On some cognitive features of postmodern literature (in terms of the story "Virtuality" by Vladimir Berezin)
The article touches upon the cognitive features of postmodern prose in terms of the love story “Virtuality” by Vladimir Berezin. An attempt is made to study the cognitive activities of the author and the reader. Title, epigraph, choice of genre, text composition, selection of language means are seen as the embodiment of the author’s intentions. A high degree of narration semioticity, allusions and reticence productivity can be attributed to the features of postmodern prose. Mentioned features increase the semantic integrity of the text, its symbolisation. These techniques help the author to engage the reader into the process of co-creation, to create its own piece reflecting the individual reading and understanding on the basis of the proposed text. The story consists of four different thematic parts dealing with epigraph keywords. The first part, “The Three Rosebushes”, reveals the keyword “love”; the second one, “The Personal Organiser”, “word”; the third one, “World of letters”, “letter” and “world”; the fourth one “The Sphere”, desire. The author uses the following methods to activate the cognitive activities of the reader: actualisation and semantic allocation of lexemes, allusions, allegories, reticence, and mystification. The author adjusts cognitive activity of readers by insertion of the explanation of the work ideas into the mouth of the characters. The listed methods are a way for the author to communicate to the reader. The processes of semantic enrichment of keywords and formation of text symbols are regarded. The story “Virtuality” by Vladimir Berezin is characterised by uncertainty of meaning, flickering of ideas that the author would like to translate to the reader. The title “Virtuality” reflects its conceptual originality: the idea does not find clear expression. Meaning flickering is created by a return to the earlier stated topic, motive, and image.