Instructions

Possibly the first American writer to achieve world fame, became a poet and, at the same time, the founder of the detective genre, Edgar Allan Poe. Being a deep mystic by nature, Edgar Allan Poe was not at all like an American. Perhaps that is why his work, without finding followers in the writer’s homeland, had a noticeable influence on European literature modern era.

Adventure novels, which are based on the exploration of the continent and the relationship between the first settlers and the indigenous population, occupy a large place in the United States. The largest representatives James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote extensively and fascinatingly about the Indians and the clashes of American colonists with them, and Mine Reid, whose novels masterfully combine love line and detective-adventure intrigue, and Jack London, who glorified the courage and courage of the pioneers of the harsh lands of Canada and Alaska.

One of the most remarkable American of the 19th century is the outstanding satirist Mark Twain. His works such as “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court” are read with equal interest by both young and adult readers.

Henry James lived in Europe for many years, but did not cease to be an American writer. In his novels “The Wings of the Dove”, “The Golden Cup” and others, the writer showed Americans who are naive and simple-minded by nature, who often find themselves victims of the intrigues of insidious Europeans.

Standing apart in the American 19th century is the work of Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose anti-racist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin contributed greatly to the liberation of blacks.

The first half of the 20th century could be called the American Renaissance. At this time, such wonderful authors as Theodore Dreiser, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway created their works. Dreiser's first novel, Sister Carrie, whose heroine achieves success at the cost of losing her best human qualities, at first seemed immoral to many. Based on a crime chronicle, the novel “An American Tragedy” turned into a story of the collapse of the “American Dream”.

The works of the king of the “Jazz Age” (a term coined by himself) Francis Scott Fitzgerald are largely based on autobiographical motifs. First of all, this applies to the magnificent novel “Tender is the Night,” where the writer told the story of his complex and painful relationship with his wife Zelda. Fitzgerald showed the collapse of the “American Dream” in famous novel"The Great Gatsby".

A tough and courageous perception of reality distinguishes creativity Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway. Among the writer’s most outstanding works are the novels “A Farewell to Arms!”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and the story “The Old Man and the Sea.”

“Sinlessness” became a real sensation last year: it is called Franzen’s most scandalous and most Russian novel. Reasoning about acute social problems, totalitarian nature Internet, feminism and politics are intertwined with deep, very personal history one family.

A young girl named Pip's life is a complete mess: she doesn't know her father, can't pay off her student debt, doesn't know how to build relationships, and has a boring job. But her life changes dramatically when she becomes an assistant to hacker Andreas Wulff, who loves nothing more than to publicly reveal other people's secrets.

2. The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Richard Papen recalls his student days at a private college in Vermont: he and several of his friends attended a private course by an eccentric teacher on ancient culture. One prank of an elite circle of students ended in a murder, which only at first glance remained unpunished.

After the incident, other secrets of the heroes are revealed, which lead to new tragedies in their lives.

3. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

Most famous novel Ellis is already considered modern classics. Main character- Patrick Bateman, a handsome, rich and seemingly intelligent young man from Wall Street. But behind the good looks and expensive suits lies greed, hatred and rage. At night, he tortures and kills people in the most sophisticated ways, without a system and without a plan.

4. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

A touching story from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy Oscar. His father died in one of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. While examining his father's closet, Oscar finds a vase, and in it is a small envelope with the inscription "Black" and a key inside. Inspired and filled with curiosity, Oscar is ready to go around all the Blacks in New York to find the answer to the riddle. This is a story about overcoming bereavement, post-disaster New York, and human kindness.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

“The Catcher in the Rye” about modern teenagers is what critics dubbed Stephen Chbosky’s book, which sold a million copies and was filmed by the author himself.

Charlie is a typical quiet person, a silent observer of what is happening, turns into high school. After a recent nervous breakdown, he withdrew into himself. To overcome inner experiences, he begins to write letters. Letters to a friend, unknown person- to the reader of this book. On the advice of his new comrade Pete, he tries to become “not a sponge, but a filter” - to live life to the fullest, and not watch her from the side.

6. The Hours, Michael Cunningham

The story of one day in three lives women from different eras from a Pulitzer Prize winner. The destinies of the British writer Virginia Woolf, the American housewife Laura from Los Angeles and the publishing editor Clarissa Vaughan, at first glance, are connected only by the book - the novel Mrs. Dalloway. But by the end it becomes clear that the lives and problems of the heroines, despite all the external differences, are the same.

7. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

Nick and Amazing Amy - perfect couple. But on the day of the fifth anniversary, Amy disappears from the house - there are all traces of abduction. The whole city goes in search of the missing woman and sympathizes with Nick until Amy's diary falls into the hands of the police, because of which her husband becomes the main suspect in the murder. The main intrigue of the novel is who was the real victim in this situation.

Flynn's novel attracts with its unconventional view of modern marriage: partners marry beautiful projections of each other and then are very surprised when behind the invented image a living person is discovered, whom they do not know at all.

8. Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade, Kurt Vonnegut

The writer's difficult war experience is reflected in this novel. Memories of the bombing in Dresden are shown through the eyes of the absurd, timid soldier Billy Pilgrim - one of those foolish children who were abandoned on terrible war. But Vonnegut would not be himself if he had not also introduced an element of fantasy into the novel: either due to post-traumatic syndrome, or due to alien intervention, Pilgrim learned to travel in time.

Despite the fantastic nature of what is happening, the message of the novel is quite real and clear: Vonnegut ridicules stereotypes about “real men” and demonstrates the pointlessness of wars.

9. “Beloved,” Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison got Nobel Prize in Literature for "bringing to life an important aspect of American reality in her dream-filled, poetry-filled novels." Time magazine named the novel “Beloved” one of the 100 best books in English.

The main character is the slave Sethe, who, along with her children, escaped from her cruel masters and remained free for only 28 days. When the chase overtakes Sethe, she kills her daughter with her own hands - so that she does not know slavery and does not experience the same thing as her mother. The memory of the past and this terrible choice haunts Sethe all her life.

10. A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin

Fantasy epic about magical world The Seven Kingdoms, where the struggle for the Iron Throne continues, while a terrible winter approaches the entire continent. On this moment Five novels out of a planned seven have been published. The remaining two parts are awaited by both fans of the writer’s work and fans of “”, a series based on the saga that is breaking all popularity records.

The United States of America can rightfully be proud of literary heritage, which was left by the best American writers. Beautiful works continue to be created even now, however, most of them are fiction and popular literature, which does not contain any food for thought.

The best recognized and unrecognized American writers

Critics still debate whether fiction is beneficial to humans. Some say that it develops imagination and a sense of grammar, and also broadens one’s horizons, and individual works may even change your worldview. Some people think that only scientific literature, containing practical or factual information that can be used in Everyday life and develop not spiritually or morally, but materially and functionally. That's why American writers write in a huge number the most different directions- America's literary "market" is as large as its cinema and variety scene.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Master of the True Nightmare

Since the American people are greedy for everything bright and unusual, the literary world of Howard Phillips Lovecraft turned out to be just to their liking. It was Lovecraft who gave the world stories about the mythical deity Cthulhu, who fell asleep at the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago and will wake up only when the time of the apocalypse comes. Lovecraft has amassed a huge fan base around the world, with bands, songs, albums, books and films named in his honor. Incredible world, which the Master of Horror created in his works, never ceases to frighten even the most avid and experienced horror fans. Stephen King himself was inspired by Lovecraft's talent. Lovecraft created a whole pantheon of gods and frightened the world with terrible prophecies. Reading his works, the reader feels a completely inexplicable, incomprehensible and very powerful fear, although the author almost never directly describes what one should be afraid of. The writer makes the reader's imagination work in such a way that he himself imagines the most scary pictures, and this literally makes your blood run cold. Despite the highest writing skills and recognizable style, many American writers found themselves unrecognized during their lifetime, and Howard Lovecraft was one of them.

Master of Monstrous Descriptions - Stephen King

Inspired by the worlds created by Lovecraft, Stephen King created a lot of magnificent works, many of which were filmed. Such American writers as Douglas Clegg, Jeffrey Deaver and many others worshiped his skill. Stephen King is still creating, although he has repeatedly admitted that because of his works, unpleasant supernatural things often happened to him. One of his most famous books, with the short but loud title “It,” excited millions. Critics complain that it is almost impossible to convey the full horror of his works in film adaptations, but brave directors are trying to do this to this day. King's books such as " Dark tower", "Necessary Things", "Carrie", "Dreamcatcher". Stephen King not only knows how to create a tense, tense atmosphere, but also offers the reader a lot of completely disgusting and detailed descriptions dismembered bodies and other not very pleasant things.

Classic fantasy from Harry Harrison

Harry Harrison is still very popular in quite wide circles. His style is easy and his language is straightforward and understandable, qualities that make his works suitable for readers of almost any age. Garrison's plots are extremely interesting, and the characters are original and interesting, so everyone can find a book to their liking. One of the most famous books Harrison, "The Untamed Planet" boasts a twisting plot, distinctive characters, good humor and even a beautiful romantic line. This American science fiction writer made people think about the consequences of too much technological progress, and whether we really need space travel if we still cannot control ourselves and our own planet. Harrison showed how you can create science fiction, which will be understandable to both children and adults.

Max Barry and his books for the progressive consumer

Many modern American writers place their main emphasis on the consumer nature of man. On the shelves of bookstores today you can find a lot fiction, which tells about the adventures of fashionable and stylish heroes in the field of marketing, advertising and other big business. However, even among such books you can find real pearls. Max Barry's work raises the bar so high for modern authors that only truly original writers can leap over it. His novel "Syrup" concentrates on history young man named Skat, who dreams of making brilliant career in advertising. The ironic style, apt use of strong words and stunning psychological pictures of the characters made the book a bestseller. “Syrup” got its own film adaptation, which did not become as popular as the book, but was almost as good in quality, since Max Barry himself helped the screenwriters work on the film.

Robert Heinlein: a fierce critic of public relations

There is still debate about which writers can be considered modern. Critics believe that they can also be included in their category, and after all, modern American writers should write in a language that would be understandable to today's people and would be interesting to them. Heinlein coped with this task one hundred percent. His satirical and philosophical novel “Passing through the Valley of the Shadow of Death” shows all the problems of our society using a very original plot device. Main character- an elderly man whose brain was transplanted into the body of his young and very beautiful secretary. A lot of time in the novel is devoted to themes free love, homosexuality and lawlessness in the name of money. We can say that the book “Passing through the Valley of the Shadow of Death” is a very tough, but at the same time extremely talented satire, exposing modern American society.

and food for hungry young minds

American classical writers concentrated most on philosophical, significant issues and directly on the design of their works, and they were almost not interested in further demand. IN modern literature, published after 2000, it is difficult to find something truly deep and original, since all the themes have already been talentedly covered by the classics. This is seen in the books of the Hunger Games series. Peruvian young writer Susan Collins. Many thoughtful readers doubt that these books are worthy of any attention, since they are nothing more than a parody of real literature. The main attraction of The Hunger Games series, aimed at young readers, is the theme love triangle, shaded by the pre-war state of the country and the general atmosphere of brutal totalitarianism. Film adaptations of Suzanne Collins' novels hit the box office, and the actors who played the leading characters in them became famous throughout the world. Skeptics about this book say that it is better for young people to read at least this than not to read at all.

Frank Norris and his for ordinary people

Some famous American writers are practically unknown to anyone far from the classical literary world to the reader. This can be said, for example, about the work of Frank Norris, who did not stop him from creating the amazing work “Octopus”. The realities of this work are far from the interests of the Russian people, but Norris’s unique writing style invariably attracts lovers of good literature. When we think of American farmers, we always picture smiling, happy, tanned people with an expression of gratitude and humility on their faces. Frank Norris showed real life these people without embellishing it. In the novel "Octopus" there is not even a hint of the spirit of American chauvinism. Americans loved to talk about life ordinary people, and Norris was no exception. It seems that the issue of social injustice and insufficient pay for hard work will concern people of all nationalities in any historical time.

Francis Fitzgerald and his reprimand to unlucky Americans

The great American writer Francis gained a “second popularity” after the release of the recent film adaptation of his magnificent novel “The Great Gatsby.” The film made young people read the classics of American literature, and the performer leading role Leonardo DiCaprio was predicted to win an Oscar, but, as always, he did not receive it. "The Great Gatsby" is a very short novel that vividly illustrates the perverted American morality, masterfully showing the cheap human inside. The novel teaches that friends cannot be bought, just as love cannot be bought. The main character of the novel, the narrator Nick Carraway, describes the whole situation from his point of view, which gives the whole plot piquancy and a little ambiguity. All the characters are very original and perfectly illustrate not only American society of that time, but also our present-day realities, since people will never stop hunting for material wealth, despising spiritual depth.

Both poet and prose writer

America's poets and writers have always been distinguished by their amazing versatility. If today authors can create only prose or only poetry, then previously such a preference was considered almost bad taste. For example, the aforementioned Howard Phillitt Lovecraft, in addition to amazingly creepy stories, also wrote poetry. What is especially interesting is that his poems were much lighter and more positive than prose, although they provided no less food for thought. Lovecraft's mastermind, Edgar Allan Poe, also wrote great poems. Unlike Lovecraft, Poe did this much more often and much better, which is why some of his poems are still heard today. Edgar Allan Poe's poems contained not only stunning metaphors and mystical allegories, but also philosophical implications. Who knows, perhaps the modern master of the horror genre Stephen King will also sooner or later turn to poetry, tired of complex sentences.

Theodore Dreiser and "An American Tragedy"

The life of ordinary people and the rich was described by many classical authors: Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Bernard Shaw, O'Henry. The American writer Theodore Dreiser also followed this path, placing more emphasis on the psychologism of the characters than directly on the description of everyday problems. His novel "An American Tragedy" brilliantly presented to the world shining example which collapses due to the wrong moral choices and vanity of the protagonist. The reader, oddly enough, is not at all imbued with sympathy for this character, because only a real scoundrel who causes nothing but contempt and hatred can violate all societies so indifferently. In this guy, Theodore Dreiser embodied those people who want to break out of the shackles of a society that is disgusting to them at any cost. However, is it really that good? high society that you can kill an innocent person for his sake?

September 24 - 120 years since the birth of one of the most famous American writers, Francis Scott Fitzgerald. It is also one of the most difficult to understand, although at first the reader's eyes and mind are blinded by the glamor of the parties described, deep moral and social problems lie behind it. The editors of YUGA.ru, together with the “Read-Gorod” bookstore chain, have selected six more iconic works for this date that will help you look at America and Americans with different eyes.

"The Great Gatsby" - great novel, but there is no greatness either in the life or in the soul of his main character, there are only sparkling illusions, “which give the world such color that, having experienced this magic, a person becomes indifferent to the concept of true and false.” The wealthy millionaire Jay Gatsby had already lost them and, along with them, lost the opportunity to again feel the taste of life and love - and yet all their treasures were at his feet.

The reader is presented with the America of Prohibition, gangsters, playmakers and brilliant parties to the music of Duke Ellington. The very "age of jazz" magnificent century, when it still seemed that all wishes would come true, and you could get a star from the sky without even standing on your tiptoes.

The portrait of the main character of the "Trilogy of Desire" series, Frank Cowperwood, is largely based on a real-life person, millionaire Charles Yerkes, and in the last few years, viewers around the world have been following the life of central figure series "House of Cards", Frank Underwood. It can be assumed that the president even borrowed the name “great and terrible” from the character created by Dreiser. His whole life revolves around success, he is a shrewd financier and builds his empire, using everything and everyone for his own purposes. That’s exactly what “The Financier” is called, the first novel of the trilogy, where we see how the personality of a prudent businessman was formed, who is ready, without hesitation, to step over the law and moral principles if they become an obstacle in his path.

The most acutely social and accusatory book ever written in the USA and about the USA, “The Grapes of Wrath” affects the reader, perhaps, no less than Solzhenitsyn’s texts. The cult novel was first published in 1939, won the Pulitzer Prize, and the author himself was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. A portrait of a nation during one of the most difficult periods in history, the Great Depression, is painted through the story of a farming family who, after going bankrupt, are forced to uproot and seek food on a grueling journey across the country on that same "Route 66". Like thousands, hundreds of thousands of other people, they go for illusory hope to sunny California, but even greater difficulties, hunger and death await them.

451° Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper ignites. Bradbury's philosophical dystopia paints a picture post-industrial society: this is the world of the future, in which all written publications are mercilessly destroyed by a special squad of firefighters, the possession of books is prosecuted by law, interactive television successfully serves to fool everyone, punitive psychiatry decisively deals with rare dissidents, and an electric dog comes out to hunt for incorrigible dissidents. Today, in Russia in 2016, the relevance of the novel published in 1953 (already 63 years ago!) is greater than ever - in different parts of the country, home-grown censors are raising their heads who seek to limit freedom of speech precisely by destroying and banning books.

Jack London's life was just as romantic - at least, if we consider his biography through a certain lyrical prism, - and is filled with events, like his novels, and Martin Eden is considered the pinnacle of his work. This work is about a man who achieved recognition of his talent by society, but was deeply disappointed in the respectable bourgeois stratum that finally accepted him. In the words of the writer himself, this is “the tragedy of a loner trying to instill the truth in the world.” A truly timeless work and a hero whose feelings are understandable to readers on any continent and in any era.

One of the most difficult to understand, but at the same time incredibly interesting and multifaceted authors, Kurt Vonnegut wrote, mixing genres and always leaving the reader with uncertainty - what exactly did he just read, was it an appeal to himself through the pages of a book and What are we even talking about here? In “Breakfast for Champions,” the author surprisingly subtly and accurately destroys stereotypes of perception, showing us man and life on Earth with a detached look, looking as if from another planet, where they don’t know what an apple or a weapon is. The main character, writer Kilgore Trout, is both the author’s alter ego and his interlocutor, he is going to get literary prize. At the same time, someone who reads his novel (the character, Dwayne Hoover, was played by Bruce Willis in the 1999 film adaptation) slowly goes crazy, taking everything written in it at face value and losing touch with reality - as he begins to doubt the reader is also in it.

In John Updike's first novel in the Rabbit series, Harry Engstrom - and this is precisely his nickname - is a young man for whom the rose-colored glasses of his youth have already been broken by the inexorable reality. He went from being the star of his high school basketball team to becoming a husband and father, forced to work in a supermarket to provide for his family. He is unable to come to terms with this and goes on the run. Updike and Kerouac seem to be talking about the same people, but in different tones - so those who have read the latter’s work “On the Road” will be interested in moving from beatnik literature to complex psychological prose, and those who haven’t read it will undoubtedly have a lot of fun switching their attention and diving even deeper into the same topic.

At all recent years 5 I don’t read much. You could even say I don’t read at all. I still haven’t gotten used to electronic versions of books, much less reading from a smartphone, but there’s simply no time for paper ones, and when I have a little time I don’t have a book at hand. This is an Internet infection, everything is because of it.

As a result of all this, I completely got lost in my favorite topic - science fiction and fantasy. But in principle, maybe I would even read something else.

Without being attached to the genre I met small list currently popular American writers. Who read what?

1. "Sinlessness" by Jonathan Franzen

“Sinlessness” became a real sensation last year: it is called Franzen’s most scandalous and most Russian novel. Discussions about pressing social issues, the totalitarian nature of the Internet, feminism and politics are intertwined with the deep, very personal story of one family.

A young girl named Pip's life is a complete mess: she doesn't know her father, can't pay off her student debt, doesn't know how to build relationships, and has a boring job. But her life changes dramatically when she becomes an assistant to hacker Andreas Wulff, who loves nothing more than to publicly reveal other people's secrets.

2. The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Richard Papen recalls his student days at a private college in Vermont: he and several of his friends attended a private course on ancient culture from an eccentric teacher. One prank of an elite circle of students ended in a murder, which only at first glance remained unpunished.

After the incident, other secrets of the heroes are revealed, which lead to new tragedies in their lives.

3. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

Ellis's best-known novel is already considered a modern classic. The main character is Patrick Bateman, a handsome, rich and seemingly intelligent young man from Wall Street. But behind the good looks and expensive suits lies greed, hatred and rage. At night, he tortures and kills people in the most sophisticated ways, without a system and without a plan.

4. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

A touching story from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy Oscar. His father died in one of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. While examining his father's closet, Oscar finds a vase, and in it is a small envelope with the inscription "Black" and a key inside. Inspired and filled with curiosity, Oscar is ready to go around all the Blacks in New York to find the answer to the riddle. This is a story about overcoming bereavement, post-disaster New York, and human kindness.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

“The Catcher in the Rye,” about modern teenagers, is what critics dubbed Stephen Chbosky’s book, which sold a million copies and was filmed by the author himself.

Charlie, a typical quiet person, a silent observer of what is happening, goes to high school. After a recent nervous breakdown, he withdrew into himself. To overcome his inner feelings, he begins to write letters. Letters to a friend, an unknown person - the reader of this book. On the advice of his new friend Pete, he tries to become “not a sponge, but a filter” - to live life to the fullest, and not watch it from the sidelines.

6. The Hours, Michael Cunningham

The story of a day in the life three women from different eras from a Pulitzer Prize winner. The destinies of the British writer Virginia Woolf, the American housewife Laura from Los Angeles and the publishing editor Clarissa Vaughan, at first glance, are connected only by a book - the novel Mrs. Dalloway. But by the end it becomes clear that the lives and problems of the heroines, despite all the external differences, are the same.

7. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

Nick and Amazing Amy are the perfect couple. But on the day of the fifth anniversary, Amy disappears from the house - there are all traces of abduction. The whole city goes in search of the missing woman and sympathizes with Nick until Amy's diary falls into the hands of the police, because of which her husband becomes the main suspect in the murder. The main intrigue of the novel is who was the real victim in this situation.

Flynn's novel attracts with its unconventional view of modern marriage: partners marry beautiful projections of each other and then are very surprised when behind the invented image a living person is discovered, whom they do not know at all.

8. Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade, Kurt Vonnegut

The writer's difficult war experience is reflected in this novel. Memories of the bombing in Dresden are shown through the eyes of the absurd, timid soldier Billy Pilgrim - one of those foolish children who were thrown into a terrible war. But Vonnegut would not be himself if he had not also introduced an element of fantasy into the novel: either due to post-traumatic syndrome, or due to alien intervention, Pilgrim learned to travel in time.

Despite the fantastic nature of what is happening, the message of the novel is quite real and clear: Vonnegut ridicules stereotypes about “real men” and demonstrates the pointlessness of wars.

9. “Beloved,” Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison received the Nobel Prize in Literature for "bringing to life an important aspect of American reality in her dreamy, poetic novels." And Time magazine named the novel “Beloved” one of the 100 best books in English.

The main character is the slave Sethe, who, along with her children, escaped from her cruel masters and remained free for only 28 days. When the chase overtakes Sethe, she kills her daughter with her own hands - so that she does not know slavery and does not experience the same thing as her mother. The memory of the past and this terrible choice haunts Sethe all her life.

10. A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin

A fantasy epic about the magical world of the Seven Kingdoms, where the struggle for the Iron Throne continues, while a terrible winter approaches the entire continent. So far, five novels out of a planned seven have been published. The remaining two parts are awaited by both fans of the writer’s work and fans of “Game of Thrones,” a series based on the saga that is breaking all popularity records.

What are you doing anyway? Lately Did you read anything interesting?

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