famous literature. The best modern books

Reading time: 26 min.

Big Rating magazine brings to your attention the best books of all time in the TOP-20 rating. The list includes world bestsellers by domestic and foreign authors. Something in them catches, not letting go, and each of these works is worth reading at least once in a lifetime.

The great American writer Francis Fitzgerald touched upon the hottest topics of the dashing 1920s in his novel. Despite the chronological remoteness of the events described in the book, today many people find the novel close to their spirit. Fitzgerald was the first of the US prose writers to announce to the world the beginning of a new century - the "jazz age" and spoke on behalf of the "lost generation". Reading the novel "The Great Gatsby" you seem to plunge into the era of jazz music and "dry law". Using the main character as an example, Fitzgerald demonstrates the life path of those rich people who rose from the bottom thanks to bootlegging. The author shows his admiration for these personalities, but at the same time condemns their moral foundations and principles. The protagonist of the novel personifies the "American dream" of that time - he is a real minion of fate, who made his fortune and achieved power. But are money and power capable of making a person truly happy? Don't forget about love too...

We are all accustomed to pirates as terrible and bloodthirsty creatures that commit robberies, rape women and kill everyone who gets in their way. Such is the opinion about the representatives of this "profession". In most cases, this is exactly what happens. But when there is an exception to the general rule, it is very interesting. It is precisely such an atypical pirate that the main character of the work of Rafael Sabatini, Peter Blood, is. Far from piracy, the young Irishman worked in the medical field and was drawn by fate into the Monmouth uprising that broke out in England at the end of the 17th century. Absolutely uninvolved in the events of the rebellion, Peter Blood, among others, was accused of treason to the monarch and sentenced to death. But luck smiled at the hero when the death sentence was replaced by exile in the southern colonies, where he went in the status of a slave. It is here that the young Blood has to start his career anew, only not as a bachelor of medicine, but as a pirate. Now the hero of the book has one goal - to regain freedom.

Any person sooner or later wants to take a break from the daily routine, pack up and go on at least a short trip. It is not necessary to undertake an epochal climb to Elbrus or go to the wilds of the Amazon. Sometimes a short river boat trip, such as the Thames, is enough. Traveling in the company of your closest friends is already more fun, and even more so in the company of a small four-legged companion. The only important condition is a strictly male company. This is exactly what the three English bosom friends Harris, Jay and George decided to take a break from the bustle of the city while drinking tea. But having decided to implement the idea, the gentlemen realized that not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. Every little thing, starting with the preparations and ending with an attempt to open canned food, turns into a funny and fun adventure for friends. And the presence in the boat of an extremely energetic fox terrier named Montmorency adds additional sparks of humor to the general fireworks of events. Jerome K. Jerome's novel "Three Men in a Boat, Not Counting the Dog" contains a lot of funny misunderstandings, hilarious collisions and comical situations from which our heroes get out of while maintaining a truly British sense of dignity.

One of the largest and undoubtedly the greatest creations of world literature. And although historians and writers have not fully figured out whether Homer really existed or was a collective image, one thing is known for certain - the Iliad is a description of truly grandiose events.

The starting point of the story was the strong romantic attachment of the Trojan prince Paris, who burned with an ardent love for the most beautiful woman of that time - Helen. That's just the beauty, who reciprocated the young man, at that moment was already bound by marriage with the Spartan king Menelaus. When Paris, inflamed with passion, dared to kidnap his lady of the heart, the enraged husband of Elena declared war on Troy, gathering loyal kings and warriors under his banner. The scale of events was so great that even the gods of Olympus did not remain indifferent and took part in the war, predicting the victory of each of the chosen parties. The protracted struggle lasted for many years, reaping a bountiful harvest of death. Wives were widows, children were orphans. There is no worthy justification for any of the wars of mankind, just as there is none for the Trojan War. But for many centuries, the epochal nature of Homer's Iliad was preserved.

A controversial work, perceived by some as the notes of a madman, by others as a philosophical treatise, and by others as a fascinating fairy tale. Alice in Wonderland was written by the English mathematician, poet and writer Charles Dodgson, better known to us as Lewis Carroll. After many decades, critics can only guess what exactly the author was trying to convey to us by writing such an original work. There is only one way out - to read the novel and put forward your own theory.

The book tells us about a far from stupid, but slightly frivolous, girl Alice, who accidentally met the White Rabbit during her vacation. Noticing his pocket watch, and sensibly reasoning that rabbits do not have watches, Alice rushes after the White Rabbit in order to find out where he is in such a hurry. In pursuit of a nimble beast, our young adventurer falls safely down the rabbit hole. And now Alice is waiting for real miracles and amazing adventures that defy common sense. Or maybe you should not try to understand everything? After all, you can simply immerse yourself in the phantasmagoric world of the White Rabbit, the smoking caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the Card Queen, attend an unforgettable tea party with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. We assure you it won't be boring.

Delightful dystopia, frightening and beautiful at the same time. The author realistically depicts a society with the ideas of hedonism and consumerism flourishing in it. There is no place for love here, and sex is just a pleasant pastime. Huxley describes it so emotionally that it becomes scary to read, but it’s impossible to tear yourself away from the book. Here, people are created in a test tube, and the "manufacturers" initially choose who will be intellectually developed and who will be mentally retarded. Habitual human values like self-development, culture, religion and knowledge are not needed for nothing and are not at all interesting. People seek only to have fun in any way they can, and enthusiastically waste their precious time on uninterrupted recreation. Reading Brave New World, you understand that everything described here is pure fiction, from cover to cover, but you never cease to be horrified by the similarity of the events described in the book with the vices of modern society. And this is the whole point of the work.

The eminent French writer Alexandre Dumas was able to breathe life into a boring and confusing story of battles, intrigues and political games of the French court. The main characters of Dumas' novel are the three brave musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis, as well as the young Gascon d'Artagnan, who arrived to conquer Paris. An ambitious young man came to the capital from the outback and dreams of getting into the service of His Majesty. d'Artagnan is agile, agile, cheerful and noble. But these features attract not only friends, but also enemies who want to see the young man on their side. Devoted to the king and queen, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan will have a life full of conspiracies, intrigues, exploits and fights. And the motto "One for all and all for one" confidently leads the heroes to victory.

The title of the novel is a reference to the song of the Beatles, and the work itself is a demonstration of the complexity, sinuosity and intricacies of the life path of any person. Murakami clearly showed a wide range of readers that for confusion in decision-making and the painful choice of one's own path, it is not necessary to be a great person, because difficulties and trials can fall to the lot of each of us. Among these people is the protagonist of the novel, student Tooru Watanabe. The storyline consists of Tooru's story about his youth spent at the university, and the events that happen to him at this stage of life. As the story progresses, the hero reminisces about his best friends Naoko and Kizuki. Tooru will talk about Kizuki's suicide and the rapid development of relations with Naoko. He will remember how the girl went to the clinic for treatment. He will tell about student riots and the girl Midori, who shed color on his gray life.

What is unique is the fact that even those of us who have never held this book in our hands are still aware of the plot of this tragic love story of a young man from the Montague family for a girl from the Capulet family. And the phrase: “There is no sadder story in the world than the story of Romeo and Juliet” can be heard even in the texts of modern songs. The main characters of the novel were not originally destined to live happily ever after. Both warring families took up arms against their great and pure love. But the difficulties not only did not stop the lovers, but also pushed the representatives of the houses of Montague and Capulet to each other. Although the first meeting lasted only a few moments, this was enough for young people to realize the desire to be together forever. Their love was so strong that Romeo and Juliet were ready to give their lives for her. And if fate does not allow them to be together in this life, then at least their souls will be reunited in the next world.

A wonderful touching tale about the adventures of a teddy bear. This character, which first appeared in England in the 1920s, is now famous all over the world. The story begins with a teddy bear given to the boy by his young father, Christopher Robin. The child names the toy Winnie, after a live bear living in the London Zoo. Next, father and son have fun writing stories together that could take place in real life with cute Winnie the bear. So the bear cub has such friends as Piglet the pig, Kenga the kangaroo and her baby Little Roo, the Eeyore donkey, the owl, the rabbit and many others. Over the years, more than one generation of children managed to grow up on the stories of the adventures of a funny bear cub - about bees, about a heffalump and about Winnie's friends. An important fact remains that the main character of the book does not lose its popularity among modern children. Apparently such a charming bear as Winnie the Pooh cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Cleary's family chronicles have riveted the attention of readers at all times. That's just a different age audience perceives them far from the same. So young people are more interested in a love storyline that evokes sensual experiences about the fate of the main characters with an eternal intrigue - whether they should be together. The younger generation needs bright colors, battles, action and passions. Older readers are interested in the complexity of the characters and relationships of the main characters. This audience is looking for a deep meaning in the work, knowing full well that it is not always hidden precisely in parts containing violent passions and many events.

In the center of the plot of this story is the large Cleary family, who moved to Australia from New Zealand. McCullough displays the entire palette of goals, motivations and actions of each character. But the main storyline is firmly connected with the main character of the novel - Maggie, whose personal life the reader can trace from the age of 4 until her death at 58.

Psychiatric hospitals with their inhabitants have always been a separate world, living according to its own laws and rules. And since you have been brought here by a whim of fate, you will have to adapt to the existing order. This unspoken rule is fully extended to the hospital, which is described in the novel Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Everything changed with the appearance of a new patient in the psychiatric hospital - Randall Patrick McMurphy. Randall is a cunning criminal who masterfully portrays a madman in order to escape prison. Having settled into a new place, McMurphy makes acquaintances and begins to communicate with the local guests. Randel is overwhelmed with frank horror at the realization that there are absolutely healthy people in the hospital, no more crazy than himself. All of them stay in the hospital of their own free will, just trying to hide within its walls from the hardships of the outside world. And the patients are also very intimidated by Mildreth Ratched, a local nurse who runs the hospital and does not tolerate disobedience. McMurphy not only declares battle to the local order, but also tries to rescue patients from an unhealthy environment by showing them what a full life looks like.

In the terrible worlds of dystopias described by such literary geniuses as Ray Bradbury, consumerism reigns as the only value of humanity. True eternal values, like knowledge and age-old wisdom, contained in books, are subject to universal condemnation and even destruction. For the possession of great literary works or just books, people are condemned or sentenced to death. Burning books is becoming commonplace, and most of the people living in this world are accustomed to such a course of things. Those who do not understand the importance of this view of life are declared fools by society. Shared a similar philosophy and the main character of the work - Guy Montag. He worked as a "fireman" (in the context of this work) and was unshakable in his worldview. But his whole ideology went to hell when Guy met the one who managed to show him the other side of the coin.

Perhaps Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 has not lost its relevance today precisely because of the flourishing era of consumerism in modern society. People have a lot to think about.

The brilliant works of Erich Maria Remarque had a great influence on the literary world of Germany. The novel "Three Comrades" immerses its readers throughout life, the depth of thoughts and feelings of people who went through the meat grinder of the First World War and managed to get out of it alive. And the book is not about the victims, but about the people who unleashed this very war. The protagonist of the novel - Robert Lokamp - tells about the problems and events that concern him. Robbie explains in detail that the most important things in a person's life are the people around him. He openly promotes the importance of friendship in relationships. But Robert also emphasizes that even being among people who understand and accept you unconditionally, you cannot always count on happiness. "Three Comrades" is a book about the "lost generation" of people trying to live in a difficult and ambiguous era.

With his epochal and loud fantasy novel, John Tolkien opened a new round of literary fashion for works about elves, hobbits, wise and strong kings, great wizards, goblins and fire-breathing dragons. And although the first time The Lord of the Rings was published in the distant 1950s, readers have not lost interest in it so far. Fans not only do not stop re-reading Tolkien's work over and over again, but they also watch Peter Jackson's films, and also play games that managed to recreate the writer's unique fairy-tale world. The novel is about the Ring of Omnipotence and the uncompromising thousand-year war for the right to possess it. The young hobbit Frodo must travel through the hostile Mordor to the fiery Mount of Doom in order to destroy the Ring. In a difficult journey, Frodo is supported by friends (dwarves, humans, elves) and opposed by the evil Sauron, who is eager to get his Ring back and gain world domination. The plot of The Lord of the Rings attracts the reader with its unique atmosphere, allowing him to immerse himself in the world of elves, gnomes, hobbits, wizards and evil rulers.

In this work, Turgenev not only raised the eternal problem of fathers and children, but also, ahead of the widespread dissemination of the ideas of nihilism in Russia, managed to show readers an example of an adherent of the movement in the form of Evgeny Bazarov. It was with this ardent supporter of nihilism that the young son of the landowner Kirsanov, Arkady, made a strong friendship. Fascinated by the ideas of a new acquaintance, Arkady sincerely accepts all the convictions of Bazarov. The young man even brings a newly-made friend to visit his father and uncle - Pavel Petrovich and Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. Representatives of the older generation of the family do not perceive the new youth philosophy, considering it too radical. That's just Nikolai Petrovich listens to the thoughts of the nihilist calmly and with a smile, and Pavel Nikolayevich goes into open conflict with Bazarov. Eugene is firm in his convictions, he is sure that he needs for life, rejects the old principles, not wanting to blindly accept them on faith, as people of the older generation do. The steadfastness of Bazarov's views was shaken after meeting the landowner Anna Odintsova, who aroused previously unknown feelings in the nihilist.

Although this work of the author is less well known compared to Lolita, it definitely deserves the close attention of readers. In his novel, Nabokov, in his unique manner, reveals the hidden nature of the human character and clearly demonstrates the blackness that can hide in the heart of a young and, at first glance, harmless creature. The events of the novel unfold in Germany, where the art critic Krechmar leaves his wife and daughter for sixteen-year-old Magda, a girl with a dubious biography. The love of a man is so strong that even the death of his own daughter did not overshadow his ardent passion for Magda. But a happy life together was short-lived. The girl meets with the artist Gorn - her former lover. Past feelings flare up in them with renewed vigor and the couple begins to meet in secret from Krechmar, since Magda is still financially dependent on him. For credibility, Horn appears to Kretschmar as a homosexual. Evil lovers are plotting, mocking Krechmar, gradually depriving him of his mind.

The events and actions of the book are presented from the point of view of Holden Confield and are a reflection of the perception of a 16-year-old boy to the reality around him. In his narration, Holden talks about the period of his life before entering the clinic for treatment. The story reveals to the reader the whole depth of hopelessness and experiences of a young man who remained misunderstood by the big and cruel world. At the same time, Holden does not fall into philosophical reasoning, does not express value judgments, he simply describes the events taking place and tries to understand what can give him a feeling of happiness. So the little boy's song he heard about "how you catch someone in the rye ..." leads Holden to understand the happy moment. But, alas, it is impossible to achieve it, because the reality is completely different.

What do you know about the Green Mile? Do you know what the seemingly simple phrase hides in itself? But Paul Edgecombe, who worked as a warden in the prison for many years, knows for sure about her. Now Paul is an elderly and infirm old man living out his days in a nursing home. He tells his friend about working in Block E of the Cold Mountain Prison, which has become the last refuge for convicted criminals. Here those waiting for the electric chair lived their final hours. The way to the place of execution of the suicide bomber passed through a corridor with a green-painted floor. Thanks to this, the last path of the suicide bomber was called the "green mile". For many years in the service in prison, Paul Edgecomb lost the habit of being surprised at anything and completely stopped believing in miracles. Paul understands the full depth of his delusions after the appearance of the defendant John Coffey. This man is accused of murdering and raping little girls, but the catch is that Paul does not believe in Coffey's involvement in terrible crimes. After all, the new prisoner has an incredible gift - he heals anyone with his touch.

Moscow in the 1930s. On the Patriarch's Ponds, two writers are walking slowly, talking about the authenticity of the existence of Jesus Christ. Their discussion was suddenly interrupted by a mysterious man who calls himself a foreigner, but at the same time speaks perfect Russian. The stranger confidently declares that Jesus lived, and also begins to talk about his personal presence during his conversation with Pontius Pilate. Writers are very skeptical about the story, considering the stranger crazy. But they did not suspect that they were dealing not with a crazy foreigner, but with Satan, who was visiting Moscow. And when a person of such magnitude decides to honor the city with his presence, there will certainly be surprises.

The most read books of 2017, the list of the best works

Anna Karenina. Lev Tolstoy

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