Mass Literature: Book Genres
Mass Literature: Book Genres

Video: Mass Literature: Book Genres

Video: Mass Literature: Book Genres
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Book genres are professionally studied by literary criticism. They have developed dialectically since the time of Aristotle. Most modern genres of books are classified as so-called popular literature. Its development is driven by market demand.

book genres
book genres

In addition, any genres of fiction are classified into three genera: epic, dramatic and lyrical. But sometimes the genre is attributed to several genres of literature at once. For example, both to the lyrical and to the epic. Therefore, some literary scholars distinguish a fourth type of literature: lyrical-epic.

This concept is characterized by its own characteristics: meaningful and formal. Based on the form of the work, the genres of books can be represented as a sequence of them.

Works of short fiction

Story is the leading genre of short stories of a narrative nature, uniting several subgenres (sometimes they are distinguished as independent ones). The name "novella" is preferable for short stories with a pronounced author's style, as well as a conflict resolved in this work. An essay is a fictional documentary story that describes the human environment with real people andevents. Usually stories are grouped into cycles when they are published.

An essay is a work of short narrative prose that shows the author's opinion in relation to certain events or personalities. Such a work presents reflections, conclusions and conclusions of the author. Some critics identify essays with essays, others distinguish them as a separate genre.

Novels and short stories

A novel is a detailed prosaic (usually) work that reveals the dialectic of the protagonist's personality, overcoming various challenges, the formation of a personality over long periods of time. The genres of novels are quite diverse both in the national aspect (Russian, English, French, German novel) and in the subject area (psychological, love, chivalric novel). There is a genre of epic novel, when several novels are combined into a cycle.

The story, an epic work that shows the features of personality development, is assigned an intermediate position between a story and a novel. Usually the presentation in the story is centered around the image of the protagonist.

Dramatic Works

The play is a work of a playwright and is intended to be staged in a theater (classical or in a television or radio theatre). The sub-genre of the play is comedy, tragedy, drama. The drama is characterized by an everyday plot and style inherent in ordinary life. Comedy is distinguished by its humorous or satirical style, and within it there are subgenres: vaudeville, interlude, operetta, parody, sketch, farce.

Tragedy is a pathetic work that exposessharpening of internal contradictions, leading to a tragic outcome; it is designed to evoke feelings of compassion.

book genres list
book genres list

Poetic (lyrical) works

Works that have a poetic form are grouped by authors into collections of poems.

  • A poem is an epic work written in the form of poetry.
  • Ode is a solemn, pathetic poem.
  • Fable is a poem with an instructive character.
  • Ballad is a romantic work in poetic form.
  • Stans are poems, each line of which carries an independent meaning.
  • Elegy expresses sadness, complaint.
  • An epigram is a satirical poem.

Instead of a conclusion

Speaking about the subspecies of genres, we meant their classification by content. The above classification of genres can be interpreted as basic, but a dogmatic approach is not welcome in literary criticism. The post-industrial era has left its mark on the literary process, including in the form of a mixture of genres.

The article shows the most numerous genres of books in popular literature. The list of the works themselves in the context of genres is not given for obvious reasons. Presenting the most famous, rated books could be the subject of a whole series of articles.

How can a novice reader decide which genre he likes the most? We will recommend that he read three or four rated books in each genre and thus determine his own preferences.

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