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Finding Yourself: 10 Great Books
1. Somerset Maugham - "Theatre"
Somerset Maugham's most famous novel.
The subtle, caustic-ironic story of a brilliant, intelligent actress celebrating the “mid-life crisis” with a beautiful young “predator.”
The Vanity Fair of the Stormy Twenties? Or is it a timeless book in which every reader finds something for himself?
The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actors. It was and it will always be.
2. Jack London as "Martin Eden"
The most unusual novel by Jack London.
A novel that blew the consciousness of several generations of young people from different countries, obsessed with his almost Nietzschean idea of a “strong man” who overcomes any obstacles. Now, of course, these motives are no longer relevant, but his main idea is still noble. . .
A real man is not afraid of difficulties, does not commit betrayal, does not retreat to the enemy and is always ready to protect the woman he loves.
Does that sound corny? But not for the timeless heroes of Jack London.
3. Irving Stone, The Thirst for Life
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the greatest masters of impressionism. A man of tragic fate, during his lifetime he experienced the contempt of the “official” critics of painting, and a complete misunderstanding of fellow artists, and after his death recognized as a great artist.
His genius was a curse, for his innovative way of writing seemed unacceptable even to the inhabitants of Montmartre who were accustomed to creative experiments. He was disliked and either indifferently rejected or cynically used by women. Friends laughed at him. His family felt sorry for him. . .
Van Gogh's life was bound to end tragically, as was evident to all who knew him. The only question is when and under what circumstances this denouement will occur. . .
Much has been written about the “genius madman” of world painting, but no one was given to create anything equal to the legendary biographical novel by Irving Stone “The Thirst for Life”.
4. George Sand - "Consuelo"
Consuelo is one of the best novels by George Sand, the legendary French writer.
Her way of life – the desire for independence, the assertion of a woman’s right to choose a lover, free manners, a man’s name as a pseudonym and a man’s costume – made this woman the forerunner of twentieth-century feminism. The work of the writer, which caused the stormy enthusiasm of contemporaries, became one of the most significant phenomena of European literature of the XIX century.
The narrative is based on the motives of the tragic clash between the artist and society, the difficult choice between career, success and a quiet family backwater. The prototype of the heroine of the novel was the famous French singer Pauline Viardot, who was the muse of I.S. Turgenev.
5. Mikhail Bulgakov – “Theatrical novel”
One of the most mysterious works of Mikhail Bulgakov.
“Theatrical novel” (author’s name – “Notes of the Dead”), in which many artists of the Moscow Art Theatre served as prototypes of the heroes, is perceived in a completely new way in combination with drawings of the writer’s friend, the legendary actor of the troupe of the Moscow Art Theatre Boris Livanov.
The article by G. Panfilova-Schneiter, devoted to the history of the relationship between Mikhail Bulgakov and the Moscow Art Theater, will help readers better understand the intricacies of the plot of the Theatrical Novel and trace how real events are intertwined with the author’s fiction.
6. Oscar Wilde, “Portrait of Dorian Gray”
"Portrait of Dorian Gray" - the most famous work of Wilde - immediately after the publication (1890) gained scandalous fame and caused contradictory assessments of contemporaries. It is a literary manifesto of European aestheticism and a masterpiece of artistic prose. Wilde rejected stiff Victorian morality, but wrote a deeply moral book in which Art avenges trampled Beauty, devoted Love and despised Harmony.
7. Ayn Rand - "The Source"
For several decades, this novel remains in the list of bestsellers in the world and for millions of readers has become a classic.
The protagonist of the novel, Howard Roark, fights with society for his personal right to creativity. The fanatical stagnation of others forces him to take extraordinary actions.
And quite unusual connection Roark with a woman in love with him, who later becomes the wife of his worst enemy.
Through the twists and turns of the fate of the heroes and the fascinating plot, the author conducts the main idea of the book - the ego is the source of human progress.
The idea is unusual for Russia; the more interesting it will be for a wide range of readers to get acquainted with the heroes who claim it with their lives.
8. Thomas Mann, "Doctor Faustus"
The most significant and ambitious work of Thomas Mann. The classic story of a genius who sold his soul to the devil, inscribed in the history of Germany at the turning point of the first quarter of the last century.
9. Joanne Harris, "Chocolate"
The sleepy tranquility of a small French town is disturbed by the arrival of a young woman named Vianne and her daughter. They appeared with a noisy and bright carnival procession, and when the carnival ended, his bright joy remained in the eyes of Vianne, who opened her chocolate store here. Somehow miraculously she learns about the innermost desires of the inhabitants of the town and offers everyone just such a chocolate delicacy that makes him feel the taste for life again.
Chocolate is a novel about kindness and tolerance, about resisting innocent temptations and rigid righteousness. The Hollywood film of the same name directed by Lasse Hallström (with Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judy Dench in the lead roles) was nominated for an Oscar in five categories and a Golden Globe in four.
10 ideas from books that have become a reality
5 books about love. Tender, strange.
10. Vladimir Nabokov - "The Gift"
The Gift (1938) is the last Russian novel by Vladimir Nabokov, which can rightly be called the pinnacle of the Russian-speaking period of his work and one of the masterpieces of Russian literature of the XX century.
Telling about the creative development of the young writer-emigrant Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev, this deeply autobiographical book deals with the most important Nabokov themes: the fate of Russian literature, the mystery of the true gift, the idea of personal immortality achieved through memories, love and art. published
P.S. And remember, just by changing our consumption – together we change the world!
Source: vk.com/the_intellectuals?w=wall-43503264_77686
Somerset Maugham's most famous novel.
The subtle, caustic-ironic story of a brilliant, intelligent actress celebrating the “mid-life crisis” with a beautiful young “predator.”
The Vanity Fair of the Stormy Twenties? Or is it a timeless book in which every reader finds something for himself?
The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actors. It was and it will always be.
2. Jack London as "Martin Eden"
The most unusual novel by Jack London.
A novel that blew the consciousness of several generations of young people from different countries, obsessed with his almost Nietzschean idea of a “strong man” who overcomes any obstacles. Now, of course, these motives are no longer relevant, but his main idea is still noble. . .
A real man is not afraid of difficulties, does not commit betrayal, does not retreat to the enemy and is always ready to protect the woman he loves.
Does that sound corny? But not for the timeless heroes of Jack London.
3. Irving Stone, The Thirst for Life
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the greatest masters of impressionism. A man of tragic fate, during his lifetime he experienced the contempt of the “official” critics of painting, and a complete misunderstanding of fellow artists, and after his death recognized as a great artist.
His genius was a curse, for his innovative way of writing seemed unacceptable even to the inhabitants of Montmartre who were accustomed to creative experiments. He was disliked and either indifferently rejected or cynically used by women. Friends laughed at him. His family felt sorry for him. . .
Van Gogh's life was bound to end tragically, as was evident to all who knew him. The only question is when and under what circumstances this denouement will occur. . .
Much has been written about the “genius madman” of world painting, but no one was given to create anything equal to the legendary biographical novel by Irving Stone “The Thirst for Life”.
4. George Sand - "Consuelo"
Consuelo is one of the best novels by George Sand, the legendary French writer.
Her way of life – the desire for independence, the assertion of a woman’s right to choose a lover, free manners, a man’s name as a pseudonym and a man’s costume – made this woman the forerunner of twentieth-century feminism. The work of the writer, which caused the stormy enthusiasm of contemporaries, became one of the most significant phenomena of European literature of the XIX century.
The narrative is based on the motives of the tragic clash between the artist and society, the difficult choice between career, success and a quiet family backwater. The prototype of the heroine of the novel was the famous French singer Pauline Viardot, who was the muse of I.S. Turgenev.
5. Mikhail Bulgakov – “Theatrical novel”
One of the most mysterious works of Mikhail Bulgakov.
“Theatrical novel” (author’s name – “Notes of the Dead”), in which many artists of the Moscow Art Theatre served as prototypes of the heroes, is perceived in a completely new way in combination with drawings of the writer’s friend, the legendary actor of the troupe of the Moscow Art Theatre Boris Livanov.
The article by G. Panfilova-Schneiter, devoted to the history of the relationship between Mikhail Bulgakov and the Moscow Art Theater, will help readers better understand the intricacies of the plot of the Theatrical Novel and trace how real events are intertwined with the author’s fiction.
6. Oscar Wilde, “Portrait of Dorian Gray”
"Portrait of Dorian Gray" - the most famous work of Wilde - immediately after the publication (1890) gained scandalous fame and caused contradictory assessments of contemporaries. It is a literary manifesto of European aestheticism and a masterpiece of artistic prose. Wilde rejected stiff Victorian morality, but wrote a deeply moral book in which Art avenges trampled Beauty, devoted Love and despised Harmony.
7. Ayn Rand - "The Source"
For several decades, this novel remains in the list of bestsellers in the world and for millions of readers has become a classic.
The protagonist of the novel, Howard Roark, fights with society for his personal right to creativity. The fanatical stagnation of others forces him to take extraordinary actions.
And quite unusual connection Roark with a woman in love with him, who later becomes the wife of his worst enemy.
Through the twists and turns of the fate of the heroes and the fascinating plot, the author conducts the main idea of the book - the ego is the source of human progress.
The idea is unusual for Russia; the more interesting it will be for a wide range of readers to get acquainted with the heroes who claim it with their lives.
8. Thomas Mann, "Doctor Faustus"
The most significant and ambitious work of Thomas Mann. The classic story of a genius who sold his soul to the devil, inscribed in the history of Germany at the turning point of the first quarter of the last century.
9. Joanne Harris, "Chocolate"
The sleepy tranquility of a small French town is disturbed by the arrival of a young woman named Vianne and her daughter. They appeared with a noisy and bright carnival procession, and when the carnival ended, his bright joy remained in the eyes of Vianne, who opened her chocolate store here. Somehow miraculously she learns about the innermost desires of the inhabitants of the town and offers everyone just such a chocolate delicacy that makes him feel the taste for life again.
Chocolate is a novel about kindness and tolerance, about resisting innocent temptations and rigid righteousness. The Hollywood film of the same name directed by Lasse Hallström (with Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judy Dench in the lead roles) was nominated for an Oscar in five categories and a Golden Globe in four.
10 ideas from books that have become a reality
5 books about love. Tender, strange.
10. Vladimir Nabokov - "The Gift"
The Gift (1938) is the last Russian novel by Vladimir Nabokov, which can rightly be called the pinnacle of the Russian-speaking period of his work and one of the masterpieces of Russian literature of the XX century.
Telling about the creative development of the young writer-emigrant Fyodor Godunov-Cherdyntsev, this deeply autobiographical book deals with the most important Nabokov themes: the fate of Russian literature, the mystery of the true gift, the idea of personal immortality achieved through memories, love and art. published
P.S. And remember, just by changing our consumption – together we change the world!
Source: vk.com/the_intellectuals?w=wall-43503264_77686
