The number of lovers of fiction in last years decreased significantly. The younger generation prefers not to read complex works raising psychological and social problems while watching an entertaining video.
Many of those who still pick up books choose those with which you can relax, dream, and escape from the monotonous everyday life. It is not surprising that the largest editions of publishing houses produce just such easy literature.
What is fiction, what does it mean for literary heritage humanity, what is the definition of this term? Let's figure it out.
The word "fiction" has several meanings. Previously, they denoted all fiction.
Now fiction is literature that belongs to the middle level: not classical, but not mass. Over time, it becomes irrelevant and is not included in the golden fund of works.
These are books that do not belong to the elite, classical literature, but at the same time they also have some artistic value.
According to Wikipedia, Aristotle began to divide literature into “high” and “low” in the era of antiquity. The second type included works written for common people. Philosophers argued that this literature is simple, superficial.
In the era of the Pre-Renaissance, readers had a need for light entertainment literature. She was characterized by the following symptoms:
- using the same literary schemes in different works;
- repetition of stories;
- easy-going characters.
Over time, new ones were formed: short stories, various novels (adventure, love, chivalry). They were created schematically: the authors took a certain plot as a basis, strung different heroes, diluted with typical events.
hallmarks of fiction
Fiction is distinguished from the classics by the following features:
Important! Fiction is not devoid of meaning and depth, it, like other literature, reflects the author's worldview, conveys a sense of the world to its readers. Due to the ease of presentation and accessibility to many categories of literature lovers, it is always more popular than classical literature.
Functions and meaning
Fiction has three main functions:
- Helps diversify the range of literature. There are many topics covered in the books. The Modern Reader has no limits in his choice and can change his preferences as often as he wishes.
- Instills a love of reading. Because of the variety in literature, there is a greater chance that people will engage in reading. There are books to satisfy every interest: the variety of topics, genres, plots, stories, styles of writing and design provides a wide range of choices for today's readership.
- Satisfies mass literary demands. People are interested in watching and reading hot topics. If there is a war somewhere in the world, they will be happy to learn about it from the book. Historical writings few will choose, but fiction will find thousands of readers. People have a need to "use" information on acute social topics (religion, politics, relations, reforms), which is easier to perceive in a "light" form than in memoirs and treatises.
Genre examples
Fiction is rich in genres. In order to satisfy the maximum range of reader requests, this literature has an extensive system genre types and destinations, the most popular among which:
Important! Stephen King is recognized as the king of fiction in the thriller genre, who in his books, through fear and the image of the other world, also reveals many social topics, human vices and shortcomings of modern society.
Useful video
Summing up
Genres in pure form are rare. Usually authors combine them when trying to find a recipe for a successful novel. Psychological thrillers, acute social detective stories, fantasy romance novels - such literary searches lead to the creation of new genres and genre types.
Some of them become successful, some are forgotten after a few years, but any example of such literature finds its reader and feedback from the audience.
Throughout the history of its existence, literature has acquired a multitude of various classifications and definitions.
This term is not scientific is not scientific term, so it is difficult to define it.
For example, according to the way of speaking, literature is divided into:
- Epos (novels, novellas, short stories);
- Lyrics (poems various forms and genres)
- Drama (plays, scripts).
According to the length of the work on the novel, story and short story. Also exists genre classification , which unites the works verbal art in accordance with the topics covered and narrative techniques:
- horror;
- detective;
- love story;
- fantastic.
Fiction: Wikipedia
According to Wikipedia, fiction is the general name of fiction in verse or prose, or excluding poetry and dramaturgy.
The term fiction began to appear in literary magazines of the nineteenth century and was borrowed from French, in translation from which it means "fine literature" ( belles lettres). It is believed that it was introduced into use by Vissarion Belinsky, who thus denoted the opposition to journalism - serious literature, with social overtones and a psychological bias.
Historically for this genus literature is entrenched dismissive attitude. In a broad sense, it is understood as all fiction, as opposed to non-fiction– scientific popular literature(monographs, diaries, collections of essays). In a less broad sense, fiction is fiction except for poetry and drama. In a very narrow one - literature for easy reading at your leisure.
If the first two definitions can still be used as a classification with a high degree of conditionality, then the latter already falls into the realm of value judgments and depends solely on the perceiving subject. Depending on the level of education and the degree of erudition, detectives by Daria Dontsova and fantastic works brothers Strugatsky. Serious historians also refer Leo Tolstoy's immortal novel "War and Peace" to the so-called historical fiction.
Fiction is characterized by orientation on the plot and belonging to a particular genre. Topics covered in this kind of literature should be popular and socially significant. As a rule, these are human relationships (love, family, relationships between fathers and children), a crime theme (detectives, thrillers), social or historical novels, etc.
It is customary to contrast fiction and popular literature. The latter is considered the lowest form of the existence of literature and is created only in commercial purposes, the so-called "literary blacks". Unlike fiction for mainstream literature characteristic: low level language, lack of any problematic issues and psychological credibility of the characters.
Fiction, in turn, should touch upon topical this moment social issues or highlight, summarize and reflect on recent experience public life. So fiction authors tend to create works in certain genres, on the wave of their popularity. In the recent past, such a genre in teen literature was a love story with elements of mysticism and horror, set by Stephenie Myers' Twilight novels.
Then, with the release of The Hunger Games Susan Collins dominated the dystopian genre. In parallel with this, for an adult audience, a new milestone in popular literature was opened by E.L. James with his novel Fifty Shades of Grey. And the Scandinavian detective with the light hand of Stieg Larsson (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) set patterns for writing in this kind of genre.
Many techniques discovered by writers in the course of working on their works are replicated and become an integral part of the genre. Thus, the well-known novelists of our time include writers who work in a certain way, their names during their lifetime become well known, and their works often fall into history. For example, the king of horror Stephen King, who has released eighty-four books under various pseudonyms so far.
No less popular fantasy Ray Bradbury who tried to write at least one story a day. Not as prolific, but very popular writer George Martin literally revived the fantasy genre with a series of books under common name"Song of Ice and Fire".
In Russian literature, fiction can be attributed to the works of the popular writer Svetlana Martynchik, who creates her novels under the pseudonym Max Fry. Or the popular science fiction writer, author of many bestsellers Sergei Lukyanenko. Also to fiction writers the author is rightfully historical novels about Erast Fandorin Boris Akunin.
Today, among professional literary scholars and critics, the term fiction is usually not used at all, or it is done extremely casually, regardless of any classifications, based on personal reading experience. For example, critic Mark Lipovetsky argues, What is the difference between literature and fiction that the first is interesting to read.
Fiction
Fiction
Literary Encyclopedia. - In 11 tons; M.: publishing house of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Friche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929-1939 .
Fiction
(from the French belles lettres - belles-lettres), a term denoting artistic prose, and sometimes used as an evaluative definition. In particular, V.G. Belinsky understood by fiction "easy reading" for a poorly educated readership - literature, which in its artistic and aesthetic quality does not reach the level of "belles-lettres", is frankly secondary to it, but nevertheless performs an important educational function, introducing wide layers of literate population to art - "beneficially affecting their education and providing them with intelligent and noble entertainment." Today, fiction is a mass literary production of an entertaining nature.
Literature and language. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Under the editorship of prof. Gorkina A.P. 2006 .
Fiction
FICTION- according to the literal meaning of the word (French) should mean, so-called, fine literature, i.e. poetry in all its forms, in verse and prose. But for a long time we have established a special meaning behind this word. It is B. that is opposed to poetry - also taken in a special and narrow sense - as artistic prose - to poetry. However, drama in the broadest sense, that is, as a literary work written for the stage, and, in any case, having a similar character and dialogic form, belongs to the field of dramaturgy, and not to B. Thus, B. is an artistic prose of a narrative nature, i.e. containing a consistent in general (breaks do not interfere with this, as well as a return back) - a presentation of a number of events, actions, relationships of the described persons, etc. Types of B.: novels, short stories, short stories, fairy tales, as well as satires written in prose (for example, Saltykov Shchedrin) and even poems (for example, “ Dead Souls"- Gogol). An internal sign of B. is an artistically developed plot, a plot (see these words). The presence of this quality of plot in a poem makes it, as it were, a small story in verse; and vice versa, small work artistic prose, which does not contain this sign of fiction and is marked by that special connection of images that characterizes lyric poetry, there is actually a poem in prose. From samples of this kind of works, according to outward signs belonging to the realm of artistic prose and fiction, but by their internal and essential features relating more to the realm of lyrics and poetry, one should first of all name the brilliant “Poems in Prose” by Turgenev. In our time, numerous works of this kind were given by F. Sollogub and A. Remizov; popular are "Lights" - V. Korolenko. IN old literature such an intermediate kind between lyrics and poetry include, for example, wonderful fantasies: Gogol's "Life", Zhukovsky's "Look at the Earth from the Sky" (also "Three Sisters" - his own). B. often use forms borrowed from non-artistic areas. For example, novellas and short stories, even great novels, can be written in the form of memoirs, autobiographies, diaries, letters, travels. On the other hand, memoirs, travels, letters that have artistic merit already belong to B. (such, for example, Herzen's Past and Thoughts, Goncharov's Frigate Pallas). It should be noted falsifications, fakes under B., consisting in the fact that they give the form of a novel or a story to works of non-fiction according to their main tasks. This is the so-called tendentious works. A well-known, although perhaps the least artistic, but very significant in many other respects composition of this kind is What is to be Done? - Chernyshevsky. Here, perhaps, the most artistic pages are those on which the heroine's dreams are described. And this is not a mere accident, because dreams and artistic creativity - closest friend to a friend of the state. At the same time, identifications of one image with another, common in dreams, provide the basis for lyrics with comparisons of all kinds characteristic of it, as an external expression of the dreamy experience of identifications; the deployment of the entire complex variety of images and events that creates the dream that we always remember is the basis of B. The so-called fake B. or false B. should also be attributed to the so-called. tabloid literature. Its main task lies in the area of satisfying not artistic aspirations, but low and vulgar interests (pornography, criminal sensation, etc.). Often found in works of this kind, a good style, an entertaining story, etc., do not yet make them artistic, because artistry literary work depends not so much on the merits of the language and the author's ability to present events in an interesting way, but on that peculiar experience of images, for the sake of which some shortcomings of presentation can be forgiven; although, of course, in the true achievements of B., the figurative experience merges with the verbal-sound experience in some complex unity of identification.
B., perhaps more than all other types of literature, is able to accommodate all the diversity of our life, aspirations, and interests. As Turgenev responded to reproaches in the journalistic themes of his novels, an artist can describe anything, as long as it "fits in the writer's soul" (Preface to the collection of novels), i.e. novels and stories can be everyday, social, historical, psychological, philosophical.
Artistic and philosophical works, for example, the book “Russian Nights” by V. Odoevsky (in which the narrative element alternates with the dialogic, but the artistic side prevails), belong to the mixed genus of B.. This also includes "Three conversations" - the philosopher Vl. Solovyov, in which there is a certain element of B. In general, the highest examples of proper philosophical dialogues, which at the same time reveal the greatest qualities of artistry, were given by Plato (“Feast”, “Phaedrus”, “Phaedo”, etc.). As for scientific biology, it should be taken into account that the spirit of exact research, which forms science, contradicts the spirit of free creativity, without which art is unthinkable. Only broad scientific hypotheses that are in contact with the philosophical consideration of the world as a whole, and even fantasies based on more or less justified forebodings of future scientific successes and conquests, can be included in works of art without violating their unity. Utopian works of a social, scientific and technical nature can undoubtedly have artistic merit (K. Lasswitz, Wells, and others).
Joseph Eiges. Literary Encyclopedia: Dictionary literary terms: In 2 volumes / Edited by N. Brodsky, A. Lavretsky, E. Lunin, V. Lvov-Rogachevsky, M. Rozanov, V. Cheshikhin-Vetrinsky. - M.; L.: Publishing house L. D. Frenkel, 1925
Synonyms:
See what "Fiction" is in other dictionaries:
- (from fr. belles iettres belles-lettres). Non-poetic works of literature, such as novels, novels, short stories, dramas, etc. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BELLETS [fr. belles… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
fiction- and, well. belles letters. 1. Fiction (as opposed to scientific, journalistic, etc. literature). ALS 2. Let me, for the first time, interpret to you the meaning of only those words that, as you yourself say, are more disturbing than others ... ... Historical dictionary gallicisms of the Russian language
Cm … Synonym dictionary
- (from the French belles lettres fiction), 1) fiction. 2) In the 20th century. predominantly light reading: mass literary production of a topical fashion or entertainment nature ... Modern Encyclopedia
- (from French belles lettres fiction) 1) fiction2)] In the 20th century. also mass literary production of everyday writing, entertaining nature, as opposed to works high art … Big encyclopedic Dictionary
- [barely], fiction, pl. no, female (From French belles lettres belles-lettres). 1. Narrative fiction in prose (novels, short stories, short stories, etc.). 2. trans. A light, not quite going to the point presentation instead of a serious one ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
FILM, and, wives. 1. Narrative fiction. 2. trans. About literature, to paradise it is easy to read, without difficulty. | adj. fiction, oh, oh (to 1 meaning). Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
Female, French fine writing, fine writing. Fictionist husband. female fiction writer writer for this part. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. IN AND. Dal. 1863 1866 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Fiction- BELLETRIX in the literal meaning of the word (French) should mean, so-called, fine literature, that is, poetry in all its forms, in verse and prose. But for a long time we have established a special meaning behind this word. It is B. that is opposed to ... Dictionary of literary terms
Fiction- (from the French belles lettres fiction), 1) fiction. 2) In the 20th century. predominantly light reading: mass literary production of topical fashion or entertainment character. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Fiction? To be precise, this word came to us from the French language and in translation means "fine literature". This term refers to the entire world of fiction in poetic or prose form.
Fiction Today and Always
Today, the answer to the question of what fiction is is very simple - it is mass literature. She kind of resists" high literature", that is, fiction, in fact, is called" light "literature, which manifests itself in such genres as mysticism, adventure, ladies' novels, detective stories. In the works of this direction, you rarely see a deep penetration into the characters' characters, into the motives of their the depth of their relationship with other characters. Basically, those who work in this genre show any social phenomena, moods of people, characters that are closest and most understandable to the masses. It is very rare to see a novelist projecting his personal view into this space , into this background that he creates so carefully.
Fiction in literature is like a comedy, adventure or mystical genre in cinema, when the plot is already fully understood to us even before the film reaches the climax. This, in fact, is just an attraction of tricks in which there is no particular depth.
This frivolous genre
What is fiction? It is always a story about a situation, about some event, but never about the development of character or the transformation of a person's personality. All literature, perhaps, can be divided into serious genres, which include novels, sagas, psychological prose, and fiction. The novelist has a language - Dictionary. He must know much of what he describes and talks about. Rather, he should not be a philosopher and psychologist, but a walking encyclopedia that would fit all kinds of knowledge and facts from around the world. Remember that what most often captures us in adventure films or detective investigations? We are surprised at how broad the horizons of the characters' knowledge are, how cunningly crimes are committed and revealed, or traps are set on the way to treasures.
Every attraction in literature perfectly explains what fiction is. This word is most often used in a disparaging way when talking about literature. In this direction, there is practically no social implication, no deep emphasis is placed on acute and actual problems society.
In principle, there is nothing unusual in this. After all, what is fiction, if not a completely ordinary name for the frivolous, in which the emphasis is only on loud effects? Fiction works include such worldwide famous novels like "Notes on Sherlock Holmes", detective novels by Agatha Christie, fantastic works of the Strugatsky brothers, stories about James Bond and many other cult works. All of them are excellent examples of this trend.
It would seem that the question "What is fiction?" there is a very specific answer, which is contained in dictionaries and encyclopedias. However, if you dig deeper, it turns out that everything is far from being so simple.
As it was before?
Judge for yourself, the word fiction comes from the French phrase belles lettres, which literally means "bells and whistles". Once upon a time, everything was exactly like that, and all fine literature was called fiction, that is, poetry (read fiction), presented in poetic or prose form.
Oh, those Belinsky and Pisarev!
Everything has changed thanks to the notorious literary critics XIX century Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky and Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev. From their light hand fiction began to be called mass literature, which is opposed to "high literature". That is, the meaning of the word has become directly opposite to the original.
How did it happen? Quite simply, respected critics used the term "fiction" in their articles to refer to literature that undermined their social theories.
Fiction in the broad and narrow sense
Today, the term "fiction" is used in a broad and narrow sense.
Fiction in the narrow sense- light reading, inherent in mystical, adventure, detective genres and ladies' romance. Such reading for recreation and works created for a pleasant pastime have a close connection with stereotypes, fashion, and popular topics in society. In addition, fiction may relate to serious problems and issues that concern society.
As a rule, the types of heroes, as well as their hobbies, habits, and professions are correlated with the information space available to everyone, and the ideas that have developed among the overwhelming majority. Most often, fiction writers express in their works the mood of society, its state and social phenomena. Less often - they represent what is happening, passing through the prism of their own views and ideas.
Fiction in the broadest sense- this is everything that is not journalism, not a documentary genre that was widespread in numerous literary magazines of the 19th century. The word "fiction", as mentioned above, was used in a disparaging manner in relation to works written on the principle of "literature for the sake of literature" and "text for the sake of text". These works were considered flawed because they did not contain social overtones.Special attention should be paid to such a phenomenon as "fictionalization". Fiction is used to present some documentary material using the techniques artistic narrative. A prime example similar works is the novel "What is to be done?" Chernyshevsky.
What does not apply to fiction?
The literary critic Joseph Eiges, in the article "Fiction", written for the Dictionary of Literary Terms, which was published in 1925, writes that tabloid literature that satisfies low and vulgar interests (criminal sensation, pornography) should be attributed to false fiction or fakes for it. etc.), rather than artistic aspirations.
It turns out that fiction once again changed its meaning. After all, at the beginning of the 20th century, main characteristic there was artistry, which depended not so much on the merits of the language and the author's ability to tell about events in an interesting way, "but on a peculiar experience of images, for the sake of which some shortcomings of presentation can be forgiven."
At that time, the works of Gogol, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Turgenev, Herzen, Goncharov and other writers were considered fiction. Modern fiction writers, whose works are published in thousands of copies, each reader can name himself.
