The best autobiographical books: a list and reviews

From year to year, it is more and more difficult for a person to orient in the past. Own memories, if they are not fixed in diaries and surviving letters, become cloudy and vague, as even exact dates from memory are erased. Forgets the person, otherwise old events are interpreted. But human life is unique, it is unique and not like the others. That is why autobiographical books are so interesting at all times: memoirs, letters, diaries. Even if an ordinary person writes about his past, modern people will invariably surprise and be moved by the realities of everyday life, the general social background, the way of thinking. What about the notes of outstanding, famous, bright, talented? It is these autobiographical books that will be considered in this article.

Memoirs as a genre

Not only historical events are designated in memoirs as the main and memorable events. Here, in a nostalgic mood, usually all life, in all its details, would seem to be - not the essence of important ones - gradually unfolding from page to page: autobiographical books carry the reader as life-taught lessons with their sorrows, joys, with everyday wisdom, , Animating in the imagination of past ages with amazing liveliness. There was a genre in our country during the enlightenment activity of Catherine the Great.

At first autobiographical books were similar to chronicles with their rather dry chronicles, then, turning in details, the narrative received features of artistry, sometimes very high. Memoirs of Valentin Kataev, for example, "My Diamond Crown", written in prose, are a living poetry that closely connects us with the private and non-private life of the beautiful Mayakovsky, Yesenin, Olesha, Ilf and Petrov, and many other contemporaries of the writer. The language of the book is truly a miracle, and this helps to make the testimony of people's idols even more alive.

Popularity of the genre

The eighteenth century left us more than forty works as evidence of how the genre of autobiography was gaining popularity. Of course, these autobiographical books for children were written, for grandsons, for great-grandchildren - for family use. The publicity of this kind of information was even condemned among secular societies, and Christian morale was also worried about it: there could not be a public talk about yourself. The next of kin, though. Most often, reverently kept the memories of their ancestors, and only because many of the evidence survived to this day.

What were the goals of the autobiography? First of all, the target audience was the younger generation, in which a desire was brought to benefit the fatherland, to be smart, to learn from mistakes not of one's own. Autobiographical books for children were filled with love for their family, the desire to nourish young souls with valuable information that will help build life successfully, relying on the finished sample. Here the most characteristic memoirs of Andrei Bolotov from the second half of the eighteenth century, which are interesting to read not only to his descendants. From his memoirs, one can see very much of the peculiarity of that time, since he reports in sufficient detail and frankly the writer about himself. Autobiographical books - the only place from where the modern can learn the details of long-obsolete.

Andrey Bolotov

This man wrote not only his famous "Notes ...", which remained the most important work of his life. He spent a wonderful life, extremely busy with business and events, including in the field of literature: he translated a lot from French and German - not only artistic texts, but also economic, encyclopedic, devoted a lot of time to gardening and therefore especially liked books devoted to this . He did not take part in coups d'etat and Masonic lodges, but even in autobiographical books for children, writers wrote about themselves frankly, did not stay aside, and Andrei Bolotov, despite all his caution. In a failed coup, his friend Grigory Orlov took part, and his old acquaintance, Nikolai Novikov, mastered the Masonic lodge .

Andrei Bolotov enjoyed village life, far from cloudless, skillfully avoided conflicts, conducted extensive correspondence, published a magazine. In addition, in Bogoroditsk, people remembered the magnificent park created by the writer's hands. He also wrote plays that were staged in his home theater, composed holidays for children with moralizing and fascinating puzzles, wrote many works for the children that strengthen their Orthodox feelings. Fiction in those days was not as authoritative as it is today, the writer's profession has not yet been born. But the writings "for themselves" were not condemned by society, if the work was useful. That is why the eighteenth century was the time when the best autobiographical books of celebrities were born: Russian emperors, their approximate people, scientists and glorious military valers. Andrei Bolotov left a huge legacy, counting hundreds of volumes - more than three hundred and fifty studied by experts in the eighteenth century.

Sergey Aksakov

S. Aksakov and A. Bolotov, whose autobiographical books will for many centuries immerse the reader in the long-deceased world of our ancestors, of course. Not the only writers who left for posterity a note about their own lives. The author of "The Scarlet Flower" even veiled the events of his books, providing it with exceptionally fine artistry. But the memoir essence of this work shines through in the smallest detail, as the author describes the first ten years of the boy's life, which he was, even the name has not been changed.

The book is called "Childhood of Bagrov the grandson", and this work became a textbook, despite the fact that as such the plot in the memoirs can not be. But how vividly the breathing of time - these last ten years of the eighteenth century, as the Russian remote area - distant Orenburzhye stands before us! The author's memories are invariably bright, honest and touching. Such autobiographical books of children's writers can not be overestimated in their educational significance.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

In 2014 in Russia, from one fan's hands to others, the work was translated from English and Swedish, which surpassed all the autobiographical books of football players, "I am Zlatan". A little later in the publishing houses there was already an official translation, but the fans could not wait, and therefore repeatedly reread all amateur versions.

The author of this book - one of the brightest stars of the football sky, the most effective scorer, the best of the best, decorated with his game clubs "Juventus", "Ajax", "Milan", "Barcelona" and "Inter". In the game, he was also a philosopher, as it turned out after reading his autobiography. Written with amazing humor, rich in literary language, due to which it is interesting to read even by people. Very far from football.

Maya Plisetskaya

It is a vain occupation - to try to place autobiographical books on the rating. Moreover, there are fewer ratings in the world than all memoir works. In each composition - a separate. Nor on any other similar life. The book left to the descendants of the great ballerina who all her life was a living icon for the people, an idol and an idol, a boundary and a milestone of the Russian ballet, a maximalist, expressive, like an exclamation mark, will certainly always take the top line of any rating, in any case - will remain in demand All times. Many ballerinas wrote memoirs. Amazing purity stories of the beautiful ballerina Tatyana Vecheslova carry the reader to the world, which was illuminated by his genius Galina Ulanova. An excellent book was written by Tatiana Makarova - not only about creative drama, but also revealed the most secret facts about her time. Many autobiographical books of celebrities will invariably immerse us in their magical backstage. But the book "I am Maya Plisetskaya" is special.

The fate of the heroine is unique and eternal, and only the corner touches the reader's testimonies of the most memorable, memorable, terrible and joyful events in the life of a ballerina. Probably, even the text, reflecting the full extent of what happened, could kill an unprepared reader. Maya Plisetskaya was not just a man. It was a person who, in its steadiness in overcoming obstacles, left far behind any iron lady, as well as any of the steel men, crocodiles and heavy tanks. Nevertheless, her philosophy was extremely simple. Power, talent, and any other difference from the rest of the people is a test that not everyone can withstand. As if demons are attacking: people are crippled and disfigured by these differences, they are plunged into rancor and vindictiveness, then into squabbles, then into vanity. So the talent given by God is taken away, drop by drop.

Coco Chanel

Great Mademoiselle lived a great life. Simplicity in it was not observed at all, although there was poverty and all sorts of adversities. The book is read in one breath, literally fidget. Apparently, the talent stylist was in Coco Chanel is not in the singular. And it is always a pity, when you read a good book, that the narrative has already ended, and then the inner life continues for a long time - there, in another reality, which has ceased to be a stranger. Naturally, in any edition of this work (and there are a lot of re-editions) a lot of excellent illustrations. And in the text (apparently, the translator got my edition very good) - a lot of real pearls, worthy speech of the unforgettable Faina Ranevskaya. For example, such statements of Chanel as "beautiful can not be uncomfortable" or "love is good only when you are engaged in it" - just not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. Metko, clearly, for sure.

This man is not used to looking for a word in his pocket, any one at once in the language, which is characteristic of exceptional women who have a strong-willed character and the ability to instantly navigate the situation. In the world-famous fashion designers, she came from the most terrible poverty - this also can not be forgotten. To the public opinion, she did not indulge at all, on the contrary, forced each time to change the established postulates, topple the idols, change the flow of reality. The magic of Coco Chanel in the creation of the world fashion left an imprint of her genius and on the memoirs written in her own hand. I think she wants to become a writer - and there glory would have been provided to her.

Yury Nikulin

The book "The most serious comedian of our country" Almost Seriously "for many readers has become almost table, because its optimism is beyond praise. Moreover, a truly therapeutic effect on the reader's body is seen: the sick people feel much better, the bad mood evaporates, not only a smile, but also an appetite. The artist created such a huge number of very different (sometimes extremely serious - until tragic) roles, he was so deep in the heart of the domestic cinema that his memories for the people who love him immensely will forever remain priceless. Is it at least one person who has seen Nikulin in a circus arena is able to forget him? A wonderful movie with his participation can not stop reviewing. It's not only works with Danelia in the quality of "Goonies", it's also "Twenty days without war," and "When the trees were big," and "To me, Mukhtar!"

In the book you can get acquainted with a completely different person, there as if another face of his personality is revealed, and she is also among the main ones. Written very interesting - and about the war, and about the circus, and about the cinema. About itself it is not enough - more about other, friends-comrades, actors, directors, and about the met good people. That's just not enough in the book is Yuri Nikulin. A modest man did not consider it necessary to let the reader into his own private life. And yet - read first vzahlob, and then a lifetime from any place and almost by heart. Despite the unspeakable modesty, it is visible in the book and its efficiency, and his mind, and his nobility. In addition, each glavka begins with a funny sketch or an anecdote. A lot of high, albeit worldly philosophy: good deeds are obtained only from people with a good mood!

Salvador Dali

From the sight of the paintings of this artist the impression is forever indelible. No less vividly written and his autobiographical book "Diary of a genius." It is equally shocking, unpredictable and eccentric. Moreover - it is just as ingenious - from the first comma to the last point. Neither his paintings nor his life will be solved to the full, because here, too, the real motives for the judgments or deeds of the brilliant artist are surrealistically hidden.

His diary presents the reader with information so frank, so shamelessly shocking that sometimes there is a feeling that it was written by a person suffering from an ex- bitionism. But at the same time there is a huge amount of undoubtedly talentedly presented trifles, and this attention to detail is shown to the reader by a really writer, perhaps - with a capital letter. The whole narrative is filled with them, which makes the text extremely incomprehensible in places, but literally every letter is fascinating.

Konstantin Vorobiev

Autobiographical books about the war are presented in huge numbers. After the end of hostilities, the front-line soldiers so aggravated the desire to share a terrible and bitter experience, to leave in the memory of the generations of lost comrades, that the Higher Literary Courses were opened in the Literary Institute. "Lieutenant's prose" has become a genre. We can name many hundreds of names: Victor Nekrasov, Yuri Bondarev, Nikolai Dvortsov and many other excellent writers who left us living testimonies of the great feat of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War, but more details will be given here about Konstantin Vorobyov and his grisly, terrible, inexorable book "It's us, Lord ...".

Concentration camp. Hell, grinding human lives, killing in the still alive almost everything human. Wrote these memories in the partisan detachment in 1943, when from the fascist captivity he managed to escape. Introducing a different name, which most often occurs in artistic memoir prose, the writer all told about himself. Autobiographical books have not yet contained such an indescribable, such a stunning truth. Reality is conveyed frighteningly truthfully, it is immediately determined that the text is autobiographical to the last detail. Even the inhuman suffering of prisoners, often distraught under torture, is transmitted in a casual way, without the slightest pathos, as if the author talks about what is depicted in the picture that stands before his eyes. The book is really terrible - it is its truth about the fascists, about those who were captured, about the war itself.