Tale

The opovidannia (tale) is a small epic prose genre depicting a particular incident or episode from the life of one or several characters; it differs from the short story by a calmer development of action, the absence of an obligatory unexpected turn, and greater attention to everyday life, character, and milieu. The tale strives for lifelike authenticity and the typicality of what is depicted. It is one of the most widespread genres of realist and modern prose. In Ukrainian literature, masters of the tale were Ivan Franko (Little Myron, the Boryslav cycle), Borys Hrinchenko, Panas Myrny, Hryhir Tiutiunnyk (Three Cuckoos with a Bow), and Valerii Shevchuk. In the world tradition the genre is represented by Anton Chekhov, Jack London, Mark Twain, and, in the twentieth century, by Jorge Luis Borges and Raymond Carver.