Investigation by S. Lem: imitation principle and destruction of traditional structures

The article analyzes a novel Investigation by Stanislaw Lem and shows the destruction of readers’ expectations and the transformation of genre structure. It reveals the basic principle of the novel’s design - an imitation. The observations upon the text let the author assume that in the artistic world images and phenomena are simulated, while in “the completeness of event” of a piece of literature “the storytelling event» is an imitation of “the events related”. Both events are in a relationship of “the semantic equivalence under the external discrepancy of forms” (S.N. Broytman). This construction is the most adequate attempt to show the incomprehensibility of the world, the lack of deep rationally comprehended relations between phenomena, the fundamental lack of clues to many mysteries - both for a hero and for a reader. Finally, the author comes to a conclusion that in the novel various traditional structures are used and transformed - motive (motives of Gothic and Romantic literature - dolls, “come alive” dead, mirrors, mysteries, etc.), genre (genres of crime literature, in particular - a police novel), narrative, which consistently change their meaning and significance.