Home » Guidance » 9 Authors who managed to enter the history of literature with just one book

9 Authors who managed to enter the history of literature with just one book

There are certain literary works that were so successful that they completely changed the lives of their authors. But not all changes are for the better: some novelists have become hostages to such success and have become — for readers — “one-book” writers.

“One-book” writers (or homo unius libri, in Latin) are those whose heritage and fame are due to only one book, while the other works by the same author remain a mystery. Perhaps the most unpleasant setback came to Alan Milne after writing the Winnie the Pooh books. Read the post below to discover some curious facts from the literary world.

We, from awesome.club, we researched in depth some writers, who were praised because of a single work. However, we found other works by them that could easily gain space on your bookshelf. Follow!

1. Emily Brontë — Wuthering Heights

Unlike her sister, Charlotte, the poet Emily Brontë wrote only one novel, which was published in 1847. However, it had almost no repercussions during the writer’s lifetime. Only at the end of the 19th century, the Gothic novel gained popularity and earned its place in the hall of fame of English Literature. The author died at the age of 30 from tuberculosis.

In the 20th century, the novel had several television and film adaptations. The most referenced is the 1939 version, starring famous Hollywood actors, such as Lawrence Olivier in the role of Heathcliff. Another popular adaptation is the one with Juliette Binoche in the lead role.

What else to read:

2. Oscar Wilde — The Picture of Dorian Gray

The work The Picture of Dorian Gray it was the only novel published by playwright Oscar Wilde.

The book was written in just three weeks, and was released—for the first time—in 1890 as a periodical story in the American monthly magazine. Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine🇧🇷 It brought great fame to the writer. After a year, the story was published as a separate book. After publication, however, a scandal reverberated: the book was considered amoral and they wanted to banish it. Oscar Wilde responded to criticism by saying that everyone sees their own sins and vices in the work.

Read Also:  The artist who turned Topo Gigio the mouse into an internet star, with cute, amazing and fun photos

What else to read:

3. Bram Stoker — Dracula

Irish writer Bram Stoker’s bibliography includes several short stories and a few novels. But he is best known for being the author of the book about an aristocratic vampire: Count Dracula. The work was long — almost 8 years — and the book was published in 1897.

Bram Stoker is responsible for popularizing the “legend of the vampire” and for the numerous films and series produced on the same subject later on. However, although the reaction from critics was positive, the novel was not very successful at first. At the end of his life, the author suffered several strokes and died in 1912.

The 1922 film adaptation was the one that brought Dracula’s image great popularity.

What else to read:

The Lady of the Shroud

The White Worm’s Lair

4. Venedikt Yerofeyev — Moscow-Petushki: the last station

the prose poem Moscow-Petushki: the last station It was written autobiographically. It was not the author’s only work, but certainly the most significant.

Yerofeyev wrote it in 1969, but the publication took place only after four years and abroad: in Israel. The poem’s vocabulary is very varied — as if it were a mixture of biblical stories, quotations from classics and somewhat obscene words.

The work was highly praised by the writer’s friends at a literary workshop. They also made adaptations of the work in several theaters.

What else to read:

Walpurgis Night Notes of a Psychopath

5. J.D. Salinger — The Catcher in the Rye

In the second half of the 1940s, J. D. Salinger was considered a very skilled novelist. However, the real success came to light after the release of the book. The Catcher in the Rye in 1951.

Read Also:  The richest man in the world who refused to pay ransom to kidnappers of his own grandson

The work — written in the voice of a 16-year-old boy — was wildly popular and won the hearts of many readers around the world. In a short time, 60 million copies were sold. To date, around 250 million copies are sold annually.

The most curious? The author banned adaptations of his book for television and cinema and stipulated observations for theatrical plays. J. D. Salinger believed that the novel was too “literary”, whose value was in the narrator’s voice. “His worldview is important, the relationships he has with leather suitcases and empty toothpaste boxes. In a nutshell, I value his thoughts,” the author said in a letter. “And I still haven’t mentioned how dangerous the attraction is, sorry actors! In my opinion, it’s impossible to play Holden Caulfield.”

What else to read:

Nine Stories Carpenters, Raise High the Gable

6. Alexandr Griboyedov — The Misfortune of Having Too Much Spirit

Right, Mikhail Lenin in the role of Chatskovo, 1915

Griboyedov is known primarily for his play The Misfortune of Having Too Much Spirit, which is still performed in several theaters today. The comedy — written in verse — took two years to complete and was later published in 1824. The story describes features of post-Napoleonic Russian society — marked by secularism and slavery. The work is full of quotations and certainly represents a classic of Russian dramaturgy.

Alexander Griboyedov was a man with other talents as well: diplomat, poet, pianist and composer.

What else to read:

The Young Couple One Georgian Night

7. Edmond Rostand — Cyrano de Bergerac

His first success came in 1894 after the staging of his comedy The Romantics🇧🇷 But the work responsible for making the playwright widely known was the play Cyrano de Bergerac — a story about a so-called Parisian poet and philosopher.

Along with the fame came the money. Edmond Rostand went to live in an elegant mansion, held meetings, traveled and enjoyed collecting things. In other words, he became a huge celebrity almost overnight.

Read Also:  10 Visual teasers to test your attentiveness and boost your brain

What else to read:

The Faraway Princess The Romantics

8. Colleen McCullough — Wounded Birds

The Australian writer became famous for her novel Wounded Birds, which was published in 1977. The work gained immense popularity. Just imagine: every minute two copies of this novel are sold around the world! The saga is based on a legend about a bird — which sings only once in a lifetime — but which does so more beautifully than all other creatures. While singing the song, he throws himself onto a long, sharp thorn, sacrificing his own life. Until the release of the book, there was no mention of such a legend.

The author’s first novel, Tim, was written when she was 37 years old. And the great success, with Wounded Birds, reached the age of 40.

What else to read:

9. Alan Milne — poof bear

Before the release of the adventures of the poof bear, Alan Milne was already quite a famous playwright. But the success of the yellow bear books acquired unimaginable proportions — so that the author’s other works were practically neglected. Milne was also a serial writer, whose essays were regularly published.

He was not happy that the success of children’s books had come to overshadow all his achievements in other areas. They began to consider him a writer exclusively for children. He didn’t know how to deal with such repercussions and just said that he wrote for children with as much responsibility as he wrote for adults. Unfortunately, the author’s children’s works have become like the frankenstein: creation turned against the creator.

What else to read:

The Mystery of the Red House

Do you know works by other writers, who are also famous for just one book? Comment!

Are You Ready to Discover Your Twin Flame?

Answer just a few simple questions and Psychic Jane will draw a picture of your twin flame in breathtaking detail:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Los campos marcados con un asterisco son obligatorios *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.