The Gospels as Literature

The Gospels are among the most literary of the entire canon of Scripture. But what genre of literature are they? They are biographical, but only in an odd sense. They are hero stories, but with strong supernatural as well as clearly historical and realistic elements. They have an epic sweep, but they seem to evade that direct classification. They also have tragic features. And apocalypic. In truth, they are sui generis. While they are undeniably literary, there is no literary form comparable to the gospels.