Классическая проза - Страница 348

Это самый откровенный, самый натуралистический — и самый скандальный из романов Пауло Коэльо. Роман-история о проститутке по имени Мария. Именно ей, профессиональной жрице любви, предстоит выразить сомнения и размышления автора о проблеме, которая давно уже назрела в современном обществе, но о которой никто еще не решается говорить открыто. «Куда-то не туда пошла наша цивилизация, и дело тут не в озоновой дыре, не в уничтожении лесов Амазонки, не в вымирании медведей панда, не в курении, не в канцерогенных продуктах и не в кризисе тюремной системы, как объявляют газеты. А именно в той сфере бытия, где трудилась Мария — в сексе».

Как и во всех других книгах Коэльо, в «Одиннадцати минутах» каждый читатель найдет отклик на собственные, важные именно для него вопросы. Но также, как и в других произведениях, он не получит на них готовых ответов. Ведь поиск собственной Истины — это дело сугубо личное. И, быть может, именно роман «Одиннадцать минут» кому-то поможет обрести душевную ифизическую гармонию.

Гордость женщины, практически нищей и совершенно свободной — в своей бедности, в своей иронии, в силе своего характера... Есть ли нечто равное такой гордости?.. Предубеждение женщины, почти не способной уже, по привычке отвечать ударом на удар, поверить в искренность мужского чувства и перестать об этом думать. Это — «Гордость и предубеждение» Джейн Остен. Книга, без которой сейчас не существовало бы, наверное, ни «психологического» романа, ни «феминистской» литературы, ни — попросту — «элитной» прозы как таковой!

В повести «О мышах и людях» Стейнбек изобразил попытку отдельного человека осуществить свою мечту. Крестный путь двух бродяг, колесящих по охваченному Великой депрессией американскому Югу и нашедших пристанище на богатой ферме, где их появлению суждено стать толчком для жестокой истории любви, убийства и страшной, безжалостной мести…

 Читательский успех повести превзошел все ожидания. Крушение мечты Джорджа и Ленни о собственной небольшой ферме отозвалось в сердцах сотен тысяч простых людей и вызвало к жизни десятки критических статей.

At the turn of eighteenth-century England, spirited Elizabeth Bennet copes with the suit of the snobbish Mr. Darcy while trying to sort out the romantic entanglements of two of her sisters, sweet and beautiful Jane and scatterbrained Lydia.

Originally titled "Elinor and Marianne", "Sense and Sensibility" was the first of Jane Austen's novels to be published. The contrasting personalities of two sisters are the centre of the story, supported by a wealth of satirically portrayed minor characters.

In his early childhood days, a young boy, David Copperfield, had been living with his mother and their servant Peggotty. His mother marries a very cruel man, Mr. Murdstone and David is being sent away to Salem House where it is not very safe at all. It was a run-down London boarding school where Mr. Creakle beats up young boys. David’s mother soon gives birth to a son by Mr. Murdstone. Unfortunately she dies after a while. David was dragged out of school and was forced to work at a wine warehouse with Mr. Murdstone. David runs from work and lives with his great-aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood, where he lives a happier life. She soon adopts him and sends him off to Dr. Strong’s school in Canterbury. When David was done with his education at Dr. Strong’s school, he goes to work at the law firm of Mr. Spenlow and Jorkins. He meets his significant other, Dora Spenlow and falls in love with with her. After that, they were engaged to each other.

They had their very first child but Dora becomes ill and dies after giving birth, along with the child. It was a sad life for David but he tries to move on. He had traveled abroad for several years and realizes he truly loves this other woman, Agnes Wickfield. David becomes a famous writer and marries Agnes. They live happily ever after along with their friends.

Great Expectations chronicles the progress of Pip from childhood through adulthood. As he moves from the marshes of Kent to London society, he encounters a variety of extraordinary characters: from Magwitch, the escaped convict, to Miss Havisham and her ward, the arrogant and beautiful Estella. In this fascinating story, Dickens shows the dangers of being driven by a desire for wealth and social status. Pip must establish a sense of self against the plans which others seem to have for him — and somehow discover a firm set of values and priorities.

One of Dickens’ most enduringly popular stories is Oliver Twist, an early work published 1837-8. Like many of his later novels, its central theme is the hardship faced by the dispossessed and those of the outside of ‘polite’ society. Oliver himself is born in a workhouse and treated cruelly there as was the norm at the time for pauper children, in particular by Bumble, a parish council official or ‘beadle’. The story follows Oliver as he escapes the workhouse and runs away to London. Here he receives an education in villainy from the criminal gang of Fagin that includes the brutal thief Bill Sikes, the famous ‘Artful Dodger’ and Nancy, Bill’s whore. Oliver is rescued by the intervention of a benefactor — Mr Brownlow — but the mysterious Monks gets the gang to kidnap the boy again. Nancy intervenes but is murdered viciously by Sikes after she has showed some redeeming qualities and has discovered Monk’s sinister intention. The story closes happily and with justice for Bumble and the cruel Monks who has hidden the truth of Oliver’s parentage out of malice. Accusations were made that the book glamorised crime (like the ‘Newgate Group’ of the period) but Dickens wisely disassociated himself from criminal romances. His achievement was in fact in presenting the underworld and problems of poverty to the well-off in a way rarely attempted previously.