The best books of the 20th century are known to many lovers of good literature. Many of these masterpieces have long become iconic. They raise serious problems and give incredible emotions to every reader. All the mentioned works are worthy of the first place in the list, as they are required to be read.
Reflections with a touch of satire
Among the best books of the 20th century, the novel "The Catcher in the Rye" is marked by a quality story about growing up a person. The protagonist of the author Jerome Selinger named Holden Caulfield was again expelled from an elite private school. This news made him rush into the middle of the night. So he got to New York, where he tried to indulge in the joys of life. He understands that his parents will have to be upset again, and because of such thoughts, the guy can not feel all the charms of a big city. Holden begins to grow up in the throes of doubt among the memories of a carefree childhood. He is worried about the evil world of adults, and the transition between these states is too painful.
Legendary fantasy
In the best books of the 20th century, it is impossible not to include the legendary creation of John Tolkien, entitled "The Lord of the Rings." It is this work that is considered the main one in the genre of classic fantasy. No one could have thought that the author would be able to create such a well-designed universe with his races and a huge number of characters. The author based his books on mythologies of different peoples, ancient beliefs and his own experience of participation in the First World War. Thus was born the story of the small hobbit Frodo, who by the will of fate should become the savior of the world called Middle-earth. To do this, he will have to travel in the company of true friends from the green Shire to the stronghold of evil Mordor, in order to destroy the main artifact there - the Ring of Power. A variety of adventures await him on the way, while the narrative is also about other interesting characters. The world is on the verge of destruction, and all hope is on several brave heroes.
The philosophy of simplicity
The work of Francis Scott Fitzgerald entitled “The Great Gatsby” with its beautiful history deserves to be included in the list of the best books of the 20th century. The narrative is on behalf of Nick Kerraway, who, after the First World War, moved to New York to work on the stock exchanges. He learns about the mysterious Mr. Jay Gatsby, who lives in the neighborhood. He has a beautiful villa with a huge living area, where the most noisy parties are constantly held throughout the metropolis. Entertainment lovers come here from all over New York, but no one knows about Jay's identity. A variety of legends go about him, and once the owner of the villa shows himself to Nick. Before him appears a successful and good-natured man who also participated in the last war. Only in the course of the narrative does the philosophy of the work show the person who has achieved it, who has never managed to know happiness in life, even though he fully deserved it.
Tale for adults and children
The work of Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince" is not in vain considered a world classic and is included in the 100 best books of the 20th century. Anyone can find something for himself in this story. The plot begins with the fact that the pilot crashes in the desert and meets a boy there. He flew from the distant planet B-612 and decided to share his story with the pilot. The guy begins to talk about his homeland with three volcanoes and the beautiful Rose, about the fight against the baobabs that constantly cut through the surface of the asteroid. Once he is overcome by sadness due to the limitations of his own planet. The prince began to travel. In the universe, he managed to meet the most amazing personalities. He saw a king who considered himself the main ruler of all stars, an enterprising merchant who was looking for an opportunity to buy the most profitable celestial bodies. I even saw a drunkard who continues to take alcohol because he is ashamed of his bad habit. This story can be regarded as a fairy tale, but if you dig deeper, then discussions about the adult world will open with the eyes of a child.
One of the most popular books.
The first book about the “boy who survived” is deservedly included in the 100 best books of the 20th century. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone set the stage for the creation of a new popular universe that now has millions of fans. History captivated children and adults with its simplicity, style and attention to detail. It all starts with the fact that an ordinary guy named Harry receives an invitation to study at the Hogwarts School of Magic. In the world of magic, he is a true legend, because he managed to survive after the death spell of the most powerful dark sorcerer. The first year of study brought acquaintance with friends and finding your true home. This epic continued in the present century until the writing of the seventh part. The work captures from the very first minutes, and it is incredibly difficult to break away from reading it.
Cult science fiction
The work "451 degrees Fahrenheit" in the ranking of the best books of the 20th century occupies a special place. The author Ray Bradbury was able to perfectly show a totalitarian society where mass culture is the main one. In the introduction, it is indicated that the temperature in the name of this masterpiece indicates the necessary degree for burning paper. In such a society, the presence of books that make the reader think about something is not allowed. To prevent this from happening, special fire brigades were founded that confiscate such literature and burn it. The narration is conducted on behalf of an employee of a similar service. He increasingly wonders why they have to make fires from valuable books instead of putting out fires. Through the thoughts of the protagonist and the images of people around him, the author demonstrates the vices of the present world. Individuals who have forgotten what it means to be human beings meet at every step, and the wife of the protagonist is a vivid example of this. Classic science fiction is a must-read for everyone.
Depressive prophecy
The ranking of the best books of the 20th century could be led by the work of 1984 by George Orwell, if judged by the quality of dystopia and prophetic views of the future. The English writer seemed to be looking through the veil of time in the middle of the last century and was able to show the state of the world now. He does not talk about specific time dates, but creates a powerful atmosphere of total control. The protagonist named Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth in order to give people only the “right” stuff. Over the whole community looms the figure of Big Brother, who is the ruler of this state. Everyone remembers and knows about him, at least few people saw him. Through the eyes of the protagonist, the viewer learns all the methods of pressure of power on the people. Everything comes to the paradox when people are forced to believe in fictional reality, although before our eyes it’s a completely different picture. The main character decides to join the rebellion because of love, but even she has no place in such a world.
Human power
Many people know that perseverance in achieving certain goals can help overcome any difficulties. It was this idea that became the main one in John Steinbeck's masterpiece “The Bunches of Wrath”, which was included in the top of the best books of the 20th century. The plot tells the story of the Jowd family that they are preparing to travel west of the country in search of a better life. Their small fortune forces them to do this, although no one wants to leave a farm in California, which no longer generates income. After leaving, they were faced with even greater troubles than in their native region. They faced the poverty, misery and bitterness of ordinary workers in the “Hoover Villages”. Even this failed to break iron power along with the pursuit of a better life for the main characters. They overcome any obstacles and set an example to all those around them. Thanks to this, Steinbeck was able to show that the persistence of a person can be highly appreciated. The work has not turned into a demonstration of a series of unfortunate events, and this attracts many readers.
Ode to the power of the human spirit
Ernest Hemingway with his novel “The Old Man and the Sea” almost made a revolution in literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this creation, and it deservedly entered the list of the best books of the 20th century. The story is based on the bad luck of the ordinary fisherman Santiago, who for almost three months could not catch anything when he went to sea. Everyone around began to shun him, because they considered him too unlucky. Only a faithful friend Manolin continues to go out with him in search of prey in the open waters, although his father does not allow the guy to do this. On the 85th day, luck smiled on Santiago - a huge marlin fell into the trap. From this moment begins the struggle of the old man with the animal, which does not want to become prey. The main character is burdened by the fate of a man who every day fights for his existence. Moreover, he likes the world around him, his harmony, and he does not want to violate it. His expression that a person can be destroyed, but not defeated, became winged immediately after the release of the novel.
Love is under pressure from society
Theodore Dreiser had a unique way of writing his masterpieces. It may seem to the reader that deep philosophy is simply not present in the context, but at the end of the story everything changes. The finale makes it clear that every part of the work is located where it should be. A striking example of this is American Tragedy, a work that is on the list of the best foreign books of the 20th century. In the center of the plot is the fate of a guy named Clyde Griffiths. He is in love with a rich girl, and marriage with her will also help him satisfy powerful ambitions. Only at this time, poor girl Robert Alden announces to him that he is expecting a child from him. They work together in the factory, and Clyde cannot allow the announcement of this fact. Under the pretext of riding a boat on the lake, the hero decides to kill her and from that moment his life rolls downhill.
Life views of an unusual person
In the list of the best books of the 20th century, the work “Outsider” by Albert Camus is one of the most difficult to perceive. It may seem to many that the plot describes the fate of an evil person, and everything ended logically, but the author laid a deeper subtext. The main character, a Frenchman by the name of Merceau, lives in colonial Algeria. The author does not focus on his personality, but rather shows actions. First, the text describes the death of the mother, then the murder of a resident in the city with the hands of a central character. The final part of the book is the trial of the perpetrator. With all his actions, Merceau shows that for him human life means nothing, because even at the funeral of his mother he did not utter a tear. Albert Camus in this book showed his signature style of criticism of intelligent humanism, which attracted the attention of society.
A novel with a difficult story
If we talk about the best books of Russia of the 20th century, then the first thing to mention is the masterpiece of Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. The author worked on his work for a long time, and in the middle of the way he burned his creation. He was later published in France, and the agency, which specialized in adult materials, took up this. As a result, the narrative produced the effect of a bomb explosion and became a worthy alternative to American classics. The main character Humbert has an unhealthy passion for little girls. He can only love them, for which he hates himself with all his heart. A man is able to think soberly, not without irony, and far from stupid, but he cannot do anything with his desire. The story tells about his relationship with a girl of twelve Dolores Heys. The plot is revealed through the main character, his manner of speaking and tragic thoughts on his actions with love for the child. This work was included in the list of the best Russian books of the 20th century for innovation and frank history.
A truly marvelous world
If you look for the best books on the history of the 20th century, you will find that they came out in different periods over the course of a hundred years. The novel “Brave New World” from the famous writer Aldous Huxley is included in this number and is considered a classic of the “1984” level, although it demonstrates a completely different world. The author talks about a 26th century community in London that is fully focused on consumption. For them, a new era came with the advent of Ford T., which was the first car released in a million copies. Henry Ford was elevated to a cult of deity, and people began to grow in incubators. They are divided into castes at the production stage, and after that they are given the necessary knowledge. Representatives of the lower categories are artificially made less developed to do dirty work. In such a society, the main character Lenein Crown lives, working as a nurse in the production of people. Looking at the world on behalf of this character more than once will make you think about the pursuit of the ideal and the real world of mankind.
One of the strangest novels
If you get together and walk through the history of the 20th century in Russia, you can name a lot of works as the best books, but not one of them can be compared with the Master and Margarita masterpiece. Mikhail Bulgakov wrote this novel in agony and even burned the first versions with different names. Nevertheless, the work was destined to be born and make a splash with its unusual style. The author leads the storyline in the time period of the 20th century and simultaneously talks about the fate of Jesus Christ. It all starts with two writers who argued about God. Suddenly, a gray-haired elderly man intervenes in their conversation, which predicts one of them cutting off his head. After a few minutes, he falls on a rut, and a tram runs across his neck. Further events before the reader will open such a wide picture that it will be simply impossible to break away from reading.
The best detectives
Among the best books of detectives of the 20th century, readers may especially like the work of Agatha Christie, entitled "Ten Little Indians." The story tells of a gloomy mansion, which brought together ten people with a criminal past. They are tormented not only by conscience, but by knowledge of near death. Every day, according to the account of negroes, their number is one less, and no one can expose the killer. This is a classic story about blind justice that borders on revenge. The criminals decided to repent, but their killer is not interested. With a sophisticated method, he decided to eliminate them one by one, so that in the allotted hours everyone would feel fear.