What to do is a classic of Russian literature. Classic books everyone should read

Literature as an art form is extremely diverse. But each of its genres has its best, so to speak, exemplary works. These books constitute an array of classical literature; they will never go out of fashion, they will be understandable and close to people of different countries and eras.

About the classics

So, we have already found out that classical literature represents the best, most talented works created in certain periods. The very concept of classics arose at the end of antiquity. Then it was understood as certain writers who, thanks to their authority, were models for masters of words, as well as in the field of obtaining various knowledge.

The Greeks certainly considered the famous Homer to be the first classical writer . Already in the ancient times of the classical period of Hellas, his works “Odyssey” and “Iliad” were considered absolute standards of the dramatic genre, which no one would be able to achieve.

At the end of the ancient era in Europe, a list of canonical works began to take shape - those texts that were used for educational purposes. In different cultural centers, the list of names in this list varied, although to a slight extent. The backbone of the canon was made up of the same authors everywhere.

Only at the end of the Middle Ages did not only ancient authors, but also writers who lived in later eras begin to be classified as classics. The list of classical literature began to gradually expand. These works were considered practically impersonal; they were the common property of mankind.

A more modern interpretation of the classics emerges during the European Renaissance When literature moves away from religion, there is a secularization of all spheres of public life. At that time, Greek writers were considered the greatest authorities.

Over time, interest in antiquity increased so much that such a cultural movement as classicism arose. Its essence was to imitate the best examples of Greek art.

Gradually, in addition to the narrow concept of classics, which included Greek literature, a broader interpretation appeared, which included all the best works of literature in one genre or another.

The best books of classical literature

There are many great works in this category that are worth reading. Some things are closer to modern man, some not so much. But all classical literature has significant artistic and universal value . However, there are the best of the best, which in the modern world are considered a must-read for any educated person:

• Lev Tolstoy ;
• Fedor Dostoevsky ;
• Victor Hugo ;
• Erich Maria Remarque ;
• Ernest Hemingway ;
• Mikhail Bulgakov and many others.

Theodore Dreiser

This book by a famous American writer tells the life story of Clyde Griffiths. He set himself the goal of achieving success and climbing up the social ladder.

To do this, Griffiths uses absolutely any methods, be it meanness, betrayal or even crime. Novel , who is dressed in the form of a detective, in fact touches on a number of important philosophical and social issues relating to modern society .

William Somerset Maugham

In this famous creation classics of British literature tells of a tragic love story set in an exotic setting . A young and promising bacteriologist, Walter Fein, falls madly in love with the frivolous and superficial girl Kitty. The young lady agrees to marriage only for the reason that “it’s time.”

Since Kitty doesn't love her husband, she quickly starts an affair in Hong Kong, where the couple moved after their wedding. When Walter finds out about the betrayal, he decides to take revenge on his wife in the most brutal way. Further, the plot becomes more and more tragic and ends with the death of Walter.

Well, don’t waste time and start reading the best works of classical prose, which, by the way, are available on our website for free online access.

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.

Closer to mid-February, it seems that even love vibes are in the air. And if you haven’t felt this mood yet, the gray sky and cold wind spoil all the romance - will come to your aid the best classic about love!

Antoine François Prevost's History of the Chevalier de Grieux and Manon Lescaut (1731)

This story takes place in Regency France after the death of Louis XIV. The story is told from the perspective of a seventeen-year-old boy, a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy in northern France. Having successfully passed his exams, he is about to return to his father's house, but accidentally meets an attractive and mysterious girl. This is Manon Lescaut, who was brought to the city by her parents to be sent to a monastery. Cupid's arrow pierces the heart of the young gentleman and he, forgetting about everything, persuades Manon to run away with him. Thus begins the eternal and beautiful love story of the Chevalier de Grieux and Manon Lescaut, which will inspire entire generations of readers, writers, artists, musicians, and directors.

The author of the love story is Abbot Prevost, whose life rushed between monastic solitude and secular society. His fate - complex, interesting, his love for a girl of another faith - forbidden and passionate - formed the basis of a fascinating and scandalous (for its era) book.

“Manon Lescaut” is the first novel where, against the backdrop of a reliable depiction of material and everyday realities, a subtle and heartfelt psychological portrait of the characters is drawn. The fresh, winged prose of Abbé Prévost is unlike all previous French literature.

This story tells about several years in the life of de Grieux, during which an impulsive, sensitive young man thirsting for love and freedom manages to turn into a man with extensive experience and a difficult fate. The beautiful Manon also grows up: her spontaneity and frivolity are replaced by depth of feelings and a wise outlook on life.

“Despite the cruelest fate, I found my happiness in her gaze and in firm confidence in her feelings. Truly I have lost everything that other people honor and cherish; but I possessed the heart of Manon, the only good that I honored.”

The novel is about pure and eternal love that arises out of thin air, but the strength and purity of this feeling is enough to change the characters and their destinies. But is this power enough to change life around?

Emily Bronte "Wuthering Heights" (1847)

Having made their debut in the same year, each of the Bronte sisters presented the world with their own novel: Charlotte - “Jane Eyre”, Emily - “Wuthering Heights”, Anne - “Agnes Gray”. Charlotte's novel created a sensation (it, like any book by the most famous Brontë, could have ended up in this top), but after the death of the sisters it was recognized that Wuthering Heights was one of the best works of that time.

The most mystical and reserved of the sisters, Emily Bronte, created a piercing novel about madness and hatred, about strength and love. His contemporaries considered him too rude, but they could not help but fall under his magical influence.

The story of generations of two families unfolds against the picturesque backdrop of the Yorkshire fields, where maddening winds and inhuman passions reign. The central characters, the freedom-loving Catherine and the impulsive Heathcliff, are obsessed with each other. Their complex characters, different social status, exceptional destinies - all together form the canon of a love story. But this book is more than just an early Victorian love story. According to modernist Virginia Woolf, “the idea that at the heart of the manifestations of human nature lie forces that elevate it and raise it to the foot of greatness, and puts Emily Brontë’s novel in a special, outstanding place among similar novels.”

Thanks to Wuthering Heights, the beautiful fields of Yorkshire became a nature reserve, and we inherited, for example, such masterpieces as the film of the same name with Juliette Binoche, the popular ballad “It's All Coming Back to Me Now” performed by Celine Dion, as well as touching quotes:

“What doesn’t remind you of her? I can’t even look at my feet without her face appearing here on the floor slabs! It is in every cloud, in every tree - it fills the air at night, during the day it appears in the outlines of objects - her image is everywhere around me! The most ordinary faces, male and female, my own features - everything teases me with its likeness. The whole world is a terrible panopticon, where everything reminds me that she existed and that I lost her.”

Leo Tolstoy "Anna Karenina" (1877)

There is a well-known legend about how it was discussed among writers that there are no good novels about love in literature. Tolstoy perked up at these words and accepted the challenge, saying that he would write a good novel about love in three months. And he did write it. True, in four years.

But that, as they say, is history. And “Anna Karenina” is a novel that is included in the school curriculum. This is school reading. And so, every decent graduate learns at the exit that "all happy families are alike...", and in the Oblonskys’ house “everything is mixed up...”

Meanwhile, Anna Karenina is a truly great book about great love. Today it is generally accepted (thanks, in particular, to the cinema) that this is a novel about the pure and passionate love of Karenina and Vronsky, which became Anna’s salvation from her boring tyrant husband and her own death.

But for the author himself, this is, first of all, a family novel, a novel about love, which, having united two halves, grows into something more: a family, children. This, according to Tolstoy, is the main purpose of a woman. Because there is nothing more important, and most importantly, more difficult than raising a child and maintaining a real strong family. This idea in the novel is personified by the union of Levin and Kitty. This family, which Tolstoy largely copied from his union with Sofia Andreevna, becomes a reflection of the ideal union of a man and a woman.

The Karenins are an “unhappy family,” and Tolstoy dedicated his book to analyzing the reasons for this misfortune. However, the author does not indulge in moralizing, accusing sinful Anna of destroying a decent family. Leo Tolstoy, “an expert on human souls,” creates a complex work where there is no right and wrong. There is a society that influences the heroes, there are heroes who choose their path, and there are feelings that the heroes do not always understand, but to which they give themselves fully.

This is where I conclude my literary analysis, because much has already been written about this, and better. I’ll just express my thought: be sure to re-read the texts from the school curriculum. And not only from school.

Reshad Nuri Gyuntekin “The Kinglet - a songbird” (1922)

The question of which works of Turkish literature have become world classics can be perplexing. The novel “The Songbird” deserves such recognition. Reshad Nuri Güntekin wrote this book at the age of 33, it became one of his first novels. These circumstances make us even more surprised by the skill with which the writer depicted the psychology of a young woman and the social problems of provincial Turkey.

A fragrant and original book captures you from the first lines. These are diary entries of the beautiful Feride, who recalls her life and her love. When this book first came to me (and it was during my puberty), on the tattered cover there was “Chalykushu - a songbird.” Even now it seems to me that this translation of the name is more colorful and sonorous. Chalykushu is the nickname of the restless Feride. As the heroine writes in her diary: “...my real name, Feride, became official and was used very rarely, like a festive outfit. I liked the name Chalykushu, it even helped me out. As soon as someone complained about my tricks, I just shrugged my shoulders, as if saying: “I have nothing to do with it... What do you want from Chalykushu?..”.

Chalykushu lost her parents early. She is sent to be raised by relatives, where she falls in love with her aunt’s son, Kamran. Their relationship is not easy, but the young people are drawn to each other. Suddenly, Feride learns that her chosen one is already in love with someone else. In her feelings, the impulsive Chalykushu fluttered out of her family nest towards real life, which greeted her with a hurricane of events...

I remember how, after reading the book, I wrote quotes in my diary, realizing every word. It’s interesting that you change over time, but the book remains the same piercing, touching and naive. But it seems that in our 21st century of independent women, gadgets and social networks, a little naivety will not hurt:

“A person lives and is tied by invisible threads to the people who surround him. Separation sets in, the threads stretch and break like violin strings, emitting sad sounds. And every time the threads break at the heart, a person experiences the most acute pain.”

David Herbert Lawrence "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (1928)

Provocative, scandalous, frank. Banned for over thirty years after first publication. The hardened English bourgeoisie did not tolerate descriptions of sex scenes and the “immoral” behavior of the main character. In 1960, a high-profile trial took place, during which the novel “Lady Chatterley's Lover” was rehabilitated and allowed to be published when the author was no longer alive.

Today the novel and its storyline hardly seem so provocative to us. Young Constance marries Baronet Chatterley. After their marriage, Clifford Chatterley goes to Flanders, where during the battle he receives multiple wounds. He is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Connie's married life (as her husband affectionately calls her) has changed, but she continues to love her husband, caring for him. However, Clifford understands that it is difficult for a young girl to spend all nights alone. He allows her to have a lover, the main thing is that the candidate is worthy.

“If a man has no brains, he is a fool; if he has no heart, he is a villain; if he has no bile, he is a rag. If a man is not capable of exploding like a tightly stretched spring, he does not have masculine nature. This is not a man, but a good boy.”

During one of her walks in the forest, Connie meets a new huntsman. It is he who will teach the girl not only the art of love, but also awaken real deep feelings in her.

David Herbert Lawrence is a classic of English literature, the author of no less famous books “Sons and Lovers”, “Women in Love”, “Rainbow”, he also wrote essays, poems, plays, and travel prose. He created three versions of the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. The last version, which satisfied the author, was published. This novel brought him fame, but Lawrence’s liberalism and the proclamation of human freedom of moral choice, glorified in the novel, could only be appreciated many years later.

Margaret Mitchell "Gone with the Wind" (1936)

Aphorism “When a woman can’t cry, it’s scary”, and the very image of a strong woman belongs to the pen of the American writer Margaret Mitchell, who became famous thanks to her only novel. There is hardly a person who has not heard of the bestseller Gone with the Wind.

“Gone with the Wind” is the story of the civil war between the northern and southern states of America in the 60s, during which cities and destinies were destroyed, but something new and beautiful could not help but be born. This is the story of young Scarlett O'Hara coming of age, who is forced to take responsibility for her family, learn to manage her feelings and achieve simple female happiness.

This is that successful novel about love when, in addition to the main and rather superficial theme, it gives something else. The book grows with the reader: opened at different times, it will be perceived in a new way each time. One thing remains unchanged in it: the hymn of love, life and humanity. And the unexpected and open ending inspired several writers to create a continuation of the love story, the most famous of which are “Scarlett” by Alexander Ripley or “Rhett Butler’s People” by Donald McCaig.

Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago" (1957)

Pasternak's complex symbolist novel, written in an equally complex and rich language. A number of researchers point to the autobiographical nature of the work, but the events or characters described bear little resemblance to the author’s real life. Nevertheless, this is a kind of “spiritual autobiography”, which Pasternak characterized as follows: “I am now writing a large novel in prose about a man who forms some resultant between Blok and me (and Mayakovsky, and Yesenin, perhaps). He will die in 1929. What will remain from him is a book of poems, which makes up one of the chapters of the second part. The time covered by the novel is 1903-1945.”

The main theme of the novel is reflection on the future of the country and the fate of the generation to which the author belonged. Historical events play an important role for the heroes of the novel; it is the whirlpool of a complex political situation that determines their lives.

The main characters of the book are the doctor and poet Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova, the hero’s beloved. Throughout the novel, their paths accidentally crossed and separated, seemingly forever. What really captivates us in this novel is the inexplicable and immense love, like the sea, that the characters carried through their entire lives.

The culmination of this love story is a few winter days in the snow-covered Varykino estate. It is here that the main explanations of the heroes take place, here Zhivago writes his best poems dedicated to Lara. But even in this abandoned house they cannot hide from the noise of war. Larisa is forced to leave to save the lives of herself and her children. And Zhivago, going crazy from the loss, writes in his notebook:

A man looks from the threshold,

Not recognizing home.

Her departure was like an escape,

There are signs of destruction everywhere.

The rooms are in chaos everywhere.

He measures ruin

Doesn't notice because of tears

And a migraine attack.

There is some noise in my ears in the morning.

Is he in memory or dreaming?

And why is it on his mind

Are you still thinking about the sea?..

“Doctor Zhivago” is a novel awarded the Nobel Prize, a novel whose fate, like the fate of the author, turned out to be tragic, a novel that is alive today, like the memory of Boris Pasternak, is a must read.

John Fowles "The French Lieutenant's Mistress" (1969)

One of Fowles's masterpieces, representing an unsteady interweaving of postmodernism, realism, the Victorian novel, psychology, allusions to Dickens, Hardy and other contemporaries. The novel, which is the central work of English literature of the 20th century, is also considered one of the main books about love.

The outline of the story, like any plot of a love story, looks simple and predictable. But Fowles, a postmodernist influenced by existentialism and passionate about historical sciences, created a mystical and deep love story from this story.

An aristocrat, a wealthy young man named Charles Smithson, and his chosen one meet Sarah Woodruff on the seashore - once "mistress of a French lieutenant", and now - a maid who avoids people. Sarah looks unsociable, but Charles manages to establish contact with her. During one of the walks, Sarah opens up to the hero, talking about her life.

“Even your own past does not seem like something real to you - you dress it up, try to whitewash it or denigrate it, you edit it, somehow patch it up... In a word, you turn it into fiction and put it away on the shelf - this is your book, your novelized autobiography. We are all running from the real reality. This is the main distinguishing feature of homo sapiens."

A difficult but special relationship is established between the characters, which will develop into a strong and fatal feeling.

The variability of the endings of the novel is not only one of the main techniques of postmodern literature, but also reflects the idea that in love, as in life, anything is possible.

And for fans of Meryl Streep's acting: in 1981, a film of the same name directed by Karel Reisz was released, where the main characters were played by Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. The film, which received several film awards, has become a classic. But watching it, like any film based on a literary work, is better after reading the book itself.

Colin McCullough "The Thorn Birds" (1977)

During her life, Colleen McCullough wrote more than ten novels, the historical series “The Lords of Rome,” and a series of detective stories. But she was able to occupy a prominent place in Australian literature thanks to just one novel - The Thorn Birds.

Seven parts of a fascinating story of a large family. Several generations of the Cleary clan move to Australia to settle here and from simple poor farmers become a prominent and successful family. The central characters of this saga are Maggie Cleary and Ralph de Bricassart. Their story, which unites all the chapters of the novel, tells about the eternal struggle of duty and feelings, reason and passion. What will the heroes choose? Or will they have to stand on opposite sides and defend their choice?

Each part of the novel is dedicated to one of the members of the Cleary family and subsequent generations. Over the fifty years during which the novel takes place, not only the surrounding reality changes, but also life ideals. So Maggie’s daughter Fia, whose story opens in the last part of the book, no longer strives to create a family, to continue her kind. So the fate of the Cleary family is in jeopardy.

“The Thorn Birds” is a finely crafted, filigree work about life itself. Colleen McCullough managed to reflect the complex overflows of the human soul, the thirst for love that lives in every woman, the passionate nature and inner strength of a man. Ideal reading on long winter evenings under a blanket or sultry days on the summer veranda.

“There is a legend about a bird that sings only once in its entire life, but is more beautiful than anyone else in the world. One day she leaves her nest and flies to look for a thorn bush and will not rest until she finds it. Among the thorny branches she begins to sing a song and throws herself on the longest, sharpest thorn. And, rising above the unspeakable torment, he sings so, dying, that both the lark and the nightingale would envy this jubilant song. The only, incomparable song, and it comes at the cost of life. But the whole world stands still, listening, and God himself smiles in heaven. For all the best is bought only at the price of great suffering... At least that’s what the legend says.”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez "Love in the Time of Plague" (1985)

I wonder when the famous expression that love is a disease appeared? However, it is precisely this truth that becomes the impetus for understanding the work of Gabriel García Márquez, which proclaims that “...the symptoms of love and plague are the same”. And the most important idea of ​​this novel is contained in another quote: “If you meet your true love, then she will not get away from you - not in a week, not in a month, not in a year.”

This happened with the heroes of the novel “Love in the Time of Plague,” the plot of which revolves around a girl named Fermina Daza. In her youth, Florentino Ariza was in love with her, but, considering his love only a temporary hobby, she marries Juvenal Urbino. Urbino's profession is a doctor, and his life's work is the fight against cholera. However, Fermina and Florentino are destined to be together. When Urbino dies, the feelings of old lovers flare up with renewed vigor, colored in more mature and deeper tones.

Many of us have been left with the conviction since school that for the most part Russian classics are rather boring and unimaginably drawn out works of several hundred pages about the hardships of life, mental suffering and the philosophical quests of the main characters. We have collected Russian classics that are impossible not to read to the end.

Anatoly Pristavkin “The golden cloud spent the night”

“The golden cloud spent the night” by Anatoly Pristavkin is a piercingly tragic story that happened to the orphaned twin brothers Sashka and Kolka Kuzmin, who were evacuated along with the rest of the orphanage pupils to the Caucasus during the war. Here it was decided to establish a labor colony to develop the land. Children turn out to be innocent victims of government policies towards the peoples of the Caucasus. This is one of the most powerful and honest stories about war orphans and the deportation of the Caucasian peoples. “The Golden Cloud Spent the Night” has been translated into 30 languages ​​of the world and is rightfully one of the best works of Russian classics. 10th place in our ranking.

Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago"

Novel Boris Pasternak "Doctor Zhivago", which brought him world fame and the Nobel Prize - in 9th place in the list of the best works of Russian classics. For his novel, Pasternak was sharply criticized by representatives of the country's official literary world. The book's manuscript was banned from publication, and the writer himself, under pressure, was forced to refuse to receive the prestigious award. After Pasternak's death, it was transferred to his son.

Mikhail Sholokhov "Quiet Don"

In terms of the scale and scope of the period of life of the main characters described in it, it can be compared with “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. This is an epic story about the life and destinies of representatives of the Don Cossacks. The novel covers three of the country's most difficult eras: the First World War, the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War. What was going on in the souls of people in those days, what reasons forced relatives and friends to stand on opposite sides of the barricades? The writer tries to answer these questions in one of the best works of Russian classical literature. “Quiet Don” is in 8th place in our ranking.

Stories by Anton Chekhov

A generally recognized classic of Russian literature, they occupy 7th place on our list. One of the most famous playwrights in the world, he wrote more than 300 works of various genres and died very early, at 44 years old. Chekhov's stories, ironic, funny and eccentric, reflected the realities of life of that era. They have not lost their relevance even now. The peculiarity of his short works is not to answer questions, but to ask them to the reader.

I. Ilf and E. Petrov “Twelve Chairs”

Novels by writers with a wonderful sense of humor I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Twelve Chairs” and “The Golden Calf” take 6th place among the best works of Russian classics. After reading them, every reader will understand that classical literature is not only interesting and exciting, but also funny. The adventures of the great schemer Ostap Bender, the main character of the books by Ilf and Petrov, will not leave anyone indifferent. Immediately after the first publication, the writers' works were received ambiguously in literary circles. But time has shown their artistic value.

In fifth place in our ranking of the best works of Russian classics - "The Gulag Archipelago" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This is not only a great novel about one of the most difficult and terrible periods in the history of the country - repressions in the USSR, but also an autobiographical work based on the author’s personal experience, as well as letters and memoirs of more than two hundred camp prisoners. The release of the novel in the West was accompanied by a loud scandal and persecution launched against Solzhenitsyn and other dissidents. Publication of The Gulag Archipelago became possible in the USSR only in 1990. The novel is among best books of the century.

Nikolai Gogol “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a universally recognized classic of world significance. The crowning achievement of his work is considered to be the novel “Dead Souls,” the second volume of which was destroyed by the author himself. But our ranking of the best works of Russian classics includes the first book Gogol – “Evenings on a farm near Dikanka”. It’s hard to believe that the stories included in the book and written with sparkling humor were practically Gogol’s first experience in writing. Pushkin left a flattering review of the work, who was sincerely amazed and fascinated by Gogol’s stories, written in a living, poetic language without feigned affectation and stiffness.

The events described in the book take place in different time periods: in XVII, XVIII XIX centuries.

Fyodor Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

Novel “Crime and Punishment” by F. M. Dostoevsky takes third place in the list of the best works of Russian classics. It has received the status of a cult book of world significance. This is one of the most frequently filmed books. This is not only a deeply philosophical work in which the author poses to readers the problems of moral responsibility, good and evil, but also a psychological drama and a fascinating detective story. The author shows the reader the process of turning a talented and respectable young man into a killer. He is no less interested in the possibility of Raskolnikov’s atonement for his guilt.

Great epic novel Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy "War and Peace", the volume of which has terrified schoolchildren for many decades, is actually very interesting. It covers the period of several military campaigns against the strongest France at that time, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. This is one of the brightest examples of the best works of not only Russian, but also world classics. The novel is recognized as one of the most epic works in world literature. Here every reader will find his favorite topic: love, war, courage.

Mikhail Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"

Topping our list of examples of the best classical literature is the amazing novel. The author never lived to see the publication of his book - it was published 30 years after his death.

The Master and Margarita is such a complex work that not a single attempt to film the novel has been successful. The figures of Woland, the Master and Margarita require filigree accuracy in conveying their images. Unfortunately, no actor has yet managed to achieve this. The film adaptation of the novel by director Vladimir Bortko can be considered the most successful.

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.