Prose genres

Story. Story is a small volume genre of the epic story types. The author of this genre describes shortly one story connected with one or some subjects. J. Mammadguluzade’s Mail box, A.Hagverdiyev’s Mirza Safar stories are typical examples of the story. The form of the genre of tales that ends with unexpected final is a short story. J. Mammadguluzade’s Gurbanali bey, A.Hagverdiyev’s Bomb, Mir Jalal’s Taste of almond stories can be considered as examples of short stories. 

 Story can be written in prose, like in poetry. The story written in poetry is called manzum. The independent manzum story came to our literature with creativity of M.Amani.

Narrative. “Povest” is a Russian word and taken from “povestvovanie word, which is used in a meaning of narration, telling tale, etc. Povest sometimes is called a big story.Because povest and story is close genres to each other. Unlike the story, povest (narrative) consists of few stories, and number of described subjects is more than in those described in story. The first sample of the povest in Azerbaijani literature is considered M.F.Akhundzade’s  Betrayed star. J. Mammadguluzade’s Stories of Danabash village, A.Veliyev’s Gulshan, M. Hussein’s Anger, M. Jalal’s, The Mountains talked, etc works are fine examples of the genre of narrative in Azerbaijani literature.

Novel. Word “Novel” (Roman) connected with roman language group that includes French, Spanish, Italian, etc. languages. Any feature work that written in these languages with tahkiya method though is called in XII-XIII centuries as “roman” but later it was formed as special genre. Novel is biggest genre of epic type for its volume. The events and images described in novel is more than in povest. In stories and povest (narrative) writer, as a rule,

describe a certain stage of the life of the hero, while in novel (roman) he gat a chance to describe the life of hero in the dynamic development, sometimes to look at his entire life. The two-part series novel is called dilogy, and three-part series called as trilogy. M. Hussein’s Absheron and Black stones novels together comprise the dilogy. M.S.Ordubadi’s The Secret Baku, Fighting City and The world is changing novels is a trilogy.

Each part of the dilogy and trilogy is considered to be independent and as a rule, each of them has an independent name. Simply, these independent novels are connected with each other with the same characters and same topic.

Novels dedicated to historical persons, a description of their life and activities are called historical novels. M.S.Ordubadi’s Misty Tabriz, dedicated to revolutionary movement in South Azerbaijan, Y.V.Chamanzaminli’s Between the two fire (In blood) dedicated to M.P.Vaqif, I.Huseynov’s “Judgement day” dedicated to I.Nasimi are examples of the historical novel.

Novels that have a big place for feelings and views of heroes, reflecting events in behavior of heroes are called psychological novels. Y. Samadoglus Day of murder is real psychological novel work.

Essay. It is a close genre of epic type to story with volume. Unlike a story, essay is written based on material of actual life, documentaries. This means that the writer reflects the  name of hero, facts of his biography as it is. Of course, like in story, the author makes typification and generalization and uses means of feature description and expression, but there is no way for writer’s fantasy, imagination. The reader that gets familiarized with essay    immediately understands whom the talk is about in particular. There are elements of artistry in essay. Essay is a close genre to publicism. 

In Azerbaijani literature Mir Jalal, Avaz Sadiq, Nureddin Babayev and others have created n good examples of essay.

Memorial. (Memoir), Memorial, or memoir, is written like essay based on a fact of real life and documentary materials. But compared to essay, there is no limit to talk about a specific person in memoir. The main condition in memoir is a description of events, of which the author was a witness. In addition, there is no limit of volume in memoir. Memorial may be a bigger in volume than essay. J. MammedquIuzade’s My memoir, A.Shaiq’s Passed days, O. F. Nomanzade’s My memories, S. Rustam’s Unforgettable teacher, M. Husseins, One month, one day, Anar’s Without you are examples of memorial.

Accuracy, observation of historical reality is most important properties of genre of memoir.  Approaches to personalities, events in this genre may be different.