The novel in electronic letters as the epistolary genre of the 21st century (on the example of Daniel Glattauer’s work “Alle sieben Wellen”)

the article is dedicated to analyzing electronic mail as a contemporary genre of the epistolary novel, and explores the genre's features using the work of Austrian author Daniel Glattauer, Alle sieben Wellen (All Seven Waves). The paper examines the evolution of the epistolary novel from the 18th to the 21st century, when email becomes the primary means of communication. The study looks at the characteristics of electronic correspondence in the context of narrative fiction, focusing on the syntactical and graphical peculiarities of the characters' letters, as well as on the emotional load and structural elements of the novel. It also explores how electronic communication changes the perception of time and distance between characters, creating new opportunities for dramatic dynamics and emotional experiences in contemporary fiction. The author concludes that email as a communication tool is reflected in literature, continuing the traditions of the epistolary genre and creating new forms of storytelling. The article also analyzes elements of language and style used by the characters to convey emotions and inner experiences, making Glattauer’s novel a vivid example of the adaptation of the traditional epistolary genre in the age of digital technology.

epistolary genre, electronic novel, communication, graphical features, lexical and syntactical repetitions, metaphor, hyperbole