Abstrakt: | The article consists of two parts. The first one concerns mutual relations between the
highbrow (or mass) literature (culture) and popular one, justifying an introduction of the notion
of the “middle literature” by S. Czuprynin. In this context Kyś, a novel by Tatiana Tołstoj many investigators consider an anti‑utopia
is analysed. Such a classification justifies the legitimacy
of perceiving the work as belonging to the middle literature. Next, the author quotes the opinions
of the advocates of such a classification of Kyś, as well as voices of researchers such as
M. Lipowiecki and O. Kabanowa questioning it. Tołstoj’s novel includes a series of solutions
proving the accuracy of reading it according to a tradition of anti‑utopia,
that is a dreamlike
and limited setting, introduction of a closed space (the castle owned by the main character’s
father in law), basing the authority on fear, passive and slow government of the society, the
motive of rebellion, or far‑reaching
hierarchy of the society. These and several other factors
allow for treating Tołstoj’s novel as an anti‑utopia
— a genre perceived by a group of researchers
(N. Iwanowa) as the reflection of the so called “ultra fiction”, classified within the scope of
the middle literature. |