Ivan Alekseevich Bunin is an outstanding Russian writer whose work dates back to the Silver Age. In 1933, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Ivan Bunin is called the jeweler of the word, a genius of Russian literature. Literary critics agree that the writer's works are related to the paintings of the artist-painter Viktor Vasnetsov, and stories and stories are similar to the paintings of such an outstanding artist as Mikhail Vrubel.
It is difficult to say which book you need to start your acquaintance with the writer. Try it with Easy Breath or Clean Monday, and you will be immediately attracted by the unique Bunin Russia.
10. Late hour
In the work "Late hour" tells of an elderly gentleman who met with his past. Late in the evening he went for a walk to look at familiar places and indulge in memories.
The main character from his memories of the past is his lover, details of her appearance: a light white dress, dark hair, lively eyes ... The girl who made him a happy person. She gave him hope for happiness, but the irreparable happened - she died, but for the elderly master continues to live ... Live in his heart.
The hero realizes that in this life he has nothing more - he survived the departure of almost all his relatives, but continues his journey in silence ...
He appears at the place where his beloved is buried - and it indicates not only that this person is waiting for an quick death, but also about his internal death.
9. Clean Monday
Story "Clean Monday" very small, and illuminates only a small part of the lives of the characters.
The main character takes care of a special, unusual girl - her name is unknown, but there is a characteristic of mental organization and appearance.
A young man is seduced by her beauty - he wants her bodily, wants love, but does not understand her soul, rushing between cleansing and sin.
Nothing good will come of their relationship, this is immediately clear - she tells him that she is not suitable for a wife, but he still continues his attempts. Love is beautiful, but the problem is that two people do not understand each other.
The girl went to the monastery, realizing in time that her spiritual development was much higher than her physiological needs.
Interesting fact: Researchers at Bunin's work agree that the author had a reason for writing “Clean Monday” - first love.
8. Dark Alleys
"Dark alleys" - a story in which Nikolai Alekseevich once, as a young guy, seduced, and then left the peasant girl Nadezhda because of social status.
30 years passed and they met. Hope received free from her masters and became the mistress of the inn. The woman was never able to get married - Nadia had resentment against Nikolai, she could not forgive him.
The man is also alone - he loved his wife very much, but she abandoned him, and his son grew up problematic - behaves like a complete villain.
All their lives flew before them in their memories in a few minutes, and Nadezhda nudged him at them: “But you deigned to me to read all the verses about dark alleys ...”
When leaving, Nikolai Alekseevich imagined how his life would have developed if he had made a different choice in his youth - in favor of love ...
7. Antonov apples
The narrator recalls his childhood spent in the village of Vyselki - she was once considered very rich, because in it a lot of things were sold and grew.
He recalls the enchanting time - autumn, the aroma of fallen leaves and the smell of Antonov apples: gardeners fill them with a cart to take to the city.
Late at night, the narrator runs out into the garden and looks at the sky ... It is strewn with stars, he looks at the sky for a long, long time, until he senses the earth leaving under his feet ... The narrator recalls how old and old women lived in Vyselki for a long time, which was a sign well-being.
Composition "Antonov apples" is a lyrical monologue-memory, built using the "technique of association."
6. Mitina love
Mitya is in love with Catherine - a pretty girl studying in a theater school. Mitya is very jealous of the representatives of the aristocratic bohemia, who show increased attention to the girl. Katya tells him that there is no reason for jealousy, he is the best for her.
Mitya all the time escorts the girl to "literary evenings, in the studio of the Art Theater. Over time, he notices that Katya began to change - she is inattentive to Mitya, thinks only of the theater, and he does not know how to cope with his painful jealousy.
Katya is increasingly moving away from Mitya, and from a naive and touching girl turns into a secular young lady, all the time in a hurry and dressed up somewhere ...
IN “Mitya’s love” Bunin was able to very subtly convey the experiences of a young guy, left alone with his unrequited love.
5. Sunstroke
A military man and a charming miniature girl meet on the deck of a ship. She returns home from Anapa along the Volga; some time ago, she did not know about the existence of this man, however, she accepts his offer to get off at the nearest pier.
They stay at the hotel, but in the morning the girl leaves her lover, refusing to continue the journey together. Recklessness is not characteristic of her character, and this adventure, like «sunstroke".
A man escorts the girl to the pier, and then returns to the hotel. A casual acquaintance caused him a storm of emotions, he throws himself into bed and falls asleep in tears, experiencing love madness ...
4. Easy breathing
Classic "Easy breath" talks about the careless and fearless young girl Ole Meshcherskaya, who studied at the gymnasium, was from a wealthy family. She very beautifully and best of all danced at balls.
Shortly before her death, Olya seemed to be obsessed! She had fun, and the head of the gymnasium scolded her for her inappropriate behavior.
Olya said that last summer her father’s friend seduced her, 56-year-old Malyutin - the brother of the head of the school.
The girl made an affair with a Cossack officer, but did not love him. Olya told him about her connection with Malyutin, and from jealousy the officer killed her at the station right in front of everyone.
After the death of Olya, the head of the school every holiday comes to the girl’s grave. A strange middle-aged lady lives in her imaginary world. Sitting at the grave, she recalls how Olga boasted of her light breathing, which supposedly attracts men. And now her breath is scattered in the wind, the sky - everywhere ...
3. Cursed days
"Cursed days" - the book is heavy, the mood from it becomes gloomy, because it wears mourning colors.
The book is written in the form of diary entries, the author shares his impressions and observations about the events that occurred in Moscow during the Civil War - from January 1, 1918 to January 1920.
The author was not enthusiastic about what was happening around, and from the future he expected something more terrible. Bunin ironically describes how a new style of timekeeping was introduced.
Notes and observations of Ivan Bunin from events in Russia can be found in the book "Cursed Days".
2. The life of Arseniev
Alexey Arseniev was born in his father's estate in the 70s. He spent all his childhood in the lap of nature, in the summer before his eyes flowers and grass spread, in the winter - a snowy sea without end and edge ...
A measured calm life, Russian landscapes formed the character of Alexei, who never changed.
His most vivid childhood memory is a trip to the city with his mother and father. On the way back home, Alyosha saw a strange man, so he first learned that there were convicts, murderers, thieves ...
Interesting fact: the book is a lyrical biographical work in five parts. In 1933, Bunin received thanks to "The Life of Arseniev" Nobel Prize.
1. The gentleman from San Francisco
Gentleman from san francisco, noting that he had accumulated a lot of money after work, to which he gave his whole life, he decided to go on a trip with his wife and daughter. Then people traveled to the Old World or Europe.
It was then the end of November, they sailed on a luxury ship, drinking coffee and taking baths. Passengers walked around the deck, read newspapers, relaxed in comfortable chairs ... The lord's daughter met the prince.
Upon arrival in Naples, the family stopped at an expensive hotel, and after all they went to Capri. The father of the family was going to dinner, went to the reading room, and suddenly he felt ill - he fell dead.
In the morning the body of the master was delivered to the marina, but he was already returning home, not having fun, but in the hold, in the middle of the darkness. On the deck, life goes on - people have fun, dance, but for the master everything is over.
The story tells the reader that life can end at any moment - you need to live now and enjoy every second spent on Earth.