5 famous authors who wrote just one novel and became famous all over the world

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

There are so many authors in the world who, proud of their productivity, present a new book almost every year. But history knows those who managed to become famous all over the world thanks to just one single book, which became a hit for centuries. Your attention - 5 legendary works, some of which have been shot some of the most iconic films in the history of cinema.

1. The tale of the adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is the only complete novel written by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe. This work tells the story of a young Arthur Gordon Pym, who is hiding aboard a whaling ship called the Grampus. Various adventures and misadventures befall Pym, including shipwreck, mutiny and cannibalism, before being rescued by the crew of the Jane Guy. Aboard this ship, Pym and a sailor named Dirk Peters continue their adventure further south. Moored on land, they encounter hostile black natives before fleeing back to the ocean. The romance ends abruptly as Pym and Peters continue their journey to the South Pole. The story begins as a fairly common adventure at sea, but it gets more and more bizarre and difficult to categorize. Poe, who set out to present a realistic story, was inspired by several real-life stories of sea travel. Also, the writer, often referred to the theory of the hollow earth, borrowed some ideas from Jeremiah N. Reynolds. In addition, Poe drew some interesting points and facts from his own experience at sea. Analysis of the novel often focuses on potential autobiographical elements, as well as hints of racism and symbolism in the final lines of the novel.

The difficulty of finding literary success early in his career as a short story writer inspired Allan to write a longer piece. Several serial parts of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket were first published in the Southern Literary Gazette, although they were never completed. The complete novel was published in July 1838 in two volumes. Some critics criticized the work for being too gruesome and very different from others. While others praised her exciting adventures. Poe himself later called it "a very stupid book." In the years since its publication, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket has become an influential work, especially for Herman Melville and Jules Verne.

2. Thunder Pass

Despite the fact that Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" was initially received with hostility, this work soon became one of the most iconic in the world. The first person to publicly praise Wuthering Heights was Charlotte Brontë, Emily's sister. It was she who wrote the foreword and introduction to the second edition of the novel in 1850 and became the first and main critic of the novel. However, Charlotte herself was not fully convinced of all its merits. Commenting on the feasibility of creating characters like Heathcliff, Charlotte stated:

Wuthering Heights is an important contemporary novel for two reasons: its honest and accurate portrayal of early life provides a glimpse into history, and the literary merit in its own right allows the text to rise above entertainment and rank it among quality literature. The portrayal of women, society and class bears witness to a time that is foreign to the modern reader. But even though society today is different from what it was two centuries ago, people remain the same. Modern readers still empathize with the main and secondary characters, imbued with their feelings and emotions.

Wuthering Heights is not just a sentimental love story. This is a presentation of life, an essay on love and a look at relationships. Many critics who praise Bronte's style, imagery and choice of words argue that this magnificent piece is actually poetry disguised as prose. This lyrical prose has a distinct structure and style. It is noteworthy that Wuthering Heights is roughly ordered couples: two families, two generations and two pairs of children. Bronte uses these characters to explore themes of good versus evil, crime and punishment, passion versus rationality, revenge, selfishness, separation and reconciliation, chaos and order, nature and culture, health and disease, rebellion and the nature of love. These topics are not independent of each other. They are more likely to mix and intertwine as the plot unfolds. This is also a social novel about the class structure of society, as well as a Treatise on the Role of Women. Bronte illustrates that class mobility does not always move in one direction. For Catherine, who is of the lower class, social status plays a major role in the decision to marry. This is why she is unable to marry Heathcliff and instead agrees to marry Edgar. However, for Isabella, the opposite is true. She is drawn to this wild, mysterious man, despite the fact that he is below her social status. Because of her crush, she loses everything that is dear to her. This work, which is difficult and difficult at first glance, makes you think about a lot and reconsider your views on life. Like other literary masterpieces, Wuthering Heights has spawned drama, musical retelling, films, and even a novel that fills in the gaps in Heathcliff's three missing years.

3. Portrait of Dorian Gray

Wilde published his first version of The Portrait of Dorian Gray in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. Initial reactions to his romance were negative, if not offensive. Wilde responded to criticism of his work with numerous letters to the editor and added a foreword to the book version, which came out in the spring of 1891. He also extensively revised Lippincott's version, adding six new chapters and toning down homoerotic descriptions. Contrary to the claims of reviewers that the novel was immoral, Wilde was concerned that his work was, on the contrary, too moral. The revised version received less negative feedback, perhaps because much of the noise about this work has disappeared. The history of "Dorian Gray" is now considered, if not a classic, then at least a pivotal work.

Sources from which Wilde drew for his novel include the legend of Faust and the myth of Narcissus from Ovid's Metamorphoses. The structure of Dorian Gray is balanced between Lord Henry's early influence on Dorian (first ten chapters) and Dorian's life as an adult (last ten chapters). Each section begins with an explanatory chapter. The main characters in the novel include a portrait that dominates the story as it reflects Dorian's growing fall into debauchery. The Yellow Book reflects the continuing influence of Lord Henry and appears to be a demonic force in itself. The theater run by Mr. Isaacs is a fantasy world for Dorian, who seems incapable of dealing with Sybil as a real person. The white daffodil reflects Dorian's admiration for himself. Lord Henry plays Dorian as a violin, which is mentioned at the beginning of the book and becomes a symbol of manipulation. The opera, in which the singer Patti appears, is the quintessence of aestheticism, while Daly's opium hangout embodies the depths of depravity and excess. Major themes include the legend of Faust, the balance of mind and body, the dual nature of man, self-knowledge, narcissism, friendship, the Fall and atonement, and the dangers of personal influence or manipulation.

4. Gone with the Wind

When it comes to American classics, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind requires special attention. Published in 1936, it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. In 1939, the novel was filmed as the award-winning film, which remains the highest grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation. More recently, in 2014, Gone With the Wind was rated as the second most popular American book, second only to the Bible.

"Gone With the Wind" is a fascinating story of young Scarlett O'Hara and her "love triangle" with Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes. The novel begins just before the Civil War, describing the burning of Atlanta and the possible political consequences of emancipation and restoration. Race, class, politics, pride, gender, honor and love blend throughout the book, revolving around the charming Scarlett's life with Rhett and Ashley. Despite the vivid events and unusual plot, much of the narrative, in particular Scarlett's inner monologues, becomes tiresome when they do not introduce new ideas, feelings or projections. And yet, this work is considered a truly masterpiece, which for many years to come will occupy a leading position among many other books.

5. Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago is a novel by Boris Pasternak, published in Italy in 1957. This epic tale of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its consequences for the bourgeois family was published in the Soviet Union only in 1987. One of the results of its publication in the West was the complete rejection of Pasternak by the Soviet authorities. When he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, he was forced to give it up. The book quickly became an international bestseller.

Dr. Yuri Zhivago, Pasternak's alter ego, is a poet, philosopher and physician whose life has been destroyed by war and love for Lara, the revolutionary's wife. His artistic nature makes him vulnerable to the brutality and ruthlessness of the Bolsheviks. Wandering around Russia, he cannot take control of his fate and dies in complete poverty. The poems that he leaves behind make up one of the most beautiful works in the novel, evoking scales of emotions even in the modern reader.

From time immemorial, artists, like writers, have loved to keep intrigue, seasoning their work with it. But as it turned out, in addition to intrigue, which it was possible to unravel only after tens, or even hundreds of years.