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world famous writers. Pleiad of geniuses of poetry and prose

It is impossible to deny the fact that the nature of the approaching or imminent changes in the life of human civilization was the first to be felt by those who were ahead of their time - famous writers.

Writers - liaison between the future and the present

Among the infinite multitude of writers of each epoch are those authors who, in addition to the merits recognized by all, fiction generously give humanity a new vision. It was they who, much more convincingly than scientists, formulated new concepts and ideas and, as a result, created the intellectual and emotional argumentation of the future. They managed to see his challenge in the everyday and everyday, expose unsightly problems, point to ongoing conflicts, helping to realize the coming threats and give new hopes.

Great writers of world literature

This list is not perfect. It contains individual famous writers who can be safely called the greatest writers of all times and peoples.

Pleiad of geniuses of poetry and prose

The 19th century was so rich in talent that it managed to give birth to an outstanding galaxy of prose and poetry geniuses. The most famous writers are N. M. Karamzin, A. S. Griboyedov, A. S. Pushkin, K. F. Ryleev, M. Yu. Lermontov, N. A. Nekrasov, N. V. Gogol, A. A. Fet, I. S. Turgenev, M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, G. Chernyshevsky, A. P. Chekhov, F. M. Dostoevsky.

Writers who had a significant impact on English literature

The famous created a great many outstanding works, in which they laid a powerful message, so they have retained their relevance in our days.

Thomas More, and translator. Author of many translations from ancient Greek and poems, as well as 280 Latin epigrams.
Jonathan Swift, a brave publicist and brilliant satirist, poet, is known to the general public as the creator of Gulliver's Travels.
founding father of romantic "sensual" literature in Great Britain. With his three whale novels, he undoubtedly formed a stable foundation for his imperishable world fame.
founder of English realistic novel, a prolific, profound playwright.
Walter Scott, a comprehensively developed personality, warrior, writer, poet, specialist in advocacy and history, founder historical novel 19th century.

Writers who changed the world

After the horrors of the Second World War, it seemed to everyone that henceforth the world would rest on clear, simple and reasonable principles for everyone. social relations, global politics relied on the modernization of progress and positive trends, faith in education, science. However, from the beginning of the 70s, the idealistic world began to inexorably collapse, and people came to know a different reality. Famous writers and poets, who determine the mindset of the new generation, have taken the brunt of the dramatic changes that have come.

Soul and mind of modernity

Below is a list of those writers who determined the soul and mind of our time.

Marquez (lawyer). Major works: "The General in His Labyrinth", "Nobody Writes to the Colonel", "One Hundred Years of Solitude", "Born Leaves" and many others.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn (teacher of physics and mathematics, famous Russian writer). Main works: " cancer corps”, “Red Wheel”, “In the First Circle” and more than provocative “Gulag Archipelago”. Famous writers often fell into disgrace to the ruling system.
Toni Morrison (editor). Main works: "Favorite", "Resin Scarecrow", "Jazz", "Love", "Paradise".
Salman Rushdie (philologist). Main works: "Shame", "Rage", "Midnight's Children", "Shalimar the Clown", "Satanic Verses".
Milan Kundera (director) Main works: "Ignorance", "Immortality", "Slowness", "Funny Loves" and others.
Orhan Pamuk (architect). Main works: "Istanbul", "White Fortress", "Other Colors", " New life”, “Snow”, “Black Book”.
Michel Houellebecq (environmental engineer). Major works: Platform, Elementary Particles, The Possibility of an Island, Lanzarote.
JK Rowling (translator). 7 Harry Potter novels.

Umberto Eco (philologist). Major works: "Baudolino", "The Name of the Rose", "The Island of the Eve", "Foucault's Pendulum".
Carlos Castaneda (anthropologist). Main works: "The Gift of the Eagle", "The Power of Silence", "Special Reality", "Tales of Power", " inner fire”, “Wheel of Time”, “Second Circle of Power” and others. The category "famous writers" would be deprived without mentioning this outstanding person.

According to the ranking of the Internet database Index Translationum UNESCO, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov are the most frequently translated Russian writers in the world! These authors are ranked second, third and fourth respectively. But Russian literature is also rich in other names who have made a huge contribution to the development of both Russian and world culture.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Not only a writer, but also a historian and playwright, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian writer who made his name in the post-Stalin era and the debunking of the cult of personality.

In some way, Solzhenitsyn is considered the successor of Leo Tolstoy, since he was also a great truth-seeker and wrote large-scale works about people's lives and social processes that took place in society. Solzhenitsyn's works were based on a combination of autobiographical and documentary.

His most notable works- "The Gulag Archipelago" and "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich". With the help of these works, Solzhenitsyn tried to draw the attention of readers to the horrors of totalitarianism, which modern writers have not yet written about so openly. Russian writers that period; wanted to tell about the fate of thousands of people who were subjected to political repression, were sent to camps innocent and were forced to live there in conditions that can hardly be called human.

Ivan Turgenev

Turgenev's early work reveals the writer as a romantic who felt nature very subtly. Yes and literary image"Turgenev's girl", which has long been presented as a romantic, bright and vulnerable image, is now something of a household name. At the first stage of his work, he wrote poems, poems, dramatic works and, of course, prose.

The second stage of Turgenev's work brought the author the most fame - thanks to the creation of the "Notes of a Hunter". For the first time, he honestly portrayed the landowners, revealed the theme of the peasantry, after which he was arrested by the authorities, who did not like such work, and sent into exile to the family estate.

Later, the writer's work is filled with complex and multifaceted characters - the most mature period the author's creativity. Turgenev tried to uncover such philosophical themes like love, duty, death. At the same time, Turgenev wrote his most famous work, both here and abroad, called "Fathers and Sons" about the difficulties and problems of relations between different generations.

Vladimir Nabokov

Creativity Nabokov completely runs counter to the traditions of classical Russian literature. The most important thing for Nabokov was the play of the imagination, his work became part of the transition from realism to modernism. In the author's works, one can distinguish the type of a characteristic Nabokov's hero - a lonely, persecuted, suffering, misunderstood person with a touch of genius.

In Russian, Nabokov managed to write numerous stories, seven novels (Mashenka, The King, the Queen, the Jack, Despair, and others) and two plays before leaving for the United States. From that moment on, the birth of an English-language author takes place, Nabokov completely abandons the pseudonym Vladimir Sirin, with which he signed his Russian books. Nabokov will work with the Russian language only once more - when he will translate his novel Lolita, which was originally written in English, for Russian-speaking readers.

It was this novel that became the most popular and even notorious work of Nabokov - not too surprising, because it tells about the love of a mature forty-year-old man for a teenage girl of twelve years. The book is considered quite shocking even in our free-thinking age, but if there are still disputes about the ethical side of the novel, then it is perhaps simply impossible to deny Nabokov's verbal skill.

Michael Bulgakov

Bulgakov's creative path was not at all easy. Deciding to become a writer, he abandons his career as a doctor. He writes his first works, Fatal eggs"And" Diaboliad ", having settled down to work as a journalist. The first story evokes rather resonant responses, since it resembled a mockery of the revolution. Bulgakov's story dog's heart”, exposing the authorities, refused to publish it at all and, moreover, took away the manuscript from the writer.

But Bulgakov continues to write - and creates a novel " white guard", according to which they stage a play called "The Days of the Turbins". The success did not last long - in connection with another scandal over the works, all performances based on Bulgakov were removed from shows. The same fate would later befall the very last play Bulgakov "Batum".

The name of Mikhail Bulgakov is invariably associated with The Master and Margarita. Perhaps it was this novel that became the work of a lifetime, although it did not bring him recognition. But now, after the death of the writer, this work is also a success with foreign audiences.

This piece is like nothing else. We agreed to designate that this is a novel, but which one: satirical, fantastic, love-lyrical? The images presented in this work amaze and impress with their uniqueness. A novel about good and evil, about hatred and love, about hypocrisy, money-grubbing, sin and holiness. At the same time, during the life of Bulgakov, the work was not published.

It is not easy to remember another author who could so deftly and aptly expose all the falsehood and dirt of the bourgeoisie, the current government and the bureaucratic system. That is why Bulgakov was subjected to constant attacks, criticism and bans from the ruling circles.

Alexander Pushkin

Despite the fact that not all foreigners associate Pushkin with Russian literature, unlike most Russian readers, it is simply impossible to deny his legacy.

The talent of this poet and writer truly knew no bounds: Pushkin is famous for his amazing poems, but at the same time he wrote excellent prose and plays. Pushkin's work has received recognition not only now; his talent was recognized by others Russian writers and the poets of his contemporaries.

The theme of Pushkin's work is directly related to his biography - the events and experiences that he went through in his life. Tsarskoye Selo, Petersburg, time in exile, Mikhailovskoye, Caucasus; ideals, disappointments, love and affection - everything is present in the works of Pushkin. And the most famous was the novel "Eugene Onegin".

Ivan Bunin

Ivan Bunin is the first writer from Russia to become a laureate Nobel Prize in the field of literature. The work of this author can be divided into two periods: before emigration and after.

Bunin was very close to the peasantry, life common people which had a great influence on the work of the author. Therefore, among it is distinguished the so-called village prose, for example, "Sukhodol", "Village", which became one of the most popular works.

Nature also plays a significant role in Bunin's work, which inspired many great Russian writers. Bunin believed: she - main source strength and inspiration, spiritual harmony, that every person is inextricably linked with it, and in it lies the key to unraveling the mystery of being. Nature and love have become the main themes of the philosophical part of Bunin's work, which is mainly represented by poetry, as well as novels and short stories, for example, "Ida", "Mitina's Love", "Late Hour" and others.

Nikolay Gogol

After graduating from the Nizhyn Gymnasium, Nikolai Gogol's first literary experience was the poem "Hans Küchelgarten", which was not very successful. However, this did not bother the writer, and he soon began working on the play "Marriage", which was published only ten years later. This witty, colorful and lively work smashes to smithereens modern society, which made prestige, money, power its main values, and left love somewhere in the background.

Gogol was deeply impressed by the death of Alexander Pushkin, which affected others as well. Russian writers and artists. Shortly before this, Gogol showed Pushkin the plot of a new work called " Dead Souls”, so now he considered that this work was a “sacred testament” to the great Russian poet.

"Dead Souls" became a magnificent satire on the Russian bureaucracy, serfdom and social ranks, and it is this book that is especially popular among readers abroad.

Anton Chekhov

Chekhov began his creative activity from writing short essays, but very bright and expressive. Chekhov is best known for his humorous stories, although he wrote both tragicomic and dramatic works. And most often foreigners read Chekhov's play called "Uncle Vanya", the stories "The Lady with the Dog" and "Kashtanka".

Perhaps the most basic and famous hero Chekhov's works is a "little man", whose figure is familiar to many readers even after " stationmaster» by Alexander Pushkin. This is not a single character, but rather a collective image.

Nevertheless, Chekhov’s little people are not the same: one wants to sympathize, to laugh at others (“The Man in the Case”, “Death of an Official”, “Chameleon”, “Scumbag” and others). The main problem of this writer's work is the problem of justice ("Name Day", "Steppe", "Leshy").

Fedor Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky is best known for his works Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Each of these works is famous for its deep psychology - indeed, Dostoevsky is considered one of the the best psychologists in the history of literature.

He analyzed the nature of human emotions, such as humiliation, self-destruction, murderous rage, as well as states that lead to insanity, suicide, and murder. Psychology and philosophy are closely linked in Dostoyevsky's portrayal of his characters, intellectuals who "feel ideas" in the depths of their souls.

Thus, "Crime and Punishment" reflects on freedom and inner strength, suffering and madness, disease and fate, the pressure of the modern urban world on the human soul, and raises the question of whether people can ignore their own moral code. Dostoevsky, together with Leo Tolstoy, are the most famous Russian writers in the whole world, and Crime and Punishment is the most popular of the author's works.

Lev Tolstoy

With whom do foreigners associate famous Russian writers So it is with Leo Tolstoy. He is one of the undeniable titans of world fiction, a great artist and person. Tolstoy's name is known all over the world.

There is something Homeric in the epic scope with which he wrote War and Peace, but unlike Homer, he depicted war as a senseless massacre, the result of the vanity and stupidity of the leaders of the nation. The work "War and Peace" was, as it were, a kind of result of all that had gone through Russian society for the period of the 19th century.

But the most famous all over the world is Tolstoy's novel called "Anna Karenina". It is readily read both here and abroad, and readers are invariably captured by the story of the forbidden love of Anna and Count Vronsky, which leads to tragic consequences. Tolstoy dilutes the narrative with a second storyline - the story of Levin, who devotes his life to his marriage to Kitty, housekeeping and God. Thus the writer shows us the contrast between Anna's sin and Levin's virtue.

And watch a video about famous Russians writers of the 19th century can be found here:

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Childhood

The future revolutionary, public and literary figure was born on 07/12/1828. in the family of a Saratov priest, a highly educated and decent man. It was he and even his grandmother who became the first teachers of the boy.

His father taught him to love books, taught him Latin and Greek and the grandmother fed the child's imagination with stories and legends about the past.

And although a measured, calm life flowed at home with its own separate interests associated with the church, little Nikolai was already beginning to understand that some other life was going on outside their courtyard: he saw the Volga barge haulers, watched their hard, joyless existence, saw how past exiled serfs who rebelled against cruel landlords were driven out of their houses, I heard about public executions of soldiers in the Saratov infantry regiment.

Each nation has its age-old traditions and customs, which are not only fundamental features that determine the whole way of thinking, lifestyle and the very future of a particular people, but also the main connecting bridge between many generations.

How many countries and peoples - so many different rituals, customs that differ in ideological orientation, a kind of philosophy, semantic and emotional content. The Russian people have many traditions that go back hundreds of years.

wedding is very important point In human life. It's a ritual an important event and holiday. She is the beginning of a new family life two people. Of course, the rituals and customs characteristic of the pre-wedding period, as well as the wedding itself, were not always the same.

Gradually coming from the depths of centuries, these rituals and customs have been transformed, some of them have completely disappeared. That is, they are not represented in contemporary culture or preserved as echoes of those distant times.

culture

This list contains the names the greatest writers of all time from different peoples who wrote on different languages. Those who are at least somehow interested in literature are undoubtedly familiar with them from their wonderful creations.

Today I would like to remember those who have remained on the pages of history as outstanding authors of great works that have been in demand for many years, decades, centuries and even millennia.

1) Latin: Publius Virgil Maro

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Marcus Tullius Cicero, Gaius Julius Caesar, Publius Ovid Nason, Quintus Horace Flaccus

You must know Virgil by his famous epic work "Aeneid", which is dedicated to the fall of Troy. Virgil is probably the most strict perfectionist in the history of literature. He wrote his poem at an astonishingly slow rate - only 3 lines a day. He did not want to do it faster, to be sure that it was impossible to write these three lines better.

In Latin subordinate clause, dependent or independent, can be written in any order, with a few exceptions. Thus, the poet has great freedom in determining how his poetry sounds, without changing the meaning in any way. Virgil considered every option at every stage.

Virgil also wrote two more works in Latin - "Bucoliki"(38 BC) and "Georgics"(29 BC). "Georgics"- 4 partly didactic poems about agriculture, including various kinds of advice, for example, not to plant grapes next to olive trees: olive leaves are very flammable, and at the end of a dry summer they can catch fire, like everything around, due to a lightning bolt.

He also praised Aristaeus, the god of beekeeping, because honey was the only source of sugar for the European world until it was brought to Europe with Caribbean sugar cane. Bees were deified, and Virgil explained how to acquire a hive if the farmer does not have one: kill a deer, a wild boar or a bear, rip open their belly and leave them in the forest, praying to the god Aristaeus. In a week he will send a beehive to the carcass of the animal.

Virgil wrote that he would like his poem "Aeneid" burned after his death, as it remained unfinished. However, the emperor of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, refused to do so, thanks to which the poem has survived to this day.

2) Ancient Greek: Homer

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, Apostle Paul, Euripides, Aristophanes

Homer, perhaps, can be called the greatest writer of all times and peoples, but not much is known about him. He was probably a blind man who told stories written down 400 years later. Or in fact, a whole group of writers worked on the poems, who added something about the Trojan War and the Odyssey.

Anyway, "Iliad" And "Odyssey" were written in ancient Greek, a dialect that came to be called Homeric in contrast to the Attic that followed later and which replaced it. "Iliad" describes the last 10 years of the struggle of the Greeks with the Trojans outside the walls of Troy. Achilles is the main character. He is furious that King Agamemnon treats him and his trophies as his own property. Achilles refused to participate in the war, which had already lasted 10 years and in which the Greeks lost thousands of their soldiers in the struggle for Troy.

But after persuasion, Achilles allowed his friend (and possibly lover) Patroclus, who did not want to wait any longer, to join the war. However, Patroclus was defeated and killed by Hector, the leader of the Trojan army. Achilles rushed into battle and forced the Trojan battalions to flee. Without outside help, he killed many enemies, fought with the god of the river Scamander. Achilles ultimately killed Hector, and the poem ends with funeral ceremonies.

"Odyssey"- an unsurpassed adventure masterpiece about the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, who tried to return home after the end of the Trojan War along with his people. The details of the fall of Troy are mentioned very briefly. When Odysseus ventured to the Land of the Dead, where he found Achilles among others.

These are just two works of Homer that have survived and have come down to us, however, whether there were others is not exactly known. However, these works underlie all European literature. The poems are written in dactylic hexameter. Many poems have been written in memory of Homer in the Western tradition.

3) French: Victor Hugo

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: René Descartes, Voltaire, Alexandre Dumas, Molière, François Rabelais, Marcel Proust, Charles Baudelaire

The French have always been fans of long novels, the longest of which is the cycle "In Search of Lost Time" Marcel Proust. However, Victor Hugo is perhaps the most famous French prose writer and one of the greatest poets of the 19th century.

His most famous works are "Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" (1831) and "Les Misérables"(1862). The first work even formed the basis famous cartoon "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" studios Walt Disney Pictures However, in Hugo's real novel, everything ended far from being so fabulous.

The hunchback Quasimodo was hopelessly in love with the gypsy Esmeralda, who treated him well. However, Frollo, an evil priest, had his eye on the beauty. Frollo followed her and saw how she almost turned out to be the mistress of Captain Phoebus. As revenge, Frollo handed over the gypsy to justice, accusing the captain of the murder, whom he actually killed himself.

After being tortured, Esmeralda confessed that she allegedly committed a crime and was supposed to be hanged, but at the last moment she was saved by Quasimodo. In the end, Esmeralda was executed anyway, Frollo was thrown from the cathedral, and Quasimodo starved to death, hugging the corpse of his beloved.

"Les Misérables" also not a particularly cheerful novel, at least one of the main characters - Cosette - survives, despite the fact that she had to suffer almost all her life, like all the heroes of the novel. This classic story fanatical following the law, but practically no one can help those who really need help most.

4) Spanish: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Jorge Luis Borges

The main work of Cervantes, of course, is famous novel "cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". He also wrote collections of short stories, a romantic novel "Galatea", novel "Persiles and Sihismunda" and some other works.

Don Quixote is a rather hilarious character, even today, whose real name is Alonso Quejana. He read so much about warrior knights and their honest ladies that he began to consider himself a knight, traveling through the countryside and getting into all sorts of adventures, forcing everyone who meets him on the way to remember him for recklessness. He befriends an ordinary farmer, Sancho Panza, who is trying to bring Don Quixote back to reality.

It is known that Don Quixote tried to fight with windmills, saved people who usually did not need his help, and was beaten many times. The second part of the book was published 10 years after the first and is the first work modern literature. The characters all know about the story of Don Quixote, which is told in the first part.

Now everyone he meets is trying to ridicule him and Panso, testing their faith in the spirit of chivalry. He eventually returns to reality when he loses a fight with the Knight of the White Moon, poisons himself at home, falls ill and dies, leaving all the money to his niece on the condition that she does not marry a man who reads reckless tales of chivalry.

5) Dutch: Joost van den Vondel

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Peter Hooft, Jakob Kats

Vondel is the most eminent writer Holland, who lived in the 17th century. He was a poet and playwright and was representative of the "Golden Age" of Dutch literature. His most famous play is "Geisbrecht of Amsterdam", a historical drama that was performed on New Year's Day at the Amsterdam City Theater between 1438 and 1968.

The play is about Geisbrecht IV, who, according to the play, invaded Amsterdam in 1303 to restore the honor of the family and return the titled nobility. He founded something like the title of baron in these places. Vondel's historical sources were incorrect. In fact, the invasion was carried out by the son of Geisbrecht, Jan, who turned out to be a real hero, overthrowing the tyranny that reigned in Amsterdam. Today Geisbrecht is national hero due to this writer's error.

Vondel also wrote another masterpiece, an epic poem called "John the Baptist"(1662) about the life of John. This work is the national epic of the Netherlands. Vondel is also the author of the play "Lucifer"(1654), which examines the soul of a biblical character, as well as his character and motives in order to answer the question of why he did what he did. This play inspired the Englishman John Milton to write 13 years later "Paradise Lost".

6) Portuguese: Luis de Camões

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: José Maria Esa de Queiroz, Fernando António Nugueira Pessoa

Camões is considered the greatest poet Portugal. His most famous work is "Lusiades"(1572). The Lusiades were the people who inhabited the Roman region of Lusitania, on the site of which modern Portugal is located. The name comes from the name Lusa (Lusus), he was a friend of the god of wine Bacchus, he is considered the progenitor of the Portuguese people. "Lusiades"- an epic poem consisting of 10 songs.

The poem tells about all the famous Portuguese sea voyages to discover, conquer and colonize new countries and cultures. She is somewhat similar to "Odyssey" Homer, Camões praises Homer and Virgil many times. The work begins with a description of the journey of Vasco da Gama.

This is a historical poem that recreates many battles, the Revolution of 1383-85, the discovery of da Gama, trade with the city of Calcutta, India. The Louisiads were always watched by the Greek gods, although da Gama, being a Catholic, prayed to his own god. At the end, the poem mentions Magellan and speaks of the glorious future of Portuguese navigation.

7) German: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Friedrich von Schiller, Arthur Schopenhauer, Heinrich Heine, Franz Kafka

Speaking of German music, it is impossible not to mention Bach, in the same way German literature would not be so complete without Goethe. Many great writers wrote about him or used his ideas in shaping their style. Goethe wrote four novels, a great many poems and documentaries, scientific essays.

Undoubtedly, his most famous work is a book "The Sorrows of Young Werther"(1774). Goethe founded the German Romantic movement. Beethoven's 5th symphony completely coincides in mood with Goethe's "Werther".

Novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" talks about the unsatisfied romanticism of the protagonist, which leads to his suicide. The story is told in the form of letters and made the epistolary novel popular for at least the next century and a half.

However, the masterpiece of Goethe's pen is still a poem "Faust" which consists of 2 parts. The first part was published in 1808, the second in 1832, the year of the writer's death. The legend of Faust existed long before Goethe, but Goethe's dramatic story remains the most famous story about this hero.

Faust is a scientist whose incredible knowledge and wisdom pleased God. God sends Mephistopheles or the Devil to check on Faust. The story of a deal with the devil has often been brought up in literature, but the most famous is perhaps the story of Goethe's Faust. Faust signs an agreement with the Devil, promising his soul in exchange for the Devil to do whatever Faust wishes on Earth.

He becomes young again and falls in love with the girl Gretchen. Gretchen takes a potion from Faust to help her mother's insomnia, but the potion poisons her. This drives Gretchen crazy, she drowns her newborn baby, signing her death warrant. Faust and Mephistopheles break into the prison to rescue her, but Gretchen refuses to go with them. Faust and Mephistopheles go into hiding, and God grants forgiveness to Gretchen while she awaits her execution.

The second part is incredibly difficult to read, as the reader needs to be well versed in Greek mythology. This is a kind of continuation of the story that began in the first part. Faust, with the help of Mephistopheles, becomes incredibly strong and corrupt until the very end of the story. He remembers the pleasure of being a good person and immediately dies. Mephistopheles comes for his soul, but the angels take it for themselves, they stand up for the soul of Faust, who is reborn and ascends to Heaven.

8) Russian: Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Today, Pushkin is remembered as the father of native Russian literature, in contrast to that Russian literature, which had a clear tinge of Western influence. First of all, Pushkin was a poet, but he wrote in all genres. Drama is considered his masterpiece. "Boris Godunov"(1831) and a poem "Eugene Onegin"(1825-32).

The first work is a play, the second is a novel in poetic form. "Onegin" written exclusively in sonnets, and Pushkin invented a new form of sonnet, which distinguishes his work from the sonnets of Petrarch, Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser.

The main character of the poem - Eugene Onegin - is the model on which all Russians are based. literary heroes. Onegin is treated as a person who does not meet any standards accepted in society. He wanders, gambles, fights duels, he is called a sociopath, although not cruel or evil. This person, rather, does not care about the values and rules that are accepted in society.

Many of Pushkin's poems formed the basis of ballets and operas. They are very difficult to translate into any other language, mostly because poetry simply cannot sound the same in another language. This is what distinguishes poetry from prose. Languages often do not match in the possibilities of words. The Inuit language of the Eskimos is known to have 45 different words for snow.

Nevertheless, "Onegin" translated into many languages. Vladimir Nabokov translated the poem into English, but instead of one volume, he got as many as 4. Nabokov retained all the definitions and descriptive details, but completely ignored the music of poetry.

All this is due to the fact that Pushkin had an incredible unique style writing, which allowed touching on all aspects of the Russian language, even inventing new syntactic and grammatical forms and words, establishing many rules that are used by almost all Russian writers even today.

9) Italian: Dante Alighieri

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: none

Name Durante in Latin means "hardy" or "eternal". It was Dante who helped streamline the various Italian dialects of his time into modern Italian. The dialect of Tuscany, where Dante was born in Florence, is the standard for all Italians thanks to "Divine Comedy" (1321), Dante Alighieri's masterpiece and one of the greatest works of world literature of all time.

At the time this work was written, the Italian regions each had their own dialect, which were quite different from each other. Today, when you want to learn Italian as a foreign language, you will almost always start with the Florentine version of Tuscany because of its significance in literature.

Dante travels to Hell and Purgatory to learn about the punishments that sinners are serving. There are different punishments for different crimes. Those who are accused of lust are forever driven by the wind, despite their fatigue, because in life the wind of voluptuousness drove them.

Those whom Dante considers heretics are guilty of splitting the church into several branches, among them also the prophet Muhammad. They are sentenced to a split from the neck to the groin, and the punishment is carried out by the devil with a sword. In such a ripped state, they walk in a circle.

IN "Comedy" there are also descriptions of Paradise, which are also unforgettable. Dante uses Ptolemy's concept of paradise that Heaven is made up of 9 concentric spheres, each of which brings the author and Beatrice, his lover and guide, closer to God at the very top.

After meeting with different famous personalities from the Bible, Dante finds himself face to face with the Lord God, depicted as three beautiful circles of light, merging into one, from which Jesus emerges, the incarnation of God on Earth.

Dante is also the author of other smaller poems and essays. One of the works - "About folk eloquence" speaks of the importance Italian as conversational. He also wrote a poem "New life" with passages in prose in which he defends noble love. No other writer was as fluent in the language as Dante was in Italian.

10) English: William Shakespeare

Other great authors who wrote in the same language: John Milton, Samuel Beckett, Geoffrey Chaucer, Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens

Voltaire called Shakespeare "that drunken fool", and his works "that huge dunghill". Nevertheless, the influence of Shakespeare on literature is undeniable, and not only English, but also the literature of most other languages of the world. Shakespeare is one of the most translated writers today. complete collection works have been translated into 70 languages, and various plays and poems have been translated into more than 200.

About 60 percent of all popular expressions, quotes and idioms of the English language come from King James Bible (English translation Bible), 30 percent from Shakespeare.

According to the rules of Shakespearean time, tragedies at the end demanded the death of at least one main character, but in an ideal tragedy everyone dies: "Hamlet" (1599-1602), "King Lear" (1660), "Othello" (1603), "Romeo and Juliet" (1597).

In contrast to tragedy, there is comedy, in which someone is sure to marry at the end, and in the ideal comedy, all the characters marry and get married: "Dream in midsummer night" (1596), "Much ado about nothing" (1599), "Twelfth Night" (1601), "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1602).

Shakespeare masterfully exacerbated the tension between the characters in an excellent combination with the plot. He knew how, like no one else, organically describe human nature. The real genius of Shakespeare can be called skepticism, which pervades all his works, sonnets, plays and poems. He, as it should be, praises the highest moral principles humanity, but these principles are always expressed in the conditions of an ideal world.

The jury for ‘The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books’, led by a New York Times columnist, included: famous writers as: Jonathan Franzen, recognized by the Times magazine as the best American novelist, author of the novel "The Emperor's Children" Claire Mesud, Joyce Carol Oates, famous American novelist, and many others. The writers made a list of 10 best novels and writers, reviewing 544 titles. The novels were scored from 1 to 10.

The ten greatest writers of all time, according to total points scored:

1. Leo Tolstoy - 327

One of the most widely known Russian writers and thinkers, revered as one of the world's greatest writers. Member of the defense of Sevastopol.
The writer, recognized during his lifetime as the head of Russian literature, whose work marked new stage in the development of Russian and world realism, becoming a kind of bridge between the traditions classic novel XIX century and literature of the XX century.
The most famous works of Tolstoy are the novels War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Resurrection, the autobiographical trilogy Childhood, Boyhood, Youth, the stories The Cossacks, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Kreutzerov sonata”, “Hadji Murad”, a series of essays “Sevastopol Tales”, dramas “The Living Corpse” and “The Power of Darkness”, autobiographical religious and philosophical works “Confession” and “What is my faith?” and etc.

2. William Shakespeare - 293

English poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in the English language and one of the the best playwrights peace. Often referred to as the national poet of England. The works that have come down to us, including some written jointly with other authors, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 4 poems and 3 epitaphs. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language and are staged more often than the works of other playwrights.
Most of Shakespeare's works were written between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mostly comedies and chronicles, in which Shakespeare excelled. Then a period of tragedies began in his work, including the works of Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth, which are considered among the best on English language. At the end of his work, Shakespeare wrote several tragicomedies, and also collaborated with other writers.

3. James Joyce - 194

Irish writer and poet, a representative of modernism, Joyce greatly influenced world culture. He remains one of the most widely read English-language prose writers today. In 1998, Modern Library compiled a list of The Newest Library's 100 Best Novels, which includes all three of James Joyce's novels: Ulysses (number 1 on the list), Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (number 3), and Finnegans Wake » (number 77). In 1999, Time magazine included the writer in the list of "100 heroes and idols of the 20th century", saying that Joyce brought about a whole revolution. Ulysses has been called "demonstrating and summing up everything modern movement[modernism]."

4. Vladimir Nabokov - 190

Russian and American writer, poet, translator and entomologist.

Nabokov's works are characterized by a complex literary technique, a deep analysis of the emotional state of the characters, combined with an unpredictable, sometimes almost thriller plot. Among the most famous examples of Nabokov's work are the novels Mashenka, Luzhin's Defense, Invitation to Execution, and The Gift. The writer gained fame among the general public after the publication scandalous romance"Lolita", on which several adaptations were subsequently made (1962, 1997).

5. Fyodor Dostoevsky - 177

One of the most significant and famous Russian writers and thinkers in the world. Dostoevsky's work had a great influence on Russian and world culture. literary heritage the writer is differently evaluated both at home and abroad. In the West, where Dostoevsky's novels have enjoyed popularity since the early 20th century, his work has had a significant impact on such generally liberal movements as existentialism, expressionism, and surrealism. Many literary critics see him as the forerunner of existentialism. However, abroad, Dostoevsky is usually regarded, first of all, as an outstanding writer and psychologist, while his ideology is ignored or almost completely rejected.