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Classic books everyone should read. Books Recommended Reading Essential Reading

Surely many people think that classical works by definition are long, boring, have a long period of limitation of writing, and therefore are not always clear to the modern reader. This is a common mistake. After all, in fact, the classic is everything that is not subject to time.

The best classics are brought to your attention. They conquered millions of readers. And even those who claim to be dissatisfied with the creation of the author, believe me, did not remain indifferent.

The themes revealed in such works are relevant for any age. And if a 19th-century author were to write such a book now, it would again become a bestseller. one.
The novel consists of two different, but intertwined parts. The time of the first is modern Moscow, the second is ancient Jerusalem. Each part is filled with events and characters - historical, fictional, as well as scary and amazing creatures.

2.
What forces move the people? They are the result of the actions of individuals - kings, generals - or such a feeling as patriotism, or is there a third force that determines the direction of history. The main characters are painfully looking for the answer to this question.

3.
The novel is based on the experience that Dostoevsky received in hard labor. Student Raskolnikov, who lived in poverty for several months, is convinced that a humane goal will justify the most terrible act, even the murder of a greedy and useless old money-lender.

4.
A novel that was ahead of its time and came out long before the emergence of such a cultural phenomenon as postmodernism. The main characters of the work - 4 sons born from different mothers - symbolize those irrepressible elements that can lead to the death of Russia.

5.
Should I stay with my husband, who was always indifferent to her inner world and never loved her, or should I give myself with all my heart to the one who made her feel happy? Throughout the novel, the heroine, the young aristocrat Anna, suffers from such a choice.

6.
The poor young prince is returning by train home to Russia. On the way, he meets the son of one of the rich merchants, who is obsessed with a passion for one girl, a kept woman. In the metropolitan society, obsessed with money, power and manipulation, the prince turns out to be an outsider.

7.
Despite the name, the work itself has nothing to do with mysticism, which is mainly inherent in the work of this writer. In the tradition of "severe" realism, the life of landowners in the Russian provinces is described, where a former official comes to pull off his scam.

8.
The young Petersburg rake, having had enough of love and secular entertainment, leaves for the village, where he strikes up a friendship with a poet who is in love with one of the daughters of a local nobleman. The second daughter falls in love with the rake, but he does not return her feelings.

9.
The famous Moscow surgeon decides to conduct a very risky experiment on a stray dog ​​in his large apartment, where he receives patients. As a result, the animal began to turn into a human. But at the same time he acquired all human vices.

10.
People come to the provincial town who, it would seem, cannot be connected with anything. But they know each other because they belong to the same revolutionary organization. Their goal is to arrange a political revolt. Everything goes according to plan, but one revolutionary decides to quit the game.

These are, in our opinion, the top 10 classic books that everyone should read. But the following works are no less great! Let's go further:

11.
Iconic work of the 19th century. In the center of the story is a student who does not accept traditional public morality and opposes everything old, non-progressive. For him, only scientific knowledge is valuable, which can explain everything. Except love.

12.
By profession he was a doctor, by vocation he was a writer, whose talent was fully revealed when creating short humorous stories. They quickly became classics all over the world. In them, in an accessible language - the language of humor - human vices are revealed.

13.
This work is on a par with Gogol's poem. In it, the main character is also a young adventurer who is ready to promise everyone what, in principle, is impossible to do. And all for the sake of a treasure, which a few more people know about. And no one is going to share it.

14.
After a three-year separation, young Alexander returns to the house of his beloved Sophia to propose to her. However, she refuses him and says that she now loves another. The rejected lover begins to blame the society in which Sophia grew up.

15.
What should a real nobleman do if the life of a young noble girl depends on him? Sacrifice yourself, but do not drop the honor. This is what the young officer directs when the fortress in which he serves is attacked by the impostor tsar.

16.
Terrible poverty and hopelessness suffocate the old inhabitant of Cuba. One day he, as usual, goes to sea, not hoping for a big catch. But this time, a large prey comes across his hook, with which the fisherman fights for several days, not giving her the opportunity to leave.

17.
Ragin selflessly serves as a doctor. However, his zeal is coming to naught, he sees no reason to change life around him, because it is impossible to cure the madness that reigns around him. The doctor begins daily visits to the ward where the mentally ill are kept.

18.
What is more destructive - to do nothing and only indulge in dreams about how it is worth living, or to get up from the couch and start realizing your plans? The young and lazy landowner Ilya Ilyich at first occupied the first position, but after falling in love, he woke up from his sleepy state.

19.
You can write magnificent works not only about the life of a big city, but also about the life of a small Ukrainian farm. During the day, the usual rules apply here, and at night power passes to supernatural forces that can both help and at the same time destroy.

20.
A talented surgeon settles illegally in Paris, but he is not prevented from practicing medicine. Before moving, he lived in Germany, from which he fled, but at the same time he let his beloved die. In the new place, he quickly begins another romance.

21.
The Russian tutor goes on a journey with the family in which he serves. At the same time, he is secretly in love with the girl Polina. And so that she understands all his nobility, he begins to play roulette in the hope of getting big money. And he succeeds, but the girl does not accept the winnings.

22.
The world of family comfort, nobility and true patriotism is breaking down under the onslaught of a social catastrophe in Russia. The fleeing Russian officers settle in Ukraine and hope that they will not fall under the rule of the Bolsheviks here. But one day the defense of the city weakens, and the enemy goes on the offensive.

23.
A cycle of small works that are written in a different artistic manner. Here you can find a romantic duelist, and sentimental stories about eternal love, and a harsh picture of reality in which money rules, and because of them a person can lose the most important thing.

24.
What Pushkin did not succeed in his time, Dostoevsky succeeded. The work is completely a correspondence between a poor official and a young girl who also has a small income. But at the same time, the heroes are not poor in soul.

25.
A story about the invincibility and resilience of a man who does not want to be someone's loyal soldier. For the sake of freedom, Hadji Murad goes over to the side of the imperial troops, but he does this in order to save not himself, but his family, which is held captive by the enemy.

26.
In these seven works, the author leads us through the streets of St. Petersburg, which was built with the help of strength and ingenuity in a swampy area. Deception and violence hide under its harmonious façade. The inhabitants are confused by the city itself, giving them false dreams.

27.
This collection of short stories is the first major work that won recognition for the author. It is based on personal observations while hunting on his mother's estate, where Turgenev learned of the mistreatment of peasants and the injustice of the Russian system.

28.
The protagonist is the son of a landowner whose property was confiscated by a corrupt and treacherous general. After the death of his father, the hero becomes a criminal. To achieve the ultimate goal - revenge - he resorts to more cunning means: he seduces the daughter of his enemy.

29.
This classic war novel is written from the perspective of a young German soldier. The hero is only 18 years old, and under the pressure of his family, friends and society, he enters military service and goes to the front. There he witnesses such horrors that he dares not tell anyone.

30.
Mischievous and energetic Tom enjoys childish pranks and games with his friends. One day, at the city cemetery, he witnesses a murder committed by a local tramp. The hero makes a vow that he will never talk about it, and so begins his journey into adulthood.

31.
The story of a miserable Petersburg official who was robbed of his expensive overcoat. No one wants to help him return the thing, from which the hero eventually becomes seriously ill. Even during the life of the author, critics adequately appreciated the work from which all Russian realism was born.

32.
The novel is on a par with another work of the author - "The Call of the Ancestors". Much of White Fang is also written from the point of view of the dog whose name appears in the title. This allows the author to show how animals see their world and how they see a person.

33.
The novel tells the story of 19-year-old Arkady - the illegitimate son of a landowner and a maid - as he struggles to make amends and "become a Rothschild" despite Russia still being tied to its old value system.

34.
A novel about how the hero, who is very broken and disappointed due to a failed marriage, returns to his estate and finds his love again - only to lose her. This reflects the main theme: a person is not destined to experience happiness, except as something ephemeral.

35.
A dark and fascinating tale tells of the struggle of an indecisive, aloof hero in a world of relative values. The innovative work introduces the moral, religious, political and social themes that dominate the author's later masterpieces.

36.
The narrator arrives in Sevastopol, which is under siege, and makes a detailed inspection of the city. As a result, the reader has the opportunity to study all the features of military life. We get to the dressing station, where horror reigns, and to the most dangerous bastion.

37.
The work is partly based on the life experience of the author, who took part in the war in the Caucasus. A nobleman, disillusioned with his privileged life, enlists in the army to escape the superficiality of everyday life. A hero in search of a full life.

3 8. $
The first social novel of the author, which is partly an artistic introduction for those who belonged to the previous era, but lived at a time when political and social movements began. This era has already been forgotten, but it is worth remembering.

39.
One of the greatest and most successful dramatic works. A Russian aristocrat and her family return to their estate to see how the public auction is going, where their house and huge garden are put up for debt. The old masters lose in the fight against the new trends of life.

40.
The hero was sentenced to death on charges of killing his wife, but was subsequently exiled to Siberian penal servitude for 10 years. Life in prison is hard for him - he is an intellectual and experiences the anger of other prisoners. Gradually, he overcomes disgust and experiences a spiritual awakening.

41.
On the eve of his wedding, a young aristocrat learns that his fiancee had an affair with the king. It was a blow to his pride, so he renounces everything worldly and takes the vows as a monk. So pass long years of humility and doubt. Until he decides to become a hermit.

42.
A manuscript falls into the hands of the editor, which tells about a young and depraved man who worked as a forensic investigator. He becomes one of the "corners" in the love triangle in which the married couple is involved. The outcome of the story is the murder of his wife.

43.
A work banned until 1988, in which, through the fate of a military doctor, the story of a people who perished in the turmoil of the revolution is told. From the general madness, the hero, together with his family, runs deep into the country, where he meets the one he does not want to let go.

44.
The protagonist, like all his friends, is a war veteran. He is a poet at heart, but works for a friend who runs a small tombstone business. This money is not enough, and he receives additional income by giving private lessons and playing the organ in a local mental hospital.

45.
In a foreign war, Frederic falls in love with a nurse and tries to seduce her, after which their relationship begins. But one day the hero is wounded by a fragment of a mortar shell, and he is sent to a Milan hospital. There, away from the war, he is healed - both physically and mentally.

46.
During breakfast, the barber discovers a human nose in his bread. With horror, he recognizes it as the nose of a regular visitor who bears the rank of collegiate assessor. In turn, the injured official discovers the loss and submits an absurd ad to the newspaper.

47.
The protagonist, a boy, striving for independence and freedom, escapes from his alcoholic father by faking his own death. And so begins his journey through the south of the country. He meets a runaway slave and they float down the Mississippi River together.

48.
The plot of the poem is based on the events that really took place in St. Petersburg in 1824. The political, historical and existential questions that the author formulates with dazzling power and conciseness continue to be the subject of controversy among critics.

49.
In order to save his beloved, who was forcibly taken away by an evil sorcerer, the warrior Ruslan will have to go on an epic and dangerous journey, facing many fantastic and terrible creatures. This is a dramatic and witty retelling of Russian folklore.

50.
The most famous play describes a family of aristocrats who struggle to find any meaning in their lives. The three sisters and their brother live in a remote province, but they struggle to return to the sophisticated Moscow where they grew up. The play captures the decline of the "masters of life".

51.
The hero is obsessed with an all-consuming love for one princess, who hardly knows about his existence. One day, a society lady receives an expensive bracelet for her birthday. The husband finds a secret admirer and asks him to stop compromising a decent woman.

52.
In this classic literary representation of gambling, the author explores the nature of the obsession. Secret and otherworldly clues alternate with the story of a fiery Herman who wants to make his fortune at the card table. The secret of success is known to one old woman.

53.
Muscovite Gurov is married and has a daughter and two sons. However, he is not happy in family life and often cheats on his wife. Resting in Yalta, he sees a young lady walking along the embankment with her little dog, and is constantly looking for opportunities to get to know her.

54.
This collection is in some way the culmination of the work that he did throughout his life. The stories were written on the eve of a terrible world war in the context of a collapsing Russian culture. The action of each work concentrates on a love theme.

55.
The story is told from the point of view of an anonymous narrator who reminisces about his youth, in particular his stay in a small town west of the Rhine. Critics consider the hero a classic "extra person" - indecisive and undecided about his place in life.

56.
Four laconic plays, later known as "Little Tragedies", were written at the moment of the rise of creative forces, and their influence cannot be overestimated. Being the author's transcription of plays by Western European authors, "Tragedies" offer readers topical problems.

57.
This story takes place in Europe, in a hedonistic society during the Roaring Twenties. A rich schizophrenic girl falls in love with her psychiatrist. As a result, a whole saga of troubled marriages, love affairs, duels and incest unfolds.

58.
Some scholars distinguish three poems in the work of this author, in which one original idea is embodied. One of them is, of course, Mtsyri. The main character is a 17-year-old monk who was forcibly taken away from his village as a child, and one day he escapes.

59.
A completely young mongrel runs away from her permanent owner and finds herself a new one. It turns out to be an artist who performs in a circus with numbers in which animals participate. Therefore, for a smart little dog, his own separate number is immediately invented.

60.
In this story, among many of its themes, such as Europeanized Russian society, adultery and provincial life, the theme of a woman, or rather, the planning of a murder by a woman, comes to the fore. The title of the piece is a reference to Shakespeare's play.

61. Leo Tolstoy - Fake Coupon
Schoolboy Mitya is in desperate need of money - he needs to repay the debt. Depressed by this situation, he follows the evil advice of his friend, who showed him how to change the denomination of the banknote. This act sets off a chain of events that affects the lives of dozens of other people.

62.
The most outstanding work of Proust, which is known for its length and the theme of involuntary memories. The novel began to take shape as early as 1909. The author continued to work on it until his last illness, which forced him to stop working.

63.
The voluminous poem tells the story of seven peasants who set out to ask various sections of the village population if they are happy. But wherever they went, they were always given an unsatisfactory answer. Of the planned 7-8 parts, the author wrote only half.

64.
The story of the sad life of a young girl who lived in extreme poverty and became an orphan in an instant, but she is adopted by a wealthy family. When she meets her new half-sister, Katya, she instantly falls in love with her and the two soon become inseparable.

65.
The protagonist is a classic Hemingway hero: a violent guy, an underground liquor dealer who smuggles weapons and transports people from Cuba to the Florida Keys. He risks his life to dodge the Coast Guard's bullets and manages to outsmart her.

66.
During a train ride, one of the passengers overhears a conversation going on in the compartment. When one woman argues that marriage should be based on true love, he asks her: what is love? In his opinion, love quickly turns into hatred, and tells his story.

67. Leo Tolstoy - Notes of the marker
The narrator is a simple marker, a person who keeps score and arranges balls on a billiard table. If the game goes well and the players come across not stingy, then he gets a good reward. But one day a very gambling young man appears in the club.

68.
The protagonist is looking for peace in Polissya, which should cheer him up. But in the end he gets one unbearable boredom. But one day, having gone astray, he comes across a hut, where an old woman and her beautiful granddaughter are waiting for him. After such a magical meeting, the hero becomes a frequent guest here.

69.
In the center of attention is a janitor of high stature and powerful physique. He falls in love with a young washerwoman and wants to marry her. But the lady decides differently: the girl goes to the eternally drunk shoemaker. The hero finds his consolation in caring for a small dog.

70.
One evening, the three sisters shared their dreams with each other: what would they do if they became the wives of the king. But the prayers of only the third sister were heard - Tsar Saltan marries her and orders her to give birth to an heir by a certain date. But envious sisters begin to mischief.

A classic must-read. Part 1
A classic cannot always be relevant. Any text, as Eco wrote, can be interpreted or used. In the first case, you accept the terms of the game set by the author. You interpret the text in terms of the conditions and the time in which it was created. Explore it to understand its essence and nature. And when using it, you are free to give your own assessment of what is happening: criticize the characters, discuss their actions, etc. The use case is closer to me. Interpretation is more for literary monuments. That is why they are not relevant. But you can also find benefit in them - language, syllable: all this will help you speak and write better, formulate your thoughts more competently.

You have to grow up to many books. Not age, but spiritually, and this is not the same thing. Even to many books from the school curriculum. You can be advised a lot of books, but any reading will be of no use until we study the classics. Our list contains only a small fraction of those classics that are strictly required reading. However, we will try our best to offer you the best.

Faust, Johann Goethe



Fools are content
They see meaning in every word.


The name of the book is so firmly connected with its author that many are sure that Goethe's Faust is the name of the protagonist of the work, or even his title.

It is worth reading if only to know what one of the most quoted, respected, praised and mentioned novels in human history is. Fans of motivation should like it, there is more than enough of it here. After all, my dear, this is not just a story about how the charming Satan acquired the soul from the poor and hard worker Faust. This is a novel about people who rebelled against the vegetative reality in the name of freedom of action and thought. About people called to transform the world by joint free and reasonable work.

And it is also a storehouse of quotes and wise sayings, in addition to the winged one: "Stop, a moment, you are beautiful!" And if you try to understand this not the easiest book, then in return it will endow you with the deep wisdom of the ages, accumulated by Mr. Goethe and poured out like an ink stream on white pages.

The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri



There is a force that is called reason.
And you are able to weigh on the scales
Good and evil.


It is an unthinkable crime against humanity to claim that The Divine Comedy is outdated, irrelevant, and boring. It is boring for narrow-minded people, outdated for the ignorant, irrelevant for the stupid. Alighieri wrote the immortal opus of the name of the triumph of life not so that some idiot, seeing many letters, would begin to vilify the work of his life.

It doesn't matter if you are a Christian or a Muslim, an atheist or a believer - everyone should read this work. Even more so as an atheist. Not in order to figure out which of the circles of Hell you will fall into, but in order to learn to distinguish between good and bad, good and evil, worthy from vile. The stories of students, real and not so, make you think about life. Do not come to God, but understand yourself.

You can even describe this masterpiece as a review of a computer game. "The plot is an interesting, carefully thought out to the smallest detail world." And you can at the same time study the history of Italy during its most interesting period. How I love this piece!



If you want to throw yourself out of the window,” Schweik said. - So go to the room, I opened the window. I would not advise you to jump from the kitchen, because you will fall into the garden right on the roses, break all the bushes, and you will have to pay for it. And from that window, you'll fly off perfectly onto the sidewalk and, if you're lucky, break your neck. If you are not lucky, then you will only break your ribs, arms and legs, and you will have to pay for treatment in the hospital.


Josef Schweik is a separate layer of literary heroes who left the book pages and began to live their own lives. He does not need a literary history - he himself is a walking anecdote. There are few such heroes, except that he, Don Quixote, and ... And, perhaps, everything. No one has such anecdotal significance. Therefore, some perceive "Schweik" as an easy, unpretentious story. Yes, it is written in a masterpiece of satirical language, sometimes rude, sometimes ridiculous. And yet, this is an incredibly accurate and sometimes even offensive satire, denouncing the war, the military leadership and, of course, idiots from society.

Hasek, who is as epic as he is insane, created the same hero. And despite the title of "idiot" thanks to the merciless mockery of the delirium reigning around, Josef Schweik, smoking a pipe, drinking beer and telling one story more beautiful than another, begins to seem like a completely normal person. So if suddenly you are considered an idiot, read this masterpiece, maybe you are really not yourself? And what are the exact quotes here: from the topical: "From the walls of the police department breathed the spirit of power alien to the people," to the vital: "The trouble is, when a person suddenly begins to philosophize - it always smells of delirium tremens." They can be collected, inserted as a comment on any news, and they will always be, as they say, on point.

"Childhood", Maxim Gorky



To die is not great wisdom, you would know how to live!


There could be Tolstoy's "Childhood" here, but this is not his main work, there are others, more important and sensitive, which will characterize the count and life better. You read them anyway. But with Gorky, everything is quite the opposite: without reading childhood, you will not understand either the author himself or life. The sad autobiographical narrative of Gorky's first years, which you successfully skipped in high school, explains many things much better. It's even strange: book actions take place at the end of the 19th century, but life, people and human scum have not changed. It is about these things that Gorky, from the position of a wise-haired peasant, writes. And it is impossible to break away, and it is impossible to argue with the opinion of the author.

Unfortunately, the image of the Bolshevik writer alienates modern readers from him, but in vain. "Old Woman Izergil" is one of the best folklore works in history, "At the Bottom" is social, "Makar Chudra" sounds funny, and, of course, the wonderful "Childhood" that you need to read for yourself, and not out of respect for the school program and the person after whom the streets and planes were named.

"Crime and Punishment", Fyodor Dostoevsky



Poverty is not a vice, it is a truth. I know that drunkenness is not a virtue, and this is all the more so. But poverty, sir, poverty is a vice. In poverty, you still retain your nobility of innate feelings; in poverty, never anyone.


Absolutely expected piece on this list, right? And it is precisely because of this "expectation", because of his fame, because of the awe that the name of the author causes, that it is worth reading. Because Dostoevsky has become fashionable. And it is disgusting that many people try to love and read it, although what they read does not evoke any emotions in them. Therefore, you must independently study the most iconic work of the master and form your attitude towards it without regard to fashion and universal reverence.

Well, of course, not only for this. The book is really interesting and good. The author plunges into the psychological process of the crime, like Jacques-If Cousteau into the bosom of another sea, and fishes out pictures from there that make the criminal understand rather than condemn. And what colorful and unfortunate heroes are everywhere, it’s even difficult to call them secondary.

But from the standpoint of personal opinion, many aspects can be argued, and this is right, this is good: when a book gives rise to controversy, it means that it is obligatory.

"The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra



All women are like that,” said Don Quixote. - A distinctive feature of their nature is to despise those who love them, and love those who despise them.


Pay attention to the quote. It was written 200 years before Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin expressed the same idea in poetic form for his Eugene Onegin. In the very novel of wisdom, row at least with a spoon, the main thing is to distinguish it in time.

Cervantes wrote a unique work that has everything: to laugh, to write out aphorisms, and to think. Not everyone will obey the noticeably outdated style, not everyone will be pleased with the scale of the work, but those who are eager to find out why the name of the protagonist has become a household name, and the name of Cervantes is woven with golden threads into world culture, may begin to look at some things from a different angle.

A novel about the adventures of a completely sick man, written by a writer going crazy, is considered by many as a parody of the chivalric novels that had gone out of fashion by that time. But in fact, the great genius laughs at a society that has completely lost its nobility, and the last worthy person turned out to be the crazy old man Alonso Quijano, who had read these very novels and set off on a journey on a decrepit nag, taking with him the peasant Sancho Panso - the only "voice of reason" in their coordinated team.

Whatever the name is a common noun, whatever the phrase is an aphorism. For 400 years of its existence, the novel has not lost its popularity, giving birth to a bunch of imitators and proudly bearing the title of the best novel in the history of literature. Yes, we all left Gogol's "Overcoat", but first we got off Cervantes' Rosinante.

"Lolita", Vladimir Nabokov



We are not sexual fiends! We don't rape like the good soldiers do. We are unhappy, gentle, well-mannered, dog-eyed people who are adapted enough to control their impulses in the presence of adults, but are ready to give many, many years of life for one opportunity to touch a nymphet.


A novel that turned world literature upside down and made Nabokov a favorite author of both the intelligentsia and poorly educated degenerates who have not read the book, but they really like the idea itself: a sexual relationship between a man and a little girl.

But in fact, Nabokov wrote about great love, which, due to certain circumstances, namely the immaturity of the object of love, was condemned by society. When an adult uncle begins to cohabit with a non-adult girl, it does not end with anything good. After all, the child grows up, she becomes bored, and the damned Lolya ceases to put "love at first sight, from the last sight, from the eternal sight" into anything.

And, of course, separate compliments to Bunin's former heir. Nabokov writes frankly about the forbidden topic, but without obvious vulgarity. The beautiful, rich language of the classical Russian writer describes even the most slippery fragments of an erotic sense as if we are talking about the unrequited love of two adults.

Read the novel that strongly influenced the American literary school and slightly opened the doors of the unacceptable in popular literature.

"Night in Lisbon", Erich Maria Remarque



The world never seems so beautiful as at the moment when you say goodbye to it, when you are deprived of freedom.


"All Quiet on the Western Front", "Three Comrades" - these are, of course, legendary and crazy classic novels, but this story touches no less, to the very heart. It is about the war, even if it is not written from the perspective of a soldier. It is about loss, albeit not combat. It is about the loss of the most precious thing, it is about impotence in the face of tragedy.

You need to grow up to it, you need to be ready for it, because behind the easy title, which is more suitable for a love story, there is a drama that the world has never seen. It is about love, but this love was crushed and swallowed up by the war, which burned everything in the human soul. The desperate confession of a man who has lost everything discourages even the most fierce cynic. You don’t even want to think about how you would live if, God forbid, you were in the place of the narrator.

The novel itself is built as a story within a story, where the unfortunate, against the backdrop of the turmoil of calm Lisbon, tells his story to Ludwig Kern (those who have read "Love thy neighbor" know this hero). This confession was supposed to be the payment for tickets for the ship with refugees, but it became something more. With his style, Remarque is able to turn even a fairy tale about a kolobok into a bestseller about tired people and a lost generation. But here he outdid himself.

"The Golden Calf", Ilya Ilf, Evgeny Petrov



Women love: young, politically literate, long-legged...


Some will be indignant: they say, why the hell did we include the imperishable Ilf and Petrov, and not Gogol or Chekhov, in the lists of classics? After all, against the backdrop of, say, "The Cherry Orchard", according to which even Americans put on performances, that "The Golden Calf", that "12 Chairs" seem like easy reading.

Well, one can argue with the latter, because if the novel is not known abroad as well as The Inspector General, this does not mean that it is worse. It's just that the realities of the NEP are difficult to explain to the same Palestinians. The story, which is divided into quotes (such as "A car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation"), is it really not a classic? This is a classic squared, cubed! Ideal, easy, understandable to everyone, even to a 12-year-old child (at this age, your obedient servant first got acquainted with this reading matter), where every phrase is an aphorism, where even serious moments are presented as ironically as possible. In a sense, this is the history of the country, and in some sense it is a diagnosis of society, and, as often happens, the types and characters described in abundance have not disappeared even in our time.

Ilf and Petrov, the most talented journalists, communicate with the reader in an extremely ironic and intelligent way, choosing such turns of speech that one gets the impression that you are at the performance of a stand-up comedian, in a cozy conversation joking over the Kareyks, Benders, Panikovskys and Shuram Balaganovs.

The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio



Who is talking about what, and we are talking about our beloved Renaissance. Well, where without it, if such masterpieces were written in the 14th century! And, surprisingly, this epoch-making work is read very easily. It is clear that the ornate style fashionable at that time is fully present (excuse me, this is not a laconic Dovlatov), ​​but the book is still very easy to read. And most importantly, it is interesting even after so much time.

For some reason, many people think that the word "decameron" sounds somehow dramatic and carries a negative connotation, but in fact the name is translated from Greek as "ten days", that is, ten days. And all these ten days, beautiful young people who fled the city from the plague tell delightful stories to each other, and, as usual, one story is more beautiful than another.

While reading, you begin to enjoy the freedom and looseness of the heroes of Boccaccio's short stories. No framework, they live and enjoy life. And it's wonderful!

For some reason, it is even difficult to explain why, I want to return to the Decameron again and again. The impressions from reading it are as wonderful as the memory of the first love, the first glass of beer, the first prison term. And the stories that these beautiful young people tell, collected from the urban folklore of Florence, mythology and then popular fairy tales, are really interesting. And when, almost 700 years after the writing of these novels, you read Fifty Shades of Grey, you wonder where humanity has taken a wrong turn?

Books for compulsory reading are one of the most important problems in modern teacher education. The fact is that it is very difficult to decide what literature should be read to schoolchildren due to the huge number and also due to the fact that in modern society each school often draws up its own curriculum.

school literature

Familiarization with domestic and educational institutions is a rather laborious process. It is very difficult to master the main works of writers in one academic year. Therefore, teachers often decide for themselves which required reading books should be studied in the classroom. Usually the choice falls on the most famous works of authors and poets. At the same time, due to the need to save time, teachers are limited to the most significant work.

The main thing studied in schools is, of course, the classics. Students pass the most famous works of world and domestic literature. Unfortunately, very often teachers are forced to ignore very large and significant works, such as Shakespeare's plays, or they are not studied at all, or they are read very superficially. Russian books that are required reading occupy a more important place in the educational program. Be sure to read at school: from poetry - the novel "Eugene Onegin", the poem "Mtsyri"; from prose - the novels "Crime and Punishment", "War and Peace", "Quiet Don".

Problems of the educational program for the study of classics

Of course, at school lessons, preference is given to Russian classics, but in this case, schoolchildren still get only the most general idea of ​​​​our prose and poetry. In general, the educational program in literature is very difficult because of the very specifics of the subject. After all, the study of this subject is directly related to artistic creativity and therefore requires a special approach. Traditionally, since Soviet times, there has been a certain list of works that should be studied in educational institutions. Compulsory books for reading at school should reflect the main trends and achievements in Russian literature, from the 18th century to our time.

Children's books

Closely related to the above problem is the question of choosing the best books for the child. After all, childhood is the time when interests and impressions are strongest, so parents are faced with the task of choosing a work that would instill in children a love for prose and poetry. In this case, the most optimal type of literature, of course, is a fairy tale. Magic stories, unusual characters, fascinating story will not leave any child indifferent. It is best to introduce the child to Russian folk tales, songs, traditions, legends and epics. This will allow children to feel love for the history and past of our country on a sensory-emotional level. As an example, we can cite the following tales for mandatory reading: "Frost", "Vasilisa the Beautiful", about Ivan Tsarevich and the gray wolf, sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka.

for a child

Another type of literature most suitable for reading in childhood is works of a cognitive nature. Young children love stories about nature, plants, animals, as well as interesting information about different countries, etc. It should be borne in mind that books that are required reading for children are a special type of literature aimed at developing the cognitive and creative abilities of a child. Therefore, it is possible to offer children not only works, but also riddles, puzzles, crossword puzzles and other interesting exercises in order to accustom young children to mental activity. As an example, we can name the works of Bianchi, Nosov.

"Women's" genres in literature

Books that women must read are, as a rule, romance novels, satirical and humorous detective stories, and possibly adventurous and adventure works. This also includes scientific and educational literature, light prose and poetry. The works of Dontsova, Ustinova, who write in a very exciting and original form, are very popular. This style of presentation, perhaps, is especially popular among the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity.

The list of books required reading for women can be supplemented by the prose of such famous writers as A. Christie, S. Bronte, D. Austin. Their prose is characterized by deep drama and a sharp plot, which will be especially exciting for both young girls and adult wives and mothers. And finally, a separate word should be said about poetry. Here, first of all, we should mention the wonderful poems by A. Akhmatova and M. Tsvetaeva, which, by their sound, are best suited for a female audience. Among these works, one can recommend the novels "Jane Eyre", "Consuelo", "Pride and Prejudice", "Town".

"Male" literature

Books that men must read are perhaps one of the most difficult issues: the problems of choice in this case are especially acute. The range of works written in the most diverse genres by domestic and quite wide. Here you can name detectives, and adventure literature, and fantasy, and adventurous prose, and many others.

In addition, applied literature can also be mentioned in this list: works on engineering, repair work, complex computer technologies, construction and other industries. Since men often have such hobbies as fishing, hunting, they can be offered work on arranging fishing equipment, guns, and cars. Also, men may be interested in works of an analytical nature: political, economic, social and, finally, scientific monographs.

To this list, one can add cognitive literature: for example, general works on history, social science, economics, and others. Perhaps many will be interested in works on bodybuilding. Modern men are interested in business, so some interesting literature on companies, trade and entrepreneurship is especially relevant these days. Mandatory books for men are In the Trenches of Stalingrad, Hot Snow, Three Comrades, The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Classic literature

At present, the question is especially acute that it is necessary to compile a single unified list that would include all the necessary books that are required to be read. Classics, undoubtedly, takes first place among the vast amount of literature. Of course, in the first place, preference is given to the works of domestic authors. Traditionally, they study Russian poets of the 19th century (Pushkin, Lermontov, Fet and others), as well as major prose writers who wrote complex monumental novels. For example, be sure to read "The Cherry Orchard", "Three Sisters", "Smoke", "A Hero of Our Time".

However, the problem is that foreign classics should not be forgotten either. Unfortunately, in the classroom, schoolchildren almost completely do not get any idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat Western European and American literature was like, not to mention the works of Eastern authors. Meanwhile, such books broaden the horizons of students, perhaps even more and more effectively than the Internet. In addition, classical literature forms a worldview, instills a love of reading, an interest in complex philosophical issues, and teaches to think. Of the classics, the following books are required reading: "The Three Musketeers", "Hamlet", "Othello", "Ivanhoe", "Shagreen Skin", "Fathers and Sons" and others.

The value of the classics

Among the works for reading, one should name, first of all, those books that best reflect their era and are truly a new word in culture. At one time, the following genres stood out: historical, science fiction, realistic novels, utopian works, fantastic literature, the modern analogue of which is fantasy, detective stories. Books such as "Queen Margot", "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", "Germinal", "The Lord of the Rings" are required reading.

It is necessary to remember the importance of studying classical literature precisely at school age, since at this time the foundations of the worldview of students are laid. For this, historical novels and short stories, such as Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter, are of particular importance. This work is the best way to instill love and interest in the past, in the history of Russia. Books that are required reading in this genre should be studied in the context of the peculiarities of the development of Russian prose as a whole.

General characteristics of fiction, popular science literature

The proposed list should include those works that every educated person should know. In this case, we will again focus on the classics, but, in addition, it is necessary to mention the cognitive works of various scientists. Among the works of fiction, it is necessary first of all to name the major novels of the most famous prose writers who really contributed a lot to the development of Russian prose (Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev and others). Their works are a whole milestone, an epoch in the development of Russian culture. Be sure to read: "Dead Souls", "Idiot", "Asya", "Noble Nest".

Of the foreign classics, it is necessary, first of all, to mention those authors who stood at the origins of the emergence of leading genres in literature. For example, Shakespeare is rightfully considered the founder of the dramatic genre in writing plays for the theater. The new types of European literature include the above types of genres, with which any educated person should be familiar.

Literature for everyone

Books that are mandatory for everyone to read should include not only fiction, but also popular science, as well as educational works. For example, to get acquainted with the history of Russia, you can read the works of Karamzin ("History of the Russian State"), to get a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200bphilosophy, you can read the works of leading authors in this field (Hegel "Philosophy of History").

As for modern literature, acquaintance with it is also desirable for every reading person. Those who lead an active social life should be familiar with at least the main book novelties that appear on the shelves. One of the most trendy genres these days (especially for teenagers) is the fantasy genre. Works written in this style are gaining more and more popularity among young people.

Entertainment Literature

Must-read books don't have to be serious. Very often, works of a light character are excellent for reading even by serious people with a strict and exacting taste. For example, magazine issues or almanacs, collections dedicated to any sports or entertainment event will decorate any bookshelf.

As for young people, fashion catalogs on various aspects of economic or cultural life are now gaining popularity. Undoubtedly, when choosing literature, these works should also be taken into account. These works are good because they are suitable for both adults and young people. However, at present, publications of this kind are slowly but surely mastering the electronic space and going online, which, on the one hand, is very good, since this increases their accessibility to the general reader, and on the other hand, buyers lose interest in purchasing this product.

List of required literature

Books for compulsory reading are included in a variety of lists, the authors of which offer their own versions of those works that any educated person should know. The most famous is the list of works, which is compiled for schoolchildren, taking into account the peculiarities of the development of the literature of the peoples involved in the history of the Russian Federation.

In addition to it, in the vastness of the network you can find a list of 100 books that must be read. Each compiler offers his own version of the literature, which, in his opinion, should be read. All these lists, with all their diversity, are united by one common feature - this is the desire to cover the most significant and outstanding works of past centuries and the present. At the same time, the authors strive to take into account both the best prose and poetry of domestic and foreign authors.

Preferences of modern readers

A curious study has been carried out by a modern sociologist as to what types and genres of literature are currently most popular among the young and middle generation. Based on a thorough study of social networks, he came to the conclusion that in recent times the reading public is fond of fantasy and action-packed detective stories. This indicator is important for deciding which books for mandatory reading should be chosen by the modern reader.

Perhaps you have not read all the books on this list, because at first glance they are so different. But try to read something that is unfamiliar to you. We guarantee that it will not leave you indifferent.

Books help develop character and teach, no matter how trite, good and beautiful. In addition, reading books can distract and captivate a person, giving him unforgettable moments of life. Reading can pass your free time, spending it, which is the most attractive, with considerable benefit. Today there are millions of books in the world - even in a lifetime they cannot be read by one person. Are there any books that must be read? Various researchers and organizations have compiled their own lists of books that must be read in your life.

1. "Life on loan". This sentimental work of Erich Maria Remarque is one of the most famous of the writer. Those who are unfamiliar with the work of this author should begin their acquaintance with this book. Many re-read “Life on loan” more than a dozen times, each time finding something new in this work.

What is this book about? There are two main characters here - a racing guy who risks his life every day, and a girl who is terminally ill with tuberculosis. At the same time, both of them believe only in the best - that is why the ending of the book is ironic and insanely absurd, and every page is saturated with tragedy.

2. "Lolita". This novel by Vladimir Nabokov cannot leave anyone indifferent. He catches with his provocative sincerity and longing. Until now, people are discussing what it was - crazy love or perversion. Everyone needs to read this confession in order to form their own opinion about the behavior of men.

What is this book about? About the love and relationship of an adult forty-year-old man and a teenage girl of thirteen.

3. "Master and Margarita". This immortal novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, which is extremely relevant even today, is very difficult to understand, as it refers to philosophical reading. It is read easily and quickly, but many “grow up” to it at a more mature age.

What is this book about? A mystic about love and power, about an unrecognized genius and his muse, about how the Devil once again was defeated over the human soul and about the fact that God exists, but in everyone's soul.

4. "Demons". Fyodor Dostoyevsky has no light fiction at all. But this work is a rather serious product that only a prepared reader needs to “taste”.

What is this book about? Demons lurk in every one of us. The terrible act that the protagonist committed in his youth haunts him throughout his life, embodied in the ghost of a murdered girl.

5. "Tender is the night." This is one of the main novels of Francis S. Fitzgerald, where there is love and a love triangle, as well as strong weakness or weak strength, whichever is closer.

What is this book about? Dear and beautiful life on the Cote d'Azur - it would seem, live and rejoice, but what to do if there is no most important thing - happiness?

6. "Dear friend." The classic of French literature, Guy de Maupassant, has gained fame as an aesthete, and his works are strong and, as they say, “tasty” - critics say that this is his best work.

What is this book about? About Alphonse. More precisely, about one stupid, greedy, illiterate, but terribly handsome man, with whom an intelligent and talented woman falls in love.

7. "Loneliness in the network." The books of modern authors, such as Janusz Wisniewski, are closer to the younger generation, especially since they are based on things that are very close to perception.

What is this book about? About the modern life that young people spend in front of a computer monitor, about love and loneliness, about how important it is in the world to have a loved one.

8. "Gone with the Wind". The book, which was conceived by Margaret Mitchell as a novel about love and war, became a bestseller - it still occupies the top positions in the ratings.

What is this book about? About a strong woman who, after a series of tragic events that unfolded against the background of the war between the North and the South, was able not to lose herself, but to get back on her feet. There is love and betrayal, resourcefulness and self-interest, family values ​​and patriots who are ready to do anything for their idea.

9. "Portrait of Dorian Gray". Many people know and love the tales of Oscar Wilde, but this mystical work is rightfully considered the best on the list of the writer.

What is this book about? The selfish young man does not want to grow old and lose his beauty - the artist paints his portrait, where he hides Dorian's soul. Now the portrait is aging, not the young man.

10. "Easy breathing." This work is considered the most famous by Ivan Bunin, although the legend is as old as the world - the relationship between a man and a woman does not always develop without clouds.

What is this book about? About a frivolous attitude to life - the first love of a schoolgirl and an officer, then the first intimacy, which ends rather sadly.

11. "Scarlet sails". The most famous work of Alexander Green is a symbol of dreams come true, a beautiful fairy tale about a handsome prince.

What is this book about? Since childhood, a poor girl living in a fishing village is sure that a prince will come for her, and his ship will definitely have scarlet sails. And if you love, is it hard to create a miracle for the dearest person?

12. "Diary in the letters of Anne Frank". In Amsterdam, a monument was erected to this girl in honor of the Jews who died during the war. Anne Frank is a real-life 15-year-old girl who kept a diary during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Today, "Diary ..." is a real document, which has been translated into many languages ​​of the world.

What is this book about? Thoughts of a teenager during the war - what does a girl dream about when her familiar world is destroyed?

13. "The Catcher in the Rye". The controversial and rebellious work of Jerome D. Salinger, which is recommended reading in adolescence.
What is this book about? The growing up of a teenager who, due to his age, is endowed with youthful maximalism and idealism. Many see themselves in the main character: the same vulnerable and sensitive, touchy and unbridled, often confused and lost.

14. "Transformation". Franz Kafka himself is a complex and sometimes gloomy writer, but it is certainly worth reading at least one of his works, especially since this short story is a complete allegory that borders on the absurd.

What is this book about? Somehow the main character wakes up in the morning, and he is not a man, but a disgusting centipede, which even relatives do not want to look at, let alone communicate - complete loneliness in all manifestations, the illusion of love and the ugliness of the soul.

15. Jane Eyre. It is believed to be the only so-called "women's novel" written in the era of Victorian England, which is worth reading for men too. All other works are only pathetic attempts to repeat the success of Charlotte Brontë. At one time, the novel made a real sensation.

What is this book about? About a governess who, although poor and ugly, has an iron will and a strong character. Despite her love for a man - about this, by the way, she is also the first to admit that the girl prefers independence and does everything possible to have equal rights with men. This is a story of strong and uncompromising love - a real "debauchery" for the time when the novel was written.

(ratings: 51 , the average: 3,98 out of 5)

In Russia, literature has its own direction, different from any other. The Russian soul is mysterious and incomprehensible. The genre reflects both Europe and Asia, therefore the best classical Russian works are unusual, amaze with sincerity and vitality.

The main character is the soul. For a person, the position in society, the amount of money is not important, it is important for him to find himself and his place in this life, to find truth and peace of mind.

The books of Russian literature are united by the traits of a writer who possesses the gift of the great Word, who has completely devoted himself to this art of literature. The best classics saw life not flatly, but multifaceted. They wrote about the life of not random destinies, but expressing being in its most unique manifestations.

Russian classics are so different, with different destinies, but they are united by the fact that literature is recognized as a school of life, a way of studying and developing Russia.

Russian classical literature was created by the best writers from different parts of Russia. It is very important where the author was born, because this determines his formation as a person, his development, and it also affects writing skills. Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky were born in Moscow, Chernyshevsky in Saratov, Shchedrin in Tver. Poltava region in Ukraine is the birthplace of Gogol, Podolsk province - Nekrasov, Taganrog - Chekhov.

The three great classics, Tolstoy, Turgenev and Dostoevsky, were absolutely different people, had different destinies, complex characters and great talents. They made a huge contribution to the development of literature, writing their best works, which still excite the hearts and souls of readers. Everyone should read these books.

Another important difference between the books of Russian classics is the ridicule of the shortcomings of a person and his way of life. Satire and humor are the main features of the works. However, many critics said that this was all slander. And only true connoisseurs saw how the characters are both comical and tragic at the same time. Books like this always touch my soul.

Here you can find the best works of classical literature. You can download Russian classic books for free or read online, which is very convenient.

We present to your attention the 100 best books of Russian classics. The complete list of books includes the best and most memorable works of Russian writers. This literature is known to everyone and recognized by critics from all over the world.

Of course, our list of top 100 books is just a small part of the best works of the great classics. It can be continued for a very long time.

One hundred books that everyone should read in order to understand not only how they used to live, what were the values, traditions, priorities in life, what they aspired to, but to find out in general how our world works, how bright and pure a soul can be and how valuable it is for a person, for the formation of his personality.

The top 100 list includes the best and most famous works of Russian classics. The plot of many of them is known from the school bench. However, some books are difficult to understand at a young age, and this requires wisdom that is acquired over the years.

Of course, the list is far from complete and can be continued indefinitely. Reading such literature is a pleasure. She not only teaches something, she radically changes lives, helps to realize simple things that we sometimes do not even notice.

We hope you enjoyed our list of classic Russian literature books. Perhaps you have already read something from it, but something not. A great occasion to make your personal list of books, your top books that you would like to read.

 


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