Genre is a specific type of work. Types of literature and their purpose

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. The question of a genre as a variety of one or another sphere of art is rather complicated. This term is found in music, painting, architecture, theater, cinema, and literature.

Determining the genre of a work is a task that not every student can handle. Why is genre division necessary? Where are the boundaries that separate the novel from the poem, and the story from the short story? Let's try to figure it out together.

Genre in literature - what is it

The word "genre" comes from the Latin genus ( kind, genus). Literary reference books report that:

A genre is a historically developed variety of literary works, united by a set of formal and meaningful features.

It can be seen from the definition that in the process of genre evolution it is important to highlight three points:

1. each genre of literature is formed over a long period of time (each of them has its own history);
2. the main reason for its appearance is the need to express new ideas in an original way (substantive criterion);
3. distinguish one kind of work from another help external signs: volume, plot, structure, composition (formal criterion).

All genres of literature can be represented like this:

These are three typology options that help to attribute the work to a particular genre.

The history of the emergence of genres of literature in Russia

The literature of European countries was formed according to the principle of moving from the general to the particular, from the anonymous to the author's. Artistic creativity both abroad and in Russia, it was fed by two sources:

1. spiritual culture, the center of which was monasteries;
2. folk speech.

If you look closely at the history of literature in Ancient Russia, one can notice how the chronicles, patericons, lives of saints and patristic writings are gradually being replaced by new forms of narration.

At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries, such genres ancient Russian literature , as a word, walking (the ancestor of the travel novel), (everyday "splinter" of a moral parable), heroic poem, spiritual verse. On the material of oral traditions, which stood out separately during the period of disintegration ancient myth to a fairy tale epic and a realistic military tale.

Interacting with foreign written traditions, Russian literature is enriched new genre forms: novel, secular philosophical tale, author's fairy tale, and in the era of romanticism - a poem, lyric poem, a ballad.

The realistic canon brings to life a problematic novel, story, short story. On the turn of XIX-XX centuries, genres with blurred boundaries are becoming popular again: essay (), essay, little poem, symbolist. Old forms are filled with original meaning, they pass into each other, destroy the set standards.

Dramatic art has a powerful influence on the formation of the genre system. Set to theatricality changes the appearance of such genres familiar to the average reader as a poem, a story, a short story and even a small lyric poem (in the era of the “sixties” poets).

AT contemporary literature the genre canon remains open. There is a prospect of interaction not only within individual genres, but also within various kinds art. Every year a new genre appears in literature.

Literature on genera and species

The most popular classification breaks works "by gender" (all of its components are shown in the third column in the figure at the beginning of this publication).

To understand this genre classification, it is necessary to remember that literature, like music, is worth on the "three pillars". These whales, called genera, are in turn divided into species. For clarity, we present this structure in the form of a diagram:

1. The most ancient "whale" is considered epic. Its progenitor, which broke up into legend and legend.
2. appeared when humanity stepped over the stage of collective thinking and turned to the individual experiences of each member of the community. The nature of the lyrics personal experience author.
3. older than epic and lyrics. Its appearance is associated with the era of antiquity and the emergence of religious cults - mysteries. Drama has become the art of the streets, a means of releasing collective energy and influencing masses of people.

Epic genres and examples of such works

The largest the epic forms known to modern times are the epic and the epic novel. The ancestors of the epic can be considered a saga, common in the past among the peoples of Scandinavia, and a legend (for example, the Indian "Tale of Gilgamesh").

epic is a multi-volume narrative about the fate of several generations of heroes in historically established and fixed cultural tradition circumstances.

A rich socio-historical background is required, against which events unfold privacy heroes. For the epic, such features as the multicomponent plot, the connection between generations, the presence of heroes and anti-heroes are important.

Since it depicts large-scale events over the centuries, it rarely contains careful psychological portrayal, but epics created in the last few centuries combine these installations with achievements contemporary art. The Forsyte Saga by J. Galsworthy not only describes the history of several generations of the Forsyte family, but also gives subtle vivid images individual characters.

Unlike the epic epic novel covers a shorter period of time (no more than a hundred years) and tells about 2-3 generations of heroes.

In Russia, this genre is represented by the novels "War and Peace" by L.N. Tolstoy, " Quiet Don» M.A. Sholokhov, "Walking through the torments" by A.N. Tolstoy.

to medium forms epic include novel and short story.

The term " novel” comes from the word “Roman” (Roman) and is reminiscent of the ancient prose narrative that gave birth to this genre.

The Satyricon by Petronius is considered an example of an ancient novel. AT medieval Europe a picaresque novel is spreading. The era of sentimentalism gives the world a novel-journey. Realists develop the genre and fill it with classical content.

On the turn of XIX-XX centuries, the following types of novels:

1. philosophical;
2. psychological;
3. social;
4. intellectual;
5. historical;
6. love;
7. detective;
8. adventure novel.

AT school curriculum many novels. Giving examples, name the books of I.A. Goncharov "Ordinary History", "Oblomov", "Cliff", works by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons" Noble Nest”, “On the eve”, “Smoke”, “New”. The genre of "Crime and Punishment", "The Idiot", "The Brothers Karamazov" by F. M. Dostoevsky is also a novel.

Tale does not affect the fate of generations, but has several storylines that develop against the backdrop of one historical event.

« captain's daughter» A. S. Pushkin and "Overcoat" N.V. Gogol. V.G. Belinsky spoke about the primacy of narrative literature in culture XIX century.

Small epic forms(story, essay, short story, essay) have one storyline, a limited number of characters and are distinguished by a compressed volume.

For example, stories by A. Gaidar or Yu. Kazakov, short stories by E. Poe, essays by V.G. Korolenko or an essay by V. Wolf. Let's make a reservation, sometimes it "works" as a genre scientific style or journalism, but has artistic imagery.

Lyric genres

Large lyric forms represented by a poem and a wreath of sonnets. The first is more plot-driven, which makes it related to the epic. The second is static. In a wreath of sonnets, consisting of 15 14-verses, a theme is described and the author's impressions of it.

In Russia, poems have a socio-historical character. " Bronze Horseman"and" Poltava "A.S. Pushkin, "Mtsyri" by M.Yu. Lermontov, “Who is it good to live in Russia” N.A. Nekrasov, "Requiem" by A.A. Akhmatova - all these poems lyrically describe Russian life and national characters.

Small forms of lyrics numerous. This is a poem, ode, canzone, sonnet, epitaph, fable, madrigal, rondo, triolet. Some forms originated in medieval Europe (lyric poetry in Russia especially fell in love with the sonnet genre), some (for example, the ballad) became the legacy of German romantics.

Traditionally small Poetry works are usually divided into 3 types:

1. philosophical lyrics;
2. love lyrics;
3. landscape poetry.

AT recent times urban lyrics also stood out as a separate subspecies.

Dramatic genres

Drama gives us three classic genres:

1. comedy;
2. tragedy;
3. actual drama.

All three varieties performing arts originated in Ancient Greece.

Comedy originally associated with religious cults purification, mysteries, during which a carnival action unfolded on the streets. The sacrificial goat “comos”, later called the “scapegoat”, walking along the streets along with the artists, symbolized all human vices. According to the canon, they should be ridiculed by comedy.

Comedy is the genre of "Woe from Wit" by A.S. Griboedov and "Undergrowth" D.I. Fonvizin.

In the era of classicism, there were 2 types of comedy: comedy provisions and comedy characters. The first played with circumstances, gave one hero for another, had an unexpected denouement. The second pushed actors in the face of an idea or task, giving rise to a theatrical conflict on which the intrigue rested.

If, during a comedy, the playwright expected the healing laughter of the crowd, then tragedy set out to evoke tears. It was bound to end in the death of the hero. Empathizing with the characters, the viewer or the cleansing.

Romeo and Juliet, as well as W. Shakespeare's Hamlet, were written in the tragedy genre.

Actually drama- this is the latest invention of dramaturgy, removing therapeutic tasks and making an installation for subtle psychologism, objectivity, play.

Definition of the genre of a literary work

How was the poem "Eugene Onegin" called a novel? Why did Gogol define the novel "Dead Souls" as a poem? And why is Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard a comedy? Genre designations are hints that there are right directions in the art world, but, fortunately, there are no forever beaten paths.

A little higher is a video that helps determine the genre of a literary work.

Genre concept. Principles of genre classification

Literary genres (French genre - genus, type) are the types of works that have developed in the process of development of fiction. Obviously, the problem of the genre is in the general form can be formulated as a problem of classifying works, identifying common - genre - features in them. The main difficulties of classification are associated with the historical change in literature, with the evolution of genres.

Quantity and nature genre features(the volume of the genre) is a variable in the history of literature, which is reflected in the variety of genre theories that replace each other, as well as the ideas about the Jeans that dominate writers' and readers' practice. So, for the tragedy in the realistic drama of the XIX-XX centuries. many signs of a classic tragedy are not obligatory. In the era of realism, any dramatic work, revealing the tragic conflict and expressing the corresponding pathos. Thus, we can talk about a decrease in the genre volume of the tragedy from classicism to realism.

Most genres originated in ancient times. Evolving into Lit. process, they nevertheless retain some stable content and formal features that make it possible to speak of a genre tradition. The genre designations themselves, often included in the text of a work, in its title (“Eugene Onegin. A novel in verse”), are signs of lit. traditions; they evoke a certain genre expectation in the reader.

When studying genres, one should distinguish between their most stable and transient features. As part of the theoretical and literary course, the main attention is paid to the characterization of the most stable genre features. However, it is important to remember that lit. In the process, the genre always appears as an element of the genre system, the principles of which depend on the specific historical features of artistic thinking. Thus, in ancient literatures, the development of the author's self-awareness was slow, determined by the stability of traditions and the general pace of national life. Therefore, the genre systems of ancient literatures, differing in complexity and branching, are characterized by greater stability in comparison with the literatures of modern times.

Genuine liberation from the cruel genre regulations became possible only with the development of realism, it was associated with overcoming subjective one-sidedness in creativity itself. And in realistic literature, which correlates the development of characters with circumstances in their historical concreteness, following the tradition of genres could be carried out much more freely, which generally led to a decrease in their volume. In all European literatures of the XIX century. there is a sharp restructuring of the genre system. Genres began to be perceived as aesthetically equivalent and open to creative search types of works. This approach to genres is also characteristic of our time.

Basic principles of genre classification of literary works. Genre characteristics, which have the most stable, historically repeatable character, form the basis of the literary classification of works. As literary terms, traditional genre designations are mainly used - a fable, a ballad, a poem, etc. - which spontaneously arose in literature and acquired a wide range of associations in the process of genre evolution.

The most important genre feature of works is their belonging to one or another literary genus: epic, dramatic, lyrical, lyrical-epic genres stand out. Within the genera, types are distinguished - stable formal, compositional and stylistic structures, which it is advisable to call generic forms. They are differentiated depending on the organization of speech in a work - poetic or prose, on the volume of the text. In addition, the basis for highlighting generic forms in the epic may be the principles of plot construction, in poetic lyrics - solid strophic forms (sonnet, rondo, triolet), in drama - one or another attitude to the theater (drama for reading, for puppet theater) etc.

epic genres. Due to the breadth and versatility of the depiction of characters in epic works, in comparison with drama and lyrics, their genre problems stand out especially clearly and vividly. It is revealed in a variety of generic forms. So, a song, a fairy tale, and a story can be national-historical in their problems.

In the classification of generic forms, differences in the volume of texts of works are important. Along with small (story) and medium (story) prose forms, a large epic form is distinguished, which is often called novels. The volume of the text of the work in the epic is determined by the completeness of the reconstruction of characters and relationships, and hence the scale of the plot. Unlike the story, the story is not characterized by a detailed system of characters, there is no complex evolution of characters and detailed individualization.

Heroic folk song.

Novels, short stories (novels, essays)

Satirical, household tales, fables

dramatic genres. With their characteristic brevity of the time of performance on the stage and the resulting unity and concentration of the conflict, they create fertile ground for expressing certain types of pathos in the actions and experiences of the characters. Therefore, the division of drama into genres is connected with the pathos of the play. But pathos stems from conflict.

An additional substantive criterion for division in drama is the features of genre problems.

1) Tragedy - the conflict between personal aspirations and superpersonal "laws" of life occurs in the minds of the protagonist (heroes) and the entire plot of the play is created to develop and resolve this conflict. The hero of the tragedy is in a state of conflict not only with other characters, he fights primarily with himself. The tragedy ends with the usual death of the hero, although, as Belinsky wrote, "The essence of the tragic is not in the bloody denouement."

A) moral descriptive - in the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles, the characters act as carriers of certain moral and civil norms, reflect the clashes of old and new, more human, moral norms.

B) national-historical ("Persians" by Aeschylus, "Boris Godunov" by Pushkin)

2) Drama is the most diverse in terms of subject matter, characterized by a large breadth of depicted life conflicts. The pathos of drama is generated by the clashes of the characters with the forces of life that oppose them from the outside. However, the conflict in the drama can also be very serious and sharp and can lead to suffering, and sometimes to the death of the hero.

A) national-historical conflict ("Voevoda" by Ostrovsky, "Enemies" by Gorky)

B) socially everyday (romantic) (“The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare, “Vassa Zheleznova” by Gorky).

3) Comedy - a play filled with humorous or satirical pathos. Such pathos is generated by the comic contradictions of the recreated characters. The comic nature of the characters is revealed through plot conflicts, often based on chance. At the same time, the characters of comedy characters themselves do not change in connection with the course of events. There is no character development in comedy. The image of the internal failure, absurdity, inferiority of comic characters, their satirical or humorous denial - this is the main ideological orientation of the comedy.

lyrical genres. The peculiarity of the lyrics is that it highlights the inner world lyrical hero, his experiences. This is clearly seen not only in works that lack any visual images of the outside world, but also in descriptive, narrative lyrics, here the experience is conveyed through the emotional expression of speech, the nature of the tropes, etc. Therefore, the basis of the meaningful genre division in the lyrics is the character itself. experiences. But the experience in lyrics can be subjects of typology in another respect. As in the epic and the drama, in the lyrics one can trace the differences in genre problems - national-historical, moralistic, romantic, which are manifested here through the typification of the very experience of the lyrical hero.

The genres of literary lyrics were formed on the basis of the folk lyric song, in its various varieties.

1) Ode - a poem expressing enthusiastic feelings that some significant object excites in the poet. In the ode, the poet joins, first of all, collective feelings - patriotic, civil. Genre issues in an ode it can be national-historical or moralistic.

2) Satire - a poem expressing indignation, indignation of the poet with the negative aspects of society. Satire is moralistic in terms of genre issues, the poet in it is, as it were, the mouthpiece of the advanced part of society, preoccupied with its negative state.

3) Elegy - a poem full of sadness, dissatisfaction with life. Sadness can be caused by some reason ("Sorrowful Elegies" by Ovid). But an elegy is possible in which the recreated experience does not have a specific motivation (“I experienced my desires ...” by Pushkin).

4) Epigram, epitaph, madrigal - small forms of lyrics. In the history of literature, the broad (ancient Greek) and narrow (later) meanings of the epigram are known. The ancient Greek epigram (literally "inscription") originates from inscriptions on cult objects. The type of epigram was an epitaph - an inscription on a tombstone. The content and emotional tone of ancient Greek epigrams were different. The originality of thought and the laconism of its expression - that's what has always been appreciated in the epigram. The second, narrow meaning of the epigram, which has been attached to it since the 1st century AD, is a short humorous or satirical poem, most often ridiculing a certain person. The antipode of the epigram (higher meaning of the word) is the madrigal - a short half-joking poem of a complimentary nature (usually addressed to a lady).

Lyric-epic genres. The combination of lyrical meditation and epic narration is often found in works of different genres (for example, in a romantic poem). But there are genres whose nature is always lyrical-epic.

1) A fable is a moral descriptive genre that contains a brief allegorical narrative and a lesson (“morality”) arising from it. Even if the teaching is not "Formulated" in the text of the fable, it is implied; the relationship of teaching with the plot of the fable is its lyrical-epic basis.

2) Ballad - a small poetic plot work in which the narration itself is permeated with lyricism. Unlike a fable, where it is possible to single out the lyrical (“moral”) and epic (plot) parts, the ballad represents an indissoluble fusion of the lyrical and epic beginnings. Genre issues in a ballad can be national-historical and romantic.

Literature is called the works of human thought, fixed in the written word and having a social meaning. Anything literary work depending on HOW the writer depicts reality in it, they are classified as one of three literary genera : epic, lyric or drama.

epic (from the Greek "narrative") - a generalized name for works in which events external to the author are depicted.

Lyrics (from the Greek "performed to the lyre") - the generalized name of works - as a rule, poetic, in which there is no plot, but the thoughts, feelings, experiences of the author (lyrical hero) are reflected.

Drama (from Greek "action") - a generalized name for works in which life is shown through conflicts and clashes of heroes. Dramatic works are intended not so much for reading as for staging. In drama, it is not the external action that matters, but the experience. conflict situation. In drama, epic (narration) and lyrics are merged into one.

Within each type of literature, there are genres- historically established types of works, characterized by certain structural and content features (see the table of genres).

Tragedy (from the Greek "goat song") - a dramatic work with an insurmountable conflict, which depicts a tense struggle strong characters and passions, ending with the death of the hero.

Comedy (from the Greek. "fun song") - a dramatic work with a cheerful, funny plot, usually ridiculing social or domestic vices.

Drama is a literary work in the form of a dialogue with a serious plot, depicting a person in his dramatic relationship with society.

Vaudeville – light comedy with singing couplets and dancing.

Farce – theatrical play light, playful character with external comic effects, designed for rough taste.

Oh yeah (from Greek “song”) - a choral, solemn song, a work that glorifies, praises any significant event or heroic person.

Hymn (from Greek “praise”) - a solemn song to verses of a programmatic nature. Initially, hymns were dedicated to the gods. The anthem is currently one of the national symbols states.

Epigram (from the Greek. "Inscription") - a short satirical poem of a mocking nature, which arose in the 3rd century BC. e.

Elegy - a genre of lyrics dedicated to sad thoughts or a lyric poem imbued with sadness. Belinsky called an elegy "a song of sad content." The word "elegy" is translated as "reed flute" or "mournful song". The elegy originated in ancient Greece in the 7th century BC. e.

Message - a poetic letter, an appeal to a specific person, a request, a wish.

Sonnet (from Provence. "song") - a poem of 14 lines, which has a certain rhyming system and strict stylistic laws. The sonnet originated in Italy in the 13th century (the creator is the poet Jacopo da Lentini), appeared in England in the first half of the 16th century (G. Sarri), and in Russia in the 18th century. The main types of the sonnet are Italian (from 2 quatrains and 2 tercets) and English (from 3 quatrains and the final couplet).

Poem (from the Greek “I do, I create”) is a lyrical-epic genre, a large poetic work with a narrative or lyrical plot, usually on a historical or legendary theme.

Ballad - lyrical-epic genre, plot song of dramatic content.

epic - large piece of art, telling about significant historical events. In antiquity - a narrative poem heroic content. In the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, the epic novel genre appears - this is a work in which the formation of the characters of the main characters occurs in the course of their participation in historical events.

Novel - a large narrative work of art with complex plot, in the center of which is the fate of the individual.

Tale - a work of art that occupies a middle position between a novel and a short story in terms of volume and complexity of the plot. In ancient times, everything was called a story. narrative work.

Story - a work of art of a small size, based on an episode, an incident from the life of a hero.

Story - work about fictional events and heroes, usually involving magical, fantastic forces.

Fable - This is a narrative work in poetic form, of a small size, moralizing or satirical nature.

Historically, three types of literature have developed in literature: epic, dramatic and lyrical. These are groups of genres that have similar structural features. If the epic in the story fixes the external reality (events, facts, etc.), then the drama does the same in the format of a conversation, not on behalf of the author, and the lyrics describe the inner reality of a person. Of course, the division is conditional and to a certain extent artificial, but, nevertheless, our acquaintance with the book begins with the fact that we see the genre, genus or combination of them on the cover and draw the first conclusions. For example, a person only likes to watch plays in the theater, which means that he does not need a volume of Molière and he will pass by him without wasting time. Knowledge of the basic foundations of literary criticism also helps during reading, when you want to understand the author, to penetrate into his creative laboratory, to unravel why, and not otherwise, his plan was embodied.

Each genre has an example and theoretical background, the most concise and simple.

The novel is big shape epic genre, a work with extended issues and many themes. As a rule, the classical novel depicts people participating in various life processes that give rise to external and internal conflicts. Events in the novel are not always described sequentially, for example, Lermontov in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" intentionally violates the sequence.

Thematically, novels are divided into autobiographical (Chudakov "Darkness Falls on the Old Steps"), philosophical (Dostoevsky's "Demons"), adventure (Defoe "Robinson Crusoe"), fantastic (Glukhovsky "Metro 2033"), satirical (Rotterdam's "Praise of Stupidity"), historical (Pikul "I have the honor"), adventurous (Merezhko "Sonka the Golden Hand"), etc.

Structurally, novels are divided into a novel in verse (Pushkin "Eugene Onegin"), a pamphlet novel (Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"), a parable novel (Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea"), a feuilleton novel ("Countess of Salisbury" Dumas), epistolary novel(Russo "Julia or the new Eloise") and others.

The epic novel is a novel with a panoramic image of the life of the people at a turning point historical moments(Tolstoy "War and Peace").

The story is average (between short story and novel) in size epic work, which tells the story of a particular event in a natural sequence (Kuprin "The Pit"). How is a story different from a novel? At least by the fact that the material of the story is chronicled, and not for the sake of the action-packed composition of the novel. In addition, the story does not set tasks of a global historical nature. In the story, the author is more constrained, all his fabrications are subordinated to the main action, and in the novel the writer is fond of memories, digressions and analysis of the characters.

The story is small epic prose form. The work has a limited number of characters, one problem and one event (Turgenev "Mumu"). How is a novella different from a short story? The boundaries between these two genres are very arbitrary, but in the short story the finale most often develops unpredictably (O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi").

The essay is small epic prose form (many refer to it as a kind of story). The essay usually deals with social problems and tends to be descriptive.

The parable is moral teaching in allegorical form. How is a parable different from a fable? The parable draws its material mainly from life, and the fable is based on fictional, sometimes fantastic stories (evangelical parables).

Lyric genres are...

The lyric poem is small genre form lyrics written on behalf of the author (Pushkin "I loved you") or on behalf of the lyrical hero (Tvardovsky "I was killed near Rzhev").

elegy is a small lyrical form, a poem that is imbued with a mood of sadness and melancholy. Sad thoughts, grief, sad reflections make up the repertoire of elegies (Pushkin's elegy "On the rocks, on the hills").

The message is poetic letter. According to the content of the message, it can be divided into friendly, satirical, lyrical, etc. They can be dedicated both to one person and to a group of people (Voltaire's "Message to Friedrich").

The epigram is a poem that makes fun of a specific person (from friendly mockery to sarcasm) (Gaft "Epigram on Oleg Dal"). Features: wit and brevity.

Oda is a poem distinguished by solemnity of tone and loftiness of content (Lomonosov "Ode on the day of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna 1747").

The sonnet is a poem of 14 verses ("Twenty sonnets to Sasha Zapoeva" by Timur Kibirov). The sonnet is one of the strict forms. A sonnet usually consists of 14 lines, forming 2 quatrains-quatrains (for 2 rhymes) and 2 three-line tercetes (for 2 or 3 rhymes).

The poem is the average lyrical-epic form, in which there is a detailed plot, and several experiences are embodied, that is, attention to inner world lyrical hero (Lermontov "Mtsyri").

The ballad is middle lyric-epic form, story in verse. Often the ballad has a tense storyline (Zhukovsky "Lyudmila").

Dramatic genres are...

Comedy is a type of drama in which the content is presented in a comical way, and the characters and circumstances are comical. What are comedies? Lyric (" The Cherry Orchard"Chekhov), high ("Woe from Wit" by Griboyedov"), satirical ("Inspector General" by Gogol).

Tragedy is a type of drama based on an acute life conflict, which entails the suffering and death of heroes (Shakespeare's "Hamlet").

Drama is play with acute conflict, which is common, not so lofty and resolvable (for example, Gorky "At the bottom"). How is it different from tragedy or comedy? Firstly, the material used is modern, not from antiquity, and secondly, the drama appears new hero rebelling against circumstances.

Tragifars - a dramatic work that combines tragic and comic elements (Ionesco, "The Bald Singer"). This is a postmodern genre that has appeared relatively recently.

Then to:

a) learn the skill in your genre;
b) know exactly which publisher to offer the manuscript to;
c) study your target audience and offer the book not to “everyone in general”, but to those people who may be interested in it.

What is fiction?

Fiction refers to all works that have a fictional plot and fictional characters: novels, short stories, novellas and plays.

Memoirs are classified as non-fiction, because we are talking about non-fictional events, but they are written according to the canons. fiction- with the plot, characters, etc.

But poetry, including lyrics, is fiction, even if the author recalls a past love that actually happened.

Types of Adult Fiction

Fiction works are divided into genre literature, mainstream and intellectual prose.

genre literature

AT genre literature The plot plays the first violin, while it fits into certain, previously known frameworks.

This does not mean that all genre novels should be predictable. The skill of the writer lies precisely in creating a unique world under given conditions, unforgettable heroes and interesting way get from point "A" (tie) to point "B" (denouement).

Usually, genre work ends on a positive note, the author does not delve into psychology and other high matters and simply tries to entertain readers.

Basic plot schemes in genre literature

Detective: crime - investigation - exposure of the criminal.

Love story: heroes meet - fall in love - fight for love - unite hearts.

Thriller: the hero lived ordinary life- there is a threat - the hero tries to escape - the hero gets rid of the danger.

Adventures: the hero sets a goal and, having overcome many obstacles, achieves what he wants.

When we talk about science fiction, fantasy, historical or modern novel, it's not so much about the plot, but about the scenery, so when defining the genre, two or three terms are used that allow you to answer the questions: "What happens in the novel?" and "Where is it happening?". If we are talking about children's literature, then an appropriate note is made.

Examples: "modern love story”, “Fantastic action movie” (action movie is adventure), “historical detective story”, “children's adventure story”, “fairy tale for primary school age”.

Genre prose, as a rule, is published in series - either author's or general.

Mainstream

In the mainstream (from English. mainstream- the main thread) readers expect unexpected solutions from the author. For this type of book, the most important thing is the moral development of the characters, philosophy and ideology. The requirements for a mainstream author are much higher than for writers working with genre prose: he must not only be an excellent storyteller, but also a good psychologist and serious thinker.

Another important feature mainstream - such books are written at the intersection of genres. For example, it is impossible to say unambiguously that gone With the Wind" - this is only romance or only historical drama.

By the way, the drama itself, that is, the story of the tragic experience of the characters, is also a sign of the mainstream.

As a rule, novels of this type are released outside the series. This is due to the fact that serious works are written for a long time and it is rather problematic to form a series of them. Moreover, mainstream authors are so different from each other that it is difficult to group their books on any basis other than “good book”.

When specifying a genre in mainstream novels, the emphasis is usually placed not so much on the plot, but on certain features books: historical drama, novel in letters, fantasy saga, etc.

The emergence of the term

The term "mainstream" itself arose from American writer and criticism to William Dean Howells (1837–1920). As editor of one of the most popular and influential literary magazines of his time The Atlantic Monthly, he gave a clear preference to works written in a realistic vein and focusing on moral and philosophical problems.

Thanks Howells realistic literature became fashionable, and for some time it was called the mainstream. The term has stuck in English language and from there moved to Russia.

intellectual prose

In the vast majority of cases, intellectual prose has a gloomy tone and is released outside of the series.

Main genres of fiction

Approximate classification

When submitting an application to a publisher, we must indicate the genre - so that our manuscript is sent to the appropriate editor.

The following is an indicative list of genres as understood by publishers and bookstores.

• vanguard literature. It is characterized by violation of the canons and language and plot experiments. As a rule, the avant-garde comes out in very small editions. Closely intertwined with intellectual prose.
• Action. Aimed primarily at a male audience. The basis of the plot is fights, chases, saving beauties, etc.
• Detective. Main story line- disclosure of a crime.
• Historical novel. The time of action is the past. The plot, as a rule, is tied to significant historical events.
• Love story. Heroes find love.
• Mystic. The basis of the plot is supernatural events.
• Adventures. Heroes get involved in an adventure and/or go on a perilous journey.
• Thriller/horror. The heroes are in mortal danger, from which they are trying to get rid of.
• Fiction. The plot twists in a hypothetical future or in a parallel world. One of the varieties of fantasy is alternative history.
• Fantasy / fairy tales. The main features of the genre are fairy worlds, magic, unseen creatures, talking animals, etc. Often based on folklore.

What is non-fiction?

Non-fiction books are classified by subject (eg gardening, history, etc.) and type (scientific monograph, collection of articles, photo album, etc.).

The following is a classification of non-fiction books, as done in bookstores. When submitting an application to the publisher, indicate the topic and type of book - for example, a textbook on writing.

Classification of non-fiction

• autobiographies, biographies and memoirs;
• architecture and art;
• astrology and esotericism;
• business and finance;
• armed forces;
• upbringing and education;
• house, garden, orchard;
• health;
• story;
• career;
• computers;
• local history;
• love and family relationships;
• fashion and beauty;
• music, cinema, radio;
• science and technology;
• food and cooking;
• gift editions;
• politics, economics, law;
• guides and travelogues;
• religion;
• self-development and psychology;
• Agriculture;
• dictionaries and encyclopedias;
• sport;
• philosophy;
• hobby;
• school textbooks;
• linguistics and literature.