MODERN UKRAINIAN CHIMERICAL PROSE AND ITS GENRE VARIETIES OF “DARK LITERATURE”

Abstract

The article considers the main genres of “dark literature” and reveals their common features with the Ukrainian bizarre prose, which occupies a prominent place in the modern literary process. Today, authors increasingly use mythological motifs and plots, turn to folklore imagessymbols and elements of folk rituals. In Ukraine, the House of Chimeras, founded by the writer V. Granetska and the poet V. Sord, specializes in bizarre genre and author's prose. The cluster of “dark literature” combines a mysticalpsychological thriller, horror, detective noir, dark fantasy, magical realism, the latest Ukrainian demonology/mythology, etc. In the works of modern authors there are many features characteristic of the bizarre prose of the second half of the twentieth century, namely: conventionality, sarcasm, grotesqueness, change of tones, unreality, lyricism, philosophical orientation, intellectualism. The novels do not have a clear plot, it contains a confusing story and an unexpected ending, broken chronotope. Artists often depict two parallel worlds, and the main characters are people and mythical creatures, such as an angel, a witch, a peacock, a house, a werewolf, a tortoise, a double-minded chaser, a bird and a jumper, death, one, dream catcher, god, Chaos. Among the analyzed genres of modern “dark literature” the most related to whimsical prose are magical realism, gothic novel, fantasy, horror and psychological thriller, which preserve the atmosphere of mystery and unreality, partially using elements of myths and folklore. All this gives grounds to claim that Ukrainian bizarre prose has evolved and continues to develop.