READER RECEPTION OF UKRAINIAN-LANGUAGE RETRO DETECTIVE BESTSELLERS

Abstract

The article examines the receptive factors behind the popularity of retro detective fiction as a subgenre of mass literature. It emphasises that contemporary literary studies are gradually moving away from treating mass prose as secondary, recognising its significant influence on cultural space and readers' tastes. The aim of the study is to identify the peculiarities of reader reception of Ukrainian-language retro detective fiction from 2021 to 2025 in three main dimensions: plot- detective, historical-authenticity, and psychological-identification. The theoretical basis is provided by the concepts of reception aesthetics by H. Jauss and literary anthropology by W. Iser, as well as recent developments in reader-response theory.The plot-detective dimension provides cognitive activation, the development of critical thinking, and emotional engagement, while the historical-authenticity aspect generates the effect of credibility and immersion in the atmosphere of the past. Attention to cultural codes, topographical markers, and documentary details determines the reader’s trust in the text. The psychological-identification aspect is linked to archetypal character models and dual identification – both as a detective-investigator and as a researcher of the past. Archetypes of the Hero, Victim, Shadow, and Witness-Keeper of Memory contribute to multi-level emotional involvement and the compensatory function of literature.The study concludes that the genre appeal of retro detective fiction is determined not only by narrative suspense but also by the multi-layered nature of the receptive process. By integrating cognitive, cultural, and emotional-archetypal levels, retro detective prose combines the functions of entertainment, cultural memory, and psychological compensation.