Traveller’s Essay and Travelogue: Aspects of Communication

Abstract

Research methodology. In our research we used the methods of generalization, comparison, analysis and synthesis, which helped to reconstruct and study the distinctive features of those forms of communication between the author and the reader, which arise in the traveller’s essay, «travel», and, finally, travelogue.

Results. We have considered the genres of «travel» as well as traveller’s essay but to a lesser extent. Now new mass media gained a noticeable development, so we have done the characteristic of travelogue in its current state.

Novelty. The «traveller’s» genre occupies an intermediate place between documentary and fiction. However, both the traveller’s and essay genres have a similar narrative structure, defined by the identity of the narrator and the characters worlds; the author-character is present in the narrated story, he is a participant and an observer of the depicted events. Sometimes the traveller's notes may resemble memoirs, that is, the author first recollects his journey, and then, writes it down, supplying it with commentaries, poetic note, history comments and so on. Of course, new genre forms appear as a result of genres interaction. A travelog became a some kind of a continuer of a traveller’s genre. Like the essay, it occupies an intermediate, borderline place between the fiction and documentary genres. If the traveller’s essay is usually written after the end of the journey, when the author identifies in his work the most significant and vivid, in his opinion, episodes, the travelogue is a travel diary containing a detailed description of what is happening along the way, what witnessed and felt the traveller. Modern travelogs have rather useful quality which is visualization, it adds confidence in unfabled and impartiality of the narrative. The traveller’s genre, like its «follower» traveller’s essay, due to the improvement of the means of communication, received a new impulse to its development and transformation. Inevitably, these genres lost something but at the same time they have also gained the following features as availability, visibility, information, the possibility of reaching the widest range of recipients – the Internet users.

Practical value. The results of the study can be used in the development of special courses on the study of journalism genres.

Key words: «travel», traveller’s essay, travelogue.