What to read from modern literature. Modern Literature: What to read from the Big Book List

A good book is much more than a way to kill time. Wishing to get acquainted with unusual worlds, mysterious and strong characters and incredible adventures, the reader should take a closer look at the work of the most popular contemporary writers. Below are the most striking and famous works of recent decades - top 10 best modern books!

1. 11/22/63 (Stephen King)

Topping our list of the best modern books is Stephen King's sci-fi novel 11/22/63. The first publication of the work took place in 2011.

The assassination of J.F. Kennedy was one of the greatest tragedies in American society. A popular politician was shot right during a huge parade in front of thousands of Americans. Could the president have been saved? Surprisingly, the answer to this question to be known by a simple teacher! Jake Epping is an ordinary resident of a small town who works at a school and is not much different from thousands of his fellow citizens. However, by the will of fate, it is he who gets the chance to go through the time portal, which is located in the back of the cafe with his old friend Al. The owner of the device has long wanted to find the killer of Kennedy, but the disease upset all plans, so Jake must replace him! Go back, straight to the 60s, live there for several years, figure out the future executioner and stop him on the day of a terrible tragedy! Will he be able to change the course of history and even go back?

2 American Gods (Neil Gaiman)

American Gods is one of the best modern fantasy books that was written by English writer Neil Gaiman in 2001.

America. Shelter of a huge number of migrants from all over the world. Looking for better share people went to an unknown continent, hoping to get settled there and find long-awaited happiness. However, they did not travel alone: each visiting guest brought with him a piece of his native culture. Gods, beliefs, rituals, customs - this is the true luggage of the settlers! Will different deities be able to get along together and what promises such a neighborhood? Shadows, the main character, who has recently been released from prison, will have to find out. Once free, he finds himself in a series of strange events and mysterious crimes that need to be unraveled.

3. The Wind Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

Closes the top three best books and contemporary American writer Khaled Hosseini. The work was born in 2003.

What is true friendship? Sometimes adults find it very difficult to answer this question. Much easier for kids. Amir and Hasan - two absolutely different boy who share a true friendship. That's just one of them is an aristocrat, and the second is a poor servant! Coming from different social strata, they do not pay attention to the differences that are so important for adults. Playing, joking, sharing secrets and impressions, experiencing failures and knowing sorrow, the boys gradually grow up, and their friendship only becomes stronger. One day, serious changes are coming in the country that will test their strength and scatter friends on different sides. Can childhood friendship survive?

4. A Song of Ice and Fire (George Martin)

A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the most famous and best modern fantasy books. This is a whole series of works, consisting of five already published volumes. There are two more books in the pipeline. The first publication took place in 1996. The book gained particular popularity after the release of the series "Game of Thrones", filmed by HBO based on its motives.

The unique fantasy world is inhabited by far from good fairies and funny gnomes. This is a world of several powerful powers that are desperately fighting for their heart's content. Their goal is the throne of Westeros. Their means are weapons, intrigues, murders and rebellions. The palace of Verteros is filled with vile and greedy people who are eager to seize the throne at any cost. There is no place for honesty and nobility anymore. Arranging serious intrigues and organizing coups, the conspirators will do everything to undermine the situation in the kingdom. However, it is not only them that should be feared, because the cunning rulers of neighboring states are also not averse to snatching a “tidbit” during a cruel and blind turmoil! A real war for power is coming, ready to bury the old order forever.

5. The house in which ... (Mariam Petrosyan)

“The House Where…” is an interesting contemporary fantasy novel by the Armenian writer Mariam Petrosyan, published in 2009.

On the edge of the city is a boarding school for abandoned children. It's old and gray place it seems very unfriendly and gloomy, but everything is not so simple... Once inside, a person can discover a new, unusual world in which there is more kindness and light than on the bright city streets. The pupils of the house are divided into groups, each of which has its own leader. There are no names and surnames here - only bright nicknames. There is a lot of unknown and very little familiar. These are miniature societies with their vices and virtues. Children learn about the world, growing up, changing and trying to find their place in it.

6. Book Thief (Markus Zuzak)

"The Book Thief" - Fascinating modern novel Australian writer, written in 2006.

Liesel Meminger is a little German girl whose childhood fell on a truly monstrous time. In 1939, the Nazi regime reached its peak, destroying the recalcitrant and preparing to enslave the world. Horror, murders, robberies and terror became daily companions of the lives of those who did not suit the new government. After the death of her husband, Frau Meminger moves, trying to find a quieter place for her daughter. But in vain... Looking around, Liesel sees the ongoing chaos through the eyes of an innocent child who does not understand this cruel and strange world adults. Growing up quickly, she has a lot to learn and rethink.

7 Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)

Gone Girl is one of the best modern thriller books. The work was published in 2012 and became the basis of the film of the same name.

How hard it is to know a person, even if you lived with him long years! An unusual incident turns the fate of the protagonist when his wife suddenly disappears. During a stormy celebration of their wedding anniversary, a woman mysteriously disappears. Arriving police discover blood and signs of a struggle, deciding that the man killed his wife and hid her body. Now the bewildered man is left to solve this incredible puzzle himself. Who knows, maybe the answer will turn out to be even more monstrous than the disappearance itself ...

8 Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell)

The novel "Cloud Atlas" was written in 2004 by an English writer. Its plot is a complex interweaving of stories and destinies that, at first glance, nothing connects. An American lawyer stranded on a tropical island while a ship is being repaired; a young English musician forced to sell his music and body to earn a living; a brave Californian journalist fighting against a powerful corporation; a London publisher facing criminals after the release of yet another bestseller; a clone from a Korean anti-utopia and a Hawaiian old man watching the decline of human civilization. All events and characters go through a difficult path in different times gradually weaving together.

9. When I Was Real (Tom McCarthy)

Tom McCarthy's novel "When I Was Real" continues our top 10 best modern books.

Sudden disaster changed life young man, crossing out his past. He finds himself in a long-term coma, from which he, fortunately, manages to get out. But such a long process did not pass without a trace: now he needs to learn to live anew. Walk, move, work with hands and talk. All past life comes in the form of vague memories, and the hero endlessly wants to return to his former self. Moreover, some large corporation is ready to pay him a lot of money to keep the cause of the incident a secret. How are they related? What happened that day? And how to become completely the same?

10 Anathem (Neil Stevenson)

And completes the top ten modern science fiction book "Anathem", written by American writer Neil Stevenson in 2008.

Arb - distant and mysterious planet similar to the earth. People who worship science live here. Science, which completely replaced religion and managed to split society into two irreconcilable camps. Guardians of Science are monks who were once scientists. They once worked and created for the benefit of progress, but their work led to something terrible. Now the monks live in the monastery, closed off from the outside, secular world. Their life is simple, calm and measured, but every ten years there comes a special date - the day when the two sides can change places. The monks will see the outside world, and secular people will be able to join the monastic life and worldview. Once such a change led to horrific consequences, and now the two sides must unite to prevent the impending disaster!

Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita

The volume of Mikhail Bulgakov, standing on the bookshelf, testifies to the good taste of the reader. It is no coincidence that what was written by this author survived the death of Soviet literature without loss and today is read as a continuation of the golden fund of Russian classics of the 19th century. Fascinating stories (“fantasy, rooted in everyday life”), vivid images, moral problems raised to a universal scale - all this makes you return to what you read again and again.

Marquez Garcia: One Hundred Years of Solitude

One of greatest books XX century. A strange, poetic, whimsical story of the city of Macondo, lost in the jungle, from creation to decline. The history of the Buendía family, a family in which miracles are so everyday that they are not even noticed. The Buendia clan produces saints and sinners, revolutionaries, heroes and traitors, dashing adventurers - and women too beautiful for ordinary life. Extraordinary passions boil in him - and incredible events take place.

George Orwell: 1984. Animal Farm

"1984" A peculiar antipode of the second great dystopia of the XX century - "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. What, in essence, is more terrible: the “consumer society” brought to the point of absurdity, or the “idea society” brought to the absolute? According to Orwell, there is and cannot be anything more terrible than total lack of freedom ... "Animal Farm" A parable full of humor and sarcasm. Can a humble farm become a symbol of a totalitarian society? Of course yes. But… how this society will be seen by its “citizens” – animals doomed to slaughter.

Herman Melville: Moby Dick, or the White Whale

Herman Melville is a writer and sailor, in whose work and destiny the experience of a traveler and the mythopoetic worldview of the artist surprisingly organically melted. The realization of the magnitude of Melville's talent did not come immediately, and only a quarter of a century after the death of the writer, the outlines of the enormous contribution that he made to the treasury of world literature became visible. Melville's work - the grandiose "Moby Dick" - became one of the pinnacles of American literature.

Francis Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby

“ The Great Gatsby" - most famous novel Francis Fitzgerald, who became a symbol of the Jazz Age. America, 1925, the time of Prohibition and gangster showdowns, bright lights and bright life. But for Jay Gatsby, the epitomeamerican dreamturned into a real tragedy. And the way up, despite fame and fortune, led to a total collapse. After all, each of us, first of all, strives not for material goods, but for love, true and eternal ...

Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Crime and Punishment

“ Crime and Punishment” is a novel about one crime. A double murder committed by a poor student for money. It is difficult to find a simpler plot, but the intellectual and spiritual shock that the novel produces is indelible. And the question that main character set before himself to decide: “Am I a trembling creature, or do I have a right?” - terrifying.Abyssthe fall is explored by the writer in order to rise to the heights of the spirit.

Ray Bradbury: Dandelion Wine

“ Dandelion wine” Ray Bradbury is a classic work that has entered the golden fund of world literature.Enter the bright world of a twelve-year-old boy and live one summer with him, filled with joyful and sad, mysterious and disturbing events; summer, when amazing discoveries are made every day, the main of which is that you are alive, you breathe, you feel!

Daniel Keyes: Flowers for Algernon

This fantastic story has amazing psychological power and makes you think about universal questions of morality: do we have the right to experiment on each other, what results can this lead to, and what price are we willing to pay to become “the smartest”. What about lonely?

Alexander Pushkin: Eugene Onegin

Novel "Eugene Onegin“ – “encyclopedia of Russian life” – presented in thisbookwith the famous comments by Yu.M. Lotman, allowing the reader to better understand the spirit and customs of the era and the novel, whose heroes have been loved by readers for the third century. The book is illustrated with drawings by A.S. Pushkin, made by the poet on the handwritten pages of the novel.

Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea. Beyond the river, in the shade of the trees

The story "The Old Man and the Sea" is one of the most famous and beloved by readers of Hemingway's works. She brought the author the Pulitzer Prize, and also played an important role in awarding him the title of Nobel laureate. This is a story about “tragic stoicism” and courage, about how, in the face of a ruthless fate and loneliness, a person, even losing, must maintain dignity.

Jonathan Swift: The Travels of Lemuel Gulliver

Gulliver's Travels is Jonathan Swift's most significant work. Similar at first glance to a funny fairy tale, "Gulliver's Travels" is an allegory, a parable, the author of which is a ruthless and brilliant master of words, ridiculing human and social vices. Masterfully using all shades of humor, from good-natured humor and gentle irony to angry sarcasm and venomous ridicule, Swift created one of the greatest satirical books in world literature.

Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace

Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is a book for all time. It seems that it has always existed, the text seems so familiar, as soon as we open the first pages of the novel, many of its episodes are so memorable: hunting and Christmas time, the first ball of Natasha Rostova, a moonlit night in Otradnoye, Prince Andrei in the battle of Austerlitz ... Scenes of “peaceful” , family life are replaced by paintings that are important for the course of the entire world history, but for Tolstoy they are equivalent, connected in a single stream of time.

Margaret Mitchell: Gone with the Wind

"Gone With the Wind" - the only novel Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), for which she - writer, emancipe and advocate for women's rights - received the Pulitzer Prize. This is a book about what makes us live and fight - no matter what happens around. For more than 70 years we have been reading this novel, for more than 70 years we have admired Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the film adaptation - and the story does not become outdated. Most likely, it is eternal.

Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

“ Lolita” was released in 1955. Causing scandal on both sides of the ocean, this book liftedauthorto the top of the literary Olympus and became one of the most famous and, without a doubt, the greatest works of the 20th century. Today, when the polemical passions around Lolita have long subsided, we can confidently say that this is a book about great love that has overcome illness, death and time, love, open to infinity, “loveat first sight, from the last glance, from the eternal glance.

Daniel Defoe: The Life and Wonderful Adventures of the Sailor Robinson Crusoe

The famous novel by Daniel Defoe was published almost 300 years ago. But even now, after many, many decades, the exciting adventures of Robinson Crusoe still captivate readers. The life of a sailor who, by chance, ended up on a desert island, is full of amazing events. And how many difficulties fall to his lot!

Alexandre Dumas: The Three Musketeers

Where can a poor Gascon nobleman go if all he has is courage, a noble heart and ambition? Well of course inParis! And of course, such a brave man has a place among the royal musketeers. However, the honor to be in this privileged regiment still needs to be earned, and the surest way is to make powerful enemies and make friends. D'Artagnan brilliantly succeeded in both in the shortest possible time ...

Ilf, Petrov: Twelve chairs

The famous feuilleton novel by Ilf and Petrov “The twelve Chairs ” was first published in 1928. The story of two swindlers who set off in search of Madame Petukhova's diamonds brought unprecedented success to the authors. But few people know that one of the most popular works of RussianliteratureThe twentieth century, which withstood hundreds of successful reprints, was mangled by Soviet censorship: not only individual phrases and episodes, but entire chapters were not allowed to print.

Ray Bradbury: 451° Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel that brought the writer world fame. Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper ignites and burns. The philosophical dystopia of Ray Bradbury paints a hopeless picture of the development of a post-industrial society; this is the world of the future, in which all written publications are mercilessly destroyed special detachment firefighters, and the possession of books is prosecuted by law, interactive television successfully serves to fool everyone ...

Charles Dickens: The Life of David Copperfield as Told by Himself

The novel of the great English writer won the love and recognition of readers all over the world. Largely autobiographical, this novel follows the fate of a boy forced to fight alone against a cruel, bleak world populated by evil teachers, self-serving factory owners and soulless servants of the law. In this war, David can only be saved by moral firmness, purity of heart and a talent that can turn a ragamuffin into England's greatest writer.

Jules Verne: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

One of the most fascinating novels by J. Verne. Biologist Pierre Aronnax and harpooner Ned Land set off in search of a strange fish spotted by sailors in different parts of the world. The mysterious creature turns out to be a submarine designed by the mysterious Captain Nemo.

Arthur Doyle: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Peru of the English writer and journalist Arthur Conan Doyle owns historical, adventure, fantasy novels and works on spiritualism, but he entered world literature as the creator of the Great Detective of all times and peoples - Sherlock Holmes. A noble and fearless fighter against Evil, the owner of a sharp mind and extraordinary powers of observation, with the help of his deductive method, the detective solves the most intricate puzzles, often saving human lives.

The tale of the modern classic Leonid Filatov is the best book for family reading, half of the text of which has already been parsed into aphorisms and anecdotes. Here is the first fully illustrated edition. Characteristic characters, witty mise-en-scenes - one of the most striking books of the twentieth century is finally coming out in a wonderful design.

Antoine Saint-Exupery: The Little Prince

A touching, kind and philosophical work by Antoine de Saint-Exupery with author's drawings. A book addressed to children will accompany you all your life, each time revealing itself in a new way.

Strugatsky, Strugatsky: It's hard to be a god

Perhaps the most famous of the works of the Strugatsky brothers. One of the most famous stories of Russian science fiction. A fascinating, full of drama story of the life, love and adventures of "Don Rumata" from the kingdom of Arkanar on a distant planet - a knight with two swords, under whose name Anton is a resident from the planet Earth of the XXII century.

Lewis Carroll: Alice in Wonderland

Books are one of the greatest legacies of mankind. And if before the invention of printing, books were available only to a select caste of people, then books began to spread everywhere. In each new generation, talented writers were born who created world masterpieces of literature.

Great works have come down to us, but we are reading the classics less and less. Literary portal Hedwig brings to your attention the 100 best books of all times and peoples that you must read. In this list you will find not only classical works, but also modern books that have left their mark on history quite recently.

1 Mikhail Bulgakov

A novel that does not fit into the usual literary framework. Philosophy and everyday life, theology and fantasy, mysticism and realism, mysticism and lyrics are mixed in this story. And all these components are intertwined by skillful hands into a coherent and vibrant story that can turn your world upside down. And yes, this is Buckley's favorite book!

2 Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

book from school curriculum which is difficult to understand in tender adolescence. The writer showed the duality of the human soul, when black is intertwined with white. The story of Raskolnikov, who is going through an internal struggle.

3 Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A short story with a lot of meaning in life. A story that makes you look at familiar things in a different way.

4 Michael Bulgakov

A surprisingly subtle and sarcastic story about people and their vices. The story of an experiment that proved that it is possible to make a person out of an animal, but it is impossible to make an “animal” out of a person.

5 Erich Maria Remarque

It is impossible to tell what this novel is about. The novel needs to be read, and then the understanding will come that this is not just a story, but a confession. Confession about love, friendship, pain. A story of despair and struggle.

6 Jerome Salinger

The story of a teenager who, with his own eyes, shows his perception of the world, his point of view, the renunciation of the usual principles and foundations of the morality of society, which do not fit into his individual framework.

7 Mikhail Lermontov

A lyric-psychological novel that tells about a man with a complex character. The author shows it from different angles. And the broken chronology of events makes you completely immerse yourself in the story.

8 Arthur Conan Doyle

The legendary investigations of the great detective Sherlock, which reveal the meanness of the human soul. Stories told by friend and assistant detective Dr. Watson.

9 Oscar Wilde

A story about pride, selfishness and a strong soul. A story that clearly shows what can happen to the soul of a person tormented by vices.

10 John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

A fantastic trilogy about people and non-humans who fell under the power of the Ring of Omnipotence and its lord Sauron. The story of those who are ready to sacrifice the most precious and even their lives for the sake of friendship and saving the world.

11 Mario Puzo

A novel about one of the most powerful mafia families in America of the last century - the Corleone family. Many people know the movie, so it's time to start reading.

12 Erich Maria Remarque

After the First World War, many emigrants ended up in France. Among them is the talented German surgeon Ravik. This is the story of his life and love against the backdrop of the war.

13 Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol

The history of the Russian soul and stupidity. And the amazing style and language of the author makes the sentences sparkle with colors and shades that fully reveal the history of our people.

14 Colin McCullough

An amazing novel that tells not only about the love of a man and a woman and complex relationships, but also about feelings for family, native places and nature.

15 Emily Bronte

In a secluded estate lives a family whose house is filled with a tense atmosphere. Complicated Relationships are deeply rooted in the past. The story of Heathcliff and Catherine will not leave indifferent any reader.

16 Erich Maria Remarque

A book about war from the perspective of a simple soldier. A book about how war breaks and cripples the souls of innocent people.

17 Hermann Hesse

The book simply turns all ideas about life upside down. After reading it, it is already impossible to get rid of the feeling that you have become one step closer to something incredible. This book has answers to many questions.

18 Stephen King

Paul Edgecomb is a former prison officer who served on the death row unit. He tells the story of the life of suicide bombers who were destined to walk the Green Mile.

20 Victor Hugo

Paris 15th century. On the one hand, it is full of grandeur, and on the other, it looks like a sewer. On the background historical events a love story unfolds - Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Claude Frollo.

21 Daniel Defoe

Diary of a sailor who was wrecked and lived alone on the island for 28 years. He had to endure too many trials.

22 Lewis Carroll

strange and misterious story about a girl who, in pursuit of a white rabbit, finds herself in a different and wonderful world.

23 Ernest Hemingway

There is war on the pages of the book, but even in a world full of pain and fear, there is a place for beauty. A wonderful feeling called love that makes us stronger.

24 Jack London

What can love do? Martin's love for the beautiful Ruth made him struggle. He overcame many obstacles to become something big. A story about spiritual development and personality formation.

25 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

A fantastic and captivating tale in which magic is intertwined with reality.

26 We are Evgeny Zamyatin

A dystopian novel that describes ideal society where there is no personal opinion, and everything happens according to the schedule. But even in such a society there is a place for freethinkers.

27 Ernest Hemingway

Frederick volunteered for the war, where he became a doctor. In the sanitary unit, where even the air is saturated with death, love is born.

28 Boris Pasternak

Beginning of the XX century. The Russian Empire has already embarked on the path of revolution. The story about the life of the intelligentsia of that time, as well as the book, raises questions of religion and touches on the mystery of life and death.

29 Vladimir Nabokov

A cautionary tale about people who betrayed their ideals. The book is about how light and beautiful feelings evolve into something dark and disgusting.

30 Johann Wolfgang Goethe

The greatest work that draws you into the story of Faust, who sold his soul to the Devil. By reading this book, you can go on the path of knowing life.

31 Dante Alighieri

The work is in three parts. First we go to Hell, so that all 9 circles are against us. Then Purgatory awaits us, after passing which you can atone for your sins. And only when you reach the top you can get to Paradise.

32 Anthony Burgess

Not the most pleasant story, but it shows the human nature. A story about how you can make an obedient and silent doll out of any person.

33 Viktor Pelevin

A complex story that is difficult to understand the first time. A story about the life of a decadent poet who is looking for his own path, and Chapaev leads Peter to enlightenment.

34 William Golding

What will happen to the children if they are all alone? Children have a delicate nature, which is quite prone to vices. And cute kind children turn into real monsters.

35 Albert Camus

36 James Clavell

The story of an English sailor who, by the will of fate, ended up in Japan. An epic novel, where there are historical realities, intrigues, adventures and secrets.

37 Ray Bradbury

A collection of fantasy stories about the life of people on Mars. They almost destroyed the Earth, but what awaits another planet?

38 Stanislav Lem

This planet has an ocean. He is alive and has a mind. The researchers face the difficult task of transferring knowledge to the ocean. He will help make their dreams come true...

39 Hermann Hesse

The book is about an internal crisis that can happen to anyone. Inner devastation can destroy a person, if one day you don’t meet a person on the way who will give you just one book in your hands ...

40 Milan Kundera

Immerse yourself in the world of sensations and feelings of the libertine Tomasz, who is used to changing women so that no one dares to take away his freedom.

41 Boris Vian

Each of the company of friends has its own destiny. Everything goes easy and simple. Friendship. Love. Conversations. But one event can change everything and destroy the usual life.

42 Ian Banks

Frank tells the story of his childhood and describes the present. He has his own world, which can collapse at any moment. Unexpected turning points in the plot give a special flavor to the whole story.

43 John Irving

This book raises themes of family, childhood, friendship, love, betrayal and betrayal. This is the world in which we live with all the problems and shortcomings.

44 Michael Ondaatje

This book contains many topics - war, death, love, betrayal. But the main leitmotif is loneliness, which can take on a variety of forms.

46 Ray Bradbury

Books are our future, but what will happen if they are replaced by TV and one opinion? The answer to this question is given by a writer who was ahead of his time.

47 Patrick Suskind

The story of a crazy genius. His whole life is enclosed in smells. He will go to any lengths to create the perfect fragrance.

48 1984 George Orwell

Three totalitarian states where even thoughts are controlled. A world of hate, but there are people who can still resist the system.

49 Jack London

Alaska, late 19th century. The era of the gold rush. And among human greed lives a wolf named White Fang.

50 Jane Austen

There are only daughters in the Bennet family, and a distant relative is the heir. And if the head of the family dies, young girls will be left with nothing.

51 Evgeny Petrov and Ilya Ilf

Who does not know Ostap Bender and Kisa Vorobyaninov and their eternal failures, which are associated with the search for the ill-fated diamonds.

52 Fedor Dostoevsky

53 Charlotte Bronte

Jane became an orphan early, and life in her aunt's house was far from happy. And love for a strict and gloomy man is far from a romantic story.

54 Ernest Hemingway

A small story from the life of the most ordinary person. But reading this work, you penetrate into wonderful world which is full of emotions.

55 Francis Scott Fitzgerald

A wonderful novel filled with emotion. The pages of the book are waiting for the beginning of the 20th century, when people were full of illusions and hopes. This story is about values and true love.

56 Alexandr Duma

We are all familiar with the adventures of d'Artagnan and his closest friends. A book about friendship, honor, devotion, fidelity and love. And of course, like other works of the author, it was not without intrigue.

57 Ken Kesey

This story will be told to the reader by a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Patrick McMurphy ends up in prison, in a psychiatric ward. But some people think that he is just feigning his illness.

59 Victor Hugo

The novel describes the life of a runaway convict who is hiding from the authorities. After the flight, he had to go through a lot of hardships, but he was able to change his life. But police inspector Javert is ready to do anything to catch the criminal.

60 Victor Hugo

The actor-philosopher met on his way a mutilated boy and a blind girl. He takes them under his care. Against the background of physical shortcomings, the perfection and purity of souls are clearly visible. And also this is a great contrast to the life of the aristocracy.

61 Vladimir Nabokov

The novel draws on its unhealthy web of passion and unhealthy love. The main characters are gradually going crazy, subject to their base desire, like all of them. the world. This book will definitely not have a happy ending.

62 Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

A fantastic story that describes the life of the stalker Redrick Shewhart, who from anomalous zones mining extraterrestrial artifacts on Earth.

63 Richard Bach

Even a simple seagull can get bored gray life, and the routine has become boring. And then Chaika devotes his life to a dream. The seagull gives all his soul on the way to the cherished goal.

64 Bernard Werber

Michel got to the court of the archangels, where he will have to undergo the weighing of the soul. After the trial, he faces a choice - to go to earth in a new incarnation or become an angel. The path of an angel is not easy, just like the life of mere mortals.

65 Ethel Lilian Voynich

A story about freedom, duty and honor. And also about different types of love. In the first case, this is the love of a father for his son, which has survived many trials and will pass through generations. In the second case, it is love between a man and a woman, which is like a fire, then it goes out, then it flares up again.

66 John Fowles

He is a simple town hall attendant, lonely and lost. He has a passion - collecting butterflies. But one day he wanted a girl in his collection who conquered his soul.

67 Walter Scott

The narrative of the novel will take readers into the distant past. During the time of Richard the Lionheart and the first crusades. This is one of the first historical novels that everyone should read.

68 Bernhard Schlink

There are a lot of unanswered questions in the book. The book makes you think and analyze not only what is happening on the pages, but also your life. This is a story about love and betrayal that will not leave anyone indifferent.

69 Ayn Rand

Socialists come to power and head for equal opportunities. The authorities believe that the talented and wealthy should improve the well-being of others. But instead of a happy future, the familiar world plunges into chaos.

71 Somerset Maugham

The story of an actress who has been working in the theater all her life. And what is reality for her - a game on stage or a game in life? How many roles do you have to play every day?

72 Aldous Huxley

A dystopian novel. A satire novel. A world where Henry Ford became God, and the creation of the first Ford T car is considered the beginning of time. People are simply grown, but they know nothing about feelings.

75 Albert Camus

Meursault lives a detached life. It seems that his life does not belong to him at all. He is indifferent to everything and even his actions are saturated with loneliness and renunciation of life.

76 Somerset Maugham

Philip's life story. He is an orphan and throughout his life he is not only looking for the meaning of life, but also for himself. And the main thing is to understand the world and people.

77 Irvine Welsh

The story of friends who one day discovered drugs and euphoria. Each character is unusual and quite smart. They valued life and friendship, but exactly until the moment when heroin came first.

78 Herman Melville

Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship, has made it his life's goal to take revenge on a whale named Moby Dick. Wit ruined too many lives to keep him alive. But as soon as the captain starts hunting, mysterious and sometimes terrible events begin to occur on his ship.

79 Joseph Heller

One of the best books about World War II. In it, the author was able to show the senselessness of war and the monstrous absurdity of the state machine.

80 William Faulkner

Four characters, each of which tells his version of events. And in order to understand what is at stake, you need to read to the end, where the puzzles will form a single picture of life and secret desires.

82 Joanne Rowling

83 Roger Zelazny

Classic fantasy genre. The chronicles are divided into two volumes of 5 books. In this cycle, one can find travel in space and time, wars, intrigues, betrayal, as well as loyalty and courage.

84 Andrzej Sapkowski

One of the best fantasy series. The series includes 8 books, while the last one is "Season of Thunderstorms", it is better to read after the first or second book. This is a story about the Witcher and his adventures, his life and love, and also about the girl Ciri, who can change the world.

85 Honore de Balzac

An amazing story about the boundless and sacrificial love of a father for children. About a love that was never reciprocated. About the love that killed Father Goriot.

86 Günther Grass

The story is about a boy named Oskar Macerath who, with the coming to power of the National Socialists in Germany, refuses to grow up in protest. Thus, he expresses his protest against the changes in German society.

87 Boris Vasiliev

A poignant tale of war. About true love for parents, friends, and the Motherland. This story must be read to feel the whole emotional component of this story.

88 Stendhal

The story of Julien Sorel and the soul, in which there is a confrontation between two feelings: passion and ambition. The two feelings are so intertwined that it is often impossible to tell them apart.

89 Lev Tolstoy

An epic novel that describes an entire era, delving into historical realities and art world that time. War will be replaced by peace, and the peaceful life of the characters depends on the war. Many heroes with unique characters.

90 Gustave Flaubert

This story is recognized as the greatest work of world literature. Emma Bovary dreams of a beautiful secular life, but her husband, a provincial doctor, cannot satisfy her requests. She finds lovers, but can they fulfill Madame Bovary's dream?

91 Chuck Palahniuk

No matter how much the work of this author was scolded, it cannot be denied that his book "Fight Club" is one of the symbols of our generation. This is a story about people who decided to change this dirty world. A story about a man who was able to resist the system.

92 Markus Zusak

Winter Germany in 1939, when Death has too much work to do, and six months later there will be more work to do. A story about Liesel, about fanatical Germans, about a Jewish fighter, about thefts and about the power of words.

93 Alexander Pushkin

The novel in verse tells the story of the fate of the noble intelligentsia with their vices and selfishness. And at the center of the story is a love story without a happy ending.

94 George Martin

A fantastic story about another world ruled by kings and lived by dragons. Love, betrayal, intrigue, war and death, and all for the sake of power.

95 David Mitchell

History of the past, present and future. Stories of people from different times. But these stories form a single picture of our entire world.

96 Stephen King

Fantastic cycle of novels of the master of horrors. In this series there is an interweaving of genres. The books closely coexist with horror, western, science fiction and other genres. This is the story of the gunslinger Roland, who is looking for the Dark Tower.

97 Haruki Murakami

A story about human destinies in Japan in the 60s of the twentieth century. A story about human loss. Tooru's memoirs, which will introduce the reader to different people and their stories.

98 Andy Weir

By chance, an astronaut is left alone on a space base on Mars. He has a limited amount of resources, but there is no connection with people. But he does not give up, he believes that they will return for him.

100 Samuel Beckett

An amazing play where everyone defines the mysterious personality of Godot for himself. The author makes it possible to find the answer to the question "who is he?". Specific person? Strong personality? Collective image? Or God?

What

A sad story of impossible love that sells very well.

Plot

A girl at a crossroads loses her job and gets a job as a nurse for a smart, handsome and completely paralyzed man after an accident.

Context

The genre of social rom-com that Jojo Moyes invented with this novel and has been exploiting with might and main since then is an undoubted success. Here, in general, all the same Jane Austen, plus the problems of the first world in the XXI century. That is, poor beautiful girls have nothing to pay for loans, Mr. Darcy also cry, in the meantime - many details of the hard life of the working class, laughter through tears, but still more tears. It's not required reading, just a good girl's novel, but it proves that literature can be left-wing in a good way without even being too smart.

Screen adaptation

Estimated release - August 2015. Sentimental prose of this kind, as a rule, becomes something moderately marginal in film adaptations: gaining its strong hundred million (three times the budget), after which everyone tries to forget it, like an unfortunate misunderstanding. Without really counting on anything, the studio gave itself the freedom to play a little: it invited Thea Sharrock, who is more known for her theatrical work, to the director's chair (this will be her debut in a feature film, but she, as they say, is widely known on Broadway, in particular, it was her we owe naked Daniel Radcliffe with a horse), and called Emilia Clarke aka Khaleesi for the female lead. And Sharrock seems determined not to draw tears from the viewer, but to show him the injustice of the British class system.

What should be a book for summer reading - exciting, witty, easy? AiF.ru introduces book novelties that are nice not only to take with you on vacation, but also to tell your friends about them.

Modern Russian prose

Vacation is a good time to catch up and read the unread. If you agree with this statement, then pay attention to the current books of contemporary Russian authors.

"Aviator" Evgeny Vodolazkin

Quote from the book: “In the life of a person, nothing is impossible - the impossibility comes only with death. And that's not necessary either."

The novel The Aviator, winner of the Big Book and Yasnaya Polyana awards, Yevgeny Vodolazkin, today ranks first in the ranking of the most popular books of the genre. fiction". And if you are not yet familiar with the current book of this season or the author, who is already called "Russian Umberto Eco", It's time to start reading the Aviator.

The hero of Vodolazkin's new novel is a man who woke up one day in a hospital bed and realized that he didn't remember anything. Now he has to bit by bit restore his own life. The strangest thing is that the year 1999 is on the calendar, and his memories are limited to St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century.

"Faith" Alexander Snegirev

Quote from the book: "Having made a choice, you recognize the path, and any path leads in one direction."

This winter, Alexander Snegirev received the most prestigious Russian literary award, the Russian Booker, for his book Vera. His novel is a story about a simple woman named Vera and her unsuccessful search for a real man in modern Russia.

Despite the fact that the choice of the winner of the Russian Booker was unexpected for many, Snegirev's novel itself was definitely one of the most notable books of 2015. And those who have not yet had time to get acquainted with Vera, which reflects Russian reality, should hurry up and form their own opinion about it.

detectives

If you like to solve riddles, the detective genre is what you need. But keep in mind, psychologists say that detectives, like scientific books, are taken by those who, even on vacation, find it difficult to relax and need to maintain their usual level of tension.

"In the Service of Evil" Robert Galbraith

Quote from the book: “If you stop and look closely, beauty can be found almost everywhere, but when each new day is given with a fight, you somehow forget about this free luxury.”

Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, none other than the author of the cult saga of Harry Potter is hiding. Joanne Rowling. In the Service of Evil is her third book and the final installment in her Cormoran Strike series. The “mother of Harry Potter” herself admits that “In the Service of Evil” is the only work that causes her the most terrible nightmares (in the process of working on the manuscript, Rowling had to re-read a bunch of police reports and stories about serial killers).

The adventures in the Service of Evil begin with the fact that Strike's assistant Robin receives a package with a severed female leg. Now detectives have to unravel the name of a terrible criminal.

Lontano Jean-Christophe Granget

Quote from the book: “It is only in the movies that the wife of a billionaire sleeps with a policeman - heroic and underpaid. AT real life she prefers to stay by her pool.”

The book of the French journalist and writer Jean-Christophe Grange "Lontano" today is one of the most popular on Russian market. And the secret is not even in the name famous writer and a journalist or in his regalia, but that the author, as usual, came up with a top-notch thriller with complex and exciting intrigue.

This time in the center of the detective story is the family of the chief of the French police, which is subjected to daring attacks. What criminal is operating in France and why the blows fall on the family of the number one policeman is not so easy to guess, because Grange is famous for keeping readers in suspense until the very last page.

Memoirs and biographies

It has long been proven that reading memoirs and biographies satisfies not only people's interest in peeping through the keyhole, but also secret narcissism (we all unwittingly look for ideal images of ourselves or our loved ones in great people).

"Jackie Chan. I'm happy" Jackie Chan, Mo Zhu

Quote from the book: "I a common person who has the guts to do something extraordinary.”

This sincere book will be of interest not only to fans of Chan's talent, but also to everyone who likes works about courageous people who are not afraid to make and correct their own mistakes.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 best story» Canfield Jack, Hansen Mark Victor, Newmark Amy

Quote from the book: “If you need to chop down a tree with an ax, and you deal five strong blows to it every day, even the most a big tree falls to the ground."

The sale of the most anticipated summer series "Chicken Broth" starts in Russian bookstores. It is interesting that in 1993 this collection of small real stories no one wanted to publish in life, and by 2016, the book, which was rejected by 144 publishing houses, became one of the most successful projects in the history of book publishing.

The collection “Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Best Stories” is not called so by chance - it contains a hundred poignant stories that can heal spiritual wounds and strengthen the spirit. The authors introduce readers to the most unexpected characters, among them a failed actress who finds true happiness after learning that she has cancer; the prettiest girl in town who falls in love with a hunchback after just two sentences; and a 13-year-old girl who sold 45,526 boxes of cookies to fulfill her mother's dream.

Love novels

The fashion for novels in the Fifty Shades of Gray format has finally passed, it's time to look for new books and discover the names of authors you don't know yet.

"After You" by Jojo Moyes

Quote from the book: “I doubt that happiness is exactly the thing that can be earned.”

At the end of 2015, a sequel to the world bestseller “Me Before You” was released in Russia, which still remains the leader in sales in the country's bookstores. The new book by Jojo Moyes "After You" tells what happened to the main character of the saga, Lou Clark, after the death of her lover.

As Moyes herself admitted, she was not going to write a sequel, but the work on the script for the film adaptation and the endless number of letters asking how Lou's later life turned out did not let her forget the heroes of the popular novel.

"Sorry..." Janusz Wisniewski

Quote from the book: "Some things remain in memory and cause appropriate associations only when they are correctly named."

One of the most popular writers of modern Poland and the author of one of the most republished romance novels"Loneliness on the Net" has written a new poignant story. "I'm sorry ..." Janusz Wisniewski is told from the perspective of a man who suddenly discovered his wife's betrayal. A man cannot forgive betrayal and becomes obsessed with a thirst for revenge.

It seems that this fantastic story is just a fiction of the author, but in fact the book is based on real events that took place in the early 1990s in Krakow: the popular jazz singer Andrzej Zaucha and his companion Zuzanna Leśniak were shot dead by a jealous husband. Vishnevsky not only retells this tragic story, he carefully examines the feelings of the characters.