Gorky's works: complete list. Maxim Gorky: Early Romantic Works

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The great Russian writer Maxim Gorky (Peshkov Alexei Maksimovich) was born March 16, 1868 in Nizhny Novgorod - died June 18, 1936 in Gorki. At an early age, "went into the people," in his own words. He lived hard, spent the night in the slums among all sorts of rabble, wandered, interrupted by a random piece of bread. He traveled vast territories, visited the Don, Ukraine, the Volga region, South Bessarabia, the Caucasus and Crimea.

Start

Actively engaged in social and political activities, for which he was arrested more than once. In 1906 he went abroad, where he began to successfully write his works. By 1910, Gorky gained fame, his work aroused great interest. Earlier, in 1904, critical articles began to appear, and then books "On Gorky". Gorky's works interested politicians and public figures. Some of them believed that the writer was too free to interpret the events taking place in the country. Everything that Maxim Gorky wrote, works for the theater or journalistic essays, short storiesor multi-page stories, caused a resonance and was often accompanied by anti-government speeches. During World War I, the writer took an openly anti-militarist position. He met the revolution of 1917 enthusiastically, and turned his apartment in Petrograd into a turnout for political figures. Often, Maxim Gorky, whose works became more and more topical, spoke with reviews of his own work in order to avoid misinterpretation.

Abroad

In 1921, the writer goes abroad for treatment. For three years, Maxim Gorky lived in Helsinki, Prague and Berlin, then moved to Italy and settled in the city of Sorrento. There he took up the publication of his memoirs of Lenin. In 1925 he wrote the novel The Artamonov Case. All Gorky's works of that time were politicized.

Return to Russia

The year 1928 was a turning point for Gorky. At the invitation of Stalin, he returns to Russia and for a month moves from city to city, meets people, gets acquainted with the achievements in industry, observes how socialist construction is developing. Then Maxim Gorky leaves for Italy. However, the following year (1929), the writer again comes to Russia and this time visits the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camps. At the same time, the reviews leave the most positive. Alexander Solzhenitsyn mentioned this trip of Gorky in his novel The Gulag Archipelago.

Final return of the writer to the SovietThe union took place in October 1932. Since that time, Gorky has been living in the former Ryabushinsky mansion on Spiridonovka, in a dacha in Gorki, and goes on vacation to the Crimea.

First Congress of Writers

Some time later, the writer receives a political order from Stalin, who entrusts him with the preparation of the 1st Congress of Soviet Writers. In the light of this order, Maxim Gorky creates several new newspapers and magazines, publishes book series on the history of Soviet plants and factories, the Civil War and some other events of the Soviet era. Then he wrote plays: "Egor Bulychev and others", "Dostigaev and others". Some of Gorky's works, written earlier, were also used by him in the preparation of the first congress of writers, which took place in August 1934. At the congress, organizational issues were mainly resolved, the leadership of the future Union of Writers of the USSR was chosen, and writers' sections were created by genre. Gorky's works were also ignored at the 1st Congress of Writers, but he was elected chairman of the board. In general, the event was considered successful, and Stalin personally thanked Maxim Gorky for his fruitful work.

Popularity

M. Gorky, whose works for many years caused fierce controversy among the intelligentsia, tried to take part in the discussion of his books and especially theatrical plays. From time to time, the writer visited theaters, where he could see for himself that people were not indifferent to his work. AndIndeed, for many, the writer M. Gorky, whose works were understandable to the common man, became the conductor of a new life. Theater audience went to the performance several times, read and re-read books.

Gorky's early romantic works

The writer's work can be conditionally divided into several categories. Gorky's early works are romantic and even sentimental. They still do not feel the rigidity of political sentiments, which are saturated with later stories and stories of the writer.

The writer's first story "Makar Chudra" is about fleeting gypsy love. Not because it was fleeting because "love came and went", but because it lasted only one night, without a single touch. Love lived in the soul, not touching the body. And then the death of a girl at the hands of her beloved, the proud gypsy Rada passed away, and after her Loiko Zobar himself - sailed together through the sky, hand in hand.

Awesome plot, incredible storytelling power. The story "Makar Chudra" became for many years the hallmark of Maxim Gorky, firmly taking first place in the list of "Gorky's early works".

The writer worked hard and fruitfully in his youth. Gorky's early romantic works are a cycle of stories whose heroes are Danko, Sokol, Chelkash and others.

A short tale of spiritual excellence makes you think. "Chelkash" is a story about a simple person who carries high aesthetic feelings. Escape from home, vagrancy,complicity in crime. The meeting of two - one is engaged in the usual business, the other is brought by chance. Envy, distrust, readiness for submissive obedience, fear and servility of Gavrila are opposed to Chelkash's courage, self-confidence, love of freedom. However, society does not need Chelkash, unlike Gavrila. Romantic pathos is intertwined with the tragic. The description of nature in the story is also wrapped in a veil of romance.

In the stories "Makar Chudra", "Old Woman Izergil" and, finally, in "The Song of the Falcon", the motivation of "the madness of the brave" can be traced. The writer puts the characters in difficult conditions and then, without any logic, leads them to the finale. That is why the work of the great writer is interesting, that the narration is unpredictable.

Gorky's work "Old Woman Izergil" consists of several parts. The character of her first story - the son of an eagle and a woman, the sharp-eyed Larra, is presented as an egoist, incapable of high feelings. When he heard the maxim that one inevitably has to pay for what he took, he expressed disbelief, stating that "I would like to remain unharmed." People rejected him, condemning him to loneliness. Larra's pride proved fatal to himself.

Danko is no less proud, but he treats people with love. Therefore, he obtains the freedom necessary for his fellow tribesmen who believe him. Despite the threats of those who doubt that he is able to lead the tribe out of the dense forest, the young leader continues on his way, dragging people along with him. And when everyone was running out of strength, and the forest did not end, Dankotore his chest, took out a burning heart, and with its flame lit up the path that led them to the clearing. The ungrateful tribesmen, breaking free, did not even look in the direction of Danko when he fell and died. People ran away, trampled on the flaming heart as they ran, and it scattered into blue sparks.

Gorky's romantic works leave an indelible mark on the soul. Readers empathize with the characters, the unpredictability of the plot keeps them in suspense, and the ending is often unexpected. In addition, Gorky's romantic works are distinguished by deep morality, which is unobtrusive, but makes you think.

The theme of individual freedom dominates in the early work of the writer. The heroes of Gorky's works are freedom-loving and even ready to give their lives for the right to choose their own destiny.

The poem "The Girl and Death" is a vivid example of self-sacrifice in the name of love. A young, full of life girl makes a deal with death for one night of love. She is ready to die without regret in the morning, just to meet her beloved one more time.

The king, who considers himself omnipotent, dooms the girl to death only because, returning from the war, he was in a bad mood and he did not like her happy laugh. Death spared Love, the girl remained alive and the "bony with a scythe" had no power over her.

Romance is also present in the "Song of the Petrel". The proud bird is free, it is like a black lightning, rushing between the gray plain of the sea and the clouds hanging over the waves. Letthe storm will break stronger, the brave bird is ready to fight. And it is important for a penguin to hide his fat body in the rocks, he has a different attitude to the storm - no matter how wet his feathers.

Man in Gorky's works

Special, refined psychologism of Maxim Gorky is present in all his stories, while the personality is always assigned the main role. Even homeless vagrants, the characters of the rooming house, are presented by the writer as respected citizens, despite their plight. The person in Gorky's works is put at the forefront, everything else is secondary - the events described, the political situation, even the actions of state bodies are in the background.

Gorky's story "Childhood"

The writer tells the story of the life of the boy Alyosha Peshkov, as if in his own name. The story is sad, begins with the death of the father and ends with the death of the mother. Left an orphan, the boy heard from his grandfather, the day after his mother's funeral: "You are not a medal, you shouldn't hang around my neck … Go to the people …". And kicked out.

This is how Gorky's "Childhood" ends. And in the middle there were several years of living in the house of his grandfather, a lean little old man who used to flog everyone who was weaker than him with rods on Saturdays. And only his grandchildren, who lived in the house, were inferior to the grandfather in strength, and he beat them backhand, putting them on the bench.

Aleksey grew up, supported by his mother, and in the house hung a thick fog of enmity between everyone and everyone. The uncles fought among themselves, threatened the grandfather that hisbe beaten, cousins drank, and their wives did not have time to give birth. Alyosha tried to make friends with the neighbor boys, but their parents and other relatives were in such a complicated relationship with his grandfather, grandmother and mother that the children could only communicate through a hole in the fence.

At the bottom

In 1902, Gorky turned to a philosophical theme. He created a play about people who, by the will of fate, sank to the very bottom of Russian society. Several characters, the inhabitants of the rooming house, the writer described with frightening authenticity. In the center of the story are homeless people on the verge of despair. Someone is thinking about suicide, someone else is hoping for the best. M. Gorky's work "At the Bottom" is a vivid picture of the social disorder in society, often turning into a tragedy.

The owner of the doss house, Mikhail Ivanovich Kostylev, lives and does not know that his life is constantly under threat. His wife Vasilisa persuades one of the guests - Vaska Pepel - to kill her husband. This is how it ends: the thief Vaska kills Kostylev and goes to prison. The other inhabitants of the rooming house continue to live in an atmosphere of drunken revelry and bloody fights.

After some time, a certain Luca appears, a projector and an idler. He "floods", how much in vain, conducts lengthy conversations, promises everyone indiscriminately a happy future and complete prosperity. Then Luke disappears, and the unfortunate people he has given hope to are at a loss. There was a severe disappointment. Forty-year-old homeless man, nicknamed the Actor, ends his lifesuicide. The rest are not far from it either.

The nochlezhka, as a symbol of the dead end of Russian society at the end of the 19th century, an undisguised ulcer of the social structure.

Creativity of Maxim Gorky

• "Makar Chudra" - 1892. A tale of love and tragedy.
• "Grandfather Arkhip and Lenka" - 1893. A beggar sick old man and with him his grandson Lenka, a teenager. First, the grandfather cannot stand the hardships and dies, then the grandson dies. Kind people buried the unfortunate by the road.
• "Old Woman Izergil" - 1895. A few stories of an old woman about selfishness and selflessness.
• "Chelkash" - 1895. A story about "an inveterate drunkard and a clever, bold thief".
• "Spouses Orlov" - 1897. A story about a childless couple who decide to help sick people.
• "Konovalov" - 1898. The story of how Alexander Ivanovich Konovalov, arrested for vagrancy, hanged himself in a prison cell.
• "Foma Gordeev" - 1899. The story of the events of the late XIX century, taking place in the Volga city. About a boy named Foma, who considered his father a fabulous robber.
• "Philistines" - 1901. A tale of philistine roots and a new trend of the times.
• "At the bottom" - 1902. A sharp topical play about homeless people who have lost all hope.
• "Mother" - 1906. A novel on the theme of revolutionary moods in society, about events taking place withinmanufactory, with the participation of members of the same family.
• "Vassa Zheleznova" - 1910. A play about a young, 42-year-old woman, the owner of a steamship company, strong and powerful.
• "Childhood" - 1913. A story about a simple boy and his far from simple life.
• "Tales of Italy" - 1913. A series of short stories about life in Italian cities.
• "Passion-face" - 1913. A short story about a deeply unhappy family.
• "In people" - 1914. A story about an errand boy in a fashionable shoe store.
• "My Universities" - 1923. The Tale of Kazan University and Students.
• "Blue Life" - 1924. A story about dreams and fantasies.
• "The Artamonov Case" - 1925. A tale of events taking place in a weaving factory.
• "Life of Klim Samgin" - 1936. Events of the beginning of the 20th century - St. Petersburg, Moscow, barricades.

Each read story, story or novel, leaves the impression of high literary skill. Characters carry a number of unique features and characteristics. An analysis of Gorky's works involves comprehensive characterizations of the characters, followed by a summary. The depth of the narrative is organically combined with difficult, but understandable literary devices. All the works of the great Russian writer Maxim Gorky are included in the Golden Fund of Russian Culture.