed in the 20s of the last century. The brilliant writer Mikhail Bulgakov had an amazing ability to embody the spirit of the era in the characters of literary heroes. His hero, Professor Preobrazhensky, demonstrates the unusual revolutionary nature of scientific ideas, constantly performing extraordinary surgical operations. Their action is aimed at obtaining results that mark unprecedented progress in medicine. The next job is to transplant the pituitary gland of a deceased person into a dog. To the surprise of the genius himself, the object not only survives, but also amazingly finds a place in the new society. Taking on the features of a real activist, the new Sharik, named according to documents as Poligraf Poligrafovich, has no respect for the creator, tries to force him out of his personal apartments, writes slander, and makes provocative indecent speeches in public. These manifestations of character help the hero obtain the position of chief in the structure for the fight against those to whom Sharikov himself only recently belonged, namely, stray dogs. Only the professor can harness time again and correct the mistake that soon begins to threaten his life and well-being. But how is this possible?

5. Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky

In the middle of the ranking of the best Russian books is The Brothers Karamazov. The work can be safely assessed as a successful attempt to reconsider, understand and evaluate moral religious values ​​through the prism of relationships between members of an individual family. Dostoevsky again staged a provocative experiment on human self-awareness, clearly depicting the serious struggle within the souls of each of the three brothers and their father. The novel is complex, but the insane interest in it arises due to the interweaving of the psychological aspects of the individual and the external religious instructions to which she is exposed. The final point is self-acceptance and finding God within, and not subconsciously forced humility. But which of the brothers will be able to achieve this knowledge before their sins become irreversible, and how useful will it be to them? An expert in mental torment, Fyodor Mikhailovich created Mitya, Alyosha, Ivan and Fyodor Karamazov on the pages of the novel in such a way that the possibility of their real existence will not raise doubts.

4. White Guard, Mikhail Bulgakov

There is nothing more destructive for a country than war within its borders. An open armed struggle between the inhabitants of a once united state affects the life of every citizen, forcing him to make a choice for which it is impossible to be prepared. The civil war finds the intelligent Turbin family in Kyiv. The heroes witness how familiar reality changes daily, requiring them to take active action at every step. Some people prefer to resign themselves and passively watch as everything that was once of great value turns into dust and dirt underfoot. Others dare to enter into confrontation and defend in any way the right to life, love, the natural manifestation of justice and freedom.

3. War and Peace, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy

A grandiose epic, embodying interesting biographies of entire family clans and chronicles of the events of the war with Napoleon, opens the top three best Russian books. The four volumes are an impressive panorama that sweeps before the reader in a bright whirlwind of extraordinary destinies. Bezukhovs, Kuragins, Rostovs, Bolkonskys - these surnames became household names and excluded oblivion for their representatives, thanks to the novel by Leo Tolstoy. The character of each character is drawn so carefully that it is very difficult to remain indifferent to the events of his life. The circumstances in which the author places the characters remain in the memory and acquire common characteristics. What is worth the scene where Prince Bolkonsky is lost in thought by the old oak tree! Tolstoy masterfully shows the evolution of the human soul against the background of external objective metamorphoses. The total time of the described actions is approaching 15 years. Only the epilogue will make you understand the scale of influence of this period on the heroes, and what you read - on the reader.

2. Quiet Don, Mikhail Sholokhov

The beginning of the last century was marked for Russia by a number of political and social cataclysms, which became fateful trials for people of all faiths and social statuses. The characters in Sholokhov's novel are Don Cossacks. During the war of 1914-1918 and subsequent civil armed conflicts, during the formation of a new government and radical changes in the foundations of the state, the main character of the epic named Grigory Melekhov is tormented by the need to make a moral and factual choice. The novel contains a sharp political line, created on the basis of Gregory’s definition in relation to the established power structures, and a lyrical one. Melekhov finds himself married to a girl he does not love, and happiness with the desired Aksinya seems to be slipping away. Time passes, the hero is forced to put up with the consequences of his own decisions, the significance of which he failed to properly assess in time. A powerful impact on the reader is due to the talented description of the steppe landscapes, which allows us to better understand the true loneliness and suffering from the losses of the main character. A worthy second place in the list of the best books by Russian writers.

1. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov

Topping our small list of the best Russian books is The Master and Margarita. Everything is mixed up in this literary masterpiece: past and present, religion and aggressive atheism, the devilish and the sinless, vices and ideals, genius and mediocrity, love and base manifestations of passions. Bulgakov worked on the novel until the end of his earthly journey. The version of the work available to the public was released due to the efforts and painstaking work of the writer’s wife. The theme of the capital of the Russian state of the 30s of the twentieth century reveals the catastrophic wormholes in the hearts of its inhabitants. The leitmotif of the confrontation between the worldviews of the Fifth Procurator of Judea and one of those condemned to death by him forces one to mentally touch eternity and feel its frightening constancy. An absorbing story of sensual affection, captivating elements of mysticism, capacious quotes that remain relevant, encourage you to read the novel to the last line and absorb the meaning of every word, chosen with amazing precision.

The best Russian books described are valuable treasures of the epistolary genre. Numerous film adaptations of classic stories are the work of not only Russian directors, but also foreign ones. The popularity of Russian classics among representatives of the foreign cultural community is explained by constant efforts to understand and explain the motives of the secretive and therefore mysterious soul of the Russian person. Domestic readers can only be proud and admire such a rich, inspiring and amazing literary heritage.

All the romantic pathos that shrouded the Middle Ages is presented in Ivanhoe. Valiant knights, beautiful ladies, sieges of castles and political subtleties of vassal relations - all this found a place in Walter Scott's novel.

In many ways, it was his creation that contributed to the romanticization of the Middle Ages. The author described historical events that affect the period in English history after the Third Crusade. Of course, there were serious artistic improvisations and fiction, but this only made the story more fascinating and beautiful.

It was impossible not to include the most famous creation of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol in this selection. For many schoolchildren, studying “Dead Souls” is the highlight of their literature lessons.

Nikolai Gogol is one of the few classics who knew how to write about the problems of bourgeois life and Russia as a whole in such a sarcastic and direct tone. There is neither the epic heaviness of Tolstoy nor the unhealthy psychologism of Dostoevsky. Reading the work is easy and pleasant. However, it is unlikely that anyone will deny him the depth and subtlety of the phenomena he noticed.

The adventure novel “The Headless Horseman” is multi-layered: detective and love motives are intertwined in it. Plot intricacies create intrigue and keep you in suspense until the very last pages of the book. Who is this headless horseman? A ghost, a figment of the heroes’ imagination or someone’s insidious trick? You are unlikely to sleep until you get the answer to this question.

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

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club is Dickens's funniest work. The adventures of English snobs, who proclaimed themselves explorers of human souls, are full of absurd and comical situations. Social issues are certainly present here, but they are presented in such a simple form that it is simply impossible not to fall in love with the English classic after reading it.

Madame Bovary is rightfully considered one of the greatest novels of the world classics. This title in no way detracts from the fascination of Flaubert's creation - the provocative story of Emma Bovary's love adventures is bold and daring. After the publication of the novel, the writer was even brought to justice for insulting morality.

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

Oscar Wilde's most famous work touches a nerve with its deeply nuanced portrayal of its protagonist. Dorian Gray, an esthete and a snob, has extreme beauty, which contrasts with the internal ugliness that develops throughout the plot. You can spend hours reveling in watching Gray's moral decline, allegorically reflected in the visual change in his portrait.

"American tragedy" - the wrong side of the American dream. The desire for wealth, respect, position in society, and money is common to all people, but for most, the path to the top is closed by default for various reasons.

Clyde Griffiths is a man from the lower classes who is trying with all his might to break into high society. He is ready to do anything for his dream. But society, with its ideals of success as an absolute life goal, is itself a catalyst for moral violations. Clyde ends up breaking the law to achieve his goals.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an autobiographical novel. Harper Lee described her childhood memories. The result is a story with an anti-racist message, written in simple and accessible language. Reading the book is useful and interesting; it can be called a moral textbook.

Not long ago, a continuation of the novel entitled “Go Set a Watchman” was published. In it, the images of the characters in the classic work of the writer are turned inside out so much that cognitive dissonance cannot be avoided when reading.

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Being an active reader, I will try to take on the role of an assistant and sketch out a few ideas, compiling a list of the most recognized and most successful, from my point of view, works of both domestic and foreign literature. Most of these novels have already gained, and continue to gain, popularity, which means that these are exactly the books that you need to read in order to discover and understand this magical, mysterious and so tempting world of literature.

  1. What to read from the classics? Relevance of the issue.

Typically, a similar question arises from those who suddenly realized the need for self-education or decided to fill in their gaps from the school course on Russian literature.

This is where the main difficulty arises. Everyone definitely wants to read something from the collection of world masterpieces. But is there even such a thing as a literary masterpiece? Critics argue that it is impossible to answer this question unequivocally: some like Russian literature, some like foreign literature, some read to their heart’s content, and some cannot imagine an evening without an exciting love story.

Having visited one of the large used bookstores in the capital, I asked the sellers what questions visitors most often ask. As it turns out, one of the most common requests is precisely the request for advice on what to read from the classics.

It turns out that in fact there are many people interested, literature of this kind is in demand, but low awareness sometimes scares off potential clients.

First of all, let's focus on the short stories. By them, by the way, we should understand a more concise form of presentation of current events than, for example, a story or a story. This type of narrative is characterized by the presence of only one storyline, and the number of characters is very limited.

I would highlight the following works:

  1. Augustine "Treatises"
  2. D. Swift "Gulliver's Travels"
  3. F. Kafka "The Process"
  4. M. de Montaigne "The Complete Essay"
  5. N. Hawthorne "Letter to Scarlet"
  6. G. Melville "Moby Dick"
  7. R. Descartes "Principles of Philosophy"
  8. Charles Dickens "Oliver Twist"
  9. G. Flaubert "Madame Bovary"
  10. D. Austin "Pride and Prejudice"
  1. Aeschylus "Agamemnon"
  2. Sophocles "The Myth of Oedipus"
  3. Euripides "Medea"
  4. Aristophanes "Birds"
  5. Aristotle "Poetics"
  6. W. Shakespeare "Richard III", "Hamlet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
  7. Moliere "Tartuffe"
  8. W. Congreve "This is what people do in the world"
  9. Henrik Johan Ibsen "A Doll's House"

Dreamers and romantics very often try to find answers to their questions in poetry. What to read from the classics in the poetic genre? Many things. But I would especially highlight:

  1. Homer "Iliad" and "Odyssey"
  2. Horace "Odes"
  3. Dante Alighieri's Inferno
  4. W. Shakespeare "Sonnets"
  5. D. Milton "Paradise Lost"
  6. W. Wordsworth "Selected"
  7. S.T. Coleridge "Poems"

As for the works of our country, is there really nothing worthy? - Well, of course not! - If I were asked to answer the question of what to read from Russian classics, I would, of course, recommend “The Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov, “Mtsyri” by M. Lermontov, poetry and poems by A. Pushkin.

3. Reading masterpieces of world literature. What does this give us?

Is it worth returning to this direction or is it better and more correct to pay more attention to modern works? It is very, very difficult to answer this question unambiguously.

Sometimes opinions are simply divided radically.

For example, opponents argue that it is already completely outdated, has lost its relevance, and has gradually turned into some kind of utopia. In turn, philologists and students of linguistic universities defend the masterpieces of the world epic, insisting that without studying history, culture and the intricacies of language, it is impossible to understand and comprehend our today's world.

Well, well... Each side is right in its own way... Probably everyone will agree that, say, Homer’s “Odyssey” is not the so-called pulp reading for a vacation or an empty pastime. It is difficult to read a work of this kind and you need to do it thoughtfully, slowly and without distraction, comprehending and remembering the details. Not everyone can do this.

It is precisely such books that can introduce the reader to the world of both native and foreign literature and help to better understand the traditions, culture and mentality of peoples. They will also reveal all the charm and richness of colors of the narrative language, thereby expanding the reader’s vocabulary.

Undoubtedly, reading all the books mentioned in this article may take several years, but in any case, it will certainly not be time wasted.

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By Russian classical literature we mean the works of classics: writers who are not only exemplary, but also who have become symbols of Russian culture. Only the person who knows classical works, appreciates their merits, feels their inner beauty can be considered truly educated. Today you will find out by opinion women's magazine Charla.

10 best books of Russian literature: “The Brothers Karamazov”

"The Brothers Karamazov" was conceived as the first part of the novel “The Life of a Great Sinner.” The first sketches were made in 1878, the novel was completed in 1880. However, Dostoevsky did not have time to complete his plans: the writer died a few months after the publication of the book. Most of The Brothers Karamazov was written in Staraya Russa, the prototype of Skotoprigonyevsk, where the main action takes place.

Perhaps this novel can be considered the most complex and controversial work of the great Russian writer. Critics have dubbed it an “intellectual detective story,” and many call it the best work about the mysterious Russian soul. This is the last and one of the most famous novels by Dostoevsky; it was filmed both here and in the West, where, by the way, this work is held in special esteem. What is this novel about? Each reader answers this question differently. The author himself defined his great creation as “a novel about blasphemy and its refutation.” One thing is certain, this is one of the most profound philosophical works of world literature about sin, mercy, and the eternal struggle occurring in the human soul.

10 best books of Russian literature: “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Idiot"- Dostoevsky's fifth novel. Published from 1868 to 1869 in the Russian Bulletin magazine. This novel occupies a special place in the writer’s work: it is considered one of Dostoevsky’s most mysterious works. The main character of the book is Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, whom the author himself called a “positively wonderful” person, the embodiment of Christian goodness and virtue. Having spent most of his life in seclusion, Prince Myshkin decided to go out into the world, but he did not know what cruelty, hypocrisy, and greed he would have to face: for his unselfishness, honesty, philanthropy and kindness, the prince was contemptuously nicknamed “idiot”...

10 best books of Russian literature: “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

Epic novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace" about the times of two wars against Napoleon - 1805 and 1812 - one of the most famous works of not only Russian, but also world literature. This book is one of the eternal classics, because it reveals with deep skill the main components of human life: war and peace, life and death, love and betrayal, courage and cowardice. The greatest epic work is a tremendous success all over the world: the book was filmed several times, plays and an opera were staged based on it. The novel consists of four parts, the first part was published in 1865 in the Russian Messenger.

The tragic novel about the love of married Anna Karenina for the handsome officer Vronsky is one of the greatest masterpieces of Russian literature, still relevant today. “All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” - these lines are familiar to every person.

"Anna Karenina"- a complex, deep, psychologically sophisticated work that captures the reader from the first lines and does not let go until the end. The novel by the brilliant psychologist Tolstoy captivates with its absolute artistic authenticity and dramatic narrative, forcing the reader to watch intensely how the relationship will develop between Anna Karenina and Vronsky, Levin and Kitty. It is not surprising that this book captivated not only Russian readers, but also Europe and America.

10 best books of Russian literature: “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov

Bulgakov wrote this brilliant novel over the course of eleven years, constantly changing and adding to the text. However, Bulgakov never managed to see it published: a full thirty years passed before one of the greatest works of Russian prose of the twentieth century was allowed to be published. "Master and Margarita"- the most mysterious and mystical novel in Russian literature. This book has received worldwide recognition: many countries around the world are trying to comprehend its secrets.

10 best books of Russian literature: “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Gogol

Gogol's immortal work "Dead Souls" about human tricks and weaknesses should definitely be in your home library. Gogol very clearly and colorfully showed human souls: after all, “dead souls” are not only those that Chichikov bought, but also the souls of living people, buried under their petty interests.

The novel was originally conceived in three volumes. The first volume was published in 1842. However, subsequent events have a mystical connotation: having finished the second volume, Gogol completely burned it - only a few chapters remained in the drafts. And ten days after that the writer died...

10 best books of Russian literature: “Doctor Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak

"Doctor Zhivago"- the pinnacle of Pasternak’s creativity as a prose writer. The writer created his novel over ten years from 1945 to 1955. This is a sincere and poignant love story set against the backdrop of the chaos of the Civil War, which is accompanied by poems by the main character, Yuri Zhivago. These poems, written by Pasternak at different periods of his life, perfectly reveal the unique facets of the author’s poetic talent. For Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak received the Nobel Prize on October 23, 1958. But in the writer’s homeland, unfortunately, the novel became the cause of a huge scandal, and the book was banned for many years. Pasternak was one of the few who defended freedom of speech to the end. Perhaps this is what cost him his life...

10 best books of Russian literature: collection of stories “Dark Alleys” by Ivan Bunin

Stories "Dark alleys"- frank, sincere, exquisitely sensual stories about love. Perhaps these stories can be considered the best example of Russian love prose. A Nobel Prize winner, a brilliant writer was one of the few authors of his time (the stories were written in 1938) who spoke so openly, sincerely and beautifully about the relationship between a man and a woman, about beautiful love that can last a lifetime... “Dark Alleys” "will definitely appeal to all women and girls as one of the most poignant stories about love.

10 best books of Russian literature: “Quiet Don” by Mikhail Sholokhov

Epic novel "Quiet Don" in four volumes was published in 1940 in Roman-Gazeta. This is one of the largest works of Russian literature, which brought Mikhail Sholokhov world fame. Moreover, in 1965 the writer was awarded the Nobel Prize “For the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia.” This is a grandiose novel about the fate of the Don Cossacks, a fascinating saga about love, devotion, betrayal and hatred. A book about which controversy continues to this day: some literary scholars believe that the authorship does not actually belong to Sholokhov. In any case, this work deserves to be read.

10 best books of Russian literature: “The Gulag Archipelago” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Another Nobel Prize laureate, a classic of Russian literature, an outstanding writer of the 20th century is Alexander Solzhenitsyn, author of the world-famous documentary epic. "GULAG Archipelago", which tells about repressions during the Soviet years. This is more than a book: it is a whole study based on the author’s personal experience (Solzhenitsyn himself was a victim of repression), documents and testimonies of many eyewitnesses. This is a book about suffering, tears, blood. But at the same time, it shows that a person can always remain human under the most difficult circumstances.

Of course, this is not a complete list of outstanding books of Russian literature. Nevertheless, these are books that every person who appreciates and honors Russian culture should know.

Alisa Terentyeva

Works of classical literature, undoubtedly, are the foundations of the foundations: they contain the culture, history, philosophy of the people about whom the authors narrated in their works. Russian literature occupies a fairly significant place in the niche of world classical literature: a huge number of works by Russian authors are read with pleasure abroad. We will try to consider 15 of the most iconic works of Russian classical literature, which everyone should be familiar with.

A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"

The famous novel in verse tells us an unusual love story between the main character, Evgeny Onegin and Tatyana. Their feelings are born at different times and influence the characters differently: Tatyana, who fell in love first, after an explanation with her beloved, withdraws into herself, but, in essence, remains herself. Onegin’s feeling, which flared up much later, changes him beyond recognition. He appears before the reader full of passion and tenderness, having lost his former coldness and pride and is capable of real, sincere, human feeling. Against the background of the main storyline, the remaining actions of the novel unfold, during which the Russian poet raises a huge number of important problems, such as, for example, the social, everyday and cultural way of the entire Russian society of the early 19th century.

A.N. Ostrovsky "Dowry"

An immortal play that tells about the sad fate of Russian women, the heartlessness of rich people and the petty-bourgeois character of small people. It was superbly filmed by E. Ryazanov.

Stories by A.P. Chekhov

Chekhov wrote many stories, both funny and tragic. Chekhov's main character is an ordinary person with his own daily affairs and worries. The stories “Rothschild’s Violin”, “Ward No. 6”, “The Cure for Hard-drinking”, “The Man in a Case”, “Tears Invisible to the World”, etc. tell us that no one else understood the soul of the Russian person like Chekhov. Despite the genre, Chekhov's stories are a gem of Russian literature.

A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit"

The main idea of ​​Griboedov's comedy is expressed in the title of the work. The main character, Chatsky, who has returned from abroad, comes to the house of the nobleman Famusov to see his daughter Sophia, his former lover. This is where his rather unpleasant meeting takes place with the entire “Famusov society”: Famusov himself, Sophia, Molchalin, Skalozub, who live, fenced off from the world with their stereotypes and long-outdated views on the world. They instantly take Chatsky, a progressive, educated man who looks at the world differently, as crazy and dangerous to society. The problem of a person who stands out from the stereotypical crowd and because of this is not accepted by society, so acutely posed by Griboyedov, is still relevant to this day.

L.N. Tolstoy "Anna Karenina"

The main plot line of this novel is a tragic love story between married Anna Karenina and officer Vronsky. Meeting her true love changes Anna's life; she is ready to sacrifice everything for her, but does not see a reciprocal gesture in her direction from her lover. The heroine, forced to struggle with her own feelings and public contempt, decides to throw herself under a train. The problematics of the work are questions about marriage, love and family, which concern modern society no less than at the time of writing this novel.

L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"

Tolstoy's epic novel describes the life of Russian society during the Patriotic War with Napoleon, hence the name of the novel. Scenes of war give way to scenes of peaceful life, where hundreds of active heroes reveal to readers their character, their spiritual qualities and life values. Among the huge number of heroes, Pierre Bezukhov and Andrei Bolkonsky stand out from the rest, whose names are known even to those who are not familiar with this novel. The first is soft, afraid of committing wrong acts, and non-conflict later becomes a Decembrist. Bolkonsky, presented at the beginning of the novel as cold, tired of the entire society around him, is revealed as a sensitive nature, capable of a feat for the sake of his Motherland and of strong feelings towards the woman he loves. This novel certainly deserves the attention of any literature connoisseur for its variety of problems raised and all the brightness and contrast of the social life described.

F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

The plot of the socio-psychological novel is based on the murder of an old pawnbroker by Rodion Raskolnikov and his subsequent state of mind, the search for an answer to the question “is he a trembling creature or does he have the right.” The reader is immediately struck by the problem of poverty raised by the author, which, in part, pushes Raskolnikov to commit a terrible act. But here the author’s idea about faith in goodness and love, about the ability to forgive and about those bright feelings that should suppress cruelty in the struggle for power borders.

M.A. Sholokhov "Quiet Don"

Sholokhov's novel touches on pictures of the life of the Cossacks, their traditions, customs and life values. Their cruel, strict morals of life make the Cossacks special, and the forbidden love of Gregory and Aksinya unfolding against this background is extraordinary, contrary to all the rules, rebellious, but sincere to the core.

N.V. Gogol "The Inspector General"

Gogol’s well-known comedy “The Inspector General” sets as its primary goal ridicule the city authorities, who, having learned about the arrival of the inspector, became seriously worried, and then, in his presence, began to openly grovel before him, missing only one important detail - Khlestakov, accepted them for the auditor, turned out to be the most ordinary sly and deceiver from the street. The problems of bribery, neglect of one's duties, pettiness and cowardice are highlighted in Gogol's comedy.

N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls"

The book tells about the adventures of Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich, the main character of the poem, a former collegiate adviser posing as a landowner. Chichikov arrives in an unnamed town, a certain provincial “city N”, and immediately tries to gain the trust of all any important inhabitants of the city, which he successfully succeeds in doing. The hero becomes an extremely welcome guest at balls and dinners. The townspeople of the unnamed city have no idea about Chichikov's true goals. And its goal is to buy up or acquire free of charge dead peasants who, according to the census, were still listed as living among local landowners, and then register them in their own name as living.

M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time"

We will talk about the spiritual world of man. This topic is well covered thanks to the contradictory image of Pechorin. This person is not the most pleasant character, not always noble deeds, but also a very difficult fate. Someone may condemn him for his treatment of Bela, Maksim Maksimych and the princess, someone empathizes with him, especially after his monologue about the difficulty of his fate in “Princess Mary”. Pechorin is a person who is in deep conflict with society, but at the same time, a person who cannot but arouse admiration from this same society for the strength of his personality.

I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons"

The novel became iconic for its time, and the image of the main character Evgeniy Bazarov was perceived by young people as an example to follow. Ideals such as uncompromisingness, lack of admiration for authorities and old truths, the priority of the useful over the beautiful were accepted by the people of that time and were reflected in Bazarov’s worldview.

I.S. Turgenev "Notes of a Hunter"

The classic hunted a lot in the Oryol province. There he met different people, he followed the life of the Russian people, which he describes in his book. This is a collection of stories published in 1847-1851 in the Sovremennik magazine and published as a separate edition in 1852. Three stories were written and added by the author to the collection much later.

M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"

The main theme of the novel “The Master and Margarita” is the search for truth, the search for oneself, one’s personality, one’s direction, one’s path in life. The Master's novel is presented here as truth, but one who has comprehended and found the truth inevitably becomes mentally ill. One of the main ideas in the novel is also the struggle between good and evil, which affects all the heroes of the novel, intertwining the genres of fiction, satire and philosophy. Although the novel was published in Soviet times, it has become an undisputed classic work.

M.A. Bulgakov "Heart of a Dog"

The story “Heart of a Dog” is based on the story of how Professor Preobrazhensky decides to transplant a human pituitary gland and ovaries into a homeless dog. His fantastic experiment ends with the transformation of a cute stray dog ​​into a disgusting representative of the proletariat, Sharikov. The problem of the proletariat, by the way, is one of the main issues of the story. The post-revolutionary structure of society, which causes Preobrazhensky's undisguised irritation, makes the reader think deeply.