Top - 20 best books of the year

Despite the growing popularity of television, the Internet and other modern entertainment, people still do not stop reading. Choosing a book to your taste is far from easy, especially in the field of fiction: each reader must approach this issue individually, so as not to be disappointed in the plot or in the style of the author, not to regret the time spent. In order to help you a little in this matter, we compiled a top rating of the best books of the year according to user reviews and tried to be as objective as possible. This includes both small stories and entire epics, here you will find both domestic and foreign authors. So let's get started.

List of twenty best books of all time

20. Alexander Dumas "Count of Monte Cristo"

From the very moment of its publication, this work was included in the bestseller list and continues to be there until today. He was filmed several times, performances and musicals were put on him. The basis of this work was given by the legendary story about a young man whom his friends jokingly imprisoned for some time - the author gathered this information from the police archives of Paris. However, Dumas somewhat changed the plot, resulting in a rather long and severe novel about human relationships, justice of punishment, love and betrayal, as well as fabulous wealth.

The beginning of the 19th century, just the Napoleonic wars died out, and France was finally able to breathe quietly. The young sailor, Edmond Dantes, is passionately in love with a beautiful Marseille girl named Mercedes. However, he was not alone in experiencing such feelings towards her - Fernand also longs to get her hand and heart. And the last is decided on a low deed: he writes a denunciation to the local prosecutor on Dantes. Edmon is thrown into prison, where he meets a cellmate by some abbot Faria. He tells him about the treasure and gives a card by which he can be found. Having managed to escape from prison, Dantes returns first to Marseilles, and then to Paris, to take revenge on all his offenders. That's just his name is the Count of Monte Cristo. So how does this story end, and what sophisticated revenge did the hero of the novel invent for his enemies?

Benefits:

• France itself is perfectly described at the beginning of the century before last;
• Heroes are as if alive;
• The truthfulness of the presentation makes one believe that everything described in the book actually happened.

19. William Shakespeare "Hamlet"

One of the most famous books of medieval literature. A historical background is also hidden under it - as the researchers of the English writer believe, he borrowed a plot from Danish annals.For many, this is a book for all time. To this day, it has not lost its popularity and relevance: in almost every second theater, this play is performed with enviable regularity, several films have been shot on it.

So, Denmark, the dark and gloomy Middle Ages. Hamlet’s father is killed, but his soul does not find peace, and every night appears near Elsinor, his estate. Guard soldiers on duty decide to notify the young prince. He is a ghost and reveals the secret of his death. Hamlet is very amazed, but quickly comes to his senses and decides to avenge his uncle for the worst Bible sin - killing his brother. What exactly is the prince going to do in order to not only repay the debt for his father’s life, but also to return the throne usurped from him? Read and have fun.

Benefits:

• Good dynamics of the plot;
• A high-quality translation of Pasternak or Lozinsky (although they are slightly different, they perfectly convey the spirit of medieval literature).

Disadvantages:

• The play is written in rhythmic prose, which may complicate its perception.

18. Erich Maria Remarque “Three Comrades”

This is one of the brightest books of the “lost generation” literature, which, in addition to this author, includes such famous writers as Ernest Hemingway, Francis Fitzgerald and many others. Germany, the end of the 20s of the last century. The country will not recover from the terrible World War I, which hit not only the state’s economy, but also ruined the lives of a whole generation of young people who had to spend their youth in the trenches, see the death of comrades, dirt and blood.

Three friends - Robbie, Kester and Lenz were able to survive this meat grinder and return home alive. They do not lose heart and try not to lose heart, although the ghosts of the past continue to haunt them to this day. Together, they open a small car repair shop, simultaneously engaged in buying and selling cars. Kester in his spare time independently collects a race car and gives her the name Karl. On Karl, they roam the highway at night, go to bars where they drink a lot. And so, one evening they manage to get acquainted with the beautiful girl Patricia. There is an affair between her and Robbie. How successful it is, and whether love can overcome everything, you will know only by reading this book to the end.

Benefits:

• All characters are given in development;
• Many interesting life phrases that are worth considering.

17. Clive Staples Lewis “The Chronicles of Narnia”

This is a whole cycle of stories of one of the founders of such a genre as fantasy, Clive Staples Lewis. At one time, he, together with D.R.R. Tolkien arranged a competition - who will get the best fairy-tale world. Tolkien went on the path of creating a completely autonomous universe of Middle-earth, in no way connected with our world, with Lewis, our worlds intersect - you can easily go from one to the other, especially if you have already been there.

The cycle begins with the story of four brothers and sisters - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. To save them from the bombing of German aircraft, parents send them to the castle of Professor Digory Kerk. There they begin to spend their leisure time, play hide and seek. Lucy hides in a wardrobe and through it finds herself in a magical land, and when she returns, she notices that not a second has passed since her absence. Brothers and sisters do not believe her, but soon they themselves find themselves in Narnia. From this begins the story of this unusual country, in which talking animals, magic and other magic do not surprise anyone. In addition to this book, the following novels are included in this cycle: “Prince Caspian”, “Vanquisher of the Dawn, or Swimming to the End of the World”, “Silver Chair”, “The Horse and His Boy”, “The Sorcerer's Nephew” and “The Last Battle”.

Benefits:

• Perfect for children and adults;
• The original idea, which obeys all the works of the cycle.

16. Jerome David Salinger "The Catcher in the Rye"

A cult novel of the 20th century, in which all the main problems of not only American, but also any other society are raised. There is absolutely everything here, and it is shown without embellishment through the eyes of the young 17-year-old guy Holden Caulfield.

By and large, this is the confession of a young hero who has already left childhood and has almost overcome the transitional age, but youthful maximalism does not allow him to take a more objective look at life. He feels everything around him extremely subtly, gives everything an unbiased assessment and does not cease to wonder why in adult life there is so much falsehood? The novel (according to other sources, the story) begins from the moment when the guy is already in the clinic for tuberculosis patients. In fact, the work is built on a retrospective basis. The writer allows his hero to speak the most rude words, perhaps for this reason, the book is still banned in many countries.

Benefits:

• The original language, accurately conveying the statements of youth;
• Many generations of readers have read this novel.

15. Alexander Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”

The first major work of new Russian literature, largely thanks to this novel, was the formation of the modern Russian language. No wonder V.G. Belinsky called it the "encyclopedia of Russian life." This is the first of many tragic stories of a young man that our literature is so famous for.

The work is dedicated to a nobleman, fed up with metropolitan life. The novel begins with his journey to the village, which is inherited from the deceased uncle. In addition to the development of the plot, there are many lyrical digressions that reveal the life experience of the writer himself. Having met a girl named Tatyana Larina in one of the neighboring estates, Eugene at first frankly taunts her, but here is how it will end later - you will find out only by reading the novel to the end. If you read this novel while still in school, we advise you to pay attention to it now - it will open for you from a completely different angle.

Benefits:

• Many points are relevant to this day;
• Very easy to read thanks to a good poetic organization.

14. William Golding “Lord of the Flies”

This is the debut novel of the English writer, which immediately brought him worldwide fame, and initially this work was conceived as a humorous commentary on the novel “Coral Island” by R.M. Ballantyne, which was published in the mid-19th century. The path to the reader turned out to be very thorny - in 21 publishing houses the writer was refused publication, in the 22nd they agreed to release the book only on condition that the author removes the first few pages that tell the horrors of nuclear war.

The book begins with the fact that as a result of a plane crash, a group of children brought from England fall on a desert island. Among them, two obvious leaders immediately stand out - Ralph and Jack. Children are divided into two camps - the first call themselves hunters. Among the children there is a primitive cult of the terrible Beast, which they begin to worship, thereby hoping to escape from the island. Will they be able to get out of the island, or are the guys doomed to stay there until the end of their days, more and more bogged down in the internecine war and turning into primitive people?

Benefits:

• An ambiguous work, revealing the secret elements of human consciousness as well as possible.

13. Robert Lewis Stevenson “Treasure Island”

Another adventure novel in our top rating of the best books. For a long time among researchers it was believed that the whole story was completely invented by the writer, however, in the mid-40s of the last century, the similarity of the island described in the work with the island of Pinos, located about 70 km from Cuba, was discovered.which for several centuries was a pirate parking lot.

Events unfold in the mid-18th century, the plot of the novel begins in England, near Bristol, in the small tavern "Admiral Benbow". The measured life of Jimmy Hawkins and his mother, the owners of the establishment, was disrupted by the sudden death of his father and husband, and some strange guest with a bad character came to them, and besides, he is a chronic alcoholic. Various dark personalities come to visit him, who want to find out some secret from him. Suddenly, this character, who prefers to be called Captain, dies, Jim and his mother search his chest and find a map of an island in the papers. Apparently, innumerable riches are buried there. Will Jim get out alive from this mess and get rich, you will learn at the very end of the work.

Benefits:

• Easy syllable, which is suitable for both a child and an adult;
• The rapid development of the plot will not make even the most biased reader bored.

12. Stephen King cycle "The Dark Tower"

This is a whole series of novels by the king of horrors Stephen King, which is written at the intersection of many genres - fantasy, horror, science fiction, western and so on. As a result, the writer turned out to be an excellent epic dedicated to the wanderings of the protagonist, Strelok Roland Diskeyn, in many worlds of our and not only our universe in search of the so-called Dark Tower - the center of the universe that keeps the world in balance. As a prototype of the protagonist, the author himself called the character of Clint Eastwood from the Western "Good, Bad, Evil."

Roland is the last of the oldest family of shooters whose main mission was to guard the Dark Tower, to prevent the forces of evil from penetrating into it and chaos reigned in all worlds. He begins his journey alone, but then several friends join him - the legless dark-skinned girl Susanne, the former drug addict Eddie, the boy Jake and the unusual animal Ysh - the eared-up confused from the world of Roland. He takes all other characters to himself from our world. You will have to go a long way with the shooter and his friends to find out if he can find the Dark Tower and restore the balance of good and evil in all worlds.

Benefits:

• Many books written in a monumental but not too heavy language;
• It is one of the gems of the fantasy genre.

11. Victor Hugo "Notre Dame de Paris"

This is the very first prose novel written in French; it was published in the middle of 1831, but it is still being read and filmed. Not so long ago, the musical of the same name was huge. The work brought the writer European popularity, because he immediately began to be translated into other languages ​​or read in the original.

So, in the yard the end of the 15th century. France, Paris - festivities are taking place that combine two holidays: Christian Baptism and the pagan coronation of buffoons. As the buffoon king, the crowd decides to choose the hunchback ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral Quasimodo, whose mentor is the priest Claude Frollo, the rector of the cathedral. Gypsy Esmeralda also takes an active part in the performance, dancing to the amusement of the public and trying to make some money with this. So, this is only the beginning of the work, but all the other events of the novel you will learn by reading it in full.

Benefits:

• Excellent reveals the life and customs of medieval France;
• An interesting and exciting story, combining many actors.

10. Ernest Hemingway "For Whom the Bell Tolls"

The fate of the writer himself is quite tragic - at the end of his life he ended up in a clinic for crazy people, from where he was released as an almost incapable person. He could not bear the fact that he could never write, and committed suicide.The novel is dedicated to yet another troubled time - the civil war in Spain, just one of its episodes, but even this turns out to be quite enough to reveal the whole essence of the war, its cruelty and ruthlessness.

May 1937, a year has passed since the start of the Spanish Civil War. American internationalist volunteer Jordan arrives in Pablo's partisan detachment with the task of blowing up a bridge to prevent reinforcements from approaching the enemy. An American soldier meets a young girl Maria in the camp, whose life was broken into small pieces by the war. The novel was filmed several times, and in one of the most popular versions, Ingrid Bergman herself starred in the role of Mary.

Benefits:

• Absolute historical authenticity, since the author himself took part in that civil war and was able to convey his impressions to the reader;
• Beautiful style and superb historical retreats.

9. Ivan Turgenev “Fathers and Sons”

The review also included this work of the school curriculum, which today is more relevant than ever. In world literature, it is not very well known, but it is a rather bright moment in Russian literature. Here the problem of an extra person is raised, and the image of the key figure of the work, the nihilist Evgeny Bazarov, has become a role model for more than one generation of young people, both in pre-revolutionary and modern Russia - an uncompromising character, rejection of authority and any truths, contempt for the beautiful and materialism .

The plot begins to develop literally a year and a half before the abolition of serfdom. The son of one of them Arkady, along with his friend Yevgeny Bazarov, returns to the estate of the Kirsanov brothers. Already immediately this character attracts close attention, both the author himself and all readers. After reading the novel, you will find out if there is a place for such people in our world today and you will understand how deep the tragedy of the protagonist is.

Benefits:

• Poetic language of the writer;
• Easy perception of the work at any age.

8. John R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Includes books “The Brotherhood of the Ring”, “Two Fortresses” and “The Return of the King”, often all the works are published in a single volume along with the background “The Hobbit, or There and Back”. This is one of the first stories written in the fantasy genre. Today the novel is published in several dozens of languages, and the author personally checked the quality of translation during his life as a professional philologist.

The story is built around the hobbits - a small stunted folk living on the outskirts of Middle-earth. One of them, Bilbo Baggins was lucky (though, how to look) to find the ring of omnipotence, previously belonging to the dark lord Sauron. Having decided to retire and go to the kingdom of the elves, Bilbo passes it along with all the property to his nephew Frodo. When he and the magician Gandalf find out that this is really the ring of the mighty Sauron, they decide to destroy him in the fire of Doom Mountain, that is, exactly where he was cast. From this begins this epic, which excites the minds of many generations.

Benefits:

• A long and very interesting story with many heroes.

7. Joan Rowling “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone”

Modern fantasy, and the novel was first released just over 20 years ago and continues to be very popular in many countries around the world. Critics accepted the work very favorably, noting the original and soft English humor, not quite the classic development of the plot.

This is the first book in a series of works about the wizard boy Harry Potter. As a child, he lost his parents - they were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort, in addition, he tried to destroy Harry himself, but it did not work out for him. Moreover, because of Harry, he completely lost his strength and almost died. The Ministry of Magic decided to send the child to the education of the next of kin - Dursly.However, life in this family was not at all easy for the boy. Everything changes when one fine day - on the day of his 11th birthday, he receives an owl with a letter to enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From this moment all his adventures begin - we will see where they will lead him and how they will end.

Benefits:

• An excellent book for adults, children, or family reading;
• A laid-back syllable, read in one breath;
• The rapid development of the plot.

6. Chuck Palahniuk “Fight Club”

Another cult novel, which was first published in 1996 in the United States. Almost immediately, he was filmed, and the leading roles were played by well-known Hollywood actors - Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter, David Fincher acted as the director. Cinema at first did not cause a serious response, unlike the novel, but later received its recognition.

America, mid 90s of the 20th century. All the events of the novel develop around a nameless hero suffering from insomnia, caused by the fact that he is in no way able to fit into his contemporary consumer society. And then, one fine day, he meets a person close to himself in spirit - Tyler Durden, with whom they create a fight club, trying to somehow isolate themselves from an alien society. Who is Tyler and where does the mysterious girl Marla Singer, you find out at the very end of the novel.

Benefits:

• Interesting and unpredictable plot development;
• The original language, perceived as live speech.

5. George Orwell "1984"

The first dystopian novel in our ranking of the best books. There are direct analogies with totalitarianism, especially if you raise it to absolute. The novel correlates well with other works created in this genre by “451 degrees Fahrenheit” by R. Bradbury, “We” by E. Zamyatin, or “O Brave New World” by O. Huxley.

The plot takes us to the distant future. The central character is Winston Smith. He lives quietly in London, is a reliable and trusted member of the party, works in the Ministry of Truth. However, for some time now doubts about the correctness of the party line began to creep into his thoughts. Whether he will be able to hide the dissatisfaction ripening in him or whether he will be discovered, and what such considerations may lead to, will become clear on the last pages of the novel.

Benefits:

• Useful story for all thinking people.

4. Leo Tolstoy “War and Peace”

The first epic of Russian literature, and it is devoted not so much to the Napoleonic wars as to the state of Russian society and the relationship between people in this period. The author hatched the plan for several years, not knowing which of his characters to give preference, since his sympathies were inclined alternately to one or another character. As a result, Lev Nikolaevich decided that the main idea of ​​the novel would be the history and fate of the Russian people in the era of wars.

Even the most general characterization of the plot of a work is hard enough to give, since there are more than 500 characters in the book, and among them there are both real historical figures and fictional characters. All of them are complex psychologically in their own way, develop throughout the work, are in search of a universal or ordinary truth of life. In general, it just needs to be read.

Benefits:

• A large monumental work, which every person who loves his homeland should know;
• An interesting language with a large number of folk and literary turns.

3. Stephen King The Green Mile

Another novel by a horror master, but this time the action takes place in an American federal prison, where he was far from an ordinary prisoner. The work was published in 1996, and almost immediately it received a major award - the Bram Stoker Prize, it was awarded in the nomination "Best Novel". Three years later, the book was filmed - the main role was played by Tom Hanks.

The main plot of the work develops in the 30s of the last century, in the midst of the Great Depression, which began in the USA in 1929. The story is narrated on behalf of the character, Paul Edgecomb, who manages Unit E at Cold Mountain Prison in Louisiana. It contains prisoners sentenced to death, and Paul himself directs these executions. One day, a new prisoner is brought to him - a foolish black giant John Coffey, sentenced to death for the murder of two little girls. But is it really so, and what supernatural abilities are hidden in this extraordinary person?

Benefits:

• This is a novel about good and evil, which penetrate and intertwine with each other.

2. Frank Herbert "Dune"

This is the first work from the whole series “Chronicles of the Dune”, the action of which develops on the distant sand planet Arrakis. For this book, the author received honorary American literary awards Hugo and Nebula, she also brought him fame, and today is one of the most popular science fiction novels of the last century. The book raises many issues of relevance to humanity, so many critics attribute it also to the philosophical genre.

Control of the planet Arrakis passes from one House to another. The main value here is moisture. However, the previous rulers - the House of the Harkonenns - were not satisfied with such a development of events and planned a military coup. What will the outbreak of civil war lead to and what will happen to the sources of moisture on a planet where scorching heat reigns?

Benefits:

• An interesting and informative book that reveals not only the plot itself, but also the worldview of the author of the work.

1. Mikhail Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”

One of the most mysterious works of Russian literature, not only of the 20th century, but throughout its history. The idea arose from the author in the late 1920s, but he continued to work on this work until the last days of his life, without having time to edit his creation to the end. It is worth noting that they did not want to print it for a very long time - the first publication took place only in 1966-1967 and then with significant corrections.

It was a hot May day. Writers walked on the Patriarch's Ponds and talked about a poem dedicated to Jesus Christ. Suddenly, an incomprehensible type intervened in their conversation, talking with a strong foreign accent and introducing himself as a famous historian. Who is he? And why did you come to Moscow? What stories are connected with it - all the answers are hidden in the novel.

Benefits:

• The novel intertwines folk, Soviet and European cultures;
• It is distinguished by truly sparkling humor and serious moments that it won’t hurt to think about.

In conclusion, the best book reviews

Here is our review of the top 20 books by readers according to its logical end. We apologize if it seemed to you too long, but it is impossible to fit at least the main interesting books into the traditional top-10 format. If you want to share your favorite books, talk a little about them, then welcome to comment on this article.

(3 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)

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