Abstract
The chapter deals with the so-called "novel of recollection", one of the favourite genres of contemporary British fiction, in which the narrator and protagonist returns in his memories back to his/her earlier past. This narration, though seemingly seamless and nostalgic, thus gradually discloses varoius unpleasant or even traumatic events and experiences which in realitz trouble him/her, and which had cruciallz affected his/her life, which is why he/she is trying to search for their roots and causes and, by doing so, to come to terms with his/her past, present and troubled conscience.
An important aspect of this genre is the presence of some added value over the basic framework of the actual story, be it linguistic, stylistic, narrative or metafictional, which makes its meaning level deeper and more complex. The pivotal point of this genre is thus the intersection of the narrator's and the collective memory and identity, which is illustrated on two recent examples of the genre - Mothering Sunday (2016) and The Only Story (2018) by Julian Barnes.