"The pen is mightier than the sword", If you are an avid reader, you know this! Some of the most famous people in history have been writers, authors of the most important works of literature and politics of all time. The writers have shaped the history of humankind, capturing some of the most important historical events and deeply reflecting the culture of a constantly changing world. But who are the greatest novelists of all time?
According to literary critics, the novel writers who have most influenced humanity are the following:
Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Novelist, journalist, short story writer, philosopher, and essayist, Dostoevsky explored psychology in his literary works in nineteenth-century Russia's political, social, and spiritual turmoil. His writings reveal a wide range of philosophical and religious themes.
He is best known for the novels "Crime and Punishment," "The Idiot," " The Brothers Karamazov," and "The House of the Dead". After a century and a half, Dostoevsky's imprint on Russian literature is still felt, with many literary critics worldwide still studying his works.
Charles Dickens.
Charles Dickens was an extraordinary man. Although he is best known as a representative novelist for nineteenth-century realism, he was much more than that. All his novels are classic works of English literature, the most famous of which are "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield", "House of Shadows" and "Great Expectations".
Dickens had an almost unbelievable level of energy. In addition to writing some of the best novels in history, he had an impressive career in acting, literary publishing, was deeply involved in social campaigns, and was a great philanthropist.
Jules Verne.
The playwright and novelist of French origin, Jules Verne, deserves his place in this list of the greatest writers in history due to his adventure novels. He was named the father of science fiction, having a colossal influence on the development of this literary genre. Moreover, he is considered a prophet or predictor of technology that was developed after his death. Jules Verne spoke about the man who will step on the moon, predicted the internet, described details from modern life: skyscrapers, television, computers, and culture. Among his most famous novels are "Propeller Island", "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Around the World in Eighty Days".
Leo Tolstoy.
Count Lev Levski Nikolaevich Tolstoy is one of the greatest Russian novelists of all time. Literary critics believe that two of his novels, "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", are at the top of realistic fiction. He has often been mentioned as the greatest novelist that ever existed, so he deserves a place in this top selection.
Gustav Flaubert, the giant French writer, reading "War and Peace" exclaimed: "What an artist and a psychologist!". Matthew Arnold, the great British poet, once said, "A novel by Tolstoy is not a work of art, but a piece of life."
George Orwell.
George Orwell was the stage name of Eric Blair, a twentieth-century novelist who also completed his career in journalism, essays, literary criticism, and social commentary. He was famous in all fields but remained in the memory of people today for two of his novels, "Animal Farm" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four", both considered some of the most important works of twentieth-century literature.