In English literary criticism historically there was ambivalent determination of artistic works – romance and novel – unlike most of the European languages operating one or another «romance» modification. Stability of «memory of term» and «memory of genre», tendency of genre modality, conditioned by aspiring to variations and freedom of form, was reflected in the determination of artistic works. Round these fundamental concepts terminology sphere is formed. Researches put a question about creation of the thirdgenre «postmodern romance», connecting the features of romance and novel. 20 / 21 century prose creates the non-classical variations of original genre synthesis. New romance and new novel are examined on the А.S. Byatt «philological» novel ʻPossessionʼ example. The work includes modern reflection, concerning the semantics of terminological definition.