Miranda July is a man-orchestra. In addition to acting in films, a director's project and a collection of short stories that won the prestigious Frank O'Connor Award, Julai has a debut novel that also deserves attention.
"The First Bad Man" - a tragicomic story about the imaginary and real world; about loneliness, opposites and love. In the center of the plot is a sensitive and charismatic heroine, with her emotionality reminiscent of each of us.
Light, sarcastic novel by British writer Zadie Smith won the Orange Award, one of the main awards in the literary English-speaking world. The main characters of the novel - Professor Belsi and Professor Kips - specialize in the work of Rembrandt, but this is where their similarities end.
Political views, art, the idea of multiculturalism - throughout the entire work, their opposition only intensifies. Smith masterfully sneers at the university "war" and reveals the absurdity of every belief.
Billy Milligan is a multiple personality criminal who helped him escape jail time. About the amazing characters (what are the parodist Steve or baby Christine) that filled the essence of Milligan, Daniel Keyes wrote a documentary novel. In the center of the plot is the arrested protagonist, juggling with the memories of his lives.
The sensual story of a relationship with a famous drug lord is in keeping with the canons of Latin American drama: the plot covers the ups and downs of the energetic Escobar and the history of his romance. The confession of the journalist Virginia Vallejo is a kind of digression into the controversial, bright, dangerous era of the formation of the Medellin cartel.
Through the ironic, thoughtful novel by Amor Toles, one can look at Soviet realities from an interesting angle. The protagonist - the charming Count Alexander Rostov - is declared an enemy of the people and is forced to serve his sentence in the Moscow Metropol Hotel, which he cannot leave under pain of death. Thus begins a new chapter in the history of the country and his own life.
Modern classic
An ironic novel about the hardships of family life. In the center of the plot - the lawyer Abel Bretodeau and his wife Mariette, living another crisis of coexistence. The eminent French writer explores the "immobility" of marriage, fascinatingly discussing its pitfalls - every sentence is an aphorism.
The legendary novel about one of America's most powerful mafiosi was published in 1969 and inspired Francis Coppola to create the cult film of the same name. The unhurried narrative of the victories and misadventures of Don Corleone enchants from the first pages: the author masterfully describes both the mechanics of gangster life and the difficult fate of the Godfather himself.
Not everyone knows that after almost 50 years, Bradbury published a sequel to the popular story "Dandelion Wine". In this novel, the protagonist Douglas Spaulding grows up and lives new, unforgettable stories.
The book that gave the writer the Booker Prize and inspired Boris Akunin to take on The Coronation impresses with an authentic atmosphere of good old England. The narration is conducted by the butler Stevens. Selfless service to Lord Darlington, a detailed life, dangerous intrigues, devotion and resourcefulness - the protagonist of this novel cannot but sympathize, the text is so bewitchingly built.
fantasy novels
The novel brought its creator the Carnegie Medal for the best children's book of the year. Inspired by the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and his own sense of humor, the English writer creates a large-scale, non-trivial space. An imposing cat coexists here with a clan of rats, and evil lurks in the dungeons that cannot be easily overcome.
One of the most famous novels by the American science fiction writer tells about the thin, barely visible line between reality and illusion. In the near future, life does not end at death, and some people are able to turn back time. The world is turning into a place where the supernatural merges with the ordinary, and the heroes have to adapt to it and separate the wheat from the chaff.
The iconic novel about Professor Challenger was published in 1912. The story takes place on the territory of South America: the main character and his colleagues go on an expedition, during which they discover a world untouched by time.
A complex story about two unusual worlds. Wonderland - something like modern Japan, where there are evil frogs, and the subconscious is controllable. The End of the World is a gloomy Nowhere, in which there is a City and a Forest, and in libraries, dreams are read from the skulls of unicorns. Like other bestsellers, this novel is a virtuoso combination of the familiar and the anomalous, magic and human power.
The famous American science fiction novel was published in 1955. A large-scale story tells about the organization "Eternity", which subjugated time. Millions of eras and human lives are in their power. Global changes will begin with extraordinary events in the life of Andrew Harlan, a talented Technician who will encroach on the existing world order for the sake of love.
Detective stories
This novel is an artistic experiment by Lars Mitting, author of the non-fiction bestseller Norwegian Wood. The atmospheric plot develops according to the laws: the sudden death of parents, short-term memory loss, a return to a mysterious tragedy after many years ... In order to dot the i's, Edward Hirifjell will have to plunge into his dark past.
A hot, witty book from Booker Prize winner Paul Baty. Gunfights, drugs, cops and political strife, broadcast from the point of view of the bully Winston Fauchey - all this plunges into the novel from the first lines and allows you to look at the American elections from a different angle. The author does not skimp on gloomy descriptions and highlights the problems of life in the ghetto.
A massive disaster novel about saving the planet from the apocalypse. A solar flare turns into a series of cataclysms that threaten to destroy humanity. Survival instructions are found in ancient writings covering a mysterious crystal column at the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps 12 thousand years ago, people knew something about the distant, sinister future.
The world is deceptive and illusory: good can turn out to be evil, an angel can be a real fiend. In this novel, the "angel" depicts an atomic monster capable of destroying millions of people in an instant. Only Max Flynn, a super agent in the service of Her Majesty, can stop the catastrophe. This is an exciting story about the limit of human capabilities, courage and love.
A cozy Parisian home is the meeting place for Madeleine Green and Gaspard Coutances, who mistakenly moved into the same apartment. A sociophobic playwright and a former police officer sought solitude, but instead discovered the mysterious past of the rooms that belonged to the famous artist, and - each other. This is an atmospheric investigative novel in which the search for a criminal is intertwined with the personal stories of the characters.
The cinematic novel immerses the reader in a resort setting in the south of France. The scorching sun, a villa with a pool, two married couples and - a strange creature named Kitty French, shocking guests with immodest and puzzling behavior. In a few days, serenity will turn into anxiety and tension: where did this woman come from and what is each of the characters in the book hiding?
A heartfelt family saga about women with extraordinary abilities. Molly and her daughter Cassandra can foresee the future, but this gift does not bring them happiness: predictions play a cruel joke on them. This is a novel about fatalism and human faith, love and true miracles.
A touching, multifaceted collection of stories brought the English writer the authoritative Frank O'Connor Award. Each of these texts sings of love in all its manifestations. The author carefully observes how this feeling is born in painful, strange and unusual circumstances.
Life is unpredictable: you never know what little thing will lead to dramatic changes. For Emmy Hamilton, the owner of a bookstore, such a trifle is a chance find - love letters from the Second World War. These texts are a bridge between the mysterious past of the O'Shea sisters and the life of Emmy, who decided to find the key to their story.
This novel opens the saga "Chronicles of the Cazalet Family", created by an English writer. In the center of the plot is the tragicomic life of an English family, where each of the characters is looking for answers to the main questions. The story begins in 1937, and the relationship develops in an unsettling, pre-stormy atmosphere.
A light, witty book about a marriage experiment: to get rid of routine and boredom, ideal spouses Sylvie and Dan surprise each other. At first, a funny game leads to embarrassment and gives many reasons for jokes, but soon the main characters are really surprised: it turned out that each of them keeps skeletons in the closet.
A touching, inspiring text about the mysterious Vianne (in the Hollywood film of the same name - Juliette Binoche) and her chocolate shop. Her appearance in a quiet French town is a real event for the locals, followed by other incidents, one more surprising than the other.
The French novel, which has gained stunning popularity all over the world, tells the story of three women, each of whom is ready to fight for freedom and happiness. India, Sicily, Canada - charismatic heroines live on different continents and have never met, but their lives do not coincide by chance.
As a child, the best entertainment for me was to go to the library and spend the whole day there, looking at books, reading them right there, and then take home a pile.
Fortunately, now there is no need to run to libraries for stacks of books, there are convenient e-books, you can take it with you on vacation or read it in transport. And the public Internet has also appeared, as a source of information it is indispensable, it is easy to get the necessary information. Among other things, I study the blogs of people who read, keep track of the winners of literary competitions, and these books form the basis of my lit-list.
The summer time is coming, the time of holidays and good mood, when you really want to please yourself for the hard and long winter, full of accomplishments and serious thoughts. I want to read something “for the soul”, get pleasure from it and a little bit of benefit.
1. Evgeny Chizhov "Translation from interlinear"
And what would have happened if the USSR had not collapsed?
How often this question becomes the cause of disputes and quarrels.
The author built his own model of the USSR, created a miniature country in Central Asia - Koshtyrbastan. He put the People's Leader on the throne and surrounded him with an entourage of "state" criminals, night "funnel", fear and general worship.
But one wrongly spoken phrase ... and our hero fell into the millstones of the system.
The country is fictional, and everything in it is so real that you begin to doubt - is it fiction?
2. Augustus Brown "Why the panda stands on its head and other amazing stories about animals"
“Experiments have shown that hamsters also develop cravings for the green snake, but their resistance to alcohol (in terms of unit weight) is 40 times higher than that of humans. If a person had the fortitude of a hamster, he could drink daily - without any visible manifestations - a case of wine. But from excessive doses of alcohol, hamsters, like people, become aggressive.”
This wonderful book can be opened at any page and boldly begin to be surprised. If you love amazing animal facts, then this book is for you.
And sometimes you wonder if we are so different from animals or are we still the same field of berries?
3. Herman Koch "Dinner"
The book was translated into 21 languages, and in 2013 it sold a million copies.
What's the secret? She's just describing a family's dinner.
The younger brother is jealous of the older brother and is unable to control his aggression. The older brother is a candidate for prime minister, an egoist and a petty tyrant. And children kill homeless people, post a video of it on the Internet, and then blackmail each other.
Nothing so family?
But they can sit at a table next to you in a restaurant or be your friends.
4. Valery Panyushkin "The Rise of Consumers"
Most of us remember the electric trains that traveled from Moscow and smelled of sausage; everyone stood in lines and bought what they had to, just to buy. So this book is about us.
Valery Panyushkin is a journalist who worked in such well-known publications as Vedomosti, Snob, The New Times. For his column in Gazeta.ru he was awarded the Golden Pen of Russia. All this says a lot and, therefore, it will be a pleasure to read.
Why a couple of decades ago it was impossible to return low-quality goods, but now you can? Why "to learn how to choose a president, you must first learn how to choose a refrigerator"? What is consumerism and is it not a curse?
If you are interested, feel free to proceed and you will like it!
5. Maya Kucherskaya "Aunt Motya"
An amazing women's book. Written by a woman for women.
On the one hand, a standard ladies' romance - love, betrayal, passion, brief meetings in the car and at the apartment of friends, and nightly tears. On the other hand, the level of the text is much higher than the standard ladies' novel.
And if in such ordinary books the prince rides a white horse, or at least rides a white Mercedes, then here we see an ordinary life, an ordinary woman who is unhappy in marriage, who has a child and has a beloved man who is also firmly married.
Maybe the secret is precisely in such similarity to all of us?
6. Neil Gaiman "Nowhere (Outside)"
Did you know that entering the London Underground car, you can get to the feast of the violent Earl? And that under London there is another world full of magical creatures?
Did not know? And he is.
Richard Mayhew didn't know either, but one day he decided to help a stranger, and his life turned upside down...
20 books that are read in one breath
Instead of once again sitting down at the TV, it is better to pick up a book and immerse yourself in its world. A completely different reality will open before you, which will absorb you without a trace and make you live the life of the main characters. Don't like to read? You just haven't read really interesting books. And below are 20 such books that will appeal to both the novice reader and the fastidious and sophisticated.
Photo: goodfon.ru
For you, the top 20 books that are read in one breath and excite the mind:
"Dead Zone", Stephen King
In a collision on ice, John Smith received a concussion. It would seem that an ordinary injury led to unexpected consequences. John began to be haunted by terrible visions, from which he cannot get rid of. But that's not all. After the disaster, he discovered amazing abilities in himself. Smith is able to solve even the most intricate crime and help a person in trouble. And one day he encounters a politician who is striving for power and is ready to literally go over their heads for her sake and plunge the whole world into chaos. And only John can save millions of people.
Just a few decades ago, this work was considered fiction, ignoring and breaking stereotypes, going beyond all the generally accepted limits of what is permitted, literally absorbing newfangled trends, trying on the face of a modern person and expanding traditional boundaries. But today it is more relevant than ever and is one of the most humane in modern times. The author, like a jeweler, delicately develops such themes as responsibility and love. This novel has psychological power, extraordinary poignancy, literally drowning the hearts of millions of readers.
"Nowhere", Neil Gaiman
There is a world that no one knows about. It's easy to get in, you just need to open the door. But only a select few can do it. In this reality, the word comes to life and acquires power. Refined ladies in beautiful puffy dresses, brave knights in heavy shining armor, cruel murderers, angels, saints and monsters live here. Here, those who fell through the gaping cracks of reality found a new life. The main character Richard is a good-natured young man. Another act of kindness sends him to such a seemingly painfully familiar, but at the same time alien world under the strange name of Nowhere, located somewhere near London.
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
The utopian world of the future called Panem is divided into districts. And in order to control the population, President-dictator Snow annually arranges a cruel tournament - the Hunger Games. From each district, two tribute participants are selected by lottery. All tributes fight each other, and only the strongest survive. Brave Katniss Everdeen volunteers to participate in the games instead of her younger sister. And it is this girl who should change the course of history and the whole world. But she has to fight with Pete, to whom she was imbued with sincere sympathy. Katniss will challenge the authorities and do everything to achieve justice and free Panem from a comprehensive total control.
There was an explosion on board an ordinary plane. Landing is required, but a blizzard has begun making it nearly impossible. The airport is cut off from the outside world. And this is not a detective story. This is the most ordinary life of a huge organism called the Airport. This is one day of its existence. This is the interaction of the people who are here. Someone is working, someone is trying to survive, someone is waiting for a flight, and someone really wants to get home. Such different aspirations and desires of such different people who, by the will of fate, ended up in one place at one time.
The Thirteenth Tale, Diana Setterfield
Margaret Lee looks after her father's bookshop. She prefers Bronte and Dickens to contemporary works. And what was Margaret's surprise when she received an offer to become the personal biographer of Vida Winter, the most famous writer of our time. But she is famous not only for her books. This scandalous lady did not tell the annoying reporters and journalists a word of the truth about herself. And so, Margaret, who found herself within the walls of a huge and seemingly gloomy mansion in the Gothic style, becomes involved in the mysterious story of two twin sisters. Gradually approaching the solution, she realizes that this life in a strange way echoes her own. The secret is about to be revealed.
"Suitcase", Sergey Dovlatov
The author of the book is a popular and one of the most widely read Russian writers of the 20th-11th centuries. His novels, stories and even notes from notebooks are included in the school curriculum and have been translated into dozens of languages. And his simple and so familiar and funny jokes are remembered for a lifetime.
"Suitcase" is a simple, but at the same time, a work so close to everyone and everyone that you will certainly want to re-read it again and again.
"Five Quarters of an Orange" by Joan Harris
Framboise inherited an album of recipes from her mother. And everything would be fine, but her brother got a farm, and her sister became the owner of a wine cellar. But next to the recipes in the album are the records of the deceased mother. Here are her innermost desires and thoughts, as well as frank confessions about some events. And Framboise gets a real treasure. She can unravel the strange mysteries of the family's past.
"I am not afraid" by Niccolò Ammaniti
This is a book about the fact that the human soul is measured not by age, but by the number of good and real deeds performed. And sometimes a child can do much more than an experienced adult.
He can give faith to the needy and give him hope. And this is so necessary when reality has narrowed to the size of a pit. Around the dirt, which heats the sun. And all this had to face a defenseless little man. But there was a second one who was able to overcome his fears and shout to the whole world: “I am not afraid!”. And he can.
The novels of this writer for several decades were a kind of voice of piercing love and a real revolution in the literary world. "A vague smile" is the interweaving of the fates of a lawyer who is bored and tired of everything and everyone and a confused, innocent and young student. Feelings between them are impossible, but nevertheless they are real. Experience is mistakes, including imperfect ones, which makes the soul even more bitter. The author does not prophesy happiness to the heroes, but there is definitely hope, and it cannot die.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This novel brought the author worldwide fame and became a real bestseller of all time. Ray Bradbury introduced readers to a dystopian post-industrial future. In this world, all printed publications are mercilessly destroyed by firefighters, and the possession of books is punishable by law. Television has firmly entered the minds of millions and turned them into weak-willed and obedient fools. And the remaining dissidents are pursued by an electronic dog.
451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper begins to melt.
The Green Mile, Stephen King
The Green Mile is called the death block in the prison with the telling name "Cold Mountain". This creepy little world where they come to get out of this life forever by sitting on the electric chair.
There were various criminals here, but the recently admitted John Coffey is not like the others. He is accused of brutal murder, but in reality he wouldn't hurt a fly. And thanks to John, other prisoners and even prison staff will be able to understand that sometimes everything is not at all what it seems.
The events unfold in the 60s of the last century in the American south. In the quiet and boring town of Jackson, in which something interesting rarely happens, Skeeter arrives. She recently graduated from university and dreams of a career as a writer. But a decent lady should get married and take care of her husband. Abellin is thirty years older and much more experienced than Skeeter. Throughout her conscious life, this black woman has served the whites and managed to raise 17 children, but she lost her son, and therefore life has lost all meaning for her. Minnie is the best cook and the most obstinate maid, so she does not stay in one place for a long time.
What unites two black maids and a white girl from high society? The desire for justice and the desire to change the world. But will they be able to win this difficult struggle?
"35 kilos of hope", Anna Gavalda
About the thirteen-year-old Gregoire, his first teacher spoke like this: “Head like a sieve, golden hands and a huge heart.” And it is true. The boy does not have a soul in his grandfather, he loves to make interesting crafts and hates going to school. And one day he finds out that somewhere far away there is a lyceum in which only boys study, who constantly make something. And he writes a childishly direct, naive, slightly funny and touching letter with a request to be admitted to this lyceum. Gregoire encloses a detailed drawing of his first invention, a banana peeler. Or maybe, really, good grades are not something worth striving for?
Manyunya, Narine Abgaryan
Do you want to immerse yourself in childhood? Then you should definitely read this book! It is so warm and saturated with gentle rays of the sun and the smell of sweets that will not leave anyone indifferent! This is a funny and interesting story about a kind and girl Manyun, her strict grandmother Ba and faithful friend Nara. And Manyuni also has a bunch of relatives who constantly find themselves in the most curious situations. This is a mischievous and adventurous childhood!
The Multiple Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes
This story is amazing and excites the imagination, but, most surprisingly, it is based on real events. The mind of Billy Milligan is a reality divided into several worlds, 24 separate parts into which his consciousness has split. And among them there are very different, sometimes completely opposite people: women and men, children and adults, marginal and sublime creative natures. And they all fight for Billy's body, not letting him control himself.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
This is a real world bestseller, a series that everyone loves without exception: both readers and even sophisticated critics. Based on this book, a film of the same name was created, the screenwriter of which was Douglas Adams himself. And even if you've seen it, the book will seem even more interesting to you.
Be sure to start reading now!
This novel at first consisted of two separate stories - "Universe" ("Universe") and "Common Sense" ("Common Sense"). Their magazine version appeared in 1941. In 1963, the author combined these stories into one book under the general title "Oxphans of the Sky"
Lost in space is a huge transport starship called the Vanguard. After the launch, several generations had already changed, and gradually the passengers were divided into two clans: crazed mutants and a team whose members turned scientific data into religion.
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
This novel has not ceased to be relevant even several decades after its appearance. He is still brilliant and light, but at the same time makes you think and even believe.
The Bennet family has five daughters. And parents are well aware that they will not be able to successfully marry them. But the author of Jane Austen's work, with penetrating psychologism and jewelryly subtle humor, tells readers that every not even the most attractive and smart girl can meet her "Mr. Darcy".
"P.Sh.", Dmitry Khara
Oleg has his own rather successful business, but he works literally to the point of wear and tear, and therefore he is waiting for a vacation or something more pleasant and surprising.
By chance, he stumbles upon an unusual travel agency that offers travel only to trained people. And when the preparation begins, Oleg realizes that the methods of training shock him. All exercises take place in real time and in real life. The hero has to play different roles and perform ridiculous tasks that, oddly enough, lead him to the goal. But suddenly Oleg's life is in danger.
Will he be able to save himself using the experience gained?
Are you still holding one of these books in your hands? Then be sure to grab it and start reading!
You may also be interested in the following collection:
P.S. What books would you recommend?
Inga Mayakovskaya
Reading time: 8 minutes
A A
Despite the abundance of e-books, tablets and audio formats, it is impossible to discourage a book lover from “rustling the pages”. A cup of coffee, an easy chair, the incomparable smell of book pages - and let the whole world wait!
Your attention - TOP-20 most interesting books. Read and enjoy...
- Hurry to love (1999)
Nicholas Sparks
The genre of the book is a love story.
It is generally accepted that only female authors succeed in romance novels. "Hurry to Love" is an exception in this specific genre. Sparks' book won the love of readers around the world and became one of his most popular works.
A touching and incredible love story between the daughter of a priest, Jamie, and a young man, Landon. The book is about a feeling that intertwines the destinies of two halves only once in a lifetime.
- Foam of days (1946)
Boris Vian
The genre of the book is a surreal love story.
A deep and surreal love story based on real events from the life of the author. The allegorical presentation of the book and the unusual plane of events are the highlight of the work, which has become for readers a complete postmodern with a chronology of despair, spleen, shocking.
The heroes of the book are tender Chloe with a lily in her heart, the author's alter ego is Colin, his tiny mouse and the cook, friends of lovers. A work full of bright sadness that everything ends sooner or later, leaving only the foam of days.
Twice screened novel, in both cases unsuccessfully - to convey the whole atmosphere of the book, without missing important details, no one has yet succeeded.
- Hungry Shark Diaries
Stephen Hall
The genre of the book is fantasy.
The action takes place in the 21st century. Eric wakes up with the thought that all the events of his former life have been erased from his memory. According to the doctor, the cause of amnesia is a severe injury, and the relapse is already the 11th in a row. From that moment on, Eric begins to receive letters from himself and hide from the "shark" that devours his memories. His task is to understand what is happening and find the key to salvation.
Hall's debut novel, entirely consisting of puzzles, allusions, allegories. Not for the general reader. They don’t take such a book with them on the train - they don’t read it “on the run”, slowly and with pleasure.
- White Tiger (2008)
Aravind Adiga
The genre of the book is realism, romance.
The boy from the poor Indian village of Balram stands out from his sister-brothers with his unwillingness to put up with fate. A combination of circumstances throws the "White Tiger" (approx. a rare beast) into the city, after which the fate of the boy changes dramatically - from falling to the very bottom, his steep rise to the very top begins. Whether crazy or national hero, Balram struggles to survive in the real world and break out of his cage.
The White Tiger is not an Indian "soap opera" about the "prince and the pauper", but a revolutionary work that breaks stereotypes about India. This book is about the India that you will not see in beautiful films on the TV screen.
- Fight Club (1996)
Chuck Palahniuk
The genre of the book is a philosophical thriller.
An ordinary clerk, exhausted by insomnia and the monotony of life, by chance meets Tyler. The philosophy of a new acquaintance is self-destruction as the goal of life. An ordinary acquaintance quickly develops into friendship, crowned with the creation of the "Fight Club", the main thing in which is by no means victory, but the ability to endure pain.
Palahniuk's special style gave rise not only to the popularity of the book, but also to the already well-known film adaptation with Brad Pitt in one of the main roles. The book is a challenge about a generation of people for whom the boundaries of good and evil have been erased, about the insignificance of life and the pursuit of illusions, from which the world is going crazy.
A work for people with already formed consciousness (not for teenagers) - for understanding and rethinking their lives.
- Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
Ray Bradbury
The genre of the book is science fiction, romance.
The title of the book is the temperature at which the paper burns. The action takes place in the "future", in which literature is prohibited, reading books is a crime, and the job of firefighters is to burn books. Montag, who just works as a firefighter, reads a book for the first time ...
A work that Bradbury wrote before and for us. More than fifty years ago, the author was able to look into the future, where fear, indifference to others and indifference completely replace the feelings that make us human. No unnecessary thoughts, no books - only mannequins.
- Complaint book (2003)
Max Fry
The genre of the book is a philosophical novel, fantasy.
No matter how hard it is for you, no matter how unsuccessful your life is, never curse it - neither in your thoughts nor out loud. Because someone near you will gladly live your own life for you. For example, that smiling girl over there. Or that old lady in the yard. These are the Nakhi, who are invariably by our side…
Self-irony, subtle banter, mysticism, an unusual plot, realistic dialogues (sometimes too much) - with this book, time flies by unnoticed.
- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Jane Austen
The genre of the book is a love story.
The time of action is the 19th century. The Bennet family has 5 unmarried daughters. The mother of this poor family, of course, wants to marry them ...
The plot seems to be beaten to "eye calluses", but for more than one hundred years, Jane Austen's novel has been reread by people from various countries again and again. Because the characters of the book are etched into the memory forever, and, despite the calm pace of development of events, the work does not let the reader go even after the final page. An absolute masterpiece of literature.
A nice “bonus” is a happy ending and the opportunity to steal away a tear from sincere joy for the heroes.
- Golden Temple (1956)
Yukio Mishima
The genre of the book is realism, philosophical drama.
The action takes place in the 20th century. The young man Mizoguchi, after the death of his father, finds himself in a school at Rinzai (approx. Buddhist academy). It is there that the Golden Temple is located - the legendary architectural monument of Kyoto, which gradually fills the mind of Mizoguchi, crowding out all other thoughts. And only death, according to the author, determines the Beautiful. And everything Beautiful, sooner or later, must die.
The book is based on the real fact of the burning of the Temple by one of the novice monks. On the bright path of Mizoguchi, temptations are constantly encountered, good fights evil, and in the contemplation of the Temple, the novice finds peace after the failures that haunt him, the death of his father, the death of a friend. And one day Mizoguchi comes up with the idea - to burn himself along with the Golden Temple.
A few years after writing the book, Mishima, like his hero, made himself hara-kiri.
- Master and Margarita (1967)
Michael Bulgakov
The genre of the book is romance, mysticism, religion and philosophy.
The ageless masterpiece of Russian literature is a book worth reading at least once in a lifetime.
- Portrait of Dorian Gray (1891)
Oscar Wilde
The genre of the book is romance, mysticism.
Once thrown words of Dorian Gray (“I would give my soul for the portrait to grow old, and I was forever young”) became fatal for him. Not a single wrinkle on the eternally youthful face of the protagonist, and his portrait, according to the wish, grows old and gradually dies. And, of course, you have to pay for everything in this world ...
A repeatedly filmed book that once blew up a prim reading society with a Puritan past. A book about a deal with a tempter with sad consequences is a mystical novel that is worth re-reading every 10-15 years.
- Shagreen leather (1831)
Honore de Balzac
The genre of the book is a novel, a parable.
The action takes place in the 19th century. Rafael gets shagreen leather, with which you can fulfill your desires. True, after each wish fulfilled, both the skin itself and the life of the hero are reduced. Raphael's delight is quickly replaced by insight - too little time has been allotted to us on this earth to waste it so mediocrely on unaccountable momentary "joys".
A time-tested classic and one of the most fascinating books from the word master Balzac.
- Three comrades (1936)
Erich Maria Remarque
Genre of the book - realism, psychological novel
A book about male friendship in the post-war period. It is with this book that one should begin acquaintance with the author who wrote it away from her homeland.
A work filled with emotions and events, human destinies and tragedies - heavy and bitter, but bright and life-affirming.
- Diary of Bridget Jones (1996)
Helen Fielding
The genre of the book is a love story.
Light "reading" for women who want a little smile and hope. You never know where you will fall into a love trap. And Bridget Jones, already desperate to find her soul mate, will wander in the dark for a long time before the light of her true love dawns.
No philosophy, mysticism, psychological spirals - just a love story.
- The Man Who Laughs (1869)
Victor Hugo
The genre of the book is a novel, historical prose.
The action takes place in the 17-18 century. One day in his childhood, the boy Gwynplaine (who was a lord by birth) was sold to the Comprachos bandits. During the fashion for freaks and cripples that amused the European nobility, the boy became a fair jester with a mask of laughter carved on his face.
Despite the trials that fell to his lot, Gwynplaine was able to remain a kind and pure person. And even for love, the mutilated appearance and life did not become an obstacle.
- White on black (2002)
Ruben David Gonzalez Gallego
The genre of the book is realism, an autobiographical novel.
The work is true from the first to the last line. This book is the life of the author. He cannot bear pity. And communicating with this person in a wheelchair, everyone immediately forgets that he is a disabled person.
The book is about the love of life and the ability to fight for every moment of happiness, against all odds.
- The Dark Tower
Stephen King
The genre of the book is epic romance, fantasy.
The Dark Tower is the cornerstone of the universe. And the last noble knight in the world, Roland, must find her...
A book that occupies a special place in the fantasy genre - unique twists from King, close interweaving with earthly reality, completely different, but united in one team and reliably described heroes, vivid psychologism of each situation, adventure, drive and the absolute effect of presence.
- Future (2013)
Dmitry Glukhovsky
The genre of the book is fantasy novel.
The recoded DNA at the output gave immortality and eternity. True, at the same time, everything that used to make people live was lost. Temples have become brothels, life has turned into an endless hell, spiritual and cultural values are lost, everyone who dares to have a child is destroyed.
Where will mankind come to? A dystopian novel about the world of immortal, but "inanimate" people without a soul.
- Catcher in the Rye (1951)
Jerome Salinger.
The genre of the book is realism.
In the 16-year-old Holden, everything that is characteristic of a complex teenager is concentrated - harsh reality and dreams, seriousness, giving way to childishness.
The book is a story about a boy who is thrown into the cycle of events by life. Childhood suddenly ends, and the chick pushed out of the nest does not understand where to fly and how to live in a world where everyone is against you.
- You were promised to me
Elchin Safarli
The genre of the book is a novel.
This is a work that people fall in love with from the first pages and are pulled apart into quotes. A terrible and irreparable loss of the second half.
Is it possible to start living again? Will the main character cope with his pain?
