THE EVOLUTION OF THE GENRE OF THE FRENCH HISTORICAL NOVEL IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

Abstract

The problem of the historical novel evolution process is analysed in the current investigation. This issue attracts attention of some Soviet and European researches but still can be defined as investigated inappropriately. Different approaches towards historical novel analyzing are taken into account in the article. This fact allows obtaining complete conception of attitude to this literary genre in the European literature in general and in the French literature in particular. Foremost there were identified main obstacles that interfere appropriately define the role and place of the historical novel in the world literature. Besides, the research finds out key points of the genre transformation through centuries. The period of XIX century was chosen because of possibility to identify strictly one phase of historical novel establishing and functioning from another. Historical novel in the French literature can be regarded as a genre that stimulates history and obtains place between “ordered literature” and “pure art”. It is demanded to understand connection between a literary work and recipient to fully understand peculiarities of the genre functioning, both in synchronic and diachronic aspects.