20 best books of the XXI century

On April 23, World Book Day, we suggest to familiarize with the list of readers 'preferences 56 ekspertov.V this day, we offer you to explore the list of readers' preferences experts literary magazine The Millions, who included prominent journalists, critics and writers. They chose the only notable books century.

Ranking prepared by 56 experts and publications was presented to readers who voted in a special group to Facebook.

Surely anyone reading a person can call his list of the best books, but this study The Millions should take note.

"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides

life story of a hermaphrodite, sincerely and frankly told in the first person. The novel, written by an American of Greek origin Jeffrey Eugenides in Berlin, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. The book is a story of several generations of one family through the eyes of a descendant hermaphrodite.

"Short and wonderful life of Oscar Waugh»

Junod Diaz

Semi-autobiographical novel, 2007, written by an American of Dominican descent Junod Diaz, tells the story of a thick and deeply unhappy child is in the process of growing up in New Jersey and dying prematurely in early adolescence. The product was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. A notable feature of the book can be considered a mixture of English literature, "Spanglish" (a mixture of English and Spanish) and street slang Latinos who settled in America.

"2666" by Roberto Bolano 85,842,150

Published posthumously novel of the Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño (1953 - 2003) consists of 5 parts, which the author was going for economic reasons to publish like five independent books, so as to ensure their children's lives after his death. However, after his death the heirs identified literary value of the work and decided to publish it as a novel.

"Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell

"Cloud Atlas" is like a mirror maze, which resonate layering on each other, six votes: notary middle of the XIX century, returning to the US from Australia; the young composer, who was forced to sell body and soul in Europe between the world wars; journalist in California 1970, disclosing corporate conspiracy; small publisher - our contemporary, managed to break the bank in the bandit's autobiography "The blow brass knuckles" and running from creditors; clone-workers of fast food in Korea - the country of victorious cyberpunk - goatherd and Hawaiian sunset civilization.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

The book Cormac McCarthy, whose works are characterized by hard realism and common view on our own, human nature without masks, without hypocrisy, without any romance. Father and young son roam the country has experienced a terrible catastrophe, desperately trying to survive and save human face in a post-apocalyptic world.

"Atonement," Ian McEwan

It is striking in its sincerity "Chronicle of Lost Time", which is a teenage girl on a quaint and childish and cruel way overestimating rethinking events "adult" life. After witnessing the rape, she treats it differently - and drives a chain of fatal events, which goes around comes around in unexpected ways after many years.

"The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon

Two Jewish boys during World War II becomes king of comics in America. His art, they are trying to fight the forces of evil and those who keep their loved ones in slavery and wants to destroy.

"Amendments" Jonathan Franzen

It is ironic and deep understanding of the eternal conflict between fathers and sons in the age of bravura of the "end of history", impenetrable political correctness and the ubiquitous Internet. Following the sad and funny family life conflicts of the former railway engineer Alfred Lambert, slowly going mad, the author builds Plural novel about love, business, cinema, "haute cuisine", dizzying luxury of New York, and even lawlessness of the former Soviet Union. The book is declared "the first great novel of the XXI century."

"Gilead" Marilyn Robinson

The novel is set in 1956 in the town of Gilead, Iowa. The book is a letter written in a diary form of 76-year-old priest and addressed his 7-year-old son. Accordingly, the novel is a series of non-consecutive scenes, memories, stories, moral advice.

"White Teeth" Zadie Smith

One of the most exciting and successful debut novel, appeared in recent years in the British literature. Brilliant comic story, which tells of friendship, love, war, earthquake, three cultures, three families for three generations, and a very unusual mouse.

"Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami

In the center of the work - the fate of a teenage runaway from the gloomy prophecies of his father. On the amazing fate of heroes, residents of Japan the second half of the XX century, the influence of the prophecy, the envoys of the other world and cats.

"The Kite Runner," Khaled Hosseini

Amir and Hassan shared abyss. One belonged to the local aristocracy, the other - a despised minority. One father was a beautiful and important, others - chrome and miserable. One was an avid reader, and the other - illiterate. Cleft lip Hassan saw all the ugly scars Amir were hidden deep inside. But do not find people closer than the two boys. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of the Kabul idyll, which will soon be replaced by the terrible storms. Boys like two kite, which has picked up this storm and swept in different directions. Each has its own destiny, its own tragedy, but as a child, linked by strong ties.

"Do not let me go," Kazuo Ishiguro

The most striking English novel in 2005 by a born Japanese, a graduate of the literary seminar Malcolm Bradbury, winner of the Booker Prize for "Remains of the Day." 30-year-old Katie recalls his childhood in a privileged school Hailsham, full of strange omissions, half-revelations and the latent threat. This novel is a parable, a story of love, friendship and memory, the ultimate reification of the metaphor "to serve the entire life».

"Austerlitz" VG Sebald

Jacques Austerlitz, who devoted his life to studying the device forts, palaces and castles, suddenly realizes that he knows nothing about his personal history, except that in 1941 his five year old boy, were taken to England. And decades later, he is torn Europe, sitting in archives and libraries, raising the crumbs inside their own "museum of lost things", "personal history of disasters."

"Empire Falls," Richard Russo

The novel by Richard Russo in the comedy vein, which tells about the life of "blue-collar" small town of Empire Falls, Maine. The protagonist - Miles Roby, manager of the grill-bar, which is considered the most popular venues in the town for over 20 years.

"Fugitive" Alice Munro

Storybook famous Canadian writer, in which Hollywood is already making films, and in 2004, the book won the Giller.

"Master," Colm Tóibín

Book Irish writer Colm Tóibín "Master", tells about the life of the famous novelist and critic of the XIX century, Henry James has earned the world's largest literary prize for a work of fiction in English.

"Half of a yellow sun" Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda

Full tense drama novel tells the stories of several people - stories that are interwoven most amazing way. Readers of the novel Adichie called "African" The Kite Runner "," and British critics awarded him the prestigious "Orange».

"Unusual Earth" Dzhumpa Lair

"Unusual Earth" - a book by the American writer of Indian origin Dzhumpy Lair. The author continues the theme of Indian immigrants, which began in his first book "The interpreter disease».

"Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell," Susanna Clarke

Magical England during the Napoleonic wars. England, in which wizards are made at a secret service of the government and private way to protect the British Empire. But fighting with the enemy "normal" and using his strength as another weapon in the war "human" wizards have forgotten their true, eternal foes and opponents - ancient peoples, remembering how he had once ruled the lands and human souls. And now, when the magic began to wilt and dry up from the depths of antiquity returned otherworldly fairy, led by their new hope - the Raven King.

The list of experts also includes the book "acquainted with the world" by Edward P. Jones, "Pastorale. Devastation in the park of the Civil War "by George Saunders," It's time to take away the horses, "Per Petterson," Bastion of Solitude "by Jonathan Lethem, storybook Kelly Link" This is all very strange, "and are not translated into Russian of the book« Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage »Alice Munro,« Twilight of the Superheroes: Stories »Deborah Eisenberg,« Mortals »Norman Rush,« Varieties of Disturbance: Stories »Lydia Davis,« American Genius: A Comedy »Lynne Tillman.

Read continued:

Best Books of the XX century

See also:
via www.adme.ru/articles/knigi-ob-iskusstve-322905/

Tags

See also

New and interesting