15 memoirs, from which it is impossible to tear yourself away

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The life stories of the founder of Nike, the youngest winner of the Nobel Prize and the forefather of punk rock.

1. "Out of Africa" by Karen Blixen

In 1913, the present territory of Kenya was a British colony and was called British East Africa. Karen Blixen moved there to live with her husband, a coffee magnate, who became even richer after the First World War. Life on a mysterious continent seemed like a fairy tale until the rose-colored glasses fell from the eyes of the writer.

Due to the constant betrayal of her husband, the family fell apart, and Karen had to quickly learn to manage a coffee farm, find a common language with the natives and fight the whims of a difficult climate. The eponymous film adaptation of the memoir starring Meryl Streep received seven Oscars and three Golden Globes.

2. "The Pianist", Vladislav Shpilman

Polish pianist, radio host and composer Vladislav Shpilman released the book immediately after the end of World War II. In it, he spoke as honestly and in detail as possible about the German occupation, the loss of his family, life in the ghetto and escape from it. For two years he had to wander through abandoned buildings, hide from the Nazis and survive in every possible way. In addition, Spielman participated in the resistance and tried to expel the enemy from his native country.

Shortly before his death, an expanded edition of his memoirs was published. It includes excerpts from the diary of the German soldier Wilm Hosenfeld, who helped Spielmann survive at the end of the war. The book has been translated into over 30 languages. The life story of the outstanding pianist also became famous thanks to the Oscar-winning film by Roman Polanski.

3. “Steep route. Chronicle of the times of the personality cult ", Evgenia Ginzburg

In 1937, journalist and writer Yevgenia Ginzburg was accused of terrorist activities and sentenced to ten years in prison. After that, she spent another eight years in exile in Magadan, until she was rehabilitated. She described the horrors of repression and prison life in her autobiography, which the author's homeland refused to publish until 1988.

Ginzburg's autobiography is a story of torture, hunger and injustice of the Stalinist regime. In the book, she speaks harshly and without embellishment about the helplessness of people in the face of a huge systemic machine that sweeps away everything in its path.

4. "Autobiography" by Agatha Christie

The memoirs of the queen of detective novels are very different from what you can read about her life in the books of biographers. What they devoted many pages to, Agatha fit into a few lines. And those moments that they did not pay special attention to, in her version received whole chapters. She wrote about what was important to her.

The writer almost ignored the work, talking about something completely different. Two world wars fell to her share, the betrayal of a beloved man, a difficult divorce and illness. But no matter what difficulties she faced, Christie found the strength to get up and continue to live.

5. "Girl, Interrupted," Suzanne Keysen

In the late 60s, when Suzanne was 18 years old, she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder after attempting suicide. Instead of a few weeks, she spent a year and a half there. Everything that the girl knew about the world and herself was turned upside down for her.

Imprisoned within four walls, she meets patients and learns to survive in an institution. The hospital stay makes her question the very concept of mental health. In addition, Suzanne is convinced that doctors have little idea of the nature of diseases and how to treat them. The memoirs were published at a time when it was not yet customary to publicly discuss such topics, and the author's courage earned recognition throughout the world.

6. "Ashes of Angela" by Frank McCourt

At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States was covered by a wave of mass emigration from Ireland. People crossed the ocean in search of a better life, leaving homes and families. Many have succeeded in fulfilling the American Dream. But the McCourt family was less fortunate. Unsuccessful attempts to join the new society and find their own corner led them back to Ireland.

However, even here they faced difficulties. Rampant unemployment, his father's drunkenness and poverty made little Frank grow up quickly. He had to take on the burden of responsibility and care for the family, even though he was still a child. An honest story about his life and the struggle for it brought the author the Pulitzer Prize in 1997.

7. "Life's Greatest Lesson, or Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

When Mitch Elbom was a student, his path did not intersect with the professor of sociology Morrie Schwartz, who taught at his own college. But already as a journalist, he learned that Schwartz was suffering from a serious incurable disease, slowly leading to paralysis.

Albom visited the professor and was inspired by his story. Their meetings became regular. Mitch visited Morrie every Tuesday. They had sincere conversations about life and death, about love and family, about how important it is in any relationship to give, and not just take. The journalist reflected in his notes the thoughts of a man who was on his deathbed, and how these meetings affected him. His memoirs have become one of the most widely read books in the genre of memoirs.

8. "The toasted one drinks to the bottom", Georgy Danelia

Georgy Danelia is one of the most famous and beloved Russian directors and screenwriters. He created pictures that immediately after their release fell into the category of classics: "Gentlemen of Fortune", "I Walk Through Moscow", "Mimino", "Kin-dza-dza!"

In his autobiography, he also appears as a talented storyteller, from whose stories it is impossible to tear yourself away. This is a collection of sometimes funny, instructive adventures and incidents. In the book, of course, there is a lot about cinema, but even more about people, life, philosophy and love. The stories are illustrated with archival photographs and drawings.

9. "Castle of Glass" by Jannett Walls

Jannet's family was considered unusual. They did not have a home and moved around the country in an old car. Parents valued freedom too much and did not trust the capitalist order to have a permanent job. Four children, although they grew up in love, were often left to their own devices. They did not know what would be dinner in the evening, and if it would be at all.

The author did not want to talk about her strange childhood for a long time, but decided on this in order to get rid of the demons of the past and accept herself. The memoirs made her one of the most famous journalists in the United States and raised a whole wave of questions about what should be the correct parenting of children.

10. “Fun house. A Family Tragicomedy, Alison Beckdel

Alison Beckdel is a comic artist. Therefore, it is not surprising that she released her autobiography in the format of a graphic novel. It talks about childhood and pays a lot of attention to the relationship with the parents.

A huge shock for the girl was the suicide of her father, who, as it turned out, was not completely honest with his family and could not open up to them. Another important topic was Alison's sexual orientation and how she got used to her own body. The structure of the comic is like a maze. The author often returns to the previously mentioned topics, adds new information there and illuminates from a new angle.

11. "Just Kids," Patti Smith

Patti Smith's story is a reflection of an entire era. She described in the book only a small part of her life, the end of the 60s - the beginning of the 70s of the last century. But during this time, events of incredible scale have taken place in the world: landing on the moon, the heyday of hippies, the Woodstock festival.

Patty's youth took place during this period. She wrote songs, was at the origins of punk rock and spoke with Jack Kerouac, Andy Warhol and Jimi Hendrix. But all these great personalities did not interest her, because the singer was in love. She was writing a book about her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and it was a historical insight into the life of a generation.

12. "My Brief History" by Stephen Hawking

A quarter of a century after Professor Hawking briefly explained the history of time to the world, he decided to tell the same succinctly about himself. For years he was besieged by journalists and biographers who wanted to reveal the secrets of the scientist, and finally he gave up. The memoirs, published in 2013, follow the hero from early childhood. He talks about parenting, family relationships and education.

A huge part of the book is devoted to science. Nevertheless, the professor just as frankly answers questions about his personal life and illness, which completely changed the world for him, but did not make him give up or give up his favorite job.

13. “I am Malala. A unique story of courage that shook the world ", Christina Lamb, Malala Yusufzai

Malala Yusufzai is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history. She lived under the yoke of an Islamist organization and fought for the right of Pakistani girls to receive education. Malala's blog seemed so powerful and dangerous to the Taliban that they organized an attack on her when she was only 15 years old.

Her courage and belief in justice made the girl an international symbol of the struggle for equality and freedom. Together with journalist Christina Lamb, Malala told the world her story starting from a relatively calm childhood, which was interrupted by the seizure of power by the Islamists and the change of the regime.

14. "Shoe Salesman" by Phil Knight

The founder of the sports giant Nike, one of the richest people on the planet and a philanthropist who donates millions of dollars to universities, Phil Knight wrote his life story in 2016. His memoirs immediately hit the bestsellers about business because he spoke honestly about his thorny path to success.

It all started with a trip to Japan, where he took a liking to a local sneaker brand. Inspired by the idea of importing shoes to the United States, he returned home and contacted his accountant. This is how the company was born and the world's most famous "tick" appeared.

15. “Club of Liars. Only deception will help you understand the truth. "Mary Carr

Mary's father and his friends called the club of liars the evenings when they sat in a circle after work, drank beer and poisoned stories. Mary was the only girl allowed to attend these men's meetings.

In his debut work, Carr boldly talks about a difficult childhood. In the abandoned corner of Texas where she lived, she had to deal with alcoholism, the consequences of mental illness and violence. Not knowing another life, she still did not want to remain in this hole and scrambled to freedom with all her might.