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Favorite Magical Realism Novels
Magical Realism is a literary genre that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction, associated particularly with Latin America.
For a more detailed explanation of Magical Realism click here
For a more detailed explanation of Magical Realism click here
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
| 501 |
|
The World to Come
by
3.87 avg rating — 8,973 ratings
score: 181,
and
2 people voted
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| 501 |
|
Kleinzeit
by
3.99 avg rating — 616 ratings
score: 181,
and
2 people voted
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| 503 |
|
Child of a Rainless Year
by
Jane Lindskold (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 555 ratings
score: 179,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 503 |
|
The Thieves of Manhattan
by
Adam Langer (Goodreads Author)
3.60 avg rating — 1,692 ratings
score: 179,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 503 |
|
The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight
by
Gina Ochsner (Goodreads Author)
3.38 avg rating — 433 ratings
score: 179,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 503 |
|
The Simplicity of Cider
by
Amy E. Reichert (Goodreads Author)
3.71 avg rating — 6,319 ratings
score: 179,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 507 |
|
I Am One of You Forever
by
4.09 avg rating — 1,617 ratings
score: 178,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 507 |
|
The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden
by
3.78 avg rating — 61,005 ratings
score: 178,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 509 |
|
Ask the Passengers
by
A.S. King (Goodreads Author)
3.84 avg rating — 25,340 ratings
score: 177,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 509 |
|
The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite
by
Gerard Way (Writer)
3.86 avg rating — 70,610 ratings
score: 177,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 509 |
|
All the Light We Cannot See
by
Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author)
4.31 avg rating — 1,920,457 ratings
score: 177,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 512 |
|
Bones of the Moon (Answered Prayers, #1)
by
3.85 avg rating — 2,671 ratings
score: 176,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 512 |
|
What the Wind Knows
by
Amy Harmon (Goodreads Author)
4.36 avg rating — 107,525 ratings
score: 176,
and
2 people voted
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| 514 |
|
The Highest Tide
by
Jim Lynch (Goodreads Author)
3.85 avg rating — 7,708 ratings
score: 175,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 514 |
|
The Solitudes (The Aegypt Cycle, #1)
by
3.84 avg rating — 2,199 ratings
score: 175,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 514 |
|
Kissing the Beehive (Crane's View, #1)
by
3.69 avg rating — 1,297 ratings
score: 175,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 517 |
|
Sleeping in Flame (Answered Prayers, #2)
by
4.05 avg rating — 2,019 ratings
score: 174,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 517 |
|
Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories
by
Karen Russell (Goodreads Author)
3.68 avg rating — 23,886 ratings
score: 174,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 519 |
|
Gemini (The House of Niccolò, #8)
by
4.50 avg rating — 1,885 ratings
score: 173,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 519 |
|
Sourdough
by
Robin Sloan (Goodreads Author)
3.75 avg rating — 61,340 ratings
score: 173,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 521 |
|
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
by
William Kotzwinkle (Goodreads Author)
3.72 avg rating — 2,387 ratings
score: 172,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 521 |
|
Black Hearts in Battersea (The Wolves Chronicles, #2)
by
4.14 avg rating — 4,537 ratings
score: 172,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 521 |
|
Odd Hours (Odd Thomas, #4)
by
Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)
3.97 avg rating — 48,996 ratings
score: 172,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 524 |
|
Dog Years
by
3.88 avg rating — 1,853 ratings
score: 171,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 524 |
|
The Ringmaster's Daughter
by
3.75 avg rating — 5,885 ratings
score: 171,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 524 |
|
The Secret Life of Laszlo, Count Dracula
by
3.56 avg rating — 877 ratings
score: 171,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 524 |
|
Red Earth and Pouring Rain
by
3.79 avg rating — 2,752 ratings
score: 171,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 528 |
|
Astonishing the Gods
by
3.54 avg rating — 1,485 ratings
score: 170,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 528 |
|
Going Bovine
by
Libba Bray (Goodreads Author)
3.67 avg rating — 35,162 ratings
score: 170,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 528 |
|
The Book of Speculation
by
Erika Swyler (Goodreads Author)
3.61 avg rating — 38,675 ratings
score: 170,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 531 |
|
Lily of the Nile (Cleopatra's Daughter, #1)
by
Stephanie Dray (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 7,005 ratings
score: 168,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 531 |
|
Landline
by
Rainbow Rowell (Goodreads Author)
3.54 avg rating — 171,033 ratings
score: 168,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 533 |
|
I Heard the Owl Call My Name
by
4.05 avg rating — 8,767 ratings
score: 167,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 534 |
|
The Following Story
by
3.66 avg rating — 2,166 ratings
score: 166,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 534 |
|
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz
by
3.93 avg rating — 575 ratings
score: 166,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 534 |
|
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)
by
Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author)
3.81 avg rating — 121,310 ratings
score: 166,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 537 |
|
Heroes and Villains
by
3.53 avg rating — 3,124 ratings
score: 165,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 538 |
|
The System of the World (The Baroque Cycle, #3)
by
Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author)
4.34 avg rating — 22,860 ratings
score: 163,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 538 |
|
The Mist in the Mirror
by
3.34 avg rating — 4,155 ratings
score: 163,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 540 |
|
Piano Stories
by
4.18 avg rating — 395 ratings
score: 162,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 541 |
|
Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
by
3.91 avg rating — 2,298 ratings
score: 160,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 541 |
|
Minyatürcü
by
3.62 avg rating — 151,074 ratings
score: 160,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 543 |
|
The Inner Side of the Wind, or The Novel of Hero and Leander
by
3.98 avg rating — 1,409 ratings
score: 159,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 543 |
|
City of the Beasts (Eagle and Jaguar, #1)
by
Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author)
3.74 avg rating — 44,744 ratings
score: 159,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 545 |
|
A Dog's Purpose (A Dog's Purpose, #1)
by
W. Bruce Cameron (Goodreads Author)
4.36 avg rating — 138,785 ratings
score: 158,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 546 |
|
Keeper (Paul Faustino, #1)
by
4.13 avg rating — 2,222 ratings
score: 156,
and
2 people voted
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| 546 |
|
Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3)
by
Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 127,980 ratings
score: 156,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 548 |
|
Kingdom of the Golden Dragon (Eagle and Jaguar, #2)
by
Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author)
3.89 avg rating — 19,675 ratings
score: 155,
and
2 people voted
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| 549 |
|
Gad's Hall (Gad's Hall, #1)
by
3.79 avg rating — 448 ratings
score: 154,
and
2 people voted
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| 550 |
|
The Gift (Crown's Spies, #3)
by
4.17 avg rating — 20,966 ratings
score: 153,
and
2 people voted
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| 550 |
|
Ghost Story (The Dresden Files, #13)
by
Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)
4.25 avg rating — 104,196 ratings
score: 153,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 552 |
|
Chronicle of the Seven Sorrows
by
3.71 avg rating — 133 ratings
score: 152,
and
2 people voted
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| 552 |
|
Imagining Argentina
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,390 ratings
score: 152,
and
2 people voted
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| 552 |
|
Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2)
by
Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author)
3.88 avg rating — 174,611 ratings
score: 152,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 552 |
|
This Time Tomorrow
by
Emma Straub (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 153,498 ratings
score: 152,
and
2 people voted
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| 556 |
|
Beautiful Ruins
by
3.68 avg rating — 183,685 ratings
score: 151,
and
3 people voted
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| 556 |
|
Forest of the Pygmies (Eagle and Jaguar, #3)
by
Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author)
3.81 avg rating — 16,129 ratings
score: 151,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 558 |
|
The Curse of the Pharaohs (Amelia Peabody, #2)
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 26,055 ratings
score: 150,
and
2 people voted
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| 559 |
|
Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, #11)
by
Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)
4.44 avg rating — 110,590 ratings
score: 149,
and
2 people voted
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| 559 |
|
City of Night (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, #2)
by
Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 24,406 ratings
score: 149,
and
2 people voted
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| 561 |
|
Unendlichkeiten
by
3.28 avg rating — 2,926 ratings
score: 148,
and
2 people voted
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| 561 |
|
Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)
by
Maggie Stiefvater (Goodreads Author)
3.76 avg rating — 494,262 ratings
score: 148,
and
2 people voted
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| 563 |
|
Dead and Alive (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, #3)
by
Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)
4.03 avg rating — 26,181 ratings
score: 147,
and
2 people voted
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| 563 |
|
Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City
by
3.57 avg rating — 86 ratings
score: 147,
and
2 people voted
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| 563 |
|
The Hidden Palace (The Golem and the Jinni, #2)
by
Helene Wecker (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 17,704 ratings
score: 147,
and
2 people voted
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| 566 |
|
Lost Souls (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, #4)
by
Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)
3.93 avg rating — 14,366 ratings
score: 145,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 567 |
|
Company of Liars
by
Karen Maitland (Goodreads Author)
3.86 avg rating — 16,411 ratings
score: 144,
and
2 people voted
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| 568 |
|
Widdershins (Newford, #11)
by
Charles de Lint (Goodreads Author)
4.22 avg rating — 4,516 ratings
score: 143,
and
3 people voted
|
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| 568 |
|
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
by
Alice Hoffman (Goodreads Author)
3.77 avg rating — 56,364 ratings
score: 143,
and
3 people voted
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| 568 |
|
Nothing to See Here
by
Kevin Wilson (Goodreads Author)
3.96 avg rating — 216,531 ratings
score: 143,
and
2 people voted
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| 571 |
|
The Dinner List
by
Rebecca Serle (Goodreads Author)
3.54 avg rating — 56,179 ratings
score: 142,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
The Ringed Castle (The Lymond Chronicles, #5)
by
4.57 avg rating — 3,646 ratings
score: 137,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
Akata Witch (The Nsibidi Scripts, #1)
by
Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author)
4.03 avg rating — 37,978 ratings
score: 137,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
Mr. Fox
by
Helen Oyeyemi (Goodreads Author)
3.57 avg rating — 11,474 ratings
score: 137,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
Under Fishbone Clouds
by
3.63 avg rating — 509 ratings
score: 137,
and
2 people voted
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| 572 |
|
The Donovan Legacy (Donovans, #1-3)
by
Nora Roberts (Goodreads Author)
4.24 avg rating — 4,716 ratings
score: 137,
and
2 people voted
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| 577 |
|
The Blue Fox
by
3.72 avg rating — 9,702 ratings
score: 135,
and
2 people voted
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| 578 |
|
The Secret Hour (Midnighters, #1)
by
Scott Westerfeld (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 30,663 ratings
score: 134,
and
2 people voted
|
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| 579 |
|
April Witch
by
Majgull Axelsson (Goodreads Author)
3.82 avg rating — 4,121 ratings
score: 133,
and
2 people voted
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| 579 |
|
LaRose
by
3.91 avg rating — 24,433 ratings
score: 133,
and
2 people voted
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| 579 |
|
The Devil's Highway: A True Story
by
Luis Alberto Urrea (Goodreads Author)
4.11 avg rating — 18,058 ratings
score: 133,
and
2 people voted
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| 582 |
|
The War of the Saints
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3.84 avg rating — 711 ratings
score: 132,
and
2 people voted
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| 582 |
|
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
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4.04 avg rating — 535,418 ratings
score: 132,
and
2 people voted
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| 584 |
|
Vuitanta-sis contes
by
4.10 avg rating — 368 ratings
score: 131,
and
2 people voted
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| 585 |
|
The Icarus Girl
by
Helen Oyeyemi (Goodreads Author)
3.64 avg rating — 5,450 ratings
score: 130,
and
2 people voted
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| 586 |
|
Ash
by
Malinda Lo (Goodreads Author)
3.63 avg rating — 37,614 ratings
score: 128,
and
2 people voted
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| 586 |
|
The coming of Joachim Stiller
by
3.70 avg rating — 2,645 ratings
score: 128,
and
2 people voted
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| 588 |
|
Big Machine
by
3.40 avg rating — 4,503 ratings
score: 127,
and
2 people voted
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| 589 |
|
Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1)
by
Karen Marie Moning (Goodreads Author)
3.95 avg rating — 72,766 ratings
score: 126,
and
2 people voted
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| 590 |
|
Moon Over Manifest:
by
4.04 avg rating — 35,807 ratings
score: 125,
and
2 people voted
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| 590 |
|
The Book of Sand and Shakespeare's Memory
by
4.10 avg rating — 16,103 ratings
score: 125,
and
2 people voted
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| 592 |
|
Home Is the Sailor
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3.91 avg rating — 789 ratings
score: 124,
and
2 people voted
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| 592 |
|
The Bear Comes Home
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3.84 avg rating — 636 ratings
score: 124,
and
2 people voted
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| 594 |
|
Darwinia
by
3.38 avg rating — 4,169 ratings
score: 123,
and
2 people voted
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| 594 |
|
Baby Proof
by
Emily Giffin (Goodreads Author)
3.76 avg rating — 178,081 ratings
score: 123,
and
2 people voted
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| 596 |
|
Baba Jaga
by
Toby Barlow (Goodreads Author)
3.46 avg rating — 1,922 ratings
score: 122,
and
2 people voted
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| 596 |
|
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
by
Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author)
4.46 avg rating — 1,115,265 ratings
score: 122,
and
2 people voted
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| 598 |
|
Cirkeln (Engelsfors, #1)
by
Mats Strandberg (Goodreads Author)
3.84 avg rating — 18,212 ratings
score: 117,
and
2 people voted
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| 599 |
|
Just in Case
by
Meg Rosoff (Goodreads Author)
3.21 avg rating — 3,957 ratings
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 87 (87 new)
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Matt
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Sep 09, 2008 09:54AM
There's no such thing as magical realism...(whisper) it's not real!
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I disagree with Anne Rice being on the list. She's not magical realism because there is no realism in her novels. I'm not putting her down; I like the Mayfair Witch series alot, I'm just saying, techinically, I disagree that she uses magical realism.Also, Matt, I hope you're kidding....
The new novel by Joshua Mohr is not exactly magical realism but something similar. The narrator has post traumatic stress disorder and imagines himself going through a trapdoor in the bottom of a dumpster to visit his past. He also meets his inner-child.
I added Midlesex.. and prepared to be challenged as im no expert. To me this was magic realism - narrated as the story of a gene through generations by someone who couldnt possibly have known the details, also exemplified by narrating the story from within the womb
Alice Hoffman and Isabel Allende are my favorite magic realists and I'm glad they are on this list. The way I feel about magic realism, is that its just a hint or a small touch of magic or something mystical in a realistic setting. Its not overwhelming the story. So I agree that Anne Rice isn't magic realism, because its about the supernatural. The same for Elsewhere: great teen novel, but its about the afterlife. Although my favorite of Alice Hoffman's that's not on this list is Illumination Night.I'm not too sure if I agree with Middlesex being on this list. I understand what you're trying to say, but to me it was more of a complicated coming of age story. Great novel, but not magic realism (but that's just my opinion). I'm also a little on the fence about The Time Traveler's Wife, but I voted for that one.
I wish the witch of Portobello was mentioned. A live display and rendering of its protagonist - was much more entertaining and enlightening than reading something in print and voting for it. Then I would vote for Haroon & the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. However, I have not read most names mentioned here and so The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho bcomes choice!
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle A NovelI am not sure if this qualifies but it was certainly a magical book to me...and an amazingly well-written story.
Kathleen
Jon wrote: "I added Midlesex.. and prepared to be challenged as im no expert. To me this was magic realism - narrated as the story of a gene through generations by someone who couldnt possibly have known the ..."I don't think that's magical realism.... it's a storytelling term but in general, its the story of a real life girl that nothing magical happens to. to me, not so much magical realism...
To me, the magic in magical realism isn't so much literal as it is linguistic (or artistic). I define it as the expression of the metaphorical as literal. It's not about supernatural and fantasy as much as those elements naturally come into play when you play with language (or whatever your art form) so that the beauty of expression becomes real and you see magic in the world.
Naomi Lindstrom, Twentieth-Century Spanish American Fiction (1994):"(Magical Realism is a) narrative technique that blurs the distinction between fantasy and reality. It is characterized by an equal acceptance of the ordinary and the extraordinary. Magic realism fuses
(1) lyrical and, at times, fantastic writing with
(2) an examination of the character of human existence and
(3) an implicit criticism of society, particularly the elite.
The Venezuelan essayist and fiction writer Arturo Uslar-Pietri was especially eager to promote this literary mixture as an exceptional feature of Latin American literature. It was Arturo Uslar-Pietri who applied to Latin American writing a term taken from German art criticism, magical realism. By the 1960s this phrase was being taken up not only by critics but by ordinary readers for whom it summarized a quality they had been noticing in recent fiction. In the broadest terms, the phenomenon that seemed to be spreading through a sector of Spanish American writing was the co-occurrence of realism with fantastic, mythic, and magical. A secondary trait was the characteristic attitude of narrators toward the subject matter: they frequently appeared to accept events contrary to the usual operating laws of the universe as natural, even unremarkable. Though the tellers of astonishing tales, they themselves expressed little or no surprise. It is worth noting that Arturo Uslar-Pietri, in presenting his term for this literary tendency, always kept its definition open by means of a language more lyrical and evocative than strictly critical, as in this 1948 statement: "What came to dominate the story and to leave a lasting impression was the view of man as a mystery surrounded by realistic data. A poetic divination or denial of reality. Something that for lack of a better word could be called magical realism." When academic critics attempted to define magical realism with scholarly exactitude, they discovered that it was more powerful than precise. Critics frustrated by their inability to pin down the term's meaning have, in disgust, urged its complete abandonment. Yet Arturo Uslar-Pietri's vague, ample usage magical realism was wildly successful in summarizing for many readers their perception of much Spanish American fiction; this fact suggests that the term has its uses, so long as it is not expected to function with the precision expected of technical, scholarly terminology."
Definition of Magical Realism provided on the website of Emory University (http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Ma..."A literary mode rather than a distinguishable genre, magical realism aims to seize the paradox of the union of opposites. For instance, it challenges polar opposites like life and death and the pre-colonial past versus the post-industrial present. Magical realism is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality. Magical realism differs from pure fantasy primarily because it is set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society. According to Angel Flores, magical realism involves the fusion of the real and the fantastic, or as he claims, "an amalgamation of realism and fantasy". The presence of the supernatural in magical realism is often connected to the primeval or "magical’ Indian mentality, which exists in conjunction with European rationality. According to Ray Verzasconi, as well as other critics, magical realism is "an expression of the New World reality which at once combines the rational elements of the European super-civilization, and the irrational elements of a primitive America." Gonzalez Echchevarria believes that magical realism offers a world view that is not based on natural or physical laws nor objective reality. However, the fictional world is not separated from reality either.
Background
The term "magical realism" was first introduced by Franz Roh, a German art critic, who considered magical realism an art category. To him, it was a way of representing and responding to reality and pictorially depicting the enigmas of reality. In Latin America in the 1940s, magical realism was a way to express the realistic American mentality and create an autonomous style of literature.
Characteristics of Magical Realism
Hybridity — Magical realists incorporate many techniques that have been linked to post-colonialism, with hybridity being a primary feature. Specifically, magical realism is illustrated in the inharmonious arenas of such opposites as urban and rural, and Western and indigenous. The plots of magical realist works involve issues of borders, mixing, and change. Authors establish these plots to reveal a crucial purpose of magical realism: a more deep and true reality than conventional realist techniques would illustrate.
Irony Regarding Author’s Perspective — The writer must have ironic distance from the magical world view for the realism not to be compromised. Simultaneously, the writer must strongly respect the magic, or else the magic dissolves into simple folk belief or complete fantasy, split from the real instead of synchronized with it. The term "magic" relates to the fact that the point of view that the text depicts explicitly is not adopted according to the implied world view of the author. As Gonzales Echevarria expresses, the act of distancing oneself from the beliefs held by a certain social group makes it impossible to be thought of as a representative of that society.
Authorial Reticence — Authorial reticence refers to the lack of clear opinions about the accuracy of events and the credibility of the world views expressed by the characters in the text. This technique promotes acceptance in magical realism. In magical realism, the simple act of explaining the supernatural would eradicate its position of equality regarding a person’s conventional view of reality. Because it would then be less valid, the supernatural world would be discarded as false testimony.
The Supernatural and Natural — In magical realism, the supernatural is not displayed as questionable. While the reader realizes that the rational and irrational are opposite and conflicting polarities, they are not disconcerted because the supernatural is integrated within the norms of perception of the narrator and characters in the fictional world.
Themes
The idea of terror overwhelms the possibility of rejuvenation in magical realism. Several prominent authoritarian figures, such as soldiers, police, and sadists all have the power to torture and kill. Time is another conspicuous theme, which is frequently displayed as cyclical instead of linear. What happens once is destined to happen again. Characters rarely, if ever, realize the promise of a better life. As a result, irony and paradox stay rooted in recurring social and political aspirations. Another particularly complex theme in magical realism is the carnivalesque. The carnivalesque is carnival’s reflection in literature. The concept of carnival celebrates the body, the senses, and the relations between humans. "Carnival" refers to cultural manifestations that take place in different related forms in North and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean, often including particular language and dress, as well as the presence of a madman, fool, or clown. In addition, people organize and participate in dance, music, or theater. Latin American magical realists, for instance, explore the bright life-affirming side of the carnivalesque. The reality of revolution, and continual political upheaval in certain parts of the world, also relates to magical realism. Specifically, South America is characterized by the endless struggle for a political ideal.
Magical Realist Authors
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ben Okri
Isabel Allende
Syl Cheney-Coker
Kojo Laing
Allejo Carpentier
Toni Morrison
Kwsme Anthony Appiah
Mario Vargas Llosa"
Mario T. García, Luis Leal An Auto/Biography (2000), quotes Mexican critic Leal as defining Magical Realism as follows:"Without thinking of the concept of magical realism, each writer gives expression to a reality he observes in the people. To me, magical realism is an attitude on the part of the characters in the novel toward the world, or toward nature. (...) If you can explain it, then it's not magical realism."
And:
"In fantastic literature — in Borges, for example — the writer creates new worlds, perhaps new planets. By contrast, writers like García Márquez, who use magical realism, don't create new worlds, but suggest the magical in our world."
On the inclusion of books by Orhan Pamuk in this list: Pamuk himself does NOT consider his writing to be magic(al) ralism. Indeed, in an interview with the "Independent" (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...) he is quoted as saying that "Although he also admires Garcia Marquez, Pamuk finds 'the impact of magic realism damaging, even damning'."
Where is Mia Coutos' Terra Sonambula??
Would you consider Aimee Bender to be Magical Realism?
I was wondering if someone could explain why Alice Sebold's Lucky is on the list? I read this one and it was a memoir, and I don't recall any magic even mentioned in it actually, but it was a while back!
Same thought on Lucky--simple memoir. In a way, Sebold's other book The Lovely Bones belongs here, but certainly not Lucky.
I think the term magical realism is racist
Bravo Two Zero is magic realism? Seriously?
Katie wrote: "I think the term magical realism is racist"How so? I mean, I'm really confused by this statement. It's the term Magical Realist writers use or the Marvelous Real, and this is from Rios and Carpentier. So your statement seems way off base to me.
While I absolutely adore the Harry Potter series, I think its inclusion in this list is dubious. It certainly does not meet the criteria for magical realism. Harry Potter is fantasy - perhaps "urban fantasy," if you must, but certainly fantasy. Magical realism requires that the story be set in the normal un-magical world as we know it, with one or two impossible magical circumstances disturbing it. A perfect example, I think, is Aimee Bender's Lemon Cake, although it does not appear on this list.
As much as I love it, I don't think Life of Pi should be considered Magical Realism. However, I can't argue my point without spoilers.
Ben wrote: "As much as I love it, I don't think Life of Pi should be considered Magical Realism. However, I can't argue my point without spoilers."I completely agree! (well, except for the loving it)
Lucky is "magical realism"?????? Are you serious????? What magical about that book? it's a bold realism
In the Time of the Butterflies is a story based on real life events and real people. How this one can be magic too? Looks like many people confused by termin magical realism
Why are Twilight and Harry Potter on this list?
Having read some of the other comments, I noticed that there are a number of people pushing for an edit to be done to this list. I totally agree, and would urge whoever is in charge of it to figure out a way to seriously prune this thing. I perused the list for all of 15 seconds and immediately noticed at least 5 books that have no place to be on this list and even more whose right is rather tenuous. Who put The Hobbit on here? That is nowhere near being magical realism, it's like one of the most quintessential fantasy books. Also, there seems to be a lot of urban fantasy mixed in here, which really doesn't belong. This is a seriously misleading list.
I propose that urban fantasy and magical realism are not mutually exclusive. Discuss. Where do you draw the line? Something like Anansi Boys (or American Gods) falls in that dubious neutral zone between the two genres.
I'd put Anansi Boys squarely in magical realism (although the darkness in Gaiman is clearly aligned with urban fantasy.) As a radical departure, try "The Ballad of Young Tam Lin," (just out). Sir John Randolph's life is pretty mundane, until he falls off his horse when drunk, and becomes the lover of the Queen of Elfland. And young Lady Janet Dunbar is as "normal" as can be, until she is seduced by "Tam Lin," Sir John's alter ego. Really well written, compelling, and unexpectedly deep-thinking.
I suggest that Magical Realism be clearly defined first before people can add up to this list. Only a quarter of this list can actually be considered Magical Realism.
Good to see Bless Me, Ultima, in the pack. For a strong visual on Magical Realism, some episodes of Ugly Betty.
I'll toss in that one British fantasy writer said (tongue in cheek) that "Magical Realism is Spanish for Fantasy."
Jody wrote: "Too difficult to choose one, I love Alice Hoffman's gift of story but I also love Gabriel García Márquez for his lush narrative. When reviewing the list I noticed 3 books that I have but haven't re..."
No one captures magical realism like G.G. Marquez. One Hundred Years Of Solitude is lush, but wickedly funny on the every page.
Sarah wrote: "Jon wrote: "I added Midlesex.. and prepared to be challenged as im no expert. To me this was magic realism - narrated as the story of a gene through generations by someone who couldnt possibly hav..."
Thoroughly enjoyed Middlesex altho' it was exhausting and painful. To put it in the "magical realsim" category, I'd need some examples.
There are a lot of books on this list that should be removed. As far as I see it, Sci Fi, fantasy and vampire and werewolf stories don't generally belong on a Magical Realism list. Dystopian novels like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro really don't belong either. There ARE a few books that have been omitted that do fall squarely in the field though. I've added votes for:
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli Aimed at the younger set but clearly reality with a touch of magic/miraculous/unlikely
Holes by Louis Sachar same argument as above.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt another case
Billy Boy by Bud Shrake Great book realistically set in post WWII Texas. Deals with golf but there are elements of the miraculous introduced. A better Bagger Vance.
When You Were Me by Robert Rodi Deals with an aging gay man who has the opportunity to swap bodies with a younger man. Other than the enabling element this novel clearly falls into the realistic.
Since when Franz Kafka's work belongs to "magic realism" genre? What's ever been real about Franz? Even pros like Jose Saramago and Jorge L. Borges lost their minds. What's Gospel according to Jesus Christ? What's Cain? O'Jesus, what's Chocalat? Only W. Woolf, W. Faulkner, I. Allende, and M. Pavić are real. Keep on radar Vinko Vrbanic, he is coming.
It is a quite bad list, most of the books haven't got any connection with magical realism.Here are a great list: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/english/or...
Agnes wrote: "It is a quite bad list, most of the books haven't got any connection with magical realism.Here are a great list: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/english/or..."
Mato wrote:
There is no clear cutting edge between surrealism and magic realism because both blend (inoculate, juxtapose, whichever term is preferable) normal with surreal (dream-like, unexplainable, impossible). Surrealism is rooted in Dada of France early twenties (Aragon, Breton), and magic realism evolved from surrealism by influencing North America (W. Woolf, W. Faulkner) and Latin writers (Neruda, Carpentier, Borges. Magic realism became popular and earned recognition on the demise of communism and surrealism supporting it. A few writers could not clearly identify themselves with either movement, with Salman Rushdie an example. Nowadays, the literary world is using the word in broader sense with a tendency towards magic overpowering reality. Allende, Pavić, and Bulgakov are the examples. My impression is that the link www.columbia.edu is placing surrealism and magic realism in the same basket, which idea is not completely unjustified.
There is an obvious lack of comprehension about what defines Magical Realism here. And so, despite Goodreads's threat of loss of librarian privileges and possible deletion of account (accompanied by the scathing "We're super serious!"), I have deleted the following books from this list for the simple reason that they were totally miscategorized:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Amerika by Franz Kafka
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Dead by Day by Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J.K. Rowling
Hauntings: Is There Anybody There? by Norah Lofts
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Holes by Louis Sachar
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
James Potter and the Curse of the Gate Keeper by G. Norman Lippert
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert
James Potter and the Vault of Destinies by G. Norman Lippert
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Lost by Gregory Maguire
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Odyssey by Homer
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The definition of the term Magical Realism has been long established, and none of the above even come close to that definition. Some of the titles I deleted are among my favorite books. Nonetheless, they are not Magical Realism, they are Fantasy, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Epic Poetry, Gothic, Horror, Historical, Satire, Parallel, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Modernist, Memoir, and Fan Fiction.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Amerika by Franz Kafka
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Dead by Day by Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J.K. Rowling
Hauntings: Is There Anybody There? by Norah Lofts
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Holes by Louis Sachar
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
James Potter and the Curse of the Gate Keeper by G. Norman Lippert
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert
James Potter and the Vault of Destinies by G. Norman Lippert
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Lost by Gregory Maguire
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Odyssey by Homer
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Trial by Franz Kafka
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The definition of the term Magical Realism has been long established, and none of the above even come close to that definition. Some of the titles I deleted are among my favorite books. Nonetheless, they are not Magical Realism, they are Fantasy, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Epic Poetry, Gothic, Horror, Historical, Satire, Parallel, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Modernist, Memoir, and Fan Fiction.
I can't help but marvel at Arduini's exclusion list. A fair number of writers/publishers use/abuse term "magic realism" or "chronicles" to give an impression of bigger/better/more popular literary achievement. Therefore, I believe that both terms are used w/out much regard for their true origins.
I deleted 12 more books from this list for the simple reason that they were totally miscategorized:
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dune by Frank Herbert
Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
Megaliving! 30 Days to a Perfect Life by Robin S. Sharma
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson
Don't Hex with Texas by Shanna Swendson
Tales of the Whosawhachits: Key Holder of the Realms by Patricia O'Grady
Tales of the Whosawhachits: Enter the 5th Realm by Patricia O'Grady
These titles should instead be categorized as: Post-Cyberpunk Science Fiction, "Fine Bogey Tale" (the author's own words), Far-Future Science Fiction, Fantasy Mash-up, Classic Science Fiction, Self-Help, Contemporary Bildungsroman, Chick Lit, and Self-Published Fantasy.
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dune by Frank Herbert
Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
Megaliving! 30 Days to a Perfect Life by Robin S. Sharma
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson
Don't Hex with Texas by Shanna Swendson
Tales of the Whosawhachits: Key Holder of the Realms by Patricia O'Grady
Tales of the Whosawhachits: Enter the 5th Realm by Patricia O'Grady
These titles should instead be categorized as: Post-Cyberpunk Science Fiction, "Fine Bogey Tale" (the author's own words), Far-Future Science Fiction, Fantasy Mash-up, Classic Science Fiction, Self-Help, Contemporary Bildungsroman, Chick Lit, and Self-Published Fantasy.
I was ready to have a fit when I saw this list, but then I calmed down when I saw the comments and realized that there are so many people who indeed know what magical realism is. I'm so glad to see people deleting books that obviously do not belong on this list. I haven't been able to read all the comments yet, so I'm not sure if anyone mentioned The Time Traveler's Wife already, but this is not an example of magical realism. The time traveler in this story is able to do so because of a genetic mutation, so that (the explanation) removes the element of magical realism. If there's some type of logical explanation for the fantastical happenings, even if it is a far-fetched, future-oriented one as there in this case, then it is not magic realism.
I didn't scour the list but I did remove "Lucky" by Alice Sebold. As it is a memoir and nowhere near being magical realism.
A. Arduini wrote: "I deleted 12 more books from this list for the simple reason that they were totally miscategorized:The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyd..."
Yup, there's a serious misunderstanding of what magical realism. Good that someone is deleting these! Also, why is Swamplandia! on the list? I don't remember anything in it that would qualify it.
A. Arduini wrote: "I deleted 12 more books from this list for the simple reason that they were totally miscategorized:The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyd..."
Thank you for your Herculanean efforts in cleaning up this list! It's one that, judging by the comments made here, many folk (including fellow GR librarians) seemed to have begun considering a lost cause in the interim (I know I certainly had) ... good to see someone stepping up to the plate after all. If you want a hand, just say the word!
The Help? Really? This is about the civil rights movement and has zero factors qualifying it as magical realism.
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