The Therapy Novel: Specificity of Author`s Metagenre

The purpose of the research is to assay the therapy novel as meta-genre and to examine some of its specifics by author. The article deals with certain methods of approach to the definition of meta-genre including the cognitive literary criticism. The subjects of research are cognitive models that are also genre characteristics of the work from the standpoint of traditional generics. For therapy novel these are: non-valuation discovery and self-acceptance mental world of the characters, the appeal to philosophical (“eternal”) issues being illustrated with plot turns; non-valuation type of narration; specific rhythm and structure of the text. Consequently this is the first attempt in Ukrainian literary criticism to describe the therapy novel as a meta-genre. The benefits of this study are also the concord of different theories of genre and investigating the therapy novel from the reader`s point of view and as a source of answers for “eternal questions”. The material for analysis consists of selected novels written by I. Yalom, “When Nietzsche wept”, “The Schopenhauer cure”, the story written by A. Marshall “Whispering in the Wind”. Also, to illustrate certain positions partially deployed J. Gaarder novel “Sophie's World” and the monograph written by M. Csikszentmihalyi “Flow. Psychology of optimal experience”.