A trilogy is the ideal form of a literary work (according to book lovers, real "bookworms"). During its reading, you can have time to get used to the characters, and form your own opinion about them, and feel the plot; and at the same time, the atmosphere will not get bored, the characters will not fade, and the intrigue will not seem "far-fetched".
Many of the trilogies fell in love with readers and became a national treasure, while others have completely grown into epics, or even into a whole legendarium. It seems that now this form is gaining its former popularity (or has it not lost its prevalence?), After all, more than one literary work is published in this form. Over the past few years, more than one or two book trilogies have been released, and in various genres - from youth dystopia to erotic novels that have become bestsellers.
Terminology
A trilogy is three works that have the same author. They are also united by intent, and their plot is different.continuity. What is the etymology of the term "trilogy"? It is translated from Greek simply: treis - “three” and logos - “to speak”, “word”, and means a series of three interconnected tragedies.
By the way, an important nuance. Although a trilogy is commonly found in literature, it is not limited to novels and short stories. No wonder the definition says "author". And it can mean a writer, and a musician, and a film director.
Other values
The three-part speech is also called a trilogy. In addition, as already mentioned, in ancient Greece the term meant three plays (tragedies) by the same author, which were shown in sequence. Sometimes they were accompanied by a satirical part, and then the totality of works was called a tetralogy.
Later, the original requirements were softened, and the meaning of the word "trilogy" acquired its current meaning, without rigid frameworks and restrictions.
Aeschylus' Oresteia
From the above we can draw the following conclusion. A trilogy in literature is a work that can belong to any genre. But the ancient Greek term is still better considered on the basis of "native" literature, and nothing fits this role more than Aeschylus's "Oresteia". This tragedy is the only one that has survived to this day in its entirety. It is distinguished by a complicated structure, but this only proves the genius of the ancient Greek masters of the word. The tragedy "Oresteia" tells about the descendants of Atreus. The crime committed by their ancestor left them a heavy legacy - a real curse thatdarkens their fate.
Aeschylus is considered the unfailing “father of tragedy”: it was he who founded the principles of this genre and, like no one else, managed to use them in his greatest work.
Lyric cyclization
The lyrical trilogy is an artistic unity created by A. Blok. During his life, the poet released several works in this form. In total, Blok has four lyrical cycles. These are collections of poems that were conceived by the author as a whole, although the elements of the trilogy, in essence, can act as independent works. The complex cyclic system used by the classic is a special type of text construction. The researchers labeled it with such a term as "lyrical cyclization".
"The Three Musketeers" by A. Dumas
The famous trilogy of no less famous author about the three musketeers has its own characteristics and features. First of all, it should be said that both The Three Musketeers themselves and the sequels Twenty Years Later and Vicomte de Brazhelon, or Ten Years Later are adventure novels. The works depart from the ancient definition of the term we are considering, forming a new meaning of the word "trilogy".
All three novels are united by a common style of narration: they show the ability of the French writer to intrigue, to hook the reader with an exciting plot. Books about the Three Musketeers are rich in content, they have many characters,rapidly developing events - interesting, lively, unpredictable and realistic.
Researchers believe that the Musketeers actually existed. Maybe this is the secret of the trilogy's success?
Dramatic side of works
Dumas paid a lot of attention to the tension of the story, the dramatic side. The author did not find inspiration in the events taking place in his own time, and therefore paid tribute to adventure novels in which the main characters are brave, active, maybe even a little adventurers.
At the same time, they have the noble features of true knights, and their slogan reflects loy alty to friendship and dedication.
Unlike the trilogies, which are perceived as one whole, this is not the case with the works about the Three Musketeers. The most popular was the first part of the same name, and the other two, although revered by real fans of the work of A. Dumas, still did not have such fame. The motto "One for all and all for one" did not work under the circumstances.
Lord of the Rings
Tolkien's fantasy trilogy is capable of breaking all records in terms of popularity. If there are individuals who are not familiar with her, then there are definitely no people who have not even heard of her. She shapes the laws of the genre and instills love for it.
Considering "The Lord of the Rings" as a trilogy, one should take into account the following facts: the author intended to write one book, although it was quite voluminous. The publishers, however, considered it appropriate to divide it into threepublications. However, this does not prevent to this day from releasing "The Lord" as a trilogy in one book.
But such circumstances endow the works with features that are unique to them. So, for example, parts of the trilogy, if they have independence, then to a very small extent. Even to read only the first book ("The Fellowship of the Ring") separately from the rest is strange and wrong. Unity as a feature of the trilogy is expressed in The Lord of the Rings to the greatest extent. That is, the book is indicative not only in relation to the observance of the canons of the fantasy genre, but also the standard for the design of cycles.
Film interpretations
The famous trilogies "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit", which represent the combination of works in cinema, are not such in the book version.
The adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings" was so successful that "The Hobbit" with the light hand of director Peter Jackson became a trilogy. But the publication about the adventures of a low response is a small book, which is why the film is overgrown with plot details that were not in the story, and characters that appear only in The Lord itself, or even not at all.
Youth dystopias
Modern trilogy is a resurrected form of writing. Recently, several books have been published that fit this term, and three of them (which is symbolic) have become widely known.
We are talking, of course, about The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner. Unfortunately theyare not those representatives of the literary world who brought something innovative to it. These are teen franchises that boil down to a hero against the world principle.
They inherit the features of the trilogies very accurately: both the unity of the plot and continuity are visible, the development of characters is observed throughout the story, and the intrigue that began in the first book is gradually revealed in the second and, ultimately, finds its finale in third.
Of course, the adaptations were not long in coming, and they absolutely repeat both the plot and the composition of their book counterparts.