Writers of One Book

Anna Sewell was born on March 30, 1830, into a devout Quaker family. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful children’s author. For the most part, Anna was educated in her parents’ home and did not attend an educational institution until she was twelve years old. Two years later she suffered serious injuries to both knees in an accident. Since then, Anna Sewell was severely limited in her movements, and even on crutches she could barely walk short distances. Thus, she had to use a horse-drawn carriage to travel long distances. She soon fell madly in love with horses and cared deeply about their humane treatment. Such concern moved the girl to write a book called Black Beauty. First of all, it was intended not only for children, but rather for all people who experienced the difficult lot of horses. According to her, the writer sought to encourage a sense of empathy, sympathy and understanding toward animals. But by the time she began writing the novel (1871), her health was disastrous. As early as 1876, Anne was writing down her thoughts on small scraps of paper, which her mother would then transcribe and compose a single story.

Anna Sewell finished her book, Black Beauty, in 1877, just five months before her death. Fortunately, she had time to feel the early successes of her barely published work. Despite the fact that Black Beauty is Anne Sewell’s only book, her fame has long entered the annals of world literature. Anna Sewell is one of many legendary writers who have managed to publish just one work during her lifetime.

Edgar Allan Poe

One of the first American writers to turn to the genre of short prose was Edgar Allan Poe. To this day he is best known as the master of horror and all things unknown. He originated a particular style of detective fiction and had a hand in the evolution of the science fiction genre in literature. He was the first man in America to make a living as a writer. But despite all his productivity, only one novel came out of Edgar Poe’s pen: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838).

Emily Bronte

Like her sisters, Emily Bronte originally published under a pseudonym. Thus, the “first” author of Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, was Ellis Bell. The novel was greeted by critics with mixed feelings, most of whom still found the book unrealistic and scandalous. In a subsequent edition, Charlotte Bronte publishes a preface in which she attempts to defend her sister’s work. Unfortunately, Emily Brontë’s short life prevented her from writing another masterpiece; she died of tuberculosis one year after the first publication of Wuthering Heights.

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde wrote many plays and poetry, but Portrait of Dorian Gray (1890) remains his only novel. Nevertheless, his work did not allow the author to win the praise of critics, who hardly chose to censor it when writing their essays on the book. In his irrepressible desire to please the public, Wilde edited the novel several times, but he did direct most of his literary energy toward poetry. During his lifetime, Oscar Wilde was popular primarily for his poems, but it was “Dorian Gray” that helped him leave his mark on literary history forever.

Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell never wanted to publish her novel, but once acquaintances remarked that her work could have been a real event. Gone with the Wind was published in 1936, bringing her the endless fame she was so anxious to avoid. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and her Gone with the Wind is still one of the best-selling books of all time. Mitchell could not accept her position; she did not tolerate being in the spotlight, so she refused to publish another novel. Coincidentally, she never had a chance to change her mind; she died at the age of 49 under the wheels of a car.

Ross Lockridge Jr.

Despite the fact that Ross Lockridge’s name has become a household name, the public cheered his first novel, Raintree County, published in 1948. The book is often referred to as the Great American Novel, placing its author on the same pedestal as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway. “Raintree County” once topped the New York Times rankings, and the book was also screened a few years later. But a continuation of Lockridge’s literary career did not follow-he committed suicide just three months after publication.

Ralph Ellison

When Ralph Ellison published Invisible in 1952, the public literally greeted it immediately with delight. The writer won the National Book Award in 1953. Ellison continued writing, hoping to gain even more recognition on the wave of success of his first work. But a fire in his house destroyed his entire manuscript. But Ellison was not desperate; he continued writing, and his new manuscript stretched to more than 2,000 pages. After his death, the manuscript was trimmed, edited, and published as June 19.

Boris Pasternak

Boris Pasternak is an internationally recognized titan of 20th-century poetry. Not surprisingly, his attempt at writing prose was so admired, but his novel, Doctor Zhivago, was haunted by many failures. His manuscript was poorly received in his homeland, yet the Nobel Committee awarded him the prize in 1958. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, the writer was forced to reject it.

Harper Lee

Ever since Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, the novel has been one of America’s, and even the world’s, most popular. The writer was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, and in 2007 she received the Presidential Award for her contribution to literature. To this day, there is still some speculation as to why Harper Lee has not published other works. Nevertheless, more than a year ago her new work, Go Set a Watchman, saw the light of day, but it is widely believed that this was done to please greedy agents and against the permission of the writer herself.

John Kennedy Toole

“A Conspiracy of Stooges” was published in 1980 and instantly sold numerous copies, and its author was awarded the Pulitzer Prize – posthumously. Toole had finished his novel much earlier, but under the constant rejection of editors and publishers, the writer committed suicide in 1969. The book was published only thanks to the enormous efforts of the writer’s mother.