20 historical novels, from which it is impossible to break away

Historical novel puts the characters in the context of important events. Against the background of going development of the plot and characters are intertwined destinies. In this genre are combined facts and fiction, and the characters can be both real historical figures, and the fruit of the author's imagination. With these novels can be seen through the eyes of witnesses of another era and to feel the atmosphere of that time.

Historical novels of the IV century BC. e. - I century AD. e.

1. "Thais," Ivan Efremov

Amazing Thais Thais had a sharp mind, like no one else was able to convince interlocutors that he was right, I had very progressive views and fine feeling. Queen of the Amazons immediately discerned in the young Alexander the Great future great conqueror and ruler. Their fates are tightly intertwined, and where life would not throw commander and Thais, they still ended up together.

Efremov tells us about one of the most influential women, and through it reveals the unseen side of Macedon.

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2. "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves

The sick, ugly boy Claudius naprorochili become the most important man in the Roman Empire. Only one did not believe in this prediction and did not pay attention to the low, warped illnesses Claudius, who himself preferred to remain in the shadows.

Robert Graves showed the life of his hero on the background of the reign of three emperors and the ascent to the throne in spite of poor health and ridicule.

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3. "Quo Vadis", Henryk Sienkiewicz

Daffy, cruel and capricious Roman emperor Nero in his suit for the fun capital of the fire, and blames followers the nascent Christian faith and punishes them. Among his victims of the apostles Peter and Paul. Against the backdrop of killings stretches thin line love Lygia, and Marcus Vinicius, who does not see any obstacles, whether cultural, social or religious.

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Historical novels about the XII-XVI centuries

1. "Ivanhoe," Walter Scott

It is believed that with the works Walter Scott originates genre of the historical novel.

"Ivanhoe" - a book about a brave young knight who happened to live in one of the most difficult periods of the history of England. Finished the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart in captivity, and the country has to reflect the attack Normandy. In addition, the sweetheart Ivanhoe is about to be married for the impostor, pretending to the throne.

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2. "Notre Dame de Paris" by Victor Hugo

Hugo made no secret that made the protagonist is a temple in the heart of Paris. The author would like to prevent authorities plan to demolish or reconstruct the cathedral and not lost. After the release of the story of a deaf hunchback Quasimodo and Esmeralda beauty priest Frollo social movement began to preserve the original appearance of the building.

A novel about unrequited love, Hope, devotion, which go hand in hand with treachery and baseness, could not leave readers indifferent. He played a pivotal role in the history of one of the most important monuments.

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3. "Chronicle of the reign of Charles IX», Prosper Merimee

Young Huguenot Bernard de merzh love with the first beauty of the French court and ready to go at any feat for her. But lofty sentiments have to be postponed, because to him there is a question of life and death.

It was during the reign of Charles IX happened to one of the most bloody religious conflict in the history of France - St. Bartholomew. August 23, 1572 Catholics staged a massacre of the Huguenots. On the example of a family in which the brothers are separated by religious beliefs, Merimee shows preconditions carnage provocations that led to it, and the manners of the French nobility of the XVI century.

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4. "Mary Stuart", Stefan Zweig

Scottish Queen Mary Stuart claimed the throne of England, considering himself the true heir. But it was the way Elizabeth I, which is firmly occupied the position of the ruler, and was not going to retreat. Two power women and their entourage were cunning undercover struggle, and spoke in public about each other warmly and affectionately.

Zweig contrasts two queens, Emphasizing their otherness and mutual envy. Elizabeth had the power and the unlimited support of the people, and Mary was the beloved wife and mother.

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5. "Iron King" Maurice Druon

With this novel begins the cycle "The Accursed Kings" about the history of France at the beginning of the XIV century. Iron king called Philip IV, who weakened the power of the feudal monarchy and strengthened. Many were unhappy with his reforms, but most of all - the Order of the Templars, who had lost their power because of the harsh ruler.

Before the execution of the Great Master of the Order of curses and Felipe IV, and his associate pope. From this point on both of them, as well as the heirs of the King begins to pursue a series of terrible failures.

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Historical novels of XVII-XVIII centuries

1. "The Three Musketeers", Alexandre Dumas - father

Through this novel Alexandr Duma permanently he entered history and became known throughout the world. The Adventures of Young Adventurer d'Artagnan begins with a trip to Paris. There he is going to serve as a personal army of the king of France, but it does not take Musketeers.

Flushed young man offends three experienced musketeers, and they cause him to a duel, which did not take place. But the case of united heroes with D'Artagnan, and immediately begin their joint adventure, have become classics of world literature.

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2. "Peter the Great", Alexei Tolstoy

Tolstoy could not finish book, Died suddenly in 1945. The novel begins with a precursor of the death of Peter I, Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, and follows the life of the great Emperor until 1704. Based on historical sources, the author reveals a riot musketeers, Azov campaigns, the reforms of Peter and travel to Europe, which largely influenced the development of the country.

The writer reveals the characters and secrets of famous historical figures - Alexander Menshikov, Alekseevny Sophia and Lev Naryshkin. Despite their value, the novel received mixed reviews from the fact that Tolstoy partially justifies cruelty ruler.

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3. "Shogun" James Clavell

At the coast of Japan in the early XVII century Dutch ship wrecked. Many crew members were killed and those who survived in captivity waiting isolated from the rest of the world. Englishman John Blackthorne from imminent execution saves one of the rulers, believing that he would help him in the fight for power, his knowledge of military affairs and shipbuilding. Although the hero and savior grateful, he can not get used to a new country and a foreign culture.

There was Blackthorn prototype - Will Adams, who came to Japan in the early XVII century and has earned the respect due to their unique skills. But unlike the hero of the novel, a real sailor caught in a new place, started a family and stayed there until the end of days.

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4. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens

The first sentence of the novel Dickens has become so popular that it is known even by those who never read the "Tale of Two Cities": "It was the best of all time, it was the worst of all time." Good it was for aristocrats and kings, and the poor - for the common people.

But everything changed when Parisians stormed the Bastille. This was the beginning of the French Revolution. Dickens shows the two capitals - London and Paris - shortly before the events that ended the absolute monarchy in France.

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5. "Favorite", Valentin Pikul

The novel describes the childhood, adolescence and the reign of Catherine II, and life at the court of Russia in the middle of the XVIII century. At Empress policy strongly influenced by the environment, especially favorites. Pikul them watching with particular interest by writing the characters and their relationships with each other.

The main feature of the novel - the lack of sympathy on the part of the author. A living language and with humor the writer has shown the most influential people of the time - Potemkin, Orlov, Lomonosov and Suvorov - with all their strengths and weaknesses.

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Historical novels of the XIX century

1. "War and Peace," Leo Tolstoy

Napoleon stands on the border, and clashes with the French can not be avoided. Someone sees confrontation as an opportunity to show heroism and deserve a reward for other war is terrible and unacceptable. Among the characters are found alone, and second. And there are those for whom it is important to quite another - love, friendship, Growing up. And the heroism of their everyday life, not the same as on the battlefield.

Along with the characters the reader is experiencing events the war of 1812, as well as mental anguish, we can understand and centuries later.

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2. "Leopard" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

Before 1861 Italy consisted of several states, as part of its present territory was part of the neighboring countries. At the end of the XIX century, commander Garibaldi set a goal to unite disparate political entities into one powerful Italy.

In the novel "The Leopard" is shown military campaign in Sicily and the accession of the Kingdom. Through the prism of the experience of an aging aristocrat Lampedusa describes the condition of those who do not want to join. The hero sees the crumbling everything that is familiar to him, familiar and dear. Much in the product taken from the biography of the writer's great-grandfather.

3. "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo

At the beginning of the XIX century in France was restless. Unrealistic monarchs their way of life caused dissatisfaction among people. The situation is tense, and the result was a collision at the barricades between the police and citizens. They involved the main character "Outcast"Jean Valjean, was once sentenced to 19 years hard labor for stealing bread.

Hugo was extremely outraged the growing gap between rich and poor, flighty leaders and injustice that prevails in the country. His vision of France of that time, he expressed in the epic novel, which is considered the peak of his literary career, and one of the most important works of the XIX century.

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Historical novels of the XX century

1. "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque

Nineteen German Paul voluntarily went to the front to fight in World War I against the enemies of Germany. His patriotic spirit quickly disappears when he sees in the trenches next to a school yesterday. Young men are frightened, physically and psychologically maimed and just want to go home.

But even after the war, former soldiers could not live as before. Remarque called this generation lost. What he saw on the battlefield change them until the end of days and made other people in society.

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2. "Zulaikha opens his eyes," Guzel Yakhina

Village life Zuleykha instantly ends when her house broken into soldiers. Her husband, a wealthy Tatar fist killed in her eyes, the house is robbed, and the woman herself sent to Siberia as a forced migrant. Horror inhuman attitude, constant frightening proximity of death, betrayal and changes of people, endowed with power, hit a woman to the core. But their experiences did not break it, and did not make indifferent or cruel.

At the heart of the novel are the memories of the dispossessed and resettled people.

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3. "All the light we can not see," Anthony Doerr

Two teenagers meet beginning World War II on opposite sides of the front. Blind girl from France is forced to leave home, when the Nazis occupied Paris. An orphan from a German orphanage accidentally falls into an elite school where prepare the future officers of the Reich, and soon finds himself in a war.

Quite unlike each other boy and girl do not accept the prevailing injustice and want to survive, come what may. And yet they are united by an unusual stone, for which hunts Nazi collector.

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4. "The tattoo artist from Auschwitz," Heather Morris

A novel based on the life of Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov, Slovak Jew who survived the Holocaust and returned alive from Auschwitz. In the camp he was appointed assistant tattoo artist and together with their mentors dealt a serial number on the hands of prisoners.

It is at this point, people began to lose their names and became only the number of entries in the supervisors. But not all Lale arrived merged into a single stream. Among them, he meets and falls in love Gita it. Trying to make life easier for women, Lala risks his life and shares her meager rations. Together, they do not cease to dream of the future, after war.

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