The best fiction of all time. World Classics Reading List

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The jury for ‘The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books’, led by a New York Times columnist, included: famous writers as: Jonathan Franzen, recognized by the Times magazine as the best American novelist, author of the novel "The Emperor's Children" Claire Mesud, Joyce Carol Oates, famous American novelist, and many others. The writers compiled lists of the top 10 novels and writers by reviewing 544 titles. The novels were scored from 1 to 10.

Ten the greatest writers of all time, according to the total number of points scored:

1. Leo Tolstoy - 327

One of the most widely known Russian writers and thinkers, revered as one of the world's greatest writers. Member of the defense of Sevastopol.
The writer, recognized during his lifetime as the head of Russian literature, whose work marked a new stage in the development of Russian and world realism, becoming a kind of bridge between the traditions of the classical novel of the 19th century and the literature of the 20th century.
The most famous works of Tolstoy, such as the novels "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina", "Resurrection", autobiographical trilogy“Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth”, novels “Cossacks”, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, “Kreutzer Sonata”, “Hadji Murad”, a series of essays “Sevastopol Tales”, dramas “The Living Corpse” and “The Power of Darkness ”, autobiographical religious and philosophical works “Confession” and “What is my faith?” and etc.

2. William Shakespeare - 293

English poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in the English language and one of the best playwrights in the world. Often referred to as the national poet of England. The works that have come down to us, including some written jointly with other authors, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 4 poems and 3 epitaphs. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language and are staged more often than the works of other playwrights.
Most of Shakespeare's works were written between 1589 and 1613. His early plays mainly refer to comedies and chronicles, in which Shakespeare excelled. Then a period of tragedies began in his work, including the works of Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth, which are considered among the best on English language. At the end of his work, Shakespeare wrote several tragicomedies, and also collaborated with other writers.

3. James Joyce - 194

Irish writer and poet, a representative of modernism, Joyce greatly influenced world culture. He remains one of the most widely read English-language prose writers today. In 1998, Modern Library compiled a list of "The Newest Library 100 Best Novels" that includes all three of James Joyce's novels: Ulysses (number 1 on the list), A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (number 3), and Finnegans Wake » (number 77). In 1999, Time magazine included the writer in the list of "100 heroes and idols of the 20th century", saying that Joyce brought about a whole revolution. Ulysses has been called "demonstrating and summing up everything modern movement[modernism]."

4. Vladimir Nabokov - 190

Russian and American writer, poet, translator and entomologist.

Nabokov's works are characterized by a complex literary technique, deep analysis the emotional state of the characters, combined with an unpredictable, sometimes almost thriller plot. Among the most famous examples of Nabokov's work are the novels Mashenka, Luzhin's Defense, Invitation to Execution, and The Gift. The writer gained fame among the general public after the publication of the scandalous novel Lolita, which was subsequently made into several adaptations (1962, 1997).

5. Fyodor Dostoevsky - 177

One of the most significant and famous Russian writers and thinkers in the world. Dostoevsky's work had a great influence on Russian and world culture. literary heritage the writer is differently evaluated both at home and abroad. In the West, where Dostoevsky's novels have been popular since the early 20th century, his work has had a significant impact on such generally liberal movements as existentialism, expressionism, and surrealism. Many people see him as the forerunner of existentialism. literary critics. However, abroad, Dostoevsky is usually regarded, first of all, as an outstanding writer and psychologist, while his ideology is ignored or almost completely rejected.

Anna Karenina. Lev Tolstoy

The greatest love story of all time. A story that has not left the stage, filmed countless times - and still has not lost the boundless charm of passion - a destructive, destructive, blind passion - but all the more bewitching with its grandeur.

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The Master and Margarita. Michael Bulgakov

This is the most mysterious novel ever domestic literature 20th century This is a novel that is almost officially called the "Gospel of Satan". This is The Master and Margarita. A book that can be read and re-read dozens, hundreds of times, but most importantly, which is still impossible to understand. So, which pages of The Master and Margarita were dictated by the Forces of Light?