What is a genre? History & practice of literary genres

“Never have I seen a man run as Holmes ran that night. I am reckoned fleet of foot, but he outpaced me as much as I outpaced the little professional. In front of us as we flew up the track we heard scream after scream from Sir Henry and the deep roar of the hound. I was in time to see the beast spring upon its victim, hurl him to the ground, and worry at his throat.”

Seasoned readers of mystery-suspense novels would be able to readily identify the above passage from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles– a hallmark of detective fiction. Generic fiction has always held a sway over the masses. From diabolic killers to mythical creatures of the night, generic creations have permeated our popular culture; and it’s not difficult to understand the appeal these novels have on readers. Passages such as the one from The Hound of the Baskervilles cited above, incite a rush of feelings- horror, panic, and terror- that traditional novels often fail to invoke in casual readers. In fact, as most expert readers would tell you, genre novels often served as their gateway into the world of books.

So, let’s explore the history and practice of genre writing to gauge its continued relevance and impact, shall we?

Towards a definition of genre

As Merriam-Webster outlines it, Genre is a French word that means kind. It is closely related to the Latin word genus, which indicates that everything can be grouped under a particular category or belongs to a “family” and thus shares an identical origin. Thus, literary genres such as novels, short stories, poetry, and drama (by length and format), thrillers, dramas, and romances (by themes) refer to texts with common characteristics and origin.

Genres are inherently divisible. As observed by the flow chart below, a genre, such as the novel, can be further classified depending on the type, theme, length, or form:

The chart is not exhaustive, as these categories can be further classified into subcategories, or more specific types, depending on the context and criteria employed for classification.

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The history of genres

Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, and the father of literary criticism, was the first thinker to identify and differentiate the genres of epic, tragedy, and comic in classical Greek poetry.

The 1960s witnessed a wave of academic studies into the phenomenon of genre. Prominent American Scholar, Northop Frye published his masterwork, “The Anatomy of Criticism,” in which he introduced a system of genres and established a set of rules to categorize them. In the work, he distinguished between the genres of myth, legend, comic, irony, tragic, etc.

Frye’s scholarship inspired further research on genres as an independent type, and scholars such as Edwin Black, Carolyn Miller, and John Swales began to consider genres as “actions performed by a writer in similar ways in similar contexts over time.” 

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Genre as action

Identical to human actions, Swales approached genres as reoccurring actions, defined by their invariability over time. Swales conceptualized genres as consistent and predictable patterns, much like certain reflexive or deliberate actions humans perform. According to Swales, just as running or sneezing are stable and identifiable across different instances, genres exhibit similar uniformity.

For writers, genres appear as a formula- a template to be followed- and a limit. A writer creating a thriller might draw inspiration from the various thrillers available in the market. Still, he might also feel constrained by the cliches and tropes usually seen in thriller novels that he would have to incorporate to resonate with the readers.

Genres as games

A helpful way to think of this would be to think of genres as games with unique rules. As Anne Freadman explains:

“To understand the rules of the genre is to know when and where it is appropriate to do and say certain things….”

For instance, imagine a scenario where a detective is chasing a vagabond thief after the latter attempts a bank robbery. In the nerve-wracking chase sequence that follows, it would be completely inappropriate if the writer describes the detective stumbling over obstacles and repeatedly falling in a comical fashion. Still, it would be more than apt for a comic-crime caper. Thus, following and breaking the rules are how writers create moments of suspense and awe.

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Multi-genres

It is more than common to hear of multi-genre movies or books today. Audiences or readers today seem receptive to media that indulge their diverse interests. Horror comedies, rom-coms, and sci-fi action are some multi-genre hybrids you often hear in popular discourses.

For creating multi-genre texts (movies or novels), writers often blend conventions of multiple genres and amalgamate them to create a unique product. Breaking Bad, a popular TV series weaves crime, drama, and thriller elements to great effect. The popular teen novel, Twilight, combines drama, horror, fantasy, and teen romance.

These multi-genre products often subvert reader expectations by challenging their preconceived notions of what a horror or romance movie/text should contain or represent.

The world of literature would be impossible to conceive without the existence of genres. Genres provide an imaginative frame that helps writers accordingly orient their characters, events, and actions. So, the next time you come across a book or a movie, think deeply about its generic layout and its impact on the reading experience!

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