Literature connoisseurs have ambivalent opinions about the work of modern Russian writers: some seem uninteresting to them, others - rude or immoral. One way or another, they raise in their own current problems of the new century, which is why young people love and read them with pleasure.

Movements, genres and modern writers

Russian writers this century prefer to develop new literary forms, completely different from Western ones. In the last few decades, their work has been represented in four directions: postmodernism, modernism, realism and post-realism. The prefix “post” speaks for itself - the reader should expect something new that has replaced the old foundations. The table shows various directions in the literature of this century, as well as books by the most prominent representatives.

Genres, works and modern writers 21st century Russia
Postmodernism	Sots art: V. Pelevin - "Omon-Ra", M. Kononov - "Naked Pioneer"; Primitivism: O. Grigoriev - “Vitamin of Growth”; Conceptualism: V. Nekrasov; Post-postmodernism: O. Shishkin - "Anna Karenina 2"; E. Vodolazkin - "Laurel".
Modernism	Neo-futurism: V. Sosnora - “Flute and Prosaisms”, A. Voznesensky - “Russia is Risen”; Neo-primitivism: G. Sapgir - “New Lianozovo”, V. Nikolaev - “The ABC of the Absurd”; Absurdism: L. Petrushevskaya - “25 Again”, S. Shulyak - “Investigation”.
Realism	Modern political novel: A. Zvyagintsev - " Natural selection", A. Volos - "Kamikaze"; Satirical prose: M. Zhvanetsky - “Test by money”, E. Grishkovets; Erotic prose: N. Klemantovich - "The Road to Rome", E. Limonov - "Death in Venice"; Social-psychological drama and comedy: L. Razumovskaya - “Passion at a Dacha near Moscow”, L. Ulitskaya - “Russian Jam”; Metaphysical realism: E. Schwartz - “Savagery of the last time”, A. Kim - “Onlyria”; Metaphysical idealism: Yu. Mamleev - “Eternal Russia”, K. Kedrov - “Inside out”.
Postrealism	Women's prose: L. Ulitskaya, T. Salomatina, D. Rubina; New military prose: V. Makanin - “Asan”, Z. Prilepin, R. Senchin; Youth prose: S. Minaev, I. Ivanov - “The geographer drank the globe away”; Non-fiction prose: S. Shargunov.

New ideas of Sergei Minaev

"Duhless. The Tale of fake person" is a book with an unusual concept that modern writers of the 21st century in Russia have not previously touched upon in their work. This is the debut novel by Sergei Minaev about the moral flaws of a society in which debauchery and chaos reign. The author uses swearing and obscene language to convey the character of the main character, which does not confuse readers at all. The top manager of a large canned food production company turns out to be a victim of scammers: he is offered to invest. a large sum into the construction of a casino, but are soon deceived and left with nothing.

"The Chicks. A Tale of False Love" talks about how difficult it is to maintain a human face in an immoral society. Andrei Mirkin is 27 years old, but he has no intention of getting married and instead starts an affair with two girls at the same time. Later he learns that one is expecting a child from him, and the other turns out to be HIV-infected. A quiet life is alien to Mirkin, and he is constantly looking for adventure in nightclubs and bars, which does not lead to good things.

Popular and critics do not favor Minaev in their circles: being illiterate, he achieved success in as soon as possible and made Russians admire his works. The author admits that his fans are mainly viewers of the reality show "Dom-2".

Chekhov's traditions in Ulitskaya's work

The characters in the play “Russian Jam” live in an old dacha near Moscow, which is about to come to an end: the sewer system is faulty, the boards on the floor have long since rotted, and there is no electricity. Their life is a real “nail”, but the owners are proud of their inheritance and are not going to move to a more favorable place. They have a constant income from the sale of jam, which contains either mice or other nasty things. Modern writers of Russian literature often borrow the ideas of their predecessors. Thus, Ulitskaya follows Chekhov’s techniques in the play: the dialogue of the characters does not work out because of their desire to shout over each other, and against the background of this one can hear the crackling of a rotten floor or sounds from the sewer. At the end of the drama, they are forced to leave the dacha because the land is being purchased for the construction of Disneyland.

Features of Victor Pelevin's stories

Russian writers of the 21st century often turn to the traditions of their predecessors and use the technique of intertext. Names and details that echo the works of the classics are deliberately introduced into the narrative. Intertextuality can be seen in Victor Pelevin's story "Nika". The reader feels the influence of Bunin and Nabokov from the very beginning, when the author uses the phrase " easy breathing". The narrator quotes and mentions Nabokov, who masterfully described the beauty of a girl’s body in the novel “Lolita.” Pelevin borrows the manners of his predecessors, but discovers a new “technique of deception.” Only in the end can one guess that the flexible and graceful Nika is actually a cat. Pelevin brilliantly manages to deceive the reader in the story “Sigmund in the Cafe”, where main character turns out to be a parrot. The author drives us into a trap, but this makes us enjoy it more.

Realism by Yuri Buida

Many modern writers of the 21st century in Russia were born decades after the end of the war, so their work is focused primarily on Yuri Buida was born in 1954 and grew up in Kaliningrad region- territory that previously belonged to Germany, which was reflected in the title of the cycle of his stories.

"The Prussian Bride" - naturalistic sketches about the difficult post-war times. The young reader sees a reality that he has never heard of before. The story "Rita Schmidt Anyone" tells the story of an orphaned girl raised in terrible conditions. They say to the poor thing: “You are the daughter of the Antichrist. You must suffer. You must atone.” A terrible sentence was pronounced because German blood flows in Rita’s veins, but she endures bullying and continues to remain strong.

Novels about Erast Fandorin

Boris Akunin writes books differently from other modern writers of the 21st century in Russia. The author is interested in the culture of the past two centuries, so the action of the novels about Erast Fandorin takes place from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th. The main character is a noble aristocrat, leading investigations into the most notorious crimes. For his valor and bravery, he is awarded six orders, but he does not remain in public office for long: after a conflict with the Moscow authorities, Fandorin prefers to work alone with his faithful valet, the Japanese Masa. Few modern foreign writers write in the detective genre; Russian writers, in particular Dontsova and Akunin, win the hearts of readers with crime stories, so their works will be relevant for a long time.

Russian classics are well known to foreign readers. Which contemporary authors have managed to win the hearts of foreign audiences? Libs compiled a list of the most famous contemporary Russian writers in the West and their most popular books.

16. Nikolay Lilin , Siberian Education: Growing Up in a Criminal Underworld

Our rating is opened by the sizzling one cranberry . Strictly speaking, “Siberian Education” is a novel not by a Russian author, but by a Russian-speaking one, but this is not the most serious complaint against it. In 2013, this book was filmed by Italian director Gabriele Salvatores, main role John Malkovich himself played in the film. And thanks to a bad movie with good actor The book of the dreamer-tattoo artist from Bendery, Nikolai Lilin, who moved to Italy, did not rest in peace, but entered the annals of history.

Are there any Siberians among the readers? Get your palms ready for facepalms! “Siberian Education” talks about the Urks: an ancient clan of people, stern, but noble and pious, exiled by Stalin from Siberia to Transnistria, but not broken. The lesson has its own laws and strange beliefs. For example, you cannot store noble weapons (for hunting) and sinful weapons (for business) in the same room, otherwise the noble weapon will be “infected”. The infected cannot be used, so as not to bring misfortune to the family. The contaminated weapon should be wrapped in the sheet on which the newborn baby was lying, and buried, and a tree planted on top. The Urks always come to the aid of the disadvantaged and weak, they themselves live modestly, and use the stolen money to buy icons.

Nikolai Lilin was introduced to readers as a “hereditary Siberian urka,” which seems to hint at the autobiographical nature of the imperishable. Some literary critics and Irvine Welsh himself praised the novel: “It is difficult not to admire the people who opposed the Tsar, the Soviets, and Western materialistic values. If the values ​​and lessons were common to all, the world would not be faced with an economic crisis generated by greed.” Wow!

But it was not possible to deceive all readers. For some time, foreigners who fell for the exotic bought the novel, but upon discovering that the facts described in it were fabricated, they lost interest in the book. Here's one review on the book's website: "After the first chapter, I was disappointed to find that this was an unreliable source of information about the Eastern European underworld. In fact, 'urka' is a Russian term for 'bandit,' not a definition ethnic group. And this is just the beginning of a series of vague, meaningless fabrications. I wouldn’t mind the fiction if the story were good, but I don’t know what irritates me more in the book: the flatness and Mary-ness of the narrator or his amateurish style.”

15. Sergey Kuznetsov ,

Psychological thriller Kuznetsov's "" was presented in the West as "Russia's answer to """. Some book bloggers hastened to include a cocktail of death, journalism, hype and BDSM, no less, in the top ten best novels of all times about serial killers! Readers also noted that through this book they became acquainted with Moscow life, although the characters’ conversations about political parties and certain events were not always clear: “ Cultural differences immediately sets this book apart and makes it somewhat refreshing."

And the novel was criticized for the fact that scenes of violence are presented through the killer’s stories about what has already happened: “You are not with the victim, you do not hope to escape, and this reduces the tension. Your heart does not flutter, you do not wonder what will happen next.” "A strong start for inventive horror, but the clever storytelling becomes boring."

14. ,

With all the book publishing activity of Evgeniy Nikolaevich / Zakhar Prilepin in his homeland, he seems to be little concerned about translating his books into other languages. " ", " " - that's probably all that can be found in Western bookstores right now. "Sankya", by the way, with a foreword by Alexei Navalny. Prilepin's work is attracting the attention of foreign audiences, but reviews are mixed: "The book is well written and fascinating, but suffers from the general post-Soviet writer's uncertainty about what he is trying to say. Confusion about the future, confused views about the past and a widespread lack of understanding of what is happening in life today are typical problems. Worth reading, but don't expect to get too much out of the book."

13. , (The Sublime Electricity Book #1)

Recently, a Chelyabinsk writer published on his personal website good news: his books "" and "" have been republished in Poland. And on Amazon the most popular is the noir cycle “All-Good Electricity”. Among the reviews of the novel "": " Great writer and a great style book magical steampunk ", "A good, fast-paced story with a large number plot twists." "An original combination of steam technology and magic. But the story's greatest strength is, of course, its narrator, Leopold Orso, an introvert with many skeletons in his closet. Sensitive but ruthless, he is able to control other people's fears, but has difficulty controlling his own. His supporters include a succubus, a zombie and a leprechaun, and the latter is quite funny."

12. , (Masha Karavai Detective Series)

9. , (Erast Fandorin Mysteries #1)

No, don't rush to look for bookshelves detective Akunin" Snow Queen". Under this name on English The first novel from the cycle about Erast Fandorin, that is, "", came out. Introducing it to readers, one of the critics said that if Leo Tolstoy had decided to write a detective story, he would have written “Azazel.” That is, The Winter Queen. Such a statement generated interest in the novel, but in the end, reader reviews varied. Some were delighted by the novel and could not put it down until they finished reading it; others were reserved about the "melodramatic plot and language of the short stories and plays of the 1890s."

8. , (Watch #1)

"Watches" is well known to Western readers. Someone even called Anton Gorodetsky the Russian version of Harry Potter: “If Harry were an adult and lived in post-Soviet Moscow.” When reading "" - the usual fuss around Russian names: "I like this book, but I can’t understand why Anton always says full name your boss - "Boris Ignatievich"? Has anyone guessed? I’ve only read half of it so far, so maybe the answer will be found later in the book? lately Lukyanenko did not please foreigners with new products, so today he is only in 8th place in the ranking.

7. ,

Those who have read the novel "" by the medievalist Vodolazkin in Russian cannot help but admire titanic work translator Lisa Hayden. The author admitted that before meeting Hayden he was sure that the translation into other languages ​​of his skillful stylization under Old Russian language impossible! It’s all the more pleasant that all the hard work paid off. Critics and ordinary readers met non-historical novel very warmly: “A quirky, ambitious book,” “A uniquely generous, multi-layered work,” “One of the most moving and mysterious books you will read.”

6. ,

Perhaps it will be a surprise for Pelevin’s fans that the novel “”, a cult novel in the writer’s homeland, has been pushed aside abroad early composition" ". Western readers put this compact satirical book on a par with "" Huxley: "I highly recommend reading it!", "This is the Hubble telescope facing the Earth."

"In his 20s, Pelevin witnessed glasnost and the emergence of hope for national culture based on the principles of openness and fairness. At the age of 30, Pelevin saw the collapse of Russia and the unification<…>the worst elements of wild capitalism and gangsterism as a form of government. Science and Buddhism became Pelevin’s support for his search for purity and truth. But in combination with the outgoing USSR empire and crude materialism new Russia this led to a shift in tectonic plates, a spiritual and creative shock, like a magnitude 9 earthquake, which was reflected in “Omon Ra”.<…>Although Pelevin is fascinated by the absurdity of life, he is still searching for answers. Gertrude Stein once said, "There is no answer. There will be no answer. There never was an answer. This is the answer." I suspect that if Pelevin agrees with Stein, his tectonic plateaus will freeze, the shock wave of creativity will go out. We, the readers, would suffer because of this."

"Pelevin never allows the reader to find balance. The first page is intriguing. The last paragraph of Omon Ra may be the most precise literary expression of existentialism ever written."

5. , (The Dark Herbalist Book #2)

Next are several representatives Russian LitRPG . Judging by the reviews, a native of Grozny, author of the “Dark Herbalist” series, Mikhail Atamanov, knows a lot about goblins and gaming literature: “I strongly recommend giving this truly unusual hero a chance to impress you!”, “The book was excellent, even better.” But not yet strong in English: "An excellent example of LitRPG, I liked it. As others have already commented, the ending is rushed, and the translation of the argot and colloquial speech from Russian to English. I don’t know whether the author got tired of the series, or fired the translator and relied on Google Translate for the last 5% of the book. I didn't like the Deus ex machina ending too much. But still 5 stars for a big boo. I hope the author continues the series from level 40 to 250! I'll buy it."

4. , aka G. Akella, Steel Wolves of Craedia(Realm of Arkon #3)

Have you opened the book " "? Welcome to the online game "World of Arkon"! "I love it when an author grows and improves and a book or series becomes more complex and detailed. After finishing this book, I immediately began rereading it - perhaps the best compliment I could give an author."

"I highly, highly recommend reading and compliment the translator (despite the mysterious Elven Presley!). Translation is not just a matter of replacing words, and here the translation of content from Russian into English is done in highest degree Fine".

3. , (The Way of the Shaman Book #1)

"" Vasily Makhanenko collected a lot positive feedback: "Excellent novel, one of my favorites! Treat yourself and read this series!!", "I am very impressed with the book. The story and character progression are well written. I can't wait for it to come out in English next book", "I read everything and want to continue the series!", "It was a great read. There were some grammatical errors, usually a missing word or some inaccurate wording, but they were few and far between."

2. , (Play to Live #1)

The series “Play to Live” is based on an amazing collision that will leave few people indifferent: a terminally ill guy Max (in the Russian version of the book “” - Gleb) goes into virtual reality in order to again feel the pulse of life in the Other World, make friends, enemies and experience incredible adventures.

Sometimes readers grumble: "Max is ridiculously over-gifted. For example, he reaches level 50 in 2 weeks. He is the only one who creates a necessary item in a world with 48 million experienced gamers. But I can forgive all this: who wants to read a book about a gamer , who is stuck on level 3 killing rabbits? This book is popcorn reading, pure junk food, and I enjoy it. From a Women's Perspective I would give the book a 3 out of 5: Everyday Misogyny Max makes some derogatory, supposedly funny things. , comments about women, and the only female character sometimes cries and sometimes has sex with Max. But overall, I would recommend this book to a gamer. She is pure pleasure."

“I haven’t read the author’s biography, but judging by the book and references, I’m sure he’s Russian.<…>I have worked with many of them and always enjoyed their company. They never get depressed. That's what I think makes this book amazing. The main character is told that he has an inoperable brain tumor. However, he is not too depressed, does not complain, just evaluates his options and lives in VR. Very good story. She is dark, but there is no evil in her."

1. , (Metro 2033 #1)

If you are familiar with modern Russian science fiction writers, it’s not difficult to guess who will be at the top of our ranking: books translated into 40 languages, sales of 2 million copies - yes, it’s Dmitry Glukhovsky! Odyssey in the scenery of the Moscow subway. "" is not a classic LitRPG, but the novel was created for symbiosis with a computer shooter. And if once the book promoted the game, now the game promotes the book. Translations, professional audiobooks, website with virtual tour by station - and a logical result: the “population” of the world created by Glukhovsky is growing every year.

"It's a fascinating journey. The characters are real. The ideologies of the various 'states' are believable. The unknown in the dark tunnels, the tension runs high. By the end of the book, I was deeply impressed by the world the author had created and how much I cared about the characters." “Russians know how to write apocalyptic, nightmarish stories. You only need to read “Roadside Picnic” by the Strugatsky brothers, “Day of Wrath” by Gansovsky or see the amazing “Letters from a Dead Man” by Lopushansky to feel that they understand well what it means to live on the edge of an abyss. Claustrophobia and dangerous, frightening dead ends; "Metro 2033" is a world of uncertainty and fear, on the verge between survival and death."

Women excel in many fields, and writing is no exception. There are a great many women writers who have written outstanding books that can change lives. It’s quite difficult to choose the best of them, but below you will find our list of the 10 best and most popular modern women writers in the world.

— 10 —

Joan Kathleen Rowling

Creator of children's books that reveal fascinating and magical world Harry Potter is considered one of the most influential women UK. More than 450 million copies of her bestselling series have been sold worldwide.

She says the idea for the story came to her on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990. Her books reflect how Joan's imagination goes far beyond everyday reality.

Thanks to the Harry Potter series of books, in five years she changed her status from an unemployed woman living on welfare to a billionaire.

— 09 —

Steele, with 800 million books sold, at the moment is the best-selling writer alive and the fourth best-selling author ever published. All of her novels became bestsellers. Their plot, as a rule, is about how rich families are going through a crisis and difficult love stories. Steele also tried to write a children's book fiction and poetry.

She also raises funds for the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Her books have been translated into 28 languages, and films have been made based on 22 of her works.

— 08 —

Her novels are distinguished by interesting and carefully written characters and vivid dialogues. Her best novels are The Bluest Eyes (1970), Sula (1973), Song of Songs (1977) and Beloved (1987).

She is the proud owner of a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and Nobel Prize in literature, and on May 12, 2012, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

— 07 —

Stephenie Meyer is famous for her vampire saga "Twilight", which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into 37 languages ​​and have become a global phenomenon.

Her annual income exceeded $50 million, and in 2010 she was ranked 59th on Forbes magazine's list of the most powerful celebrities.

After the collapse of the USSR, its successor Russia experienced several very hard years which led to negative consequences, including the devaluation of writing and a sharp change in the taste of many readers. Low-grade detective stories, tearful and sentimental novels, etc. became in demand.

Until relatively recently, it enjoyed enormous popularity Science fiction. Now some readers prefer the fantasy genre, where the plot of the works is based on fairy tales, mythological motives. In Russia the most famous writers, working in this genre are S.V. Lukyanenko (most of all his fans are attracted by a series of novels about the so-called “watches” - “Night Watch”, “ Day watch», « Twilight Watch", etc.), V.V. Kamsha (cycles of novels “Chronicles of Artia”, “Reflections of Eterna”) and other works). It should also be mentioned N.D. Perumov (pseudonym - Nick Perumov), author of the epic “Ring of Darkness” and many other works. Although after the economic crisis of 1998, Nik Perumov moved with his family to the USA.

The most famous Russian detective writers

The series of novels about the amateur detective Erast Fandorin, created by the writer G.Sh., is very popular among readers. Chkhartishvili ( creative pseudonym- Boris Akunin). Fandorin first appears in the novel “Azazel” as a very young man, a petty official who, thanks to the will of fate and his brilliant abilities, gets on the trail of a powerful clandestine organization. Subsequently, the hero steadily rises in rank and takes part in the investigation of more and more complex cases that threaten the very existence of the Russian Empire.

The genre has a huge readership of so-called people who find themselves in the most ridiculous, tragicomic circumstances and unravel crimes (often without meaning to). In this genre, the undisputed leader is the writer A.A. Dontsova (pseudonym - Daria Dontsova), who created several hundred works. Although critics almost unanimously believe that quantity has come at the expense of quality, and that most of these books cannot even be called literature, Dontsova’s work has many fans. There are many other popular ones in this genre, for example, Tatyana Ustinova.

Humanity of the 21st century is susceptible to following global trends. Even literature has not escaped the fate of the desire for mass consumption.

With the advent of Internet technologies, writers have a chance to quickly earn worldwide recognition. The work of their predecessors took much longer to spread across the planet. For example, Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind"In terms of sales, it is on the same level as "50 Shades of Gray".

In the 17 years that have passed since the onset of the millennium, new stars have lit up on the literary horizon. Works by classics of the 21st century are published in industrial scale and they spread like hot cakes. I present to your attention the TOP best-selling books in order of increasing circulation.

20. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseni

2003
10 million copies

Many people consider the book “The Kite Runner” to be a poignant story about the friendship of two guys belonging to different backgrounds. social groups, But sacred meaning the work is completely different. In the debut novel American writer Afghan origin touches on the topic of sexual violence against minors in Islamic countries.

In Afghanistan, a tradition called “bacha-bazi”, which is a type of child prostitution, is still widespread. Boys between the ages of 9 and 12 are dressed in women's clothing and forced to satisfy the sexual desires of adult men.

Khaled Hosseni devoted part of his creation to describing the relationship between Amir and Hassan. However, in my opinion, true main character This is Sohrab, given over to the amusement of his father’s offender. The novel “The Kite Runner” is still included in the ranking of the most read books.

19. “The Dukan Diet”, Pierre Dukan

2000
10.4 million copies

Who doesn’t dream of losing weight quickly and maintaining the results for a long time? In 2000, for the first time, the world was introduced to a new approach to getting rid of excess weight. The famous nutritionist Pierre Dukan skimmed the cream of his 40 years of experience and formulated his own method, called the Dukan Diet.

The book, which sold 10 million copies, describes 4 stages of modeling perfect body. On the first - you attack fat layer and start the mechanism of losing kilograms. As you follow the instructions of the second stage, you achieve your goals. The third and fourth stages are intended to consolidate and stabilize the result.

18. Life of Pi, Yann Martel

2001
10.5 million copies

Thanks to the creation of the novel Life of Pi, Yann Martel was awarded highest award literary world. In 2002, the author received the Booker Prize. The book was considered an honor to be published by the largest publishing houses on the planet. Critics compared it to the works of Hemingway and Marquez.

The author-storyteller met an old Indian man who told him about the unforgettable adventures he experienced in his youth. At birth, the main character was given the name Pisin, but he preferred to be called simply Pi (in honor of the famous mathematical number). As fate would have it, he ended up on the open sea on the same boat with a tiger. He not only managed to survive, but also turned his life story into a real parable with a metaphorical ending.

17. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

2002
10.9 million copies

The author of The Lovely Bones was herself a victim of a rapist. As the police dared to say, “the girl can be considered lucky, because she is alive.” Alice Sebold helped find the criminal after noticing the attacker in the crowd. The incident prompted her to write two books. The first was a biography that helped her get out of depression. The second work became a world-famous bestseller.

The story is told in the first person. The girl Susie was lured to a deserted place, raped and killed by a maniac. The victim's body was dismembered and hidden by the scumbag. The soul of the deceased enters its own paradise, from where it observes the lives of loved ones and, to the extent possible, interacts with them. It took Susie's family 10 years to recover from the consequences of the tragedy.

16. “Shadow of the Wind”, Carlos Ruiz Zafon

2001
15 million copies

10-year-old Daniel was destined to spend his life with weighty volumes. His father sold tomes and one day brought his son to an amazing place. Thousands of copies of forgotten books were kept in the ancient mansion. The boy had to choose one of them and be faithful to her until the end of his days.

The boy's gaze turned to the tattered cover, on which the author's name "Julian Carracas" appeared. Daniel will spend 20 years trying to unravel the secret of the cursed book. He will meet eccentric people and get caught up in a web of intrigue.

15. “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green

2012
18.5 million copies

In 2012, a place of honor in the book sales ranking was taken by John Green's novel, which tells the story of two teenagers confronting the injustice of fate. Hazel has cancer thyroid gland, which metastasized to the lungs. Every breath causes pain to the girl, she has to fight for every breath of air. Augustus lost his leg; his illness had not made itself felt for 14 months.

The main characters meet in a support group, which they reluctantly attend. They exchange books and fall in love. Further events revolve around the novel “The Tsar’s Malady.” Hazel dreams of talking with the author and learning about future fate characters. Augustus contacts the writer and organizes a trip to Amsterdam for his beloved. A trip to the Free City will finally finish off the guy.

14. “Wolf Totem”, Jiang Rong

2004
20.2 million copies

There are places on Earth where people continue to follow the behests of their ancestors and live in harmony with nature. The central character of the book “Wolf Totem” was born in Beijing; from childhood he was drawn to understanding the world around him. Chen Zhen was delighted by the beauty of sparsely populated regions such as Siberia or Inner Mongolia.

Due to a series of circumstances, the main character was transported from the stronghold of civilization to the Elun steppe. There he met a group of nomads who were resisting, on the one hand, the onslaught of technology, and on the other, the attack of wolf packs.

13. “The Secret”, Rhonda Byrne

2006
20.7 million copies

Now I will reveal to you Great Mystery being - your thoughts materialize. Positive thinking attracts good events, and negativity inevitably leads to financial, social and moral decline. In two sentences I fully revealed the essence of the book “The Secret”.

In my opinion, the pseudoscientific opus of Rhonda Byrne and her colleagues on the monetization of empty promises is not worth a damn. However, millions of readers disagree with me.

12. "The Shack" by William Paul Young

2007
21 million copies

What feelings arise in a father whose child allegedly became a victim of a maniac? Is he able to believe in God? Can a disconsolate parent find happiness again? William Young will try to answer these questions for us.

The foray into the forest turned out to be tragic events. Mac's little daughter has gone missing. A search team in an abandoned hut found indisputable evidence of the baby's death. 4 years have passed, and the main character’s family has not been able to calm their grief. Suddenly, Mac receives a letter from the Lord himself, in which the Father strongly recommends that the man return to the scene of the incident.

11. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

2008
23 million copies

For many years now, teen literature has been gaining popularity. Moreover, the age range of the target audience is continuously expanding. For example, the Hunger Games trilogy was originally intended for children from 14 to 18. Today, the name Katniss Everdeen is known to both young and old.

The author was inspired to create the novel by a combination of seemingly disparate plots. Let's start with the fact that Susan Collins got carried away ancient Greek myths and was indignant at the cruelty of the inhabitants of Athens, who sent their children to the Minotaur to be torn to pieces. Her father, a former military man, introduced his daughter to the history of battles and talked a lot about gladiatorial fights. All this resulted in a bestseller, sold out total circulation in 23 million copies.