16 chosen
All the talk about the humanitarian mindset of women, as opposed to the male mathematical one, comes down to a very simple question: where then? great women writers? In fact, there are disappointingly few world-famous female novelists in the history of literature compared to men. It is clear that for a long time this was explained primarily by the social status and family role of women. But, nevertheless, we can name a number of famous women writers. For example - George Sand who was born 207 years ago, July 1, 1804. Let's on the eve of her birthday Let's remember the most famous women writers.
George Sand (1804 – 1876)
Let's start with the birthday girl. Aurora Dupin(the real name of the writer) was no longer an ordinary girl in her youth. She often wore men's suits, considering them more comfortable than women's ones, and enjoyed freedom unusual for her gender and age.
Five years after her marriage, she divorced her husband, leaving him almost all her property, and went to Paris with her lover Jules Sandot. Here she began writing to earn a living - first in collaboration with Jules, then on her own.
She took a male pseudonym for herself, after the last name of her friend - Georges Sand. The writer created about 30 novels, including the famous " Indiana" And " Consuelo", scandalous " Lelia".
Mary Shelley (1797 – 1851)
Mary Shelley She was not destined to live the ordinary, “correct” life of a girl of that time. She is the daughter of a famous feminist and writer Mary Wollstonecraft and liberal philosopher, anarchist and atheist William Godwin. She fell in love with the right man - a freethinking poet Percy Shelley and at the age of 16 she ran away with him to France, although Shelley was married at that time.
In literature, Mary Shelley became, in fact, founder of the science fiction genre. It happened almost by accident. Once with her husband and Byron they discussed experiments Erasmus Darwin, poet from biology, grandfather of the creator of the theory of evolution. It was believed that he conducted experiments applying electric current to a dead organism. This caused muscle contraction and the appearance of revitalization. Byron invited each of the speakers to write a fantastic story on this topic. Mary Shelley wrote a whole novel " Frankenstein or modern Prometheus", a plot that has become a classic and has been played out many times in literature and cinema.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
I grew up in completely different conditions Jane Austen which is called " first lady"English literature. She was born into a priest's family George Austin, an educated and intelligent person. He taught his children himself and encouraged intellectual entertainment in the house: amateur performances, reading novels together.
Already at a young age, Jane began to write ironic parodies of then fashionable literary works. Gentle humor and irony also shine through in her later, “adult” novels, such as " Sense and Feelings", "Emma".
Charlotte Brontë (1816 - 1855)
The English writer, the eldest of the famous literary family of the Bronte sisters, was the first to realize her literary gift and calling, starting with writing poetry and then switching to prose.
She began writing under a pseudonym Currer Bell so that in assessing her work there is no flattery towards a woman or prejudice. It was under this name that she published her first novel. " Jane Eyre", which became one of the most famous literary works in England.
Emily Brontë (1818 - 1848)
Emily Brontë She was given an even shorter life: at the age of 30 she died of transient consumption.
During this time, she managed to write only one novel - but what a novel! It was a strong, romantic and crazy romance " Wuthering Heights", filled with human passions and natural elements. It is called the standard of late romanticism and the main romantic work of all time.
And here’s how I described it " Wuthering Heights" contemporary poet of Emily Brontë Dante Gabriel Rossetti: " this is a diabolical book, an unthinkable monster that unites all the strongest female inclinations."
Agatha Christie (1890 -1976)
Agatha Christie is one of the most famous authors of the detective genre, her books are among the most frequently published in the history of mankind (after the Bible and Shakespeare). Funny and plump famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot came from her pen already in the first novel - " The Mysterious Affair at Styles", 7 years after him, a charming, but too smart old woman is born - Miss Marple. According to Agatha Christie, she copied the image of Miss Marple from her own grandmother, who " "She was a good-natured person, but she always expected the worst from everyone and everything, and with alarming regularity her expectations were justified."
The writer also said that the complex intricacies of detective stories were born and worked out in her head when she spent the evenings knitting, in the company of friends or family. By the time I started writing, the novel was already ready from start to finish.
Margaret Mitchell (1900 - 1949)
Margaret Mitchell- the author of only one novel, but a truly cult novel. We're talking about the book, of course. " Gone With the Wind". But until some point she didn’t even think about becoming a writer. Mitchell worked as a reporter for a local newspaper in Atlanta and left that position only because she suffered a leg injury. Then she began work on the novel, which continued 10 years.
For her book the writer received Pulitzer Prize, and American readers received the image new national heroine. Although Mitchell herself did not agree with this attitude towards Scarlett, she did not understand how one could admire such a woman.
Astrid Lindgren (1907 - 2002)
At least Swedish Astrid Lindgren- a children's writer, it would be simply unfair to miss her in our review. It just so happened that Lindgren sincerely loved children and created exclusively for them. About the adventures of a brave and strong girl named Pippi Longstocking she told her daughter, little Karen.
" Carloson" also appeared with the help of her daughter - she once informed her mother that a little man named Liljonkvast was flying to her to play with her. For these stories, Lindgren has earned the unofficial title of "the world's grandmother."
This is how different women writers and their heroes are: romantic, smart, funny, kind and strong.
Which female writers do you like? Do you think a woman can be a good writer? Why are there fewer of them than men?
These amazing women overturned the ossified foundations and the previously unbreakable rule that men rule the world. They were able to prove with their talent and intelligence that they could be no worse than men in the field of writing, in which women had no place for a long time. Memoirs and rare examples of prose and poetry in royal courts since Antiquity - that’s all that women’s literature could boast of. But with the emergence of these brilliant talents, superior to their male contemporaries, the view that women were “incapable” in many areas was shaken.
The first successful women writers were among those who gave impetus to the desire to emerge from the shadow of men, to break the stereotypes and outdated restrictions of narrow-minded conservatives. The beginnings of the topic of gender equality, feminism, freedom of choice and personal development, regardless of gender or other unchanging circumstances - all this began to be discussed on a large scale for the first time since the reign of monotheism in religion, because in ancient times women, albeit infrequently, had the opportunity to become successful and to prove their worth in various “male” fields of activity (from poetry to science and politics).
We will talk about the most famous and successful women writers who changed the “rules of the game” established by men.
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Jane Austen is called « first lady"English literature. She was born into the family of the priest George Austin, an educated and intelligent man who taught his children himself and encouraged intellectual entertainment in the house: amateur performances, reading novels together, musical concerts and the like.
wikipedia.org Already at a young age, Jane began to write ironic parodies of then fashionable literary works about social events and implausible romantic stories. Jane incredibly wittily ridiculed the narrow-mindedness and clichés of the authors of that time, as well as outdated views on society.
"Jane Austen", main roles: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy. kinopoisk Gentle humor and irony also shine through in her later, “adult” novels, which have become classics of world literature. Among them « Sense and Feelings", "Emma". The protagonists of her stories are exceptionally independent by the standards of the time and often convey the feelings and thoughts of Austen herself, who died unmarried, which was rare for a lady of her position.
"Pride and Prejudice" with Keira Knightley. kinopoisk Jane Austen is one of the first writers who published under her own name and was popular among her contemporaries, and the number of film adaptations of her works and biography is one of the highest among writers in general.
Mini-series "Emma". kinopoisk Mary Shelley (1797 – 1851)
Mary Shelley was not destined to live the ordinary, “correct” life of a girl of that time. She is the daughter of the famous feminist and writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the liberal philosopher, anarchist journalist and atheist William Godwin. She fell in love with the man in question, the freethinking poet Percy Shelley, and at the age of 16 she ran away with him to France, although Shelley was married at that time.
wikipedia.org In literature, Mary Shelley became, in fact, the founder of the science fiction genre. It happened almost by accident: one day, my husband and Byron were discussing the experiments of Erasmus Darwin, the grandfather of the creator of the theory of evolution. It was believed that he conducted experiments by applying electric current to a dead organism. This caused muscle contraction and the appearance of revitalization. Byron invited each of the speakers to write a fantastic story on this topic. Mary Shelley wrote a whole novel "Frankenstein or modern Prometheus", a plot that has become a classic and has been played out many times in literature, theater and cinema, and also gave rise to an important and relevant topic of the responsibility of the creator for his creation.
"Frankenstein", main roles: Robert de Niro, Kenneth Branagh. kinopoisk 
Performance "Frankenstein", main roles: Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Lee Miller. kinopoisk George Sand (1804 - 1876)
She is Aurore Dupin, great-great-granddaughter of King Augustus the Strong, who wore a man's suit, smoked cigars, openly changed lovers, was involved in politics and called herself a “communist” - this was a woman significantly ahead of her time.
wikipedia.org Aurora received an excellent education from childhood, but she also began to show eloquence and freethinking early on. After her mother tried to marry her to an unloved man, the girl rebelled so much that she was sent to be raised in a monastery.
At the age of 17, Aurora married Casimir Dudevant, with whom she fell in love due to loneliness and difficulties due to her unmarried status. From him she gave birth to two children, but soon the differences between the spouses (the earthiness of Casimir and the sublimity of Aurora) began to increasingly destroy the relationship between them. At the age of 27, Aurora left her husband, went to Paris and plunged headlong into literary life.
wikipedia.org She started out as a journalist, co-wrote two novels with her then-lover Jules Sandot, and created the third novel herself, taking a male pseudonym . Throughout her writing career, George Sand published about 30 novels, plays and books for children. She was able to gain fame during her lifetime, although many knew that a woman was hiding under the pseudonym. The writer herself supported her family with literary work, becoming the first female professional writer.
wikipedia.org In addition, George Sand was a real conqueror of men's hearts, remaining self-sufficient and independent, which was not an easy task for that period in France. Among her lovers were Jules Sandot, Alfred de Musset, Frederic Chopin, etc.
Charlotte Brontë (1816 - 1855)
The English writer, the eldest of the famous literary family of the Bronte sisters, was the first to realize her literary gift and calling, starting with writing poetry and then switching to prose.
wikipedia.org She began writing under a pseudonym Currer Bell so that in assessing her work there is no flattery towards a woman or prejudice. It was under this name that she published her first novel, " , which became one of the most famous literary works in England.
When Charlotte's brother and writer sisters Emily and Anne died within two years of each other, Charlotte was left alone with her ailing father and became more active in literature to support him and herself.
"Jane Eyre", main roles: Michael Fassbender, Mia Wisikowski. kinopoisk Charlotte also took the education of girls seriously, taught herself at one time and even wanted to open a girls' school.
Her heroine Jane Eyre, being in many ways similar to her creator and being a very strong personality, inspired many feminists and became a role model.
Emily Brontë (1818 - 1848)
Emily Brontë had an even shorter life: at the age of 30 she died of transient consumption.
wikipedia.org During this time, she managed to write only one novel - but what a novel! It was a strong, romantic and crazy novel." , filled with human passions and natural elements. It is called the standard of late romanticism and the main romantic work of all time.
“Wuthering Heights”, main roles: Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes. kinopoisk And here’s how he described “ Emily Brontë's contemporary poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti: «
this is a diabolical book, an unimaginable monster that unites all the strongest female inclinations.” How ironic that everyone knows Emily and her novel, but only philologists and very scrupulous poetry lovers know about Rossetti.
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
During the interwar period, Woolf was one of the most significant figures in the London Literary Society and was a member of the Bloomsbury Circle. Writer, literary critic and translator, leading figure of modernist literature of the first half of the 20th century, pacifist and feminist, who does not divide love into labels "hetero" And "homo". Woolf believed that in a patriarchal society, women writers needed support to work and often dreamed of an outsider society where women writers created a virtual personal space for themselves. This was partly embodied in Bloomsbury and publishing Hogarth Press.
wikipedia.org Her most famous works include the novels: "Mrs. Dalloway" (1925), "To the Lighthouse" (1927), "Orlando"(1928) and essay "Own room"(1929), containing the famous aphorism: “Every woman, if she is going to write, must have the means and her own room”. Her novels are considered classic “stream of consciousness” works. Her works are widely known throughout the world and have been translated into more than fifty languages.
The film "Orlando" starring Tilda Swinton, imdb Virginia Woolf became one of the central figures of feminism in the 1970s, her work received much attention and widespread reviews of all aspects of the writer's work.
The film "The Hours" with Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf, imdb She suffered from severe bouts of mental illness (manic-depressive disorder) throughout her life and committed suicide by drowning in a river in 1941, at the age of 59.
Agatha Christie (1890 -1976)
Agatha Christie is one of the most famous authors of the detective genre; her books are among the most frequently published in the history of mankind (after the Bible and Shakespeare). The famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot appeared from her pen in her first novel - « The Mysterious Affair at Styles", 7 years after him, a charming, but too smart old woman, Miss Marple, is born. According to Agatha Christie, she copied the image of Miss Marple from her own grandmother, who « “She was a good-natured person, but she always expected the worst from everyone and everything, and with alarming regularity her expectations were justified.”
wikipedia.org The writer also said that the complex intricacies of detective stories were born and worked out in her head when she spent the evenings knitting, in the company of friends or family. By the time I started writing, the novel was already ready from start to finish.
"Murder on the Orient Express", main roles: Albert Finney, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery. kinopoisk Christie published more than 60 detective novels, 6 psychological novels (under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott or Westmacott), and 19 collections of short stories. 16 of her plays were staged in London. Agatha Christie's books have been published in over 4 billion copies and translated into more than 100 languages. She also holds the record for the maximum number of theatrical productions of a work. Play by Agatha Christie "Mousetrap" was first staged in 1952 and is still on continuous display. For her achievements in literature, she was awarded the noble title “lady”.
The series "Poirot" with David Suchet. kinopoisk 
Joan Hickson as Miss Marple Margaret Mitchell (1900 - 1949)
Margaret Mitchell is the author of only one novel, but a truly cult novel. We're talking about the book, of course. « Gone With the Wind". But until some point she didn’t even think about becoming a writer. Mitchell worked as a reporter for a local newspaper in Atlanta and left that position only because she suffered a leg injury. Then she began work on the novel, which lasted 10 years. The book about the fatal American beauty Scarlett, who lived during the war between the North and the South, about her love, sins, love of life, about the “twilight of the gods” for the good old aristocratic society of planters has forever entered the golden fund of world literature.
wikipedia.org The legendary film adaptation of the novel with Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the lead roles, which is still a classic of cinema, also brought its popularity to the work.
“Gone with the Wind”, main roles: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable. kinopoisk Astrid Lindgren (1907 - 2002)
If you don’t know how to instill a love of reading in your children, give them Lindgren’s book. It just so happened that Lindgren sincerely loved children and created exclusively for them. About the adventures of a brave and mischievous girl named Pippi Longstocking she told her sick daughter, little Karen.
wikipedia.org « Carloson" also appeared with the help of her daughter - she once informed her mother that a little man named Liljonkvast was flying to her to play with her. For these stories, Lindgren has earned the unofficial title of “the world's grandmother.”
m/f "Kid and Carlson". kinopoisk During her writing career, she created more than 80 works for children, including “Carlson”, “Mio, my Mio!”, “Roni - the daughter of a robber”, “The Adventures of Kalle Blumkvist”, “Emil from Lenneberga”.
Ursula Le Guin (1929-2018)
The grand dame of world fiction, one of the three most famous, recognized and respected authors of this genre.
Born in 1929 in the USA, she is still alive and continues to write. She got married at 24, is happily married, and gave birth to three children.
wikipedia.org She has been publishing since the early 60s and has created more than 20 novels, many novellas and short stories, the most famous being the Wizard of Earthsea and Hain cycles.
"A Wizard of Earthsea", kinopoisk She has received the Hugo and Nebula awards, the most prestigious awards in the field of science fiction, seven times each, and was awarded the title of Grandmaster for her contribution to science fiction literature.
Anime Tales from Earthsea. kinopoisk There are several film adaptations of her novels and an animated film from Studio Ghibli and Goro Miyazaki.
JK Rowling (1965)
British novelist, screenwriter and film producer, best known as the author of the Harry Potter series of novels. Fans lovingly call her “Mama Ro.” The Potter books have won several awards and have sold over 400 million copies. They became the best-selling book series in history and the basis for a film series that became the second highest-grossing film series in cinema.
wikipedia.org Rowling was working as a research assistant and translator for Amnesty International when she came up with the idea for a Harry Potter novel while traveling by train from Manchester to London in 1990. Over the next seven years, Rowling's mother died, she divorced her first husband after an episode of domestic violence and lived in poverty with a small child in her arms until she published the first novel in the series, (1997), which I wrote in a small café in Edinburgh. She subsequently wrote 6 sequels - the last was "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"(2007), - as well as 3 additions to this series. Now Rowling has begun writing for adult readers, releasing the tragicomedy “The Casual Vacancy” (2012) and - under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith- crime novels “The Cuckoo’s Calling” (2013), “The Silkworm” (2014), “In the Service of Evil” (2015).
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" - the first part. kinopoisk 
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Part 2" - the last part. kinopoisk In five years, Rowling went from living on welfare to becoming a multimillionaire. She is the UK's best-selling author, with sales of over £238 million. In 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million, placing her in 12th place on the list of the richest women in the UK. Forbes in 2007 ranked Rowling as the 48th most influential celebrity, and the magazine Time in 2007 gave her second place in the Person of the Year category, noting the social, moral and political inspiration she provided to her fans.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a Harry Potter prequel. kinopoisk Great women who delight and inspire millions of people. Who is your favorite writer and why?
With the passing of Ray Bradbury, the world's literary Olympus has become noticeably more empty. Let's remember the most outstanding writers from among our contemporaries - those who still live and create to the delight of their readers. If someone is not on the list, please add in the comments!1. Gabriel José de la Concordia "Gabo" García Márquez(b. March 6, 1927, Aracataca, Colombia) - famous Colombian prose writer, journalist, publisher and politician; winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1982. Representative of the literary movement of “magical realism”. His novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad, 1967) brought him worldwide fame.
2. Umberto Eco(b. January 5, 1932, Alessandria, Italy) - Italian scientist-philosopher, medievalist historian, semiotics specialist, literary critic, writer. The most famous novels are The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum.
3. Otfried Preusler(b. October 20, 1923) - German children's writer, by nationality - Lusatian (Lusatian Serb). The most famous works: “Little Baba Yaga”, “Little Ghost”, “Little Waterman” and “Krabat, or Legends of the Old Mill”.
4. Boris Lvovich Vasiliev(born May 21, 1924) - Soviet and Russian writer. Author of the story “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” (1969), the novel “Not on the Lists” (1974), etc.
5. Ion Druta(b. 09/03/1928) - Moldavian and Russian writer and playwright.
6. Fazil Abdulovich Iskander(03/06/1929, Sukhum, Abkhazia, USSR) - an outstanding Soviet and Russian prose writer and poet of Abkhaz origin.
7. Daniil Alexandrovich Granin(b. January 1, 1919, Volsk, Saratov province, according to other sources - Volyn, Kursk region) - Russian writer and public figure. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, Hero of Socialist Labor (1989), President of the Society of Friends of the Russian National Library; Chairman of the Board of the International Charitable Foundation. D. S. Likhacheva.
8. Milan Kundera(b. April 1, 1929) is a modern Czech prose writer who has lived in France since 1975. He writes in both Czech and French.
9. Thomas Tranströmer(b. April 15, 1931 in Stockholm) is the largest Swedish poet of the 20th century. Winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the way his brief, translucent images give us a renewed view of reality."
10. Max Gallo(b. January 7, 1932, Nice) - French writer, historian and politician. Member of the French Academy
11. Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa(b. 03/28/1936) - Peruvian-Spanish prose writer and playwright, publicist, politician, winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature.
12. Terry Pratchett(b. April 28, 1948) is a popular English writer. The most popular is his satirical fantasy series about the Discworld. The total circulation of his books is about 50 million copies.
13. Yuri Vasilievich Bondarev(b. 03/15/1924) - Russian Soviet writer. Author of the novel “Hot Snow”, the story “Battalions Ask for Fire”, etc.
14. Stephen Edwin King(b. September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, USA) is an American writer working in a variety of genres, including horror, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and drama.
15. Victor Olegovich Pelevin(born November 22, 1962, Moscow) - Russian writer. The most famous works: “The Life of Insects”, “Chapaev and Emptiness”, “Generation “P””
16. Joan Rowling(b. July 31, 1965, Yate, Gloucestershire, England) is a British writer, author of the Harry Potter series of novels, translated into more than 65 languages and sold (as of 2008) more than 400 million copies.
There are a number of literary works that are very difficult not to know anything about. Even if you don’t open a single book in your entire life, and you sleep through all your literature lessons at school, you will still pick up fragmentary information about “Romeo and Juliet,” “War and Peace,” and “Robinson Crusoe.” In my opinion, Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre will also be on this list.
Brontë lived at a time when women writers were looked down upon. However, Charlotte was able to publish her works, first under a male pseudonym, and then openly. The novel “Jane Eyre” has firmly entered the “golden fund” of literary classics.
To this day, it remains not only a “software work”, but also a book that is read and sincerely loved. The novel has been filmed many times. There were attempts to write a sequel to the novel and describe the events preceding Brontë's plot. Daphne Du Maurier's magnificent Rebecca is inspired by Jane Eyre. I would like to remember “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diana Setterfield, “The Case of Jen, or Eira of No Mercy” by Jasper Fforde, and in general there are countless references to this novel.
Austen is another representative of the English classics.
Critics say she was ahead of her time. Many contemporaries did not accept her work well, but a century later they truly loved her.
Austen’s most widely read novel can be called “Pride and Prejudice,” which has also been reimagined many times by other writers and filmed, but the BBC’s list of the 200 best novels also includes “Emma” and “Persuasion.” By the way, Charlotte Brontë is on this list only with the novel “Jane Eyre”.
George Sand
Aurora Dupin is the real name of the writer, hiding under the male pseudonym Georges Sand. However, in this case the turn of phrase is not entirely appropriate: George Sand did not try very hard to hide her identity from her readers. On the contrary, she was a rather shocking figure and was remembered not only for her literary talent, but also because of her unusual lifestyle.
So, Sand loved to wear men's suits - it was both practical and economical, and in the theater you could go to seats that were inaccessible to ladies. And her personal life does not in any way fit with the usual image of a lady of the 19th century, especially one of noble origin.
But shocking is shocking, and in the history of literature the name of George Sand remains on a par with other great classics. A couple of decades after her death, literary scholars put her on a par with Dickens and Hugo.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that has been translated into many languages; it is included in the US school curriculum; the total circulation amounts to tens of millions of copies; the novel received the Pulitzer Prize, and Harper Lee herself, 47 years after its first publication, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Is it possible to rank the author of this wonderful, touching and kind, but at the same time bitter book among the most famous writers? I think it's possible. It’s not for nothing that the recent publication of Lee’s earlier novel alarmed the entire literary world. There are rumors that the novel was published for the selfish motives of people managing Harper Lee's affairs, and the writer herself, due to her advanced age, was no longer able to make an informed decision. But how could we talk about the commercial success of an old novel whose author no one remembers?
Readers crowned Agatha Christie during her lifetime, recognizing the detective as the queen. Almost a hundred years have passed since her first novel was published, the genre has managed to develop over this century, branching into numerous subcategories, and Lady Agatha still retains the crown.
Her best novels are considered by many to be the standard of the classic detective genre. If history had turned out differently and something had not allowed Agatha Christie to realize her talent, skeptics would probably have called the detective story a purely male genre.
After all, it requires accurately describing all kinds of bloody crimes, and you also need clear logical thinking to come up with a riddle and gracefully solve it. Both are generally considered not a woman’s business, but you can’t argue with the facts.
By the way, the writer’s life itself resembles an action-packed novel, so I warmly recommend her “Autobiography.” I confess that I consider this book the best in Lady Agatha's work.
Astrid Lindgren
Children all over the world adore Astrid Lindgren. More precisely, they adore Carlson, who lives on the roof, or the brave Pippi Longstocking, or the prankster Emil, or the detective Calle, but all these wonderful characters would not exist without Astrid Lindgren.
The storyteller not only captivated the most impartial readers, but also earned respect in the literary community: in 1958 she received the G.Kh. Andersen. In 2002, after the death of the writer, the Swedish government founded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize.
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Lagerlöf is another Swedish writer, who, however, is not so well known in Russia now; she is read much less often here than the same Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte (although almost everyone knows the cartoon about Nils, who traveled with the wild geese ).
However, it is impossible not to mention her on this list, because she became the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (in 1909).
It’s time to finish the article, but I haven’t even gotten to our contemporaries. Therefore, with an effort of will, I end the conversation about the classics. And the first on the list of modern famous writers, of course, will be JK Rowling.
Few people have not heard the story of the dizzying success of “Harry Potter’s mother,” who almost overnight turned from an ordinary teacher into the owner of a huge fortune and entered the list of the most influential people in the world.
But it’s not the fees: the multi-volume story about Harry Potter really turned out to be very special. There are many good children's books; There are fewer children's books that are equally loved by both children and adults; There are few books that have raised an entire generation of readers. No matter how much you invest in advertising, without the special magic inherent in the best literature, nothing like this will happen.
Stephenie Meyer and Susan Collins
These writers do not work together, but I want to talk about them in pairs so as not to repeat myself. Both Mayer and Collins became authors of popular novels for teenagers and determined the vector of development of this segment of literature. First, after “Twilight,” the popularity of “vampire” themes flared up, and when readers got a little tired of it, “The Hunger Games” awakened interest in teenage dystopias.
The commercial success of the series and subsequent film adaptations provided the writers with worldwide fame. My inner snob is trying to come out to complain about this fiction of yours, but let's face it, even in the light entertainment genre it is not at all easy to achieve such success.
Is the list exhaustive? Of course not! If I weren’t afraid of boring you too much, then among the classics I would also remember Mary Shelley And Margaret Mitchell. They certainly deserve a place in such a selection. Daphne Du Maurier And Colin McCullough. Next to Astrid Lindgren should be Tove Jansson. It’s even more difficult with modern authors, because light entertainment literature is now rapidly gaining momentum, while higher-quality, complex novels often receive less fame. And it’s not so easy to assess the scale of reader recognition without being able to look at it from above. For example, who is more famous: Donna Tartt with his three serious, deep novels and a Pulitzer Prize, or Jojo Moyes with a dozen light, touching novels, no awards, but with a good film adaptation? Can it be considered very popular? Gillian Flynn, if a few years ago, thanks to the release of the film, her dark thrillers began to be actively read?
I would like to remember the wonderful storyteller Diana Wynne Jones, and multifaceted, talented Margaret Atwood, although I didn’t like her The Handmaid’s Tale at all. And I don’t want to ignore Russian-language authors, even if they have not yet gained worldwide popularity. Already Mariam Petrosyan and her unique novel “The House in Which” should be considered famous only at the expense of domestic readers, at least I want to believe so.
Actually, what I was going to say: the author’s fame depends on his talent, sometimes on luck, sometimes commercial promotion is also involved, although money can only buy very short and local fame if the book itself cannot attract anything.
Be that as it may, judging a book by the gender of its author is just as short-sighted as judging it by its cover. Drop your prejudices and read!
Culture
This list contains the names of the greatest writers of all time from different nations, writing in different languages. Those who are at least somewhat interested in literature are undoubtedly familiar with them through their wonderful creations.
Today I would like to remember those who 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 Naso, Quintus Horace Flaccus
You should know Virgil from his famous epic work "Aeneid", which is dedicated to the fall of Troy. Virgil is probably the most severe perfectionist in the history of literature. He wrote his poem at an amazingly slow speed - only 3 lines a day. He did not want to do it any faster, so as to be sure that it was impossible to write these three lines better.
In Latin, a subordinate clause, dependent or independent, can be written in any order with a few exceptions. Thus, the poet has great freedom to define what his poetry sounds like without changing the meaning in any way. Virgil considered every option at every stage.
Virgil also wrote two more works in Latin - "Bucolics"(38 BC) and "Georgics"(29 BC). "Georgics"- 4 partly didactic poems about agriculture, including various kinds of advice, for example, that you should not 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 them, due to a lightning strike.
He also praised Aristaeus, the god of beekeeping, because honey was the only source of sugar for the European world until sugar cane was brought to Europe from the Caribbean. Bees were deified, and Virgil explained how to get a beehive if the farmer does not have one: kill a deer, wild boar or bear, rip open their belly and leave it in the forest, praying to the god Aristaeus. After a week, he will send a beehive to the animal's carcass.
Virgil wrote that he wanted his poem "Aeneid" burned after his death as it remained unfinished. However, the Emperor of Rome Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus refused to do this, 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 can perhaps be called the greatest writer of all time, but not much is known about him. He was probably a blind man who told stories that were recorded 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 Greeks' struggle with the Trojans outside the walls of Troy. The main character is Achilles. He is furious that King Agamemnon treats him and his spoils as his property. Achilles refused to participate in the war, which had lasted for 10 years and in which the Greeks lost thousands of their soldiers in the fight for Troy.
But after some 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 and fought with the river god Scamander. Achilles ultimately kills 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. Details of the fall of Troy are mentioned very briefly. When Odysseus ventures to the Land of the Dead, where he finds Achilles among others.
These are just two of Homer’s works that have survived and come down to us, however, whether there were others is not known for sure. However, these works form the basis of all European literature. The poems are written in dactylic hexameter. According to Western tradition, many poems were written in memory of Homer.
3) French: Victor Hugo
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Rene Descartes, Voltaire, Alexandre Dumas, Moliere, Francois 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 writer of French prose and one of the greatest poets of the 19th century.
His most famous works are "Notre Dame Cathedral"(1831) and "Les Miserables"(1862). The first work even formed the basis of a 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, has his eye on the beauty. Frollo followed her and saw how she almost ended up as the mistress of Captain Phoebus. As revenge, Frollo turned the gypsy over to justice, accusing him of murdering the captain, whom he actually killed himself.
After being tortured, Esmeralda confessed to having allegedly committed a crime and was supposed to be hanged, but at the last moment she was saved by Quasimodo. Ultimately, Esmeralda was executed anyway, Frollo was thrown from the cathedral, and Quasimodo died of starvation while hugging his lover's corpse.
"Les Miserables" 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 is a classic story of fanatical adherence to the law, but almost 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
Cervantes's main work, of course, is the famous novel "The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha". He also wrote collections of short stories, a romantic novel "Galatea", novel "Persiles and Sikhismunda" and some other works.
Don Quixote is a rather cheerful 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, causing everyone who met him to remember him for his recklessness. He befriends an ordinary farmer, Sancho Panza, who tries to bring Don Quixote back to reality.
Don Quixote is known to have tried to fight windmills, saved people who didn't usually need his help, and been beaten many times. The second part of the book was published 10 years after the first and is the first work of modern literature. The characters know everything about the story of Don Quixote, which is told in the first part.
Now everyone he meets tries to ridicule him and Panso, testing their faith in the spirit of chivalry. He is eventually brought back to reality when he loses a fight with the Knight of the White Moon, is poisoned home, falls ill and dies, leaving all the money to his niece on the condition that she does not marry a man who reads foolish tales of chivalry.
5) Dutch: Joost van den Vondel
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Peter Hoft, Jacob Kats
Vondel is the most prominent writer of Holland who lived in the 17th century. He was a poet and playwright and a representative of the "Golden Age" of Dutch literature. His most famous play is "Geysbrecht 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 family's honor and regain the titled nobility. He founded something like a baronial title in these parts. Vondel's historical sources were incorrect. In fact, the invasion was carried out by Geisbrecht's son, Jan, who turned out to be a real hero, overthrowing the tyranny that reigned in Amsterdam. Today Geisbrecht is a national hero because of this writer's mistake.
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 explores the soul of a biblical character, as well as his character and motives, 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 of Portugal. His most famous work is "The Lusiads"(1572). The Lusiads were a people who inhabited the Roman region of Lusitania, where modern Portugal is located. The name comes from the name Luz (Lusus), he was a friend of the god of wine Bacchus, he is considered the progenitor of the Portuguese people. "The Lusiads"- an epic poem consisting of 10 songs.
The poem tells the story of 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 Louisiades 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
When talking about German music, one cannot fail 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, and scientific essays.
Undoubtedly, his most famous work is the book "The Sorrows of Young Werther"(1774). Goethe founded the German Romanticism movement. Beethoven's 5th Symphony is completely identical in mood to Goethe's "Werther".
Novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" tells about the unsatisfied romanticism of the main character, 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, Goethe's masterpiece is still the 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 remained the most famous story about this hero.
Faustus is a scientist whose incredible knowledge and wisdom pleased God. God sends Mephistopheles or the Devil to test Faust. The story of a deal with the devil has often been raised 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 that is supposed to help her mother with insomnia, but the potion poisons her. This drives Gretchen crazy and 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 Gretchen forgiveness while she awaits execution.
The second part is incredibly difficult to read, as the reader needs to have a good understanding of 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 powerful and corrupted until the very end of the story. He remembers the pleasure of being a good person and then 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 Sergeevich Pushkin
Other great authors who wrote in the same language: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky
Today, Pushkin is remembered as the father of native Russian literature, in contrast to that Russian literature that 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 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 sonnet form, which distinguishes his work from the sonnets of Petrarch, Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser.
The main character of the poem is Eugene Onegin - the model on which all Russian literary heroes are based. Onegin is treated as a person who does not meet any standards accepted in society. He wanders, gambles, fights duels, and is called a sociopath, although he is 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 for 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 the possibilities of words. It is known that in the Inuit language of the Eskimos there are 45 different words for snow.
Nevertheless, "Onegina" translated into many languages. Vladimir Nabokov translated the poem into English, but instead of one volume, he ended up with 4 volumes. Nabokov kept all the definitions and descriptive details, but completely ignored the music of poetry.
This is all due to the fact that Pushkin had an incredibly unique writing style that allowed him to touch on all aspects of the Russian language, even inventing new syntactic and grammatical forms and words, establishing many rules that almost all Russian writers use 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 organize the various Italian dialects of his time into the modern Italian language. The dialect of the region 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 serve. There are different punishments for different crimes. Those who are accused of lust are always driven by the wind, despite their fatigue, because during their lifetime the wind of voluptuousness drove them.
Those whom Dante considers heretics are responsible for splitting the church into several branches, including the prophet Muhammad. They are sentenced to be split from neck to groin, and the punishment is carried out by a devil with a sword. In this ripped up state they walk in circles.
IN "Comedy" there are also descriptions of Paradise, which are also unforgettable. Dante uses Ptolemy's concept of heaven, that Heaven consists 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 various famous figures 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 emerges Jesus, the incarnation of God on Earth.
Dante is also the author of other smaller poems and essays. One of the works - "On Popular Eloquence" talks about the importance of Italian as a spoken language. He also wrote a poem "New life" with passages in prose in which noble love is defended. No other writer spoke the language as flawlessly as Dante spoke 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 "this huge pile of dung". Nevertheless, Shakespeare's influence on literature is undeniable, not only in English, but also in the literature of most other languages of the world. Today, Shakespeare is one of the most translated writers, his complete works have been translated into 70 languages, and various plays and poems into more than 200.
About 60 percent of all catchphrases, quotes and idioms in the English language come from King James Bible(English translation of the Bible), 30 percent from Shakespeare.
According to the rules of Shakespeare's time, tragedies at the end required 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 a comedy in which someone is sure to get married at the end, but in an ideal comedy all the characters get married: "A dream in a summer night" (1596), "Much ado about nothing" (1599), "Twelfth Night" (1601), "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1602).
Shakespeare was a master at heightening the tension between characters in perfect harmony with the plot. He knew how, like no one else, to organically describe human nature. Shakespeare's real genius is the skepticism that permeates all of his works, sonnets, plays and poems. He, as expected, praises the highest moral principles of humanity, but these principles are always expressed in the conditions of an ideal world.
