The list of the most popular novels will always tell you which book to read at the moment. In this article we will talk about works of various genres, which for many years have remained beloved and popular among generations of fans of literature. There are a large number of various ratings and lists of the best books of all time, we will try to dwell on the works that fall into most of them.
"451 ° Fahrenheit"
Almost always in the list of the most popular novels is the work of American science fiction writer Ray Bradbury "451 ° Fahrenheit." This is a sci-fi utopia that first saw the light of day in 1953. It describes American society in the near future, in which books are banned. There is a special unit, whose members call themselves "firefighters", their task is to burn any books that they find. The "fireman" works and the protagonist of the novel named Guy Montag.
In the course of the work, Guy becomes disillusioned with social ideals, turns into an outcast, and as a result joins a small group of marginals who operate underground. They memorize the texts of books in order to preserve them for posterity.
Such an unusual name for this most popular novel is explained in the epigraph. It is at 451 ° F that the paper begins to burn. The novel has been popular for many years, it is obvious that a new wave of interest in Bradbury’s work will now appear in connection with the release of the film of the same name, in which Michael Jordan plays the main role.
Shantaram
In recent years, among the most popular novels, the creation of the Australian Gregory David Roberts "Shantaram" is constantly found. The events that are described in it are mainly autobiographical, the action takes place in the Indian city of Mumbai. The main character is a man with a difficult fate, a robber and a drug addict who is hiding from an Australian prison in the past. Having traveled around Australia and New Zealand, he arrives in India with a fake passport.
Shantaram is his nickname, only he uses it in communication with people, so as not to give out his real name and again not to be in prison. In India, he makes money on illegal deals, works on mafia, and even agrees to take weapons to Kandahar, where the war is going on.
There are a lot of philosophical reflections in the book; mystical coincidences make it one of the most popular modern novels. It is believed that it helps to get out of prison. The infamous real estate trader Sergei Polonsky claimed that on the day of reading this book he was released from prison in Cambodia and Sailor Silence.
"Three comrades"
The Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque is another of the most popular novels. The book was released in 1936. This is one of the main works devoted to the problem of the "lost generation".
The book takes place in Germany in 1928. Three friends decide to open a small car repair shop to earn a living. The main character named Robbie meets an amazing girl Patricia. Although both come from different social backgrounds, young people fall in love. Their relationship is developing against the backdrop of the crisis that gripped Germany in those years.
The novel is dedicated to the generation that passed the First World War. These are people who cannot get rid of the ghosts of the past. They were rallied by a military fraternity, for the sake of friendship they are ready for anything, while in the war they were defeated, and we must continue to live with this.
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
Among all the books of the XX century in the ranking of the most popular novels, one of the leading places is invariably occupied by Harper Lee's book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It was first published in 1960. This is an educational novel, based on the personal experiences of the author, these events occurred to her when she was only 10 years old. They describe their family, neighbors and events in their hometown in 1936.
The book raises important topics, in it children compare the financial situation of families, and the whole city discusses racism and the culprit of the mysterious rape. The father of the storyteller, whose name is Atticus Finch, is a model of honesty and morality. This is a lawyer who gives many generations of readers a lesson in courage and civil integrity.
One of the main ideas of the novel is that every child from birth has an innate sense of justice, and he gets all the anger and prejudice under the influence of the family and the people around him in society.
"Flowers for Algernon"
In 1959, Daniel Keyes released the novel, Flowers for Algernon. The majority of this American writer knows from his other work - the novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." It is worth recognizing that "Flowers ..." deserve no less attention.
The protagonist of this book is the 32-year-old mentally retarded floor washer at the bakery Charlie Gordon. He decides on a bold experiment that can dramatically change his life - an artificial improvement in intelligence through a dangerous surgical operation.
They have never done anything like this with a single person, only the mouse experiment named Algernon successfully passed. Inspired scientists decide that now it’s time for an operation on some mentally retarded person.
The whole story is written in the form of a report, which is Charlie himself. We are witnessing how the hero’s language and literacy change right after the operation. But it turns out that the consequences of scientific experience are not immediately apparent. This science fiction novel brought real fame to Kizu.
"Anna Karenina"
Among the most popular romance novels in most ratings, the creation of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" is an undeniable advantage. This is a tragic love story of a married woman, the main character, to the young and brilliant officer Vronsky. These events unfold against the backdrop of a happy family life of the married couple Konstantin Levin and Kitty Shcherbatskaya.
Tolstoy was able to write a large-scale and believable picture of the life and customs of the Russian nobility of the second half of the 19th century. It is still one of the most popular love novels. The author’s philosophical reflections intertwine with surprisingly accurate psychological sketches, scenes from the life of peasants, and mores of modern Tolstoy society. The novel "Anna Karenina" is popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. In the West, he was repeatedly translated and filmed.
"Loneliness on the Web"
Among the most popular contemporary romance novels, one should name Loneliness on the Web by Polish author Janusz Wisniewski. The book was written in 2001. Although the novel was written a decade and a half ago, the events described in it are surprisingly relevant for our days.
The main characters get acquainted on the Internet, they communicate, together they experience some kind of events, all this develops into love. At the same time, the author describes the life of each hero "off-line" - work, friends, relatives and acquaintances, hobbies. After a fairly long period of virtual communication, they finally meet in Paris. They have to endure difficult trials, the determining factor will be their own attitude to life.
The bulk of the story is the virtual correspondence of the characters on the Web. The book is still popular and debated by many readers.
"Process"
The list of popular books should be completed by Franz Kafka's great novel The Process. The book was published shortly after the death of the author, in 1925, during his lifetime he never managed to publish it.
The morning of the protagonist begins with an unpleasant surprise. Bank clerk Josef K. is arrested without giving any reason. He is convinced that this is a mistake, trying to find out what he is accused of, but falls under such a press of the bureaucratic machine, which not everyone can handle. He constantly goes to court to make excuses, but getting to the meeting is not so simple. The process, which he initially neglected, being sure of a mistake, caused him great concern. He not only does not know what he is accused of, but also what sentence he delivered to the court. In pursuit of the verdict, he loses himself.