Abstract
M.A. (Information Science)
A need exists for criteria with which to evaluate formalistic
popular fiction in the public library. The love story is one of
the types of formalistic fiction which is very popular and
which is found in great numbers in the collections of public
libraries, but which is not bought in a responsible,
professional way. Meaningful criteria for evaluating the love
story cannot be developed without knowledge of the nature and
characteristics of this type of story.
This study examines the characteristics of formula fiction in
general and of the formalistic love story in particular.
Formula fiction is fiction written according to the
requirements of specific formulae. Formula fiction can be
regarded as a genre because it contains certain characteristics
with a specific aesthetic impact, in accordance with the
requirements of a genre.
A fiction formula is a narrative structure which is used in a
great number of individual works and which leads to the genesis
of a story type. The most well-known story types or sub-genres
of formula fiction which have originated in this way are love
stories, science fiction, Wild West stories, espionage- and
detective stories and social melodramas. "The most important
characteristic of formula fiction which has been identified is
that it is standardized. This standardization causes certain
stereotypes to appear in formula fiction, namely stereotyped
characters, themes and background and language usage. Each of
the sub-genres of formula fiction, including the love story,
has its own specific stereotyped characters, themes and
background and language usage. The stereotypes existing within
the love story are described extensively.
The stereotypes in formula fiction acquire aesthetic impact when
the author succeeds in adding a new element which regenerates
the stereotype. The most important criterion for evaluating the
formulistic love story is therefore the way in which
stereotypes are handled in these stories. The formalistic
nature of the love story is therefore accepted, but the
regenerative handling of the formula must be evaluated in order
to distinguish the better love story from the weaker one. Three
love stories are evaluated to demonstrate how this criterion,
namely the establishing of the extent of regeneration of
stereotypes, can be applied to assess the merits of a love
story.
This study points out that the successful love story is the one
in which the regeneration of stereotypes is done successfully.
The use of this criterion for establishing the quality of
individual love stories offers the opportunity for public
libraries to decide in principle to include the popular love
story in their collections, but to establish a responsible point
of interception according to which the weak love story will not
be bought.