10 best books of all time according to the American magazine Newsweek

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

It seems that numerous ratings and lists have already become a part of our life. Filmmakers use them to choose films for viewing, and readers - works to read. In fact, the rating compiled by Newsweek is of particular interest, because at the time of its creation, similar lists of different publications were collected and analyzed, and readers were attracted. It includes 100 works, but we invite you to get acquainted with the top ten, especially since it includes two works by Russian authors at once.

Leo Tolstoy, "War and Peace"

Leo Tolstoy's immortal work tops the prestigious list. However, this is not surprising, the epic novel, written in the 19th century and telling about Russian society in the era of wars against Napoleon, remains relevant today.

George Orwell, 1984

The dystopian novel proved to be very influential and gave food for thought to more than one generation. The work, written in 1948, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988, and became a bestseller in the United States in 2017, becoming a hit on Amazon.

James Joyce, Ulysses

The novel is recognized as the pinnacle of postmodernism and tells the story of a day in a Dublin man of Jewish origin. Despite the simple plot, "Ulysses" contains many different allusions, including historical, literary and philosophical.

Vladimir Nabokov, "Lolita"

The most famous novel by Vladimir Nabokov is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding works of the twentieth century and is included in the first hundred of numerous ratings. It is difficult even to imagine that once the author received a refusal to publish from almost all the publishing houses where he applied. The writer himself considered "Lolita" the pinnacle of his work.

William Faulkner, Sound and Fury

The story of the collapse and death of the Compson family is emotionally and stylistically very difficult. Only in the finale did the scattered details of the mosaic come together, and after that they force the reader to ponder for a long time about the fate of the heroes, their uneasy relationships and the reasons that led to the tragic ending.

Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man

The novel is called one of the best English-language works. It examines the problems faced by African Americans in the early twentieth century, raises questions of nationalism, individuality and personal identity.

Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse

The novel is written in the manner of modernist literature and does not differ in a built plot, but the “stream of consciousness” technique is fully used. Awareness and "feeling" of the same event by different heroes becomes a striking distinctive feature.

Homer, Iliad and Odyssey

This book needs neither introduction nor plot description. She influenced the entire further development of world culture, and every self-respecting person simply needs to read the immortal poems of the great Homer.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

The novel today is rightfully called a masterpiece of English literature, but at one time the publishers categorically rejected the manuscript of Jane Austen's debut work. For 15 years, the writer kept it, and after the success of "Sense and Sensibility" was able to publish "Pride and Prejudice", however, having previously reworked the novel.

Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy

There is no need to introduce Dante Alighieri's poem. It is a kind of encyclopedia of political, theological, philosophical and scientific knowledge of the Middle Ages. For several centuries, The Divine Comedy has inspired artists and poets, musicians and writers, philosophers and playwrights.

The insane rhythm of modern life does not always leave time for reading voluminous books. In the hustle and bustle, you often forget about what was read the day before, and in order to immerse yourself in the topic, you have to re-read at least a few pages. But there is wonderful books, which can be read in just a few hours.