Notes
This doctoral dissertation entitled Characteristics of novels by Slovenian female writers at the turn from the 20th into the 21st century discusses the analysis of sixty selected novels by contemporary Slovenian female writers published at the turn from the 20th into the 21st century (1995-2015). During this period, female writers published many genre interesting novels which are often still pushed to the margin of the Slovenian literary-historical attention and therefore insufficiently studied. We focus predominantly on motive-thematic characteristics and linguistic-stylistic characteristics of novelistic works. In the theoretical part, are presented the theoretical starting points about the novel, feminist literary studies and the contemporary Slovenian novel (especially about the contemporary novel by Slovenian female writers), which are the basis for our analysis. We draw on findings by domestic and foreign literature experts, such as Theodor W. Adorno, Jan Alber, Franz Altheim, Rick Altman, Mihail Bahtin, Vladimir Biti, Silvija Borovnik, Neil Cornwell, Jonathan Culler, Umberto Eco, Monika Fludernik, Carlos Fuentes, Jeremy Hawthorn, Miran Hladnik, Marko Juvan, Jelka Kernev Štrajn, R. Brandon Kershner, Alenka Koron, Janko Kos, Milan Kundera, David Lodge, Georg Lukács, Vanesa Matajc, Katja Mihurko Poniž, Toril Moi, Krešimir Nemec, Svetlana Slapšak, Milivoj Solar, Tomo Virk, James Wood, Franc Zadravec and Alojzija Zupan Sosič. The selected novels are sorted by genre (autobiographic, anti-utopian, historical, crime, fantasy and science fiction novel, horror, romance, travelogue, social, family, psychological novel, novel with theme of marginals, eccentrics and everymen), genre syncretism (genre-hybrid novels) and by generational belonging of the authors within the genre placement: Nedeljka Pirjevec, Berta Bojetu Boeta, Maruša Krese, Jelka Ovaska, Brina Švigelj Mérat, Desa Muck, Miriam Drev, Alenka Jensterle Doležal, Marjanca Mihelič, Cvetka Bevc, Maja Novak, Sonja Porle, Maja Haderlap, Erica Johnson Debeljak, Andreja Zelinka, Nataša Sukič, Suzana Tratnik, Mateja Gomboc, Mojca Kumerdej, Tanja Tuma, Vilma Purič, Majda Pajer, Veronika Simoniti, Katarina Marinčič, Lucija Stepančič, Nataša Konc Lorenzutti, Nina Kokelj, Polona Glavan, Irena Velikonja, Stanka Hrastelj, Irena Svetek, Aleksandra Kocmut, Eva Kovač, Gabriela Babnik, Jela Krečič, Simona Lečnik, Vesna Lemaić, Nataša Kramberger, Tina Vrščaj and Anja Radaljac. Based on the fundamental narrative categories (material, theme, external structure - title, division of the novel; internal structure - story, motifs, message, literary character, literary time and place, narrator, language and style) we discover the starting points for the material of the selected novels, diversity of themes, compositional characteristics of novels, motifs, literary characters (especially female characters, their social role and relations between the male and female characters), chronotope, role of the narrator, perspective and linguistic-stylistic novelties. We place special attention also on the female perspective, different types of stereotypes and genre elements in novels. Based on individual novelistic analysis we confirm or reject the set hypotheses and answer the research questions by mutually comparing the novels and by summarizing the common characteristics of the selected novels, e.g. motive-thematic novelties and peculiarities, female characters in relation to male characters, family, society and political problems, structural novelties, role of the narrators and linguistic-stylistic peculiarities. The conclusion includes comprehensive final findings and summarizes the original scientific contributions and results and on the basis of new findings enables possibilities for further research in the field of novel writing by contemporary Slovenian female writers.