Which composer wrote only one opera? Writers who became famous for one book: Margaret Mitchell and Gone with the Wind

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 that appeared after the publication of the famous work seem too unconvincing. But there are writers who, after the publication of the most important work in their lives, put their pen aside and live for 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 not only became 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 only appeared 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. Her 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 did not intend to publish it; her decision was influenced by a friend who said that she could not publish it. Needless to say, the novel was published in millions of copies, an Oscar-winning film was made based on it, and Margaret Mitchell herself became the center of attention for all of America. But, unfortunately, fame took its toll on Mitchell. She cut herself off from the whole world, not giving a single interview or writing a single book, despite numerous requests from fans. Margaret Mitchell died at the age of 48 under the wheels of a car.

And we move on to another author, who became famous (or rather, glorified himself) with one single book. This - Mary Shelley, who wrote a book at the age of 18 "Frankenstein, or the 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 is worth saying that Percy Shelley, her husband, was also a creative person) and their friends were relaxing in a castle near one of the Swiss lakes. It was frankly sad, and the young people decided to amuse each other with scary stories. Mrs. Shelley also did not stand aside, and from her pages came a monster, brought back 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 made based on Mary Shelley’s only book. Yes, the girl tried to write further, but all her subsequent works were very seriously inferior in quality to Frankenstein. That's why Mary Shelley took an honorable place on our list.

And we move on to our “author of one book,” who forever wrote his name in the history of Russian literature. Many phrases from his comedy became catchphrases, and the work itself became one of the most popular on stage. This is about "Woe from Wit", which he published in 1825 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. And indeed, the text of the play was fully published only more than 30 years after the death of a talented person.

And we move on to the next author, who only needed 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 except a book that made her famous throughout the world - "To Kill a Mockingbird". As you already understand, 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. The hard work paid off completely - the book turned out to be incredibly popular. But, unfortunately (or fortunately - the issue is very controversial), Harper Lee never published any of her books again. Several books were in various stages of writing, but none of them made it to print. Thus, it was the book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” for which Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, that became her only known work.

Our rating ends with a fairy tale that many of you probably read in childhood. But few people wondered who actually wrote it, and even fewer wondered whether 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 brilliant poet, and everything else was written down by Ershov himself at the age of 19. The fairy tale itself turned out to be excellent, but Ershov wrote nothing 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 contain only the best and favorite books that you won’t be ashamed to show to your children or even grandchildren, and let reading bring you only pleasure.

Is one piece a lot or a little? It all depends on what kind of work it is. For some, it is enough to write just one book so that the fame from it will last for centuries, while others churn out a dozen novels a year, but cannot achieve reader recognition. What plays a decisive role in the success of a particular book - the skill of the writer, relevance and topicality, or successfully aligned stars? There is no universal recipe for how to create a best-selling book, but the authors from our selection 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

Mitchell's only novel for which she received a Pulitzer Prize. The novel “Gone with the Wind,” which took 10 years to complete, was published in 1936 and immediately gained worldwide success, becoming a real sensation. Fans flooded Mitchell with letters asking her to write something else, but the writer remained silent. The 1939 film based on the novel, starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, won eight Academy Awards.

“Gone with the Wind” is a book for all times: 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 carried away by the winds of war and fate.

Bram Stoker and Count Dracula

In fact, Bram Stoker cannot be called an “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 upon the “vampire theme” in his work, his novel and characters became cult, having a great influence on the popularization of the genre.

The plot centers on the story of a young lawyer, Jonathan Harker, who goes to Transylvania to visit a rich man and aristocrat, Count Dracula, to formalize the deal. But with every day of his stay in the ancient castle, the man’s awareness grows 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 home of the suspicious count.

Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is the best novel of the century and has received a huge number of awards. 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 resounding success, so she chose 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 trial and a terrible crime committed in a small sleepy town in America. However, behind this private story and experience 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 “for the table.”

The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” became a turning point in the history of world literature, and the main character, Holden Caulfield, became a symbol of a generation of young rebels. The book talks about the perception of life by a teenager who does not want to accept the values ​​and morals established in society. He wants to change the world, reshape it in his own way, bypassing all existing laws, but suffers a fiasco 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 created a huge resonance in society, becoming one of the main works of the beatnik and hippie movements. The writer's life was full of adventures: some of which formed the basis of his new works, and for some of which he was convicted. But none of his works became as important as Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Is there a line between sanity and madness? Are all the so-called madmen so immersed in their own 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 story, but also to put a dose of documentary into it: it recorded the results of the author’s long conversations with mentally ill people and his reasoning on the topic of madness.

Venedikt Erofeev and Moscow-Petushki

This poem, written from the perspective of the main character, a drinker, is a kind of philosophical parable, not subject to the flow 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 the author’s special style, which you can enjoy while reading this work. And the main character, who at first glance seemed like a limited person, whose life moves with an unsteady gait from glass to glass, becomes a worthy opponent for the reader, deeply moral and conducting 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 recognition from the readership and literary critics. The success of the book was supported by a number of prestigious awards, including the “Russian Prize” in the “Major Prose” category and the “Big Book” in the “Audience Award” category.

Mariam Petrosyan worked on the novel for twenty years and didn’t even think that anyone would want to publish it. She sent handwritten fragments of the text to friends and relatives, providing them with her own illustrations. However, at some point, Moscow acquaintances began to strongly advise me to publish 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 setting is a boarding house for disabled children. But it is not so easy to understand what kind of injury a character has - this is not stated directly, sometimes you can only guess. And we don’t know the real names of the children, only their nicknames. They learn to live in this house, learn its history and mystical side, and choose: to adapt or resist the rules and traditions. The “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 to the usual course of things, now each character has to make their own difficult choice.

Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, or the 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 could write a truly scary story. This is exactly how the work was born, which brought the young writer world fame and became the founder of the science fiction tradition in literature.

Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the idea of ​​bringing matter to life. Years of research and experimentation culminate in success when he manages to create a humanoid monster so frightening that the scientist has no choice but to bid him farewell and let him go on his own journey. The monster sets out on a solitary journey through this world, and a plan of retribution is brewing in his soul.

Kathryn Stockett and The Help

The novel by the American writer was published in 2009; a year later the book could be bought in 53 countries, and by the end of 2011, about 7 million copies were sold. It spent more than 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 strong racial segregation - blacks lived in separate neighborhoods, could only count on the dirtiest jobs, even on public transport, the sign “for whites only” hung above the most convenient places. A young girl, Skeeter (from a white family), returns home after graduating from university and dreams of becoming a writer. She wants to understand where their dark-skinned maid Constance, who raised her and always surrounded her with warmth and care, went. But no one around can give her specific answers. Memories of the life that Constance led in their family, and observations of other dark-skinned maids, prompt the aspiring writer to think about the injustice of dividing the world based on skin tone. She wants to open people's eyes to the real state of things by writing a book about it. But the idea turns out to be very dangerous in a world where racial discrimination has prevailed for centuries.

The New York Times says of this book: “A story written from the heart, full of pain, warmth and hope. An old-fashioned novel in a good way. If it weren't so fresh, it could easily be called a classic."

Photo: Getty Images, Alexey Filippov ITAR-TASS, Anatoly Morkovkin ITAR-TASS, press service archive

Winnie the Pooh is one of the most famous characters in children's literature. This funny plush character was invented and written stories and poems about him by the English writer Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956). The work about a bear cub with sawdust in its head was translated into Russian by Boris Zakhoder.

The author of Winnie the Pooh, it turns out, originally believed that his fairy tales were intended for adults. The writer's name was Alan Milne. His plush hero was loved by many children, but Milne’s own son, Christopher Robert Milne, read his father’s stories about Pooh with tears in his eyes, being already an old man. For some reason, Milne the father was in no hurry to introduce his son to the mischievous Vinny in childhood.

Alexander Milne. The book is quite difficult to read, because relative clauses and participle phrases constantly appear, as if the author was specially emphasizing the intricacy of Winnie the Pooh's inventions.

Since childhood, we have all read wonderful stories about Winnie the Pooh and his friends, and, in addition to the book version, there are a sufficient number of animated films about this truly funny character, a favorite of not only children, but also adults. This fascinating book was written by the famous English writer Alan Alexander Milne.

The author Alan Alexander Milne, in addition to this fairy-tale story about a bear cub, the prototype of which was the plush toy bear cub of his son Christopher Robin, wrote stories and poems. And Boris Zakhoder translated it into Russian.

Anyone who read an interesting and educational book with stories about Winnie the Pooh and his friends in childhood will never forget the name of the author, that is Alan Aleksandrovich Milne.

There is a cartoon about Winnie the Pooh based on the book. There is a Russian cartoon where Vinnie the bear was voiced by Evgeniy Leonov. There is also a foreign Disney cartoon. Another character, Elephant, appears there, who was not in the book.

And one interesting circumstance can be noticed about this work. The author wrote a book for his son, where he is one of the heroes of the story. This is Christopher Robin, whom Winnie the bear loves so much. And Winnie the Pooh is the name of the main character, because the name is borrowed from the name of one bear in the zoo. That’s what she was called, and that’s how the name Vinny came about.

In addition to Winnie the Pooh, the fairy tale includes his friend Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Hare, Owl, Little Roo, and Kanga.





As far as I know, one of the most popular children's books, Winnie the Pooh, was written by the famous English writer Alan Milne. He is mainly known for the bear with sawdust in its head (Winnie the Pooh).

Alan Milne was born on January 18, 1882 in London. Even before he wrote his most famous book, Winnie the Pooh was very famous, but now the popularity of this book eclipses others.

Alan Milne - if my memory serves me correctly, but you can clarify: the difficult way is to buy a book, the simple way is to open the Internet

1) Alan Milne - original creator (English).

2) Boris Zakhoder - translation into Russian.

3) Fdor Khitruk - director of the Soviet cartoon series.

As far as I know, the author of a popular children's book about the adventures of Winnie the Pooh bear and his many friends is the famous English writer Alan Alexander Milne. By the way, this children’s book was perfectly translated and adapted into Russian by Boris Zakhoder.

An English writer named Alan Milne gave the world a touching story about the friendship of a boy and his teddy bear Winnie the Pooh. This book is read to young children all over the world and even cartoons based on this work have been made. These are Soviet and American cartoons. Of course, it depends on everyone, but to me our domestic cartoon is much nicer.

We all know the cartoon about Winnie the Pooh bear and his friends, but not many people know that this cartoon is based on a book written by an English writer Alan Alexander Milne.

It is to this man that numerous fans of Winnie the Pooh should be grateful for his efforts.



English literature has given the world many children's fairy tales, but one of the most recognizable and beloved characters by children has been the teddy bear Winnie the Pooh for almost a century. The author of this story is the English writer Alan Alexander Milne, 1882-1956, who wrote both novels and short stories, but remains in memory only thanks to this colorful character. Winnie the Pooh, the little bear with sawdust in his head, is the most popular cartoon character in the world, and any child can easily tell you not only his name, but the names of his best friends - Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl, Tigger and Kanga with little Roo, prototypes which were the real toys of the writer’s son, Christopher.

Since childhood, my favorite book about the most curious bear cub (he flew on balloons, climbed into a bee’s hollow, went to visit) with an incredibly sweet and kind character was written by Alan Milne. I was always amazed that adults can preserve a real child in their souls, and Milne is clear proof of this.

I have always wondered how many authors there are in the world who have written only one book in their entire lives. There are many writers who are remembered from just one book, but this is a little different. In this note today I would like to remember only those who put their whole soul into a single work, which left a mark on world literature and gave its author the right 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 found in the end.

It turns out that there are very few such writers, mostly these are 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 received 8 Oscars - not bad at all for the author of just one novel. Mitchell was a journalist and did not think about becoming a writer. However, an ankle injury made it impossible for her to work as a reporter, and Margaret began to take some fragmentary, almost haphazard notes, which, at the insistence of her husband, she then put in order and processed for several years. The novel was written over the course of 10 years, which is remarkable, the last chapter was written first , last - first. Margaret spent her childhood surrounded by Confederate veterans of the Civil War, in the novel she clearly sympathizes with the southerners, and the action of Gone with the Wind historically accurately describes the events. At first, the author planned to call 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, Lee’s baggage before “Mockingbird” includes 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 is, to some extent, an autobiography of the writer. Like Harper, the book's main character is a tomboy and the daughter of a lawyer in a small town in Alabama. The film's core plot involves a rape case, which was a no-brainer for Lee, who was well versed in the law. And the impression of the Scottsbrough case remained with her for the rest of her life. The prototype of the main character's friend was her childhood friend Truman Capote. By the way, they say that he wrote either part or even the entire novel instead of Harper. Since the writer didn’t really write anything after her debut, many critics and even publisher Harper began to accept the theory that Lee collaborated with her best friend. But the most compelling evidence to the contrary is the existence of a letter that Capote addressed to his aunt, which states that he saw the manuscript of To Kill a Mockingbird and had nothing to do with its writing.

Next on our list is rightfully Shota Rustaveli- author of the main Georgian poem "". Written in the 12th century, when many peoples still practically wore 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 complicated. It is known almost for certain that Queen Tamara was the love of his 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 Frenchman Francois Rabelais lived in the 16th century. A man of his time, he was a healer, a wandering monk, an archaeologist, a naturalist, and, of course, a satirical writer. Rabelais created only one work, albeit in five books. Of course, this man had both courage and a sense of humor. The book ridicules human vices that 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 him from school thanks to the only play he wrote, “.” Griboyedov had some literary experience; together with other authors, he wrote small literary parodies and satirical plays. All this did not go beyond the scope of amateurism, writing as a hobby. Let us remember that Griboedov served as a diplomat and was not a professional writer. Nothing foreshadowed that such a masterpiece as “Woe from Wit” would be born from amateur philological exercises. 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 were made based on the novel. During his lifetime, the author himself was awarded the Order of Lenin for his literary work. Ostrovsky was very sick, paralyzed and blind. The admiration of readers was caused not so much by his literary skill, but by the courage and tenacity with which he worked. His life was the most realistic illustration for his novel.

Emily Brontë I also wrote only one novel in my entire life, but what a novel! "" (English: Wuthering Heights) is the only novel by the poetess and her most famous work. Its exemplary plotting, innovative use of multiple narrators, attention to the details of rural life, combined with a Romantic interpretation of natural phenomena, vivid imagery, and a reworking of the conventions of the Gothic novel make Wuthering Heights a standard-bearer for the late Romantic novel and a classic work of early Victorian literature. The first edition of the novel was sold at auction in 2007 for 114 thousand pounds sterling (more than 235 thousand US dollars)

On our list today and Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky- Russian utopian philosopher, democratic revolutionary, scientist, literary critic, publicist and writer. The author's only work, not counting small stories and journalism, is the novel "". The novel was written during his imprisonment in the Peter and Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg (you really need to get distracted somehow). It was written partly in response to Ivan Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons.” The commission, and after it the censors, saw only a love line in the novel and gave permission for publication. The censorship oversight was soon noticed and the responsible censor was removed from office. However, the novel had already been published in the Sovremennik magazine (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 was distributed throughout the country and caused a lot of imitations.

John Silas Reid(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). A book by American journalist John Reed about The October Revolution of 1917 in Russia, which he himself witnessed.

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

M. Ageev(real name Mark Lazarevich Levi, at various periods of his life he also used the patronymics Leontyevich and Lyudvigovich - Russian writer, German philologist, 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. Nikita Struve’s version was popular , which attributed “A Romance with Cocaine” to Vladimir Nabokov. The authorship of the work remained controversial until recently, but in 1997 letters from Mark Levy were published, which also contained draft fragments of the novel

Traditionally, on Saturdays, we publish for you the answers to the quiz in the “Question - Answer” format. We have a variety of questions, both simple and quite complex. The quiz is very interesting and quite popular, we are simply helping you test your knowledge and make sure that you have chosen the correct answer out of the four proposed. And we have another question in the quiz - Which composer wrote only one opera?

• Handel
• Beethoven
• Salieri

Correct answer D. BEETHOVEN

Opera "Fidelio"- heroic opera or 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 a success. Then Ludwig Van Beethoven took up the task of revising the work, but the second edition did not receive recognition either. Only 8 years later, the composer returned to work on the opera, having carried out its radical revision; Heinrich von Treitschke finalized the previous edition of the libretto. Now the play was called “Fidelio”. And finally, on May 22, 1814, there was an 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”;