Modern books about love ... They say that the best books about love have already been written. Strange, isn't it?
Ellipsis only
With the same success, it can be argued that the main discoveries in the field of physics or chemistry have already been made, and that secrets no longer exist in the history of mankind, nor in the world, nor in the Universe. It is impossible to put an end to the questions of everything that exists in this world and the theme of love, only ellipsis, because how many people there are so many stories, and with them feelings, emotions, experiences that cannot be compared, and each of which is unique. Another thing is by whom and how this or that love story is stated. Here you can talk about good, talented, profound works, as they say, for centuries, or, conversely, about "cheap softcover novels."
Modern books about love
Such a literary genre as a love or adventure romance has been known since ancient Greece. It is interesting to note that the plot scheme from ancient years to this day has not changed dramatically. The main characters are a young man and a girl. Their random, at first glance, meeting quickly grows into something more - falling in love, an irresistible passion and, finally, love. However, not everything is so simple, and tragic circumstances, and sometimes unknown mystical forces, drive the lovers out of paradise. Will they be able to overcome all obstacles, tell their fortunes firmly “no” and stay together forever? Do true feelings bind them or is it just an illusion and self-deception? And what is love?
Both classical works and modern literature continue this endless marathon of eternal questions and the search for ideal ways to solve them. And since nothing and nobody in this world can be perfect, the options do not cease to multiply. So, what answers to the eternal themes of love does modern literature offer us?
So different love
Love can be different: passionate, dizzy, calm, deep, youthful, mature, mutual, inseparable, the only one that is one for life and ... There are so many people, there are so many options for developing such a comprehensive feeling. Therefore, the shelves of modern bookstores are dazzling with attractive covers and intriguing names. What are the phrases “Fifty shades of gray”, “Fifty shades of darker” or “Fifty shades of freedom”! What can be said about these works authored by Erica Leonard James? It is difficult to be objective, and you should not even try in this particular case, therefore I will express a subjective opinion - it is readly bad. On the one hand, all three books are about first love, modern bestsellers, which have been sold in huge circulation in 37 countries of the world. On the other hand, it’s a meager language, the plot is primitive, reminiscent of a porno interpretation of the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, but pretending to some philosophical reflections on what this great “game in duality” can lead to - love and hate, deep feeling and passion , good and evil.
Stephanie Mayer and her eternal saga "Twilight"
From this point of view, the storyline of the famous Twilight saga by Stephanie Mayer is much deeper and more interesting. At first glance, novels can be classified as “books about teenagers' love” - modern American schoolchildren live a normal life, do not understand their parents, who, in turn, do not understand them, make new friends, study, quarrel and, of course, fall in love ... but to whom? Fall in love with a vampire ... Some part of him longs for her blood and death, and some love this tender girl deeply and immensely. One part of her strives for a full-blooded life in harmony with herself and the world around him, and the other strives to give her soul to the devil, because no matter how much time they spend together, she will always be short, she needs only eternity. What will outweigh the scales? All four books of the famous series about vampires are written in a simple, albeit somewhere primitive, but accessible language for everyone, you can say, “snack” - it is easy and quick to read and at the same speed “digested” and forgotten. But what about the “main course”?
And what does modern classic say about love?
Modern classics are a rather strange combination of words, to say the least ... And yet it is impossible to deny its existence. At the majority, the words “classic” or “classical” have a strong association - something very old, but not lost its significance, value, relevance and depth, otherwise - something that is not subject to time and fashion. However, today we can distinguish a number of contemporary authors, whose works will definitely pass all the tests of time. What allows us to draw such bold and hasty conclusions? Exemplary language, style, complex and ambiguous images, deep philosophical themes and so on. But that is not all. The main thing is the talent of the author, which is unthinkable to bring under any norms, it is impossible to describe in words. You just pick up a book, start reading and dissolve from the first seconds, merge together with every new word, image and thought. But that is not all ... Then it turns out that the same magic, mysticism, miracle - call it what you like - happens to hundreds more people.
Thrilling Themes
So, classic modern books about love are, first of all, Milan Kundera and his book “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” (1984). How much depth and subtlety can be traced in the title of the book. What is the romance about? The duration of the action is the 60s of the last century. The scene is Prague. "Prague Spring" - the sad pages of our common history, the introduction of Soviet troops in order to suppress the uprising in the Czech capital. Against the background of these events, the life of the protagonists flows - the talented surgeon Tomáš and his wife Teresa. Their life path is either measured or full of amazing encounters and experiences. Their first meeting was possible due to many incredible coincidences, which might not have been. Feeling for each other is ambiguous. The yarn of their love is woven from countless threads and fibers, both uniform in texture and completely different and sometimes contradictory. Is it easy for them and each of us? Yes and no. Everything in this world is absolute and relatively simultaneous: unbearable and easy, ordinary and unique, superficial and deep, depending on which side to look at ...
Books about love: modern, foreign
Once upon a time there was a fifteen-year-old boy, a high school student named Michael. Once upon a time there was a young attractive woman of thirty-five years old named Hannah. What could be common between them? This question is answered by the German writer Bernhard Schlink in his best-selling novel The Reader (1995). Rather, the whole abyss is a huge difference in age, different worldview, different needs, different lifestyles. But the most important thing is war.
She belongs to the military generation of Germans, one way or another involved in the terrible crimes of the Nazis, and he belongs to the second post-war, trying to understand his fathers and grandfathers, but at the same time harshly criticizing, condemning and despising them. But, as they say, the more two do not fit together, the more they differ from each other, the brighter and stronger the mutual charm. Although this statement cannot become the law of attraction, the main reason for love. This feeling cannot be summed up under any law. It consists of continuous contradictions and paradoxes. Two can love each other immensely, and at the same time each of them turns the other's life into real hell.
The love of Michael and Hannah, impossible, strange and even somewhere superficial, at first glance, surprisingly outgrows itself, along the way discarding all unnecessary, unimportant, imposed on it, and turns into those eternal questions and at the same time into ready-made answers to them. If you love not just books about love, modern, foreign or domestic, but good literature and deep topics that make you worry and think, then the novel “Reader” by Bernhard Schlink is for you.
Audrey Neffenegger and her novel "Time Traveler's Wife"
When they first met, she was six years old, and he was thirty-six. He led her to the crown when she turned twenty-three, and he was thirty-one ... Incredible? Meet Henry and Claire - the main characters of the novel by Audrey Neffenegger "Time Traveler's Wife" - a book that cannot be missed, discussing on the topics of "modern books", "love stories".
They say that everyone in the books sees something different, one - banality, the other - living images. What can be seen in the images of Henry and Claire? On the one hand, the most moldy banality, where he and she meet, fall in love, get married ... And on the other?
Henry has a rare genetic disease - time-travel syndrome . He knows everything about his past and future, but nothing about the present - his sudden disappearances and appearances are unpredictable. He is given to return to the happiest moments of life in order to relive them again and again. However, death, loneliness, despair and fear have not yet been canceled, and they pursue him with the same stubbornness as happiness and joy. The only difference is that reconciling with the destined bliss is much easier than fully realizing that it is impossible to bypass suffering and pain. Let not immediately, but he accepts this gift of the gods, or punishment, and boldly takes a step towards the long-fulfilled future. Claire, his faithful companion, does not lag behind him, and even though there is an irresistible distance and time between them, she still loves him and waits, because even if two parallel lines never intersect, they all go together, next to each other, no matter what .
Undoubtedly, the novel can be put on the shelf under the title “interesting books about love”. Modern critics praise him with all their voices. But still there is no smoke without fire. Some praise the author for subtle observation and accuracy in the description of human characters, while others accuse him of excessive sweetness. Who is right and who is not is up to you. Most importantly, be sure to read modern books about love.