Classic stories in literature. Plots of world literature (36 plots)

Plots of world literature (36 plots)

Literature is primarily an art, but at the same time it is information, albeit a very specific one. And the information volume of the world literature is constantly increasing, growing to more and more impressive sizes. But, unlike science and technology, from ideology, in fiction new information does not cancel or replace the previous one. (All masterpieces of world literature in summary. Plots and characters. Russian literature XIX century: Encyclopedic edition. - M.: Olimp; Publishing house ACT, 1996. - 832 p., p.11)

Thus, the volume of world literature, which grows over time, does not change in its essence - repetitive plots are used that reflect the main storylines people's lives.

Each new era adds only an update in style and some character traits this era, including minor changes in language usage and preferences.

Systematization, schematization, cataloging of the world's book treasures occupied analysts of all eras ... back in the 9th century, it was started by Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, who compiled the "Miriobiblion" (translated as "Many books" or as "Library") - a collection short descriptions works of Greek and Byzantine authors, including ecclesiastical, secular, historical, and medical literature. It is noteworthy that the idea of ​​such a universal, comprehensive library became relevant again a thousand and a hundred years later. In the works of Hermann Hesse, and especially in the short stories of Jorge Luis Borges, the image of "the world as a library" appears. (All the masterpieces of world literature in brief. Plots and characters. Russian literature of the 19th century: Encyclopedic edition. - M .: Olymp; Publishing house ACT, 1996. - 832 pp. 12)

The famous writer Jorge Luis Borges stated that there are only four plots and, accordingly, four heroes, whom he described in his short story "Four Cycles".

1. The oldest story is the story of a besieged city, which is stormed and defended by heroes. The defenders know that the city is doomed and resistance is futile. This is a story about Troy, and the main character, Achilles, knows that he will die without seeing victory. A rebel hero, the very fact of whose existence is a challenge to the surrounding reality. In addition to Achilles, the heroes of this plot are Siegfried, Hercules, Sigurd and others.

2. The second story is about the return. The story of Odysseus, who wandered the seas for ten years in an attempt to return home. The hero of these stories is a man rejected by society, endlessly wandering in an attempt to find himself - Don Quixote, Beowulf.

3. The third story is about the search. This story is somewhat similar to the second, but in this case the hero is not an outcast and does not oppose himself to society. The most famous example of such a hero is Jason, sailing for the Golden Fleece.

4. The fourth story is about the suicide of God. Atys maims and kills himself, Odin sacrifices himself to Odin, to himself, hanging on a tree for nine days, nailed with a spear, Roman legionnaires crucify Christ. The hero of the "death of the gods" - losing or gaining faith, in search of faith - Zarathustra, Bulgakov's Master, Bolkonsky.

Another famous author Christopher Booker, in his book "The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories" ("Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories"), described seven basic plots, on the basis of which, in his opinion, all the books in the world are written.
1. "From rags to riches" - the name speaks for itself, the most striking example, familiar to everyone since childhood - Cinderella. Heroes - ordinary people, discovering something unusual in themselves, thanks to their own efforts or by coincidence, they find themselves “on top”.
2. "Adventure" - a difficult journey in search of an elusive goal. According to Booker, both Odysseus and Jason fall into this category, in addition, both "King Solomon's Mines" and "Around the World in Eighty Days" fall into this category.
3. "There and back." At the heart of the plot is the attempt of the hero, torn from the familiar world, to return home. This is Robinson Crusoe, and Alice Through the Looking-Glass, and many others.
4. "Comedy" - It's not easy general term, This certain kind a plot that develops according to its own rules. All Jane Austen novels fall into this category.
5. "Tragedy" - the climax is the death of the protagonist due to any character flaws, usually love passion or a thirst for power. These are, first of all, "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Faust".
6. "Resurrection" - the hero is under the power of a curse or dark forces, and a miracle brings him out of this state. A striking example this story is also familiar to everyone since childhood - Sleeping Beauty, awakened by the kiss of the prince.
7. "Victory over the monster" - from the name it is clear what the plot is - the hero fights the monster, defeats him and receives a "prize" - treasures or love. Examples: Dracula, David and Goliath.

About a hundred years ago, the playwright Georges Polti compiled his list of subjects from thirty-six points (by the way, the number thirty-six was first proposed by Aristotle and much later supported by Victor Hugo). Thirty-six plots and themes of Polti cover mainly dramaturgy and tragedies. There were disputes around this list, it was repeatedly criticized, but no one tried to protest the number 36 itself.

1. PLEASE. Elements of the situation: 1) the persecutor, 2) the persecuted and begging for protection, help, shelter, forgiveness, etc., 3) the force on which it depends to provide protection, etc., while the force that does not immediately decide to defend , hesitant, unsure of herself, which is why she has to beg (thus increasing the emotional impact of the situation), the more she hesitates and does not dare to help. Examples: 1) a fleeing person begs someone who can save him from enemies, 2) begs for shelter in order to die in it, 3) a shipwrecked person asks for shelter, 4) asks for someone in power for dear, close people, 5) asks for one relative for another relative, etc.

2. SALVATION. Elements of the situation: 1) unhappy, 2) threatening, persecuting, 3) savior. This situation differs from the previous one in that there the persecuted resorted to the hesitant power, which had to be pleaded, but here the savior appears unexpectedly and saves the unfortunate without hesitation. Examples: 1) decoupling famous fairy tale about Bluebeard. 2) saving the condemned to death penalty or generally in mortal danger, etc.

3. REVENGE PURSUING CRIME. Elements of the situation: 1) avenger, 2) guilty, 3) crime. Examples: 1) blood feud, 2) revenge on a rival or rival or lover, or mistress on the basis of jealousy.

4. REVENGE OF A CLOSE PERSON FOR ANOTHER CLOSE PERSON OR RELATED PEOPLE. Elements of the situation: 1) a living memory of the offense inflicted on another loved one, harm, of the victims he suffered for the sake of his loved ones, 2) a vengeful relative, 3) the person responsible for these insults, harm, etc. - a relative. Examples: 1) revenge on the father for the mother or mother for the father, 2) revenge on the brothers for their son, 3) father for the husband, 4) husband for the son, etc. A classic example: Hamlet's revenge on his stepfather and mother for his murdered father .

5. Haunted. Elements of the situation: 1) a crime committed or a fatal mistake and the expected punishment, retribution, 2) hiding from punishment, retribution for a crime or mistake. Examples: 1) persecuted by the authorities for politics (for example, Schiller's "Robbers", the history of the revolutionary struggle in the underground), 2) persecuted for robbery (detective stories), 3) persecuted for a mistake in love ("Don Juan" by Moliere, alimentary stories and etc.), 4) a hero pursued by a superior force (“Chained Prometheus” by Aeschylus, etc.).

6. SUDDEN DISASTER. Elements of the situation: 1) the victorious enemy, appearing personally; or a messenger bringing terrible news of defeat, collapse, etc., 2) a ruler defeated by a winner or slain by news, a powerful banker, an industrial king, etc. Examples: 1) the fall of Napoleon, 2) Zola's "Money", 3 ) "The End of Tartarin" by Anphonse Daudet, etc.

7. Victim (i.e., someone, the victim of some other person or people, or the victim of some circumstances, some kind of misfortune). Elements of the situation: 1) one who can influence the fate of another person in the sense of his oppression or some kind of misfortune. 2) weak, being a victim of another person or misfortune. Examples: 1) ruined or exploited by someone who was supposed to care and protect, 2) previously loved or close, convinced that he was forgotten, 3) unfortunate, who have lost all hope, etc.

8. REBELLION, REBELLION, REBELLION. Elements of the situation: 1) tyrant, 2) conspirator. Examples: 1) a conspiracy of one (“The Fiesco Conspiracy” by Schiller), 2) a conspiracy of several, 3) an indignation of one (“Egmond” by Goethe), 4) an indignation of many (“William Tell” by Schiller, “Germinal” by Zola)

9. A BOLD ATTEMPT. Elements of the situation: 1) the daring one, 2) the object, that is, what the daring one decides on, 3) the opponent, the opposing person. Examples: 1) the abduction of an object ("Prometheus - the thief of fire" by Aeschylus). 2) enterprises associated with dangers and adventures (Jules Verne's novels, and adventure stories in general), 3) a dangerous enterprise in connection with the desire to achieve a beloved woman, etc.

10. KIDNAPPING. Elements of the situation: 1) the kidnapper, 2) the kidnapped person, 3) protecting the kidnapped person and being an obstacle to the kidnapping or counteracting the kidnapping. Examples: 1) abduction of a woman without her consent, 2) abduction of a woman with her consent, 3) abduction of a friend, comrade from captivity, prison, etc. 4) abduction of a child.

11. MYSTERY (i.e., on the one hand, asking a riddle, and on the other, asking, striving to solve the riddle). Elements of the situation: 1) asking a riddle, hiding something, 2) trying to solve the riddle, find out something, 3) the subject of a riddle or ignorance (mysterious) Examples: 1) under pain of death, you need to find some person or object, 2 ) to find the lost, lost, 3) under pain of death to solve the riddle (Oedipus and the Sphinx), 4) to force a person to reveal what he wants to hide by all sorts of tricks (name, gender, state of mind, etc.)

12. ACHIEVING SOMETHING. Elements of the situation: 1) striving to achieve something, pursuing something, 2) the one on which the achievement of something depends on consent or help, refusing or helping, mediating, 3) there may be a third party that opposes the achievement. Examples: 1) try to get from the owner a thing or some other blessing in life, consent to marriage, position, money, etc. by cunning or force, 2) try to get something or achieve something with the help of eloquence (directly addressed to the owner of the thing or - to the judge, arbitrators, on whom the award of the thing depends)

13. HATE TO RELATED. Elements of the situation: 1) hater, 2) hated, 3) cause of hatred. Examples: 1) hatred between relatives (for example, brothers) out of envy, 2) hatred between relatives (for example, a son who hates his father) for reasons of material gain, 3) hatred of a mother-in-law for a future daughter-in-law, 4) mother-in-law for a son-in-law, 5) stepmothers to the stepdaughter, etc.

14. COMPETITION OF RELATED. Elements of the situation: 1) one of the relatives is preferred, 2) the other is neglected or abandoned, 3) the subject of rivalry (at the same time, apparently, ups and downs are possible at first, the preferred one turns out to be neglected and vice versa) Examples: 1) rivalry between brothers (“Pierre and Jean "Maupassant), 2) rivalry of sisters, 3) father and son - because of a woman, 4) mother and daughter, 5) rivalry of friends ("Two Veronets" by Shakespeare)

15. ADULTER (i.e. adultery, adultery), LEADING TO MURDER. Elements of the situation: 1) one of the spouses who violates marital fidelity, 2) the other of the spouses is deceived, 3) adultery (that is, someone else is a lover or mistress). Examples: 1) kill or let your lover kill her husband ("Lady Macbeth Mtsensk district" Leskov, "Teresa Raquin" Zola, "The Power of Darkness" Tolstoy) 2) kill a lover who entrusted his secret ("Samson and Delilah"), etc.

16. MADNESS. Elements of the situation: 1) a person who has fallen into madness (insane), 2) a victim of a person who has fallen into madness, 3) a real or imaginary reason for madness. Examples: 1) in a fit of madness, kill your lover (Elise the Prostitute by Goncourt), a child, 2) in a fit of madness, burn, destroy your own or someone else's work, a work of art, 3) in a drunken state, betray a secret or commit a crime.

17. FATAL NEGLIGENCE. Elements of the situation: 1) careless, 2) a victim of carelessness or a lost object, this is sometimes joined by 3) a good adviser warning against carelessness, or 4) an instigator, or both. Examples: 1) due to negligence, be the cause of one’s own misfortune, dishonor oneself (“Money” by Zola), 2) due to negligence or gullibility, cause misfortune or death of another person close (Biblical Eve)

18. INWITNESS (out of ignorance) CRIME OF LOVE (in particular, incest). Elements of the situation: 1) lover (husband), mistress (wife), 3) recognition (in case of incest) that they are in a close degree of kinship, which does not allow love relationship according to the law and current morality. Examples: 1) find out that he married his mother (“Oedipus” by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Corneille, Voltaire), 2) find out that his mistress is a sister (“Messinian bride” by Schiller), 3) a very banal case: find out that the mistress - Married.

19. UNWINNING (out of ignorance) KILLING OF A RELATED. Elements of the situation: 1) killer, 2) unrecognized victim, 3) exposure, recognition. Examples: 1) involuntarily contribute to the murder of his daughter, out of hatred for her lover ("The King is having fun" Hugo, a play based on which the opera "Rigoletto" was made, 2) not knowing his father, kill him ("The freeloader" by Turgenev with the fact that the murder replaced by an insult), etc.

20. SELF-SACRIFICE IN THE NAME OF THE IDEAL. Elements of the situation: 1) a hero sacrificing himself, 2) an ideal (word, duty, faith, conviction, etc.), 3) a sacrifice. Examples: 1) sacrifice your well-being for the sake of duty (“Resurrection” by Tolstoy), 2) sacrifice your life in the name of faith, conviction ...

21. SELF-SACRIFICE FOR THE RELATED. Elements of the situation: 1) the hero sacrificing himself, 2) the loved one for whom the hero sacrifices himself, 3) what the hero sacrifices. Examples: 1) sacrifice your ambition and success in life for the sake of loved one(“The Zemgano Brothers” by Goncourt), 2) to sacrifice one’s love for the sake of a child, for the life of a loved one, 3) to sacrifice one’s chastity for the life of a loved one or loved one (“Tosca” to Sordou), 4) to sacrifice one’s life for the life of a loved one, etc. d.

22. SACRIFICE EVERYTHING - FOR THE SAKE OF PASSION. Elements of the situation: 1) a lover, 2) an object of fatal passion, 3) something that is sacrificed. Examples: 1) a passion that destroys the vow of religious chastity (“Mistake of Abbé Mouret” by Zola), 2) a passion that destroys power, power (“Antony and Cleopatra” by Shakespeare), 3) a passion quenched at the cost of life (“Egyptian Nights” by Pushkin) . But not only a passion for a woman, or a woman for a man, but also a passion for running, card game, guilt, etc.

23. SACRIFICE A LOVED PERSON BECAUSE OF NECESSITY, INEVITABILITY. Elements of the situation: 1) a hero who sacrifices a loved one, 2) a loved one who is sacrificed. Examples: 1) the need to sacrifice a daughter for the sake of public interest (“Iphigenia” by Aeschylus and Sophocles, “Iphigenia in Tauris” by Euripides and Racine), 2) the need to sacrifice loved ones or their adherents for the sake of their faith, conviction (“93 year” Hugo), etc. d.

24. COMPETITION OF UNEQUAL (and also almost equal or equal). Elements of the situation: 1) one opponent (in case of unequal rivalry - inferior, weaker), 2) another opponent (higher, stronger), 3) the subject of rivalry. Examples: 1) the rivalry between the winner and her prisoner (Mary Stuart by Schiller), 2) the rivalry between the rich and the poor. 3) rivalry between a person who is loved and a person who does not have the right to love (“Esmeralda” by V. Hugo), etc.

25. ADULTER (adultery, adultery). Elements of the situation: the same as in adultery leading to murder. Not considering adultery capable of creating a situation - by itself, Polti considers it as a special case of theft aggravated by betrayal, while pointing out three possible cases: 1) the lover (tsa) is more pleasant than firm than the deceived spouse ), 2) the lover is less attractive than the deceived spouse, 3) the deceived spouse takes revenge. Examples: 1) Madame Bovary by Flaubert, Kreutzer Sonata by L. Tolstoy.

26. CRIME OF LOVE. Elements of the situation: 1) in love (th), 2) beloved (th). Examples: 1) a woman in love with her daughter's husband ("Phaedra" by Sophocles and Racine, "Hippolytus" by Euripides and Seneca), 2) the incestuous passion of Dr. Pascal (in novel of the same name Zola), etc.

27. LEARNING ABOUT THE DISHONOR OF A LOVED OR RELATED (sometimes associated with the fact that the one who found out is forced to pronounce a sentence, punish a loved one or a loved one). Elements of the situation: 1) recognizer, 2) guilty loved one or close, 3) guilt. Examples: 1) learn about the dishonor of his mother, daughter, wife, 2) discover that a brother or son is a murderer, a traitor to the motherland and be forced to punish him, 3) be forced by virtue of an oath to kill a tyrant - to kill his father, etc. .

28. OBSTACLE OF LOVE. Elements of the situation: 1) lover, 2) mistress, 3) obstacle. Examples: 1) a marriage frustrated by social or property inequality, 2) a marriage frustrated by enemies or accidental circumstances, 3) a marriage frustrated by enmity between parents on both sides, 4) a marriage frustrated by dissimilarities in the characters of lovers, etc.

29. LOVE FOR THE ENEMY. Elements of the situation: 1) the enemy who aroused love, 2) the one who loves the enemy, 3) the reason why the beloved is the enemy. Examples: 1) the beloved is an opponent of the party to which the lover belongs, 2) the beloved is the murderer of the father, husband or relative of the one who loves him (“Romeo and Juliet”,), etc.

30. AMBITION AND LOVE OF POWER. Elements of the situation: 1) an ambitious person, 2) what he wants, 3) an adversary or rival, i.e., a counteracting person. Examples: 1) ambition, greed leading to crimes (“Macbeth” and “Richard 3” by Shakespeare, “The Rougon Career” and “Earth” by Zola), 2) ambition leading to rebellion, 3) ambition that is opposed by a loved one, friend, relative, own supporters, etc.

31. FIGHTING THE GOD (fight against God). Elements of the situation: 1) man, 2) god, 3) reason or subject of struggle. Examples: 1) fighting with God, arguing with him, 2) fighting with those who are faithful to God (Julian the Apostate), etc.

32. UNCONSCIOUS JEYALY, ENVY. Elements of the situation: 1) jealous, envious, 2) the object of his jealousy and envy, 3) the alleged rival, applicant, 4) a reason for delusion or his culprit (traitor). Examples: 1) jealousy is caused by a traitor who is motivated by hatred (“Othello”) 2) a traitor acts out of profit or jealousy (“Cunning and Love” by Schiller), etc.

33. JUDICIAL MISTAKE. Elements of the situation: 1) the one who is mistaken, 2) the victim of the mistake, 3) the subject of the mistake, 4) the true criminal Examples: 1) a judicial error was provoked by an enemy (“The Womb of Paris” by Zola), 2) a judicial error was provoked by a loved one, the brother of the victim (“Robbers” by Schiller), etc.

34. CONCUSES OF CONSCIENCE. Elements of the situation: 1) the guilty, 2) the victim of the guilty (or his mistake), 3) looking for the guilty, trying to expose him. Examples: 1) remorse of the killer (“Crime and Punishment”), 2) remorse due to a mistake of love (“Madeleine” by Zola), etc.

35. LOST AND FOUND. Elements of the situation: 1) lost 2) found, 2) found. Examples: 1) "Children of Captain Grant", etc.

36. LOSS OF LOVED ONES. Elements of the situation: 1) deceased loved one, 2) lost loved one, 3) responsible for the death of a loved one. Examples: 1) powerless to do something (save his loved ones) - a witness to their death, 2) being bound by a professional secret (medical or secret confession, etc.), he sees the misfortune of loved ones, 3) foresee the death of a loved one, 4) find out about the death of an ally, 5) in despair at the death of a loved one, lose all interest in life, sink, etc.

Disputes about how many and what plots exist in literature are still ongoing. Offered different variants, different numbers, but the researchers can not come to a consensus. In principle, each person can find his own versions of this list and, if desired, getting rid of everything superfluous, leaving only the “skeleton”, find confirmation of his version in all works of world literature.

In our studies, with the help of factor analysis, out of 36 plots, only 5 were singled out:

1. Adultery (adultery, treason) with revenge

2. Restoration of justice

3. Search, achievement.

4. Sacrifice in the family and for the sake of the family

5. Sacrifice for an idea.

At least 4 of them are very similar to the stories proposed by Borges.

From the point of view of psychology, the preference or choice of a particular plot in literature or in cinema seems to be a reflection of the minimum state of a person and, as a maximum, his psychological (values, goals, norms, interests, abilities) and psychophysiological (features of perception, information processing depending on the physiological type functioning, from the type of the leading nervous system, the way of responding) of the type of person, the continuation of which is his worldview, which includes "addiction" to certain storylines of life, and literature in particular. In addition, it is interesting to consider the plots that are repeated in all works, as a symbolic reflection of the genetic programs laid down and evaluated in the non-specific part of the nervous system.

Therefore, your preference for plots in connection with psychophysiological data seems interesting.

Analysis.

In this case, this questionnaire should be considered by you as a reflection of your interests in storylines. Your task is to consider the plots closest and most rejected by you in connection with your type of activation. In data analysis, when describing your type, include a description of subjects that are not of interest to you and that are of interest to you, with clarification possible causes this and the connections between them, and also try to generalize the storylines and connect them with your type of activation and other psychological data, that is, explain these relationships.

Writer Kurt Vonnegut managed to fit all the works of world literature and cinema in eight simple plots. In general, all stories tell us about how people get out of holes, meet their other half, or lose everything they could get in this life. This Saturday marks the 8th anniversary of the writer's death.

This Saturday marks 8 years since the death of the famous American writer Kurt Vonnegut. Many people know him from his novels and short stories which gained great popularity.

The writer himself not only created stories, but also analyzed how others do it. His master's thesis in anthropology, which he wrote at the University of Chicago, was devoted to how the plots of stories develop in different cultures. In his opinion, all stories can be classified according to the schedule of the main character's fate line, which fluctuates from failure to success. These stories can tell a lot about the culture in which they were written.

Partially, Vonnegut presented his theory in the book "A Man Without a Country", adding there several graphs, on which vertical line denoted the movement from failure to success, and horizontal - from the beginning to the end of the story.

Based on Vonnegut's lectures, designer Maya Eilam made detailed illustrations of the development of 8 plots outlined by the writer, with examples from literature and cinema. They are published by the famous American economist Barry Ritzholtz.

Major plots in literature

The most popular and beloved stories by readers and viewers are "Man in a Full Ass" and "Boy Meets Girl". At the same time, their variations can be very different, that is, for example, in the second story, a guy and a girl do not necessarily have to appear. The main thing is the path that the main character takes in different circumstances.

Of the films and books popular in Russia, the plot of "The Man in the Full Ass" includes "Robinson Crusoe" and, with some stretch, "Crime and Punishment", as well as the films "The Lord of the Rings" and "Sanctum", and from the recent "Interstellar".

Cinematography is also very fond of this plot. It was also used in classic cinema, for example, in " Caucasian captive”, as well as in Hollywood films like “The Notebook” or “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.

Vonnegut sees a slightly different plot in stories about the creation of the world and religious stories. On the one hand, these stories tell about how God endows a person with numerous gifts. On the other hand, the Bible talks about the fall that follows these gifts and deprives mankind of all the benefits that belonged to him.

The subjects of the Old Testament include such literary works like "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish", "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel", as well as a huge number of dystopian novels that draw perfect world, which turns out to be imperfect. At some stretch, this category includes tragedies where things start out more or less well and then fall apart.

Films about the apocalypse can also be included in this category, for example, the popular series “ the walking Dead»: the normal world can be considered a paradise that the heroes lost due to the epidemic. Now films about the end of the world are becoming more and more popular.

The plot of the New Testament, according to Vonnegut, is more like modern stories, and what he especially admired is reminiscent of the tale of Cinderella. Here, just as in stories about the creation of the world, a person is endowed with great gifts, then falls, but then gains even greater gifts and eternal good. According to Vonnegut himself, the Cinderella story is so popular that anyone who creates another retelling of it earns millions.

In the cinema, this plot is quite actively exploited, for example, in the film “Bruce Almighty”, the hero of Jim Carrey is endowed with the abilities of God, but then he spoils everything himself, however, then he corrects his mistakes.

This can also include famous movie"Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts, which has become a cult in Russia. The beloved by many "Moscow does not believe in tears" falls into the same category.

Some pieces are more complex. So, in Kafka's Metamorphoses, the fate of the protagonist develops from bad to worse, and in Shakespeare's Hamlet it is not completely clear whether what happens to the hero is good or bad.

According to Vonnegut, the genius of Hamlet lies precisely in its vagueness: “Shakespeare told us the truth, and people so rarely do this, being too caught up in their own ups and downs. The truth is that we know so little about life that we are not even able to determine what is good for us and what is bad.

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Classic literary plots often inspire young writers, and on this basis they create their novels. 203 years ago, on January 28, 1813, Jane Austen's novel was published. "Pride and Prejudice", which has been avidly read by girls all over the world for two centuries now. But the writer Helen Fielding not only read this book, but also wrote her own based on it - "The Diary of Bridget Jones". Let's see what other writers enjoy playing with classic plots.

Novel by James Joyce "Ulysses" is a recognized classic and one of the the best works on English language written in the 20th century. Main character- Dublin Jew Leopold Bloom, who for one day walks hometown, gets acquainted with different people, worries about his wife's infidelity, but does nothing to prevent it. At the same time, it is incredibly difficult to briefly retell the plot of the book, since it often resembles a stream of consciousness.

Joyce's novel contains many references to "Odyssey" Homer, the analysis of which is devoted great amount scientific works and dissertations. Already the title of the book "Ulysses" is the Latin form of the name Odysseus. Initially, the episodes of the novel had names corresponding to the ancient Greek epic (for example, the scene in the cemetery - Hades, newspaper editoring - aeolus). But in his address to the epic, Joyce ironically emphasized the inconsistencies between ancient Greek heroes And own characters. Odysseus traveled for many years and visited different countries, and Leopold Bloom walked around the city for one day. Odysseus tried his best to prevent his wife from cheating, and Bloom does nothing for this. Homer's Penelope is a symbol of female fidelity, and Bloom's wife Molly is a symbol of infidelity. Such is the strange "Odyssey" of the XX century.

In Ireland, there was even a holiday in honor of this novel - Bloom Day, which is celebrated on June 16 (it was on this day that Joyce's hero traveled around Dublin).

Helen Fielding never made a secret of the fact that "Pride and Prejudice" is one of her favorite books. And to write her novel, as the writer admitted, she was inspired by the television series of the same name, in which Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy. Later, when it came to film adaptation "The Diary of Bridget Jones" Fielding insisted that the same actor play her Mr. Darcy.

The writer specifically emphasized the similarity of the lawyer Mark Darcy and his literary predecessor. Both are rich and cold, which makes them seem arrogant to others. Here is how Bridget perceives Mark during the first meeting: "Rich, divorced-with-an-evil-wife Mark - rather tall - stood with his back to the room, carefully examining the contents bookshelves Alconbury: Basically a series of leather-bound books about the Third Reich that Geoffrey subscribes to through Reader's Digest. It seemed rather amusing to me to call myself Mr. Darcy, and yet stand aside, glancing arrogantly at the other guests. It's like having the last name Heathcliff and therefore spending the whole evening in the garden shouting "Kathy!" and bang your head against a tree.

Bridget's boss Daniel Cleaver, the same charming scoundrel, has become the modern Wickham. The plots of the novels are similar: girls at a "critical" age (if in the 19th century it was 21, in our time it is about 30) dream of finding their love and getting married. And both are hindered in this "Pride and Prejudice"- a misconception about the people with whom they communicate. Two centuries have passed, and people have about the same problems.

True, the eccentric Bridget is not at all like the reasonable Elizabeth Bennet. She has a whole bunch bad habits, there is no willpower, and she constantly makes the wrong decisions. But it was precisely such a charming loser that readers fell in love with. After all, we are all far from ideal.

Boris Akunin loves too "play classic", interpreting the plots of Russian literature in his own way. He even wrote The Seagull, continuing Anton Chekhov's play in a detective vein. In Akunin's work, the death of Konstantin Treplev is investigated, and Dr. Dorn takes on the role of an investigator.

In the book "F.M." Akunin decided to "play" with the most important work Russian literature - a novel by Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment". According to the plot, Nicholas Fandorin (of course, a descendant of the beloved Akunin hero) is looking for the original version of Dostoevsky's novel. According to Akunin, in this version, the killer was not Raskolnikov, but a completely different person. Thus, in the novel there are two detective stories: one from a recovered 19th-century manuscript, and the other unfolds in our time during the course of the investigation, and between these parallel stories there are many matches.

Or maybe, having come to his department, so casually to mention, they say, he met a friend yesterday on the street, he works in the address bureau, and he said that there are as many as sixteen Samsonas K. in Lithuania? No, one hundred and sixty! Or drag and arrange on your desk fourteen volumes of Balzac? And if you immediately reconcile with the fourth or second wife? No! It's better to head into the water! The last thought seemed to him the most successful, especially since a river flows not far from the house ...

With great effort, so that even the vertebrae crunch, Samsonas rises from the table, pulls on a baggy shirpotrebovsky jacket ... His own body, which he always treated with love and respect, now really seems to him a "foreign formation." “But the day after tomorrow is Saturday,” Katinelis suddenly thinks, “what am I going to do with this alien pile of bones and meat? Oh yes… the bridge…”

He pushes the “foreign formation” onto the stairs, goes downstairs, stops and looks at the blue with bitter reproach. Mailbox. But then he finds a pencil in his pocket. Uh, no, the river isn't going anywhere! Let's wait better for a new magazine poll ... And only then ... Already then! ..

WHY I DON'T WANT TO WRITE HUMORESKES ANY MORE

Why don't you write humoresques anymore? someone asked me unfamiliar person and, without waiting for an answer, waved his hand and went on his way.

Why do I no longer write humoresques? .. Why? .. Do you want to be honest? Do you want - in all honesty?

... At the end of that cloudy day, a plot for a humoresque was being tied up in my head - and what a plot! I quickened my pace in order to quickly get home and fall to typewriter. I could already hear the grateful and cheerful laughter of readers. Ah, what a plot! But…

But suddenly a crowd blocked my way. Something happened on the street: an accident, a collision? What exactly, through the backs of the crowded curious not to consider. I tried to cling more tightly to my plot (oh, what a plot!) And began, as expected, to push my way with my elbows. Accompanied by curses and pushes, somehow she finally made her way into the front rows of spectators. And what? .. A rather banal picture opened up before me: at the very sidewalk, with its hood buried in the side of the truck, there was a passenger car. By the way, she was still brand new - even without a number. A plush monkey bobbed behind the broken windshield. That's because the quickie - he hasn't received the number yet, but the amulet has already hung up! This amulet helped him, you can’t say anything!.. The unfortunate owner of the car felt the cut eyebrow and, as if in a dream, looked either at his rumpled car, or at the truck driver spewing curses, or at the monkey ...

That's all I saw on that cloudy evening, making my way into the front rows of the curious. Now, of course, you will ask why I stopped writing humoresques ... Do you think it was because of this accident? .. What are you! I have witnessed such accidents, in comparison with which this is a childish prank ...

The fact is that, having saturated my eyes and ears with the spectacle of a traffic accident, I again remembered my plot and that I should rush to the typewriter as soon as possible. I looked back at the living wall - I had to break through it again in order to gain freedom. She looked back and - like Lot's wife - turned into a pillar of salt. Yes Yes! So she remained standing, unable to take her eyes off the crowd. However, no, it was not a crowd, not a random gathering of people, a monolithic, almost single-celled organism crowded in front of me - with one outstretched neck, one eagerly open mouth, with one burning curiosity eye. And only one feeling overwhelmed him: boundless gratitude to fate, which gave him such a bright, joyful spectacle on this dull, cloudy day! When, for example, the injured private trader tried in vain to lift the lid of the dented hood, a single joyful chuckle escaped from a single chest, which immediately turned into a mighty waterfall of laughter, when a hefty guy got out of the truck cab and thrust his hairy fist under the victim’s nose ...

It was then, listening to the hearty, sparkling laughter, seeing the eye of the crowd sparkling with joy and bliss, I realized: never, never - even if I were the great Cervantes or Mark Twain - never could any of my humoresques be able to evoke such a powerful, joyful, infectious laughter!

I didn’t even feel how my palm spontaneously opened and the plot (oh, what a plot!) flopped onto the pavement, trembled slightly and breathed its last ... Why creative torment, why single combat with a capricious muse, why the exhausting work of sleepless nights? Isn't it easier to jump on a bicycle - or even better on a motorcycle - and crash into an excavator, or even better - into a pole ... That will be laughter! ..

HOW BREAD IS BAKED

PAINTING

I would like to buy a painting from you, - I said to the artist, entering his studio. - I dream of hanging a valuable work of art on the wall.

The artist, apparently, plunged into work with his head, however, upon hearing my words, he immediately threw the brush aside and offered me a chair, after brushing the dust off it with his sleeve. I liked it: real artists should have such sleeves and such dust. She sat down, put her purse on her knees, and looked around the studio. Dirty, paint-stained walls, a ceiling hung with cobwebs, a window patched with an old palette - you can’t say anything: everything that a real artist should have! The owner himself made a good impression: although he is still young, there are gray strands in his beard, a long mouthpiece sticks out of the breast pocket, boots on his feet are soft, with lapels, gathered like an accordion ... But for some reason without a black velvet jacket. And, to be honest, I was simply not able to imagine a real artist before without a black velvet or at least a brown suede jacket. In addition, I always believed that a true artist should not live and work in some low room with radiators and a window overlooking the courtyard. kindergarten, and in a high attic, where a bohemian stove-potbelly stove crackles cheerfully, and a unique view of the Seine embankments opens from the window, that is, I beg your pardon, the Neris River ...

What do you like? - asked the artist, setting up an empty easel in front of me. - Landscape, still life, figure composition?

The question didn't take me by surprise. Before coming here, I consulted with a certain representative creative world, a real authority: he wore not only a suede jacket, but also a black velvet beret, pulled down, as it should be in their art world, over the eardrum of his right ear. It was he who gave me the idea to decorate my interior with an original canvas. Once I ran to my company to drink coffee - as if on purpose, I did not find a single grain! - he critically surveyed my apartment and began to explain to his retinue: “In front of you is a typical bourgeois interior. Four gray walls - and not a single original touch! - "What's the next stroke?" - I was surprised. “An original work of art,” I was told. - With such bare walls, now it's a shame to show yourself to people. Coffee, mind you, now in every store in bulk, and valuable canvases are snapped up in an instant! - “If so,” I answer, “then, probably, in your own interior, to hell with this coffee, that is, original touches, you should run to you with your company, take a look.” - "In my? he frowned and pulled the beret over his eyes like a bathing cap. - I'm constantly snooping around the world of art, why do I need my own strokes? Run to him before it's too late and grab the original painting. One that is artistically valuable. And only for his brush characteristic. And also essential for your interior!”

Theme with variations

If you've ever watched the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray (or Beware the Doors Are Closing!, The Butterfly Effect, Back to the Future...), then you already know what a theme with variations is.

In these films, with each twist in the plot, the images of the characters or the circumstances in which these characters find themselves are modified, but at the same time something always remains unchanged.

Wherever the action takes place - in the present, past or future - a trailer with manure still overturns on Marty McFly's enemies; the heroine Gwyneth Paltrow in both scenarios meets her future boyfriend; weather reporter Phil Connors wakes up again and again in hotel room Township of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day February 2, and most he has already memorized the events that await him on this day, although thanks to his intervention they “sound” every time in a new way.

Approximately according to the same principle (not literally, of course :) musical variations, only in them undergoes transformations musical theme. In each variant (=variation), it is colored with new colors, and ideally, it also turns with new facets, acquires new features (in this case, it is not possible to follow its metamorphoses).

Pieces written in the form of a theme with variations are just a godsend for i-virtuosos, who find it profitable to shine by presenting to the listener everything they are capable of at once (, various brilliant ...)

Although, of course, the task before the performer here is not only technical. After all, good variations also imply a variety of artistic, images, characters, moods: here you need to be a violinist, an artist and an artist at the same time, to be able to transform.

Variations of Paganini, Ernst, Khandoshkin

Paganini was very fond of variations. Already in its first solo concert, which he gave at the age of 11, he played, among other things, his own variations on the revolutionary song "Carmagnola". Later, Paganini composed many variations on romantic themes: among them "The Witch" on a theme from the ballet "The Wedding of Benevento" by Süssmayr, "Prayer" on one string on a theme from the opera "Moses" by Rossini, "At the hearth I no longer feel sad" on a theme from the opera "Cinderella" by Rossini, " Trembling of the Heart" on a theme from the opera "Tancred" by Rossini, "How the Heart Stops" on a theme from the opera "The Beautiful Miller's Woman" by Paisiello. The most “armor-piercing” Paganinian variations in terms of technique are on the theme of the English anthem “God Save the Queen!”

The famous 24th Paganini, by the way, also consists entirely of variations. The theme of the caprice - impudent, rebellious - undoubtedly should have been to the taste of the Carbonari at one time. It is followed by variations that reveal the potential of the theme with different sides. The first - sparkling volatile beads fall in cascades, the second - a gloomy minor lace with sharp ones is woven, the third - a lyrical sad melody performed by deep ones. And then seven more variations, including variations, and with the left hand, and the final of and broken lines, forming, as it were, several “terraces”. All this should not just be played, but so that the listener feels as if he is being led through the enfilades of the same building: there must be development, forward movement and a convincing conclusion.

Another famous virtuoso of past eras, Heinrich Ernst, also could not pass by the genre of theme with variations. He left us the "Last Rose of Summer", which now (together with "God Save the Queen!") scare beginner violinists, and the audience at the same time. This piece, which is extremely difficult to perform, is based on the theme of the Scottish song of the same name, with lyrics by Thomas More. Those who are not enthusiastic about the technical "bells and whistles" of "Rose" vindictively call her stupid in content and poor in music. But they are unfair to Rosa. After all, the main thing for variations in it is a wonderful theme. There is also a plot that is quite capable of fueling the imagination. If you read carefully, and then work on the image, phrasing, while listening to the same song in other traditions (performed by Clannad eg... or opera diva Lily Pons, or Deanna Durbin...) - then the game with this piece will be completely different. But in order for it to give pleasure, it is necessary, of course, to emphasize the theme, to play it with a beautiful sound, despite all the and wrapped around it. That is, you still need it sing…

The "Russian Paganini" Khandoshkin was also a fan of virtuoso variations. He took Russians as a topic folk songs, which acquired under his fingers a new, seemingly unusual brilliance and color. The song “There was a birch in the field” sounded temperamentally and almost rebelliously - we probably would not have guessed about its nature without Khandoshkin.

Philosophical variations

Not only the most virtuosic, but also the deepest in content violin works (Corelli's Folia, Bach's Chaconne) are written in the form of variations.

The philosophical potential of variations is great because, after all, life itself is multivariate. And although in reality we have to choose only one of the existing options (that is, we are deprived of the opportunity to see life in all its diversity), in music you can do otherwise. Watching how the same topic develops in different planes, we can come to a lot of interesting thoughts and even - who knows? - perhaps it is better to understand the structure of all living things.