Which composer wrote just one. Writers famous for one book. Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

It often happens that a writer, previously unknown to the general public, becomes famous thanks to his very first work. Some of them try to write more, but all their literary attempts, which appeared after the publication of the famous work, seem too unconvincing. But there are writers who, after the release of the most important work in their life, put their pen aside and live the rest of their lives on royalties from the reprint of their masterpiece. Therefore, we decided to tell you about five such writers. So let's get started!

This work became not only a sensation in the literature of the 20th century, but also found its embodiment on the screen in 1939. This one-of-a-kind creation appeared only after Mitchell was diagnosed with an ankle injury. Spending whole days at home, Margaret read a lot, and almost every book became the object of merciless criticism. The husband, seeing this, invited her to write the book that would satisfy her, and even gave her a typewriter. This is how the novel "Gone with the Wind" was born.

It is worth noting that Margaret herself was not going to publish it, her decision was influenced by a friend who said that she would not be able to print it. Needless to say, the novel was published in millions of copies, an Oscar-winning film was made on it, and Margaret Mitchell herself became the center of attention for all of America. But, unfortunately, the fame was bad for Mitchell. She fenced herself off from the whole world, not giving a single interview or writing a single book, despite numerous requests from fans. Died Margaret Mitchell at the age of 48 under the wheels of a car.

And we pass on to another author who became famous (or rather, glorified herself) with a single book. It - Mary Shelley who wrote a book at the age of 18 "Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus", which glorified her for all time.

It so happened that the summer of 1815 turned out to be gray and cold. The Shelley family (it should be said that Percy Shelley, her husband, was also a creative person), together with friends, were relaxing in a castle by one of the Swiss lakes. It was frankly sad, and the young people decided to amuse each other with scary stories. Mrs. Shelley, too, did not stand aside, and a monster descended from her pages, revived from the dead with the help of electricity.

Needless to say, this story turned out to be the creepiest of all? Today, we know many films that were based on the only book by Mary Shelley. Yes, the girl tried to write further, but all her subsequent works were very seriously inferior in quality to "Frankenstein". That is why Mary Shelley took an honorable place on our list.

And we pass on to our "author of one book", who forever inscribed his name in the history of Russian literature. Many phrases from his comedy have become winged, and the work itself has become one of the most popular on the stage. This is about "Woe from Wit", which in 1825 published Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov.

It is worth saying that the appearance of this comedy in print was preceded by many interesting situations. Take, for example, the reaction of Griboyedov's mentor, Ivan Krylov, who immediately told his ward that the comedy would not be allowed. Indeed, the text of the play was published in full only more than 30 years after the death of the talented person.

And we move on to the next author, who only had one work to write her name in golden letters in the history of world literature. She died in February 2016, but having lived a long life, she wrote nothing but a book that made her famous all over the world - "To Kill a Mockingbird"... As you already understood, we are talking about Harper Lee.

It is worth saying that specifically in order to write this book, Lee left her old job for a year and almost completely changed her lifestyle. Hard work fully paid off - the book turned out to be incredibly popular. But, unfortunately (or fortunately - the issue is very controversial), Harper Lee no longer published any of her books. Several books were at various stages of writing, but none of them reached print. Thus, it was the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", for which Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, that became her only known work.

At the end of our rating is a fairy tale that many of you probably read in childhood. But few people wondered who actually wrote it, and even fewer people wondered if this person had anything else written. It's about a fairy tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse" by Pyotr Ershov.

Interestingly, there is documented evidence that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin himself had a hand in its creation. To be precise, the first four stanzas belong to the pen of the genius poet, and the rest was written by Ershov himself at the age of 19. The fairy tale itself turned out to be excellent, but Ershov did not write anything else. Even on his grave it was written: Pyotr Pavlovich Ershov, author of the folk tale "The Little Humpbacked Horse".

This concludes our review. Thank you for your attention, dear readers. Let your library have only the best and favorite books that you will not be ashamed to show your children or even grandchildren, and let reading only bring you pleasure.

The question about the opera "Fidelio" was the last, tenth in a row for the players of the first part of today's TV game. All questions and answers in the game "Who want to be a millionaire?" for 28 October 2017 can be found by following the link above. And here we will dwell on the tenth question in more detail. Unfortunately, the players gave the wrong answer to the question about the composer, so they won nothing, since they did not collect the fireproof amount of 100 thousand rubles.

Which composer wrote just one opera - Fidelio?

Ludwig van Beethoven (German Ludwig van Beethoven, [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːt.hoːfən], December 16, 1770, Bonn, Westphalia - March 26, 1827, Vienna, Archduchy of Austria) - German composer and pianist, the last representative of the "Viennese classical school".

Due to deafness, Beethoven rarely leaves the house, loses his sound perception. He becomes sullen, withdrawn. It was during these years that the composer, one after another, creates his most famous works. During these years, Beethoven worked on his only opera, Fidelio. This opera belongs to the genre of "horror and salvation" operas. Success to "Fidelio" came only in 1814, when the opera was staged first in Vienna, then in Prague, where it was conducted by the famous German composer Weber and, finally, in Berlin.

Beethoven's only enduring operatic piece is Fidelio. A brief history of the creation of the work is as follows. In 1803, Emanuel Schikaneder stood at the head of the theater on the outskirts of Vienna, in Wieden. The famous impresario signed a contract with Beethoven, according to which the composer, while working in the theater, was to write an opera for him. Schikaneder suggested to Beethoven that he would write a libretto for him. However, the composer could not come to terms with the superficial, flat composition of the theater director. Beethoven made very high demands in this area too. He demanded a text equal to his music.

The correct answer is highlighted in blue and bold.

Which composer wrote just one opera - Fidelio?

• Handel
• Beethoven
• Salieri

I have always wondered whether there are many such authors in the world who have written only one book in their entire life. There are many writers who are remembered from just one book, but this is a little different, I would like to recall in this article today only those who put their whole souls into one single work that left a mark on world literature and gave the right to its author to wear proud name "writer"!

As Hermione from Harry Potter said, “If I don’t know something, then I go to the library,” or to the Internet, as I did, and this is what I dug up in the end.

It turns out that such writers are negligible, mostly people whose main occupation was not writing, or who died too early.

So let's get started.

Opens our list Margaret Mitchell and her imperishable Millions of copies, 70 reprints, translations into 37 languages, a Pulitzer Prize, a film that won 8 Oscars - not bad at all for the author of just one novel. Mitchell was a journalist and never dreamed of becoming a writer. However, an ankle injury made it impossible for her to work as a reporter, and Margaret began making some fragmentary, almost haphazard recordings, which, at the insistence of her husband, then tidied up and processed over the course of several years. , the last is the first. Childhood Margaret passed surrounded by veterans of the Confederate Civil War, in the novel she clearly sympathizes with the southerners, and the action "Gone with the Wind" historically accurately describes the events. At first, the author planned to name the novel "Tote Your Heavy Bag" or "Tomorrow is Another Day", and the name of the main character was Pansy ..

Harper Lee- American writer, author of the cult novel, for which she received the Pulitzer Prize. The total circulation of the book is more than 30 million copies, it is included in the list of the best novels of the century. At the same time, in Lee's luggage before "Mockingbird" there are literally a couple of stories, the names of which you will not find anywhere. At this time, the future writer was a modest airline employee, but dreamed of devoting herself to literary work. After her high-profile debut, Lee admitted that, dumbfounded by such success, she simply could not take on anything else. To Kill a Mockingbird novel is to some extent an autobiography of the writer. Just like Harper, the protagonist of the book is a tomboy and the daughter of a lawyer in a small town in Alabama. The main plot of the film involves a rape case, which was not at all difficult for Lee, who was well versed in jurisprudence. And the impression of the Scottsborough case remained with her throughout her life. The prototype of the protagonist's friend was her childhood friend Truman Capote. By the way, they say that he wrote either part or even the whole novel instead of Harper. Since the writer did not really write anything after her debut, many critics, and even publisher Harper, began to admit the theory of Lee's co-authorship with his best friend. But, the most compelling evidence to the contrary is the existence of a letter that Capote addressed to his aunt, which says that he saw the manuscript of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and has nothing to do with its writing.

The next on our list is rightfully Shota Rustaveli- the author of the main Georgian poem "". Written in the 12th century, when many peoples still practically walked in skins, the poem is a synthesis of a complex metaphorical plot, ideological value, aphorism, dramatic intensity and sixteen-syllable verse. Rustaveli's work is often compared to Faust and Hamlet, but also to folk epics.

The fate of the author himself is very confusing. It is practically known for certain that Queen Tamara was the love of his whole life. After her death, the persecuted Rustaveli fled to Jerusalem, where he died. Today, theaters, streets (including the main street of Tbilisi), villages, ships, etc. are named after Shota Rustaveli - the author of only one work that has come down to us.

Famous french Francois Rabelais lived in the 16th century. A man of his time, he practiced medicine, was a wandering monk, archaeologist, naturalist, and, of course, a satirical writer. Rabelais created only one work, however, in five books. Of course, this man had both courage and a sense of humor. The book makes fun of human vices, which have not changed much since the 16th century, and it is for this reason that Gargantua and Pantagruel is still published all over the world.

Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov we all know from school thanks to the only play written by him "". Griboyedov had some literary experience, together with other authors he wrote small literary parodies and satirical plays. All this did not go beyond amateurism, writing as a hobby. Recall that Griboyedov served as a diplomat and was not a professional writer. Nothing foreshadowed that from amateur philological exercises such a masterpiece as Woe from Wit would be born. But he was born.

Nikolay Ostrovsky was a very popular Soviet writer. His only novel "" about the formation of the young Soviet state and the role of youth in this process was included in the school curriculum for decades. Films have been made based on the novel. The author himself was awarded the Order of Lenin during his lifetime for his literary work. Ostrovsky was very ill, paralyzed and blind. The admiration of the readers was caused not so much by his literary skill as by the courage and perseverance with which he worked. His life was the most realistic illustration of his novel.

Emily Brontë also wrote only one novel in her entire life, but what a novel! . "" (English Wuthering Heights) - the only novel of the poetess and her most famous work. An exemplary plot, innovative use of multiple narrators, attention to the details of rural life, combined with a romantic interpretation of natural phenomena, vivid imagery and processing of the conventions of the Gothic novel make Wuthering Heights the standard of the novel of late romanticism and a classic work of early Victorian literature. The first edition of the novel was auctioned off in 2007 for £ 114,000 (over $ 235,000)

On our list today and Nikolay Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky- Russian utopian philosopher, revolutionary democrat, scientist, literary critic, publicist and writer. The only work of the author, apart from small stories and journalism, is the novel "". The novel was written during his imprisonment in the Peter and Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg (you must somehow be distracted, in fact). It was written partly in response to Ivan Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons." The oversight of the censorship was soon noticed, and the responsible censor was removed from office. However, the novel had already been published in the journal Sovremennik (1863, no. 3-5). Despite the fact that the issues of Sovremennik, in which the novel What Is to Be Done? Were published, were banned, the text of the novel in handwritten copies spread throughout the country and caused a lot of imitations.

John Sailas Reed(eng. John Silas Reed; October 22, 1887, Portland, USA - October 19, 1920, Moscow, RSFSR) - American journalist, socialist, author of the famous book "Ten Days that Shook the World" (1919). Book of American journalist John Reed about October Revolution of 1917 in Russia, which he himself witnessed.

John Reed died in 1920, shortly after the book was finished. He is one of the few Americans buried in the Kremlin Wall necropolis, where only the most prominent Soviet leaders were usually buried. Also in the Nevsky district of St. Petersburg, a street is named after the writer.

M. Ageev(The real name is Mark Lazarevich Levi, at various periods of his life he also used the patronymics Leontyevich and Lyudvigovich - Russian writer, philologist-Germanist, translator, Soviet foreign trade figure. Known as the author of the novel For a long time the question of the authorship of the book remained unresolved. Popular was the version of Nikita Struve , attributing "Romance with Cocaine" to Vladimir Nabokov. The authorship of the work remained controversial until recently, but in 1997, letters from Mark Levy were published, including draft fragments of the novel

Traditionally, on Saturdays, we publish for you the answers to the quiz in the "Question - Answer" format. Our questions are very different, both simple and quite complex. The quiz is very interesting and quite popular, but we just help you test your knowledge and make sure that you have chosen the correct answer from the four offered. And we have another question in the quiz - Which composer wrote just one opera?

• Handel
• Beethoven
• Salieri

The correct answer is D. BEETHOVEN

Opera "Fidelio"- a heroic opera or an opera of salvation. Composer - Ludwig Van Beethoven. Librettists - Joseph Sonnleitner, Heinrich von Treitschke. The first and only opera by L. Beethoven.

The first performance of the opera entitled Leonora took place on January 20, 1805 in Vienna, however, the production was not successful. Then Ludwig van Beethoven took up the processing of the work, but the second edition was not recognized either. Only 8 years later, the composer returned to work on the opera, having carried out its cardinal revision, Heinrich von Treitschke finalized the previous version of the libretto. The play was now called Fidelio. And finally, on May 22, 1814, there was a standing ovation - the opera was successfully received by the general public.

- in his entire life the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven wrote only one opera - "Fidelio";

Is one piece a lot or a little? It all depends on what kind of work it is. It is enough for someone to write just one book so that the glory from it will last for centuries, while someone churns out a dozen novels a year, but cannot achieve reader recognition in any way. What plays a decisive role in the success of a particular book - the skill of the writer, relevance and topicality, or well-established stars? There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for how to create a bestselling book, but the authors in our collection still managed to become famous thanks to a single work, in the shadow of which all their other creations remained.

Margaret Mitchell and Gone with the Wind

The only Mitchell novel for which she received a Pulitzer Prize. The novel "Gone with the Wind", which had been in the works for 10 years, was published in 1936 and immediately gained worldwide success, becoming a real sensation. Fans bombarded Mitchell with letters asking him to write something else, but the writer remained silent. The film, based on the novel in 1939, starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, won eight Academy Awards.

"Gone with the Wind" is a book for all time: about friendship and jealousy, about betrayal and loyalty, about true love and self-sacrifice. This is a saga about America, about the South, about the strength and resilience of the human spirit, about the proud and free people of that era, who were blown away by the winds of war and fate.

Bram Stoker and Count Dracula

In fact, Bram Stoker cannot be called “the author of one book” in the literal sense of the word, because in addition to “Dracula” he created at least 10 more major works. But it was this novel, published in 1897, that brought him fame. The Irish writer worked on Dracula for eight years, deeply studying European folklore and vampire legends. And although Stoker was not the first to touch on the "vampire theme" in his work, his novel and heroes became cult, having a great influence on the popularization of the genre.

In the center of the plot is the story of a young lawyer Jonathan Harker, who goes to Transylvania to a rich man and an aristocrat, Count Dracula, to legalize the deal. But with every day of his stay in the ancient castle, a man's awareness is growing that mysterious, if not frightening, things are happening around him. He understands that neither his professional qualities as a London lawyer, nor his life experience will help him in the fight against the nightmares lurking in the dwelling of a suspicious count.

Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is the best award-winning novel of the century. In the year of release, about two and a half million copies of this work were sold, and to date - more than 30. Harper Lee was not ready for such a deafening success, so she preferred to go into the shadows for a while, refusing to give interviews and meet with fans ...

This novel is a story told by a five-year-old girl about a lawsuit and a terrible crime committed in a sleepy little town in America. However, behind this private history and experiences lie all the secrets of a turning point in society, where the bigotry, racism and intolerance inherent in the American South are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

Jerome David Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye

Salinger released his first novel in 1951 and immediately limited contact with the outside world, focusing on the inner world. He became one of the main recluses of modern literature and until 2010 led an extremely secluded life, writing “on the table”.

The Catcher in the Rye novel became a turning point in the history of world literature, and the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a symbol of a generation of young rebels. The book tells about the perception of life by a teenager who does not want to accept the values ​​and morals that have been established in society. He wants to change the world, reshape it in his own way, bypassing all existing laws, but fails as a result of the relative immaturity of his own personality and lack of life experience.

Ken Kesey and Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Published in 1962, the novel by "The Merry Prankster" Ken Kesey made a huge resonance in society, becoming one of the main works of the beatnik and hippie movements. The life of the writer was full of adventures: some of which formed the basis of his new works, and for some of them he was condemned. But none of his works became as important as "Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

Is there a line between sanity and insanity? Are all those called madmen so immersed in their world? It was these questions that formed the basis of the novel. It is interesting that Kesey managed not only to compose such a popular plot, but also to put a share of documentary into it: it records the results of the author's long conversations with mentally ill people and his reasoning on the topic of insanity.

Venedikt Erofeev and "Moscow-Petushki"

This poem, written on behalf of the main character, a drinker, is a kind of philosophical parable, not subject to the passage of time, in which Erofeev describes his own universe, a separate world. "Moscow-Petushki" is not the only, but the most significant and famous work of the author.

Surreal details, emotionality, hidden allegories and metaphors - all this is a special author's style that you can enjoy while reading this work. And the main character, who seemed at first glance to be a limited person, whose life is moving unsteadily from glass to glass, becomes a worthy opponent for the reader, deeply moral and leading a philosophical and religious dialogue with the world.

Mariam Petrosyan and "The House in Which ..."

One of the main Russian novels of the new century, created by a Yerevan artist and writer. Released in 2009, "The House In Which ..." instantly won the recognition of the readership and literary critics. The book's success has been reinforced by a number of prestigious awards, including the Russian Prize in the Large Prose nomination and the Big Book in the Audience Award nomination.

Mariam Petrosyan had been working on the novel for twenty years and did not even think that someone would want to publish it. She sent handwritten fragments of text to friends and family, providing them with her own illustrations. However, at some point, Moscow acquaintances began to strongly advise the publication of the book - and it was published by the Livebook publishing house.

"The house in which ..." is a special world on the verge of reality and fiction. The central scene is a boarding school for disabled children. But it is not so easy to understand what kind of injury the character has - it is not said about it directly, sometimes you can only guess. And we do not know the real names of the children, only the nicknames. They learn to live in this house, learn its history and mystical side, choose: to adapt or resist the rules and traditions. Outside (the real world outside the boarding school) seems illusory and hostile. But the news that the House is going to be demolished brings chaos into the usual course of things, now each character has to make his own difficult choice.

Mary Shelley and "Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus"

The novel, written by an 18-year-old writer, was first published in 1818. According to one version, it was written as a result of a creative dispute between Mary Shelley and Lord Byron: who can write a truly scary story. This is how the work was born, which brought world fame to the young writer and became the ancestor of the science fiction tradition in literature.

Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the idea of ​​making matter alive. Years of research and experimentation end in success when he manages to create a humanoid monster, so frightening that the scientist has no choice but to say goodbye to him and let him go on an independent journey. The monster sets off on a solitary path through this world, and a plan of retribution is ripening in his soul.

Katherine Stokett and "The Servant"

The novel of the American writer was published in 2009, a year later the book could be bought in 53 countries of the world, and by the end of 2011 it had sold about 7 million copies. It lasted over 100 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

The events described in the work take place in the 1960s in America, in the state of Mississippi. In those days, there was still a strong racial segregation - blacks lived in separate quarters, could only count on the dirtiest work, even in public transport above the most convenient places there was an inscription “only for whites”. A young girl, Skeeter (from a white family), returns home after graduation and dreams of a career as a writer. She wants to understand where their dark-skinned maid Constance has gone, who raised her and always surrounded her with warmth and care. But no one around can give her specific answers. Memories of the life that Constance led in their family, and observations of other black maids, lead the aspiring writer to the idea of ​​the unfairness of dividing the world by skin tone. She wants to open people's eyes to the real state of affairs by writing a book about it. But the idea turns out to be very dangerous in a world where racial discrimination has dominated for centuries.

The New York Times puts it this way: “A story written from the heart, full of pain, warmth and hope. Good old-fashioned novel. If it were not so fresh, it could be safely called a classic. "

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