Genres of books professionally studies literary criticism. They have dialectically developed since the time of Aristotle. Most modern genres of books belong to the so-called mass literature. Its development is determined by market demand.
In addition, any genre of fiction refers to three kinds: epic, dramatic and lyrical. But sometimes a genre is assigned to several
types of literature at once
. For example, to the lyrical and the epic. Therefore, some literary scholars distinguish a fourth
type of literature: lyro-epic.
This concept is characterized by its own features: substantial and formal. Based on the form of the work, the genres of books can be represented by their sequence.
Works of little prose
The story is the leading genre of works of small prose of a narrative nature, uniting several subgenres (sometimes they are distinguished as independent). The name "short story" is preferable for small stories with a pronounced authorial style, as well as the conflict resolved in this work. An essay is an artistic and documentary story describing the human environment with real people and events. Typically, stories are grouped into cycles when they are published.
An essay is a work of small narrative prose, showing the author’s opinion in relation to certain events or personalities. Such a work presents the thoughts, conclusions and conclusions of the author. Some critics identify essays with essays, others identify in a separate genre.
Novels and novels
A novel is a detailed prose (usually) work that reveals the dialectics of the personality of the protagonist, overcoming various challenges, and becoming a person 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 novels when several novels are combined into a cycle.
The story, an epic work showing the characteristics of personality development, is given an intermediate position between the story and the novel. Usually the narrative in the story is centered around the image of the protagonist.
Dramatic works
The play is a work of the playwright and is intended for its production in the theater (classical or in a television or radio theater). The subgenre of the play is comedy, tragedy, drama. The drama is characterized by the everyday plot and stylistics inherent in ordinary life. Comedy is distinguished by a humorous or satirical style, inside it there are subgenres: vaudeville, sideshow, operetta, parody, sketch, farce.
Tragedy - a pathos product that reveals the sharpening of internal contradictions, leading to a tragic outcome; it is designed to evoke a feeling of compassion.
Poetic (lyric) works
Works with a poetic form are grouped by the authors into collections of poems.
- A poem is an epic work written in the form of poems.
- Ode is a solemn, pathos poem.
- A fable is a poem with an instructive character.
- Ballad - a romantic work in poetic form.
- Stanzas are verses, each line of which carries an independent meaning.
- Elegy expresses sadness, complaint.
- The epigram is a satirical poem.
Instead of a conclusion
Speaking about subspecies of genres, we had in mind 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 left its mark on the literary process, including in the form of mixing genres.
The article shows the most numerous genres of books in mass literature . The list of the works themselves in the context of genres is not given for obvious reasons. Presentation of the most famous, rated books can be the subject of a series of articles.
How can a novice reader decide which genre he most likes? We recommend that he read three or four rating books in each genre and thus determine his own preferences.