10 successful books whose authors regretted having written them
Every writer's dream is to write a bestseller, or perhaps even a bestseller, based on which a blockbuster will be shot. Surely anyone would like the fruits of his artistic labors to affect the lives of millions. After all, a book can really change the reader and inspire him to do good deeds. However, sometimes it happens in a completely different way, and the authors begin to dislike the books that made them famous.
(10 photos in total)
"Brokeback Mountain", Annie Prue
In 1997, Annie Prue published a short story "Brokeback Mountain". In 2005, a film was made based on it, which won three Oscars and four Golden Globes. The film, the plot of which is based on the love story of two men, caused a flurry of contradictions and disputes. After the release of the film, the writer began to be inundated with letters, mainly about the ending of her work. She was so tired of it that she once confessed: "I wish I had never written this story. He became the cause of a lot of problems for me after the film was released. Everything was fine before the movie."
"Guardians", "V means Vendetta", "From Hell", Alan Moore
Alan Moore is the author of several comics that have become real hits. He was working at DC Comics when he published some of his most famous works, including "The Guardians," "V means Vendetta," and "Out of Hell." Moore parted ways with DC Comics in the late 1980s for several reasons, one of which was that he did not agree to put an age limit on his comics. He was furious when the publishing house did not return the rights to the books to him, although it promised to do so. However, after Moore's dismissal, DC Comics quietly continued to print his comics. Moreover, when they started making films based on these comics, the writer did not take part in writing scripts, and also refused any profit from the films. Moore is not going to watch the film adaptations of his comics and asked that his name not be mentioned anywhere.
"My Struggle", Karl Uwe Knausgaard
Norwegian writer Karl Uwe Knausgaard is the author of a fascinating autobiographical novel in six parts called "My Struggle". Although it was initially announced at the book's debut in 2009 that the events of the novel were fictional, when published, a statement was made that the novel was completely honest and truthful.
In 2012, the book was translated and published in English, after which critics considered it a real literary masterpiece. Knausgord was praised by everyone for his unprecedented honesty and the way he described his life. As it turned out later, Knausgaard wrote about real people from his life and used real names.
After Karl Uwe's novels were published, all his friends and family turned on him. Today, the writer really does not like to talk about his book, because it causes him severe depression and reminds him that he has offended close people.
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland has become a real cultural phenomenon. Although this fairy tale was published in 1865, its popularity has not decreased to this day. It's hard to believe that the person who created the magical world of miracles could ever hate him. Recently, a letter was published by Charles Dodgson, a real person who took the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. In it, he wrote in 1891 to his friend Mrs. Symonds that he was very sorry about writing the book, because he hated and despised fame.
The Anarchist Cookbook, by William Powell
The Anarchist Cookbook was written in 1969 by William Powell, who opposed the Vietnam War. In fact, the book is a guide to murder and homegrown terrorism. Many mass murderers and terrorists claimed that this book was an inspiration for them. As for William Powell himself, he now wants the book taken out of print. Unfortunately for him, the publisher who bought the rights to The Anarchist Cookbook in 2002 refuses to do so.
"Rage", Stephen King
Stephen King is one of the most prolific and successful authors in the world. More than 350 million copies of his books have been sold. King's fans know that the writer was also published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was under this pseudonym that the novel "Rage" was born in 1977.
The main character of the novel takes his class hostage, kills one student and two teachers, and then tries to commit suicide. In the next two decades, there were four shootings at schools, the perpetrators of which claimed that they were inspired by "Rage".
Unlike William Powell, Stephen King had the right to withdraw the book from publication, which he did. The writer stated that he did not want his books to push psychologically unstable children to crime.
"Jaws", Peter Benchley
Peter Benchley is the author of the popular 1974 novel Jaws, based on which Steven Spielberg's blockbuster was shot a year later. Benchley really liked the movie based on his book, but he was upset by the number of people who began to be afraid of water after watching. Benchley later became a kind of specialist in sharks and oceanography, defended these predators and expressed regret that he portrayed them as vicious, merciless killers. Many of his subsequent books also described various horrors underwater. The last book he wrote in 2005 was called The Life of Sharks. Benchley died a year later.
The Aeneid, Virgil
Virgil, who lived in 70-19 BC, is best known for his poem "The Aeneid". This work is still being studied by students today. Virgil was an educated man, and the future Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus patronized him.
The poet began writing the Aeneid in 30 BC. When he fell ill and died in 19 BC, the poem was still unfinished. On his deathbed, he asked to burn the manuscript. Why Virgil wanted his masterpiece destroyed is unknown. He died unwilling to share with the world the poem that made him immortal.
"All about Literature and Cinema", Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard was an incredibly successful American writer who received such outstanding awards as the National Book Award and the Peabody Award. He died at the age of 87 in August 2013. By that time, Elmore had written a total of 45 novels, most of which later turned into Hollywood blockbusters and popular television shows, among them "Get Shorty", "At 3:10 on Yuma" and "Justice".
Leonard, who wrote a lot of scripts, was not shy to admit that he did it solely for the money, but in fact hated the whole process and the end results. He also hated literature—Leonard loved to write, but despised the world around him.
"Winnie the Pooh", A.A. Milne
Winnie the Pooh is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in children's literature. The author of the book Alan Alexander Milne originally wrote "Winnie the Pooh", dedicating the work to his son. He even named the boy in the book by his son's name — Christopher Robin. The real Christopher Robin hated the fact that he was constantly associated with Winnie the Pooh. As a child, his peers constantly made fun of him. And even in adulthood, when Christopher became a political cartoonist, he was constantly in the shadow of his famous father and Winnie the Pooh. Milne eventually regretted writing the book himself, as he felt that this book overshadowed his other works.
Keywords: Author | Bestseller | Books | Literature | Writer