a reader's guide to magical realism
Introduction
Magical realism is one of the fastest-growing literary genres on the market. Sometimes called “fantasy for people who don’t like fantasy,” this kind of writing combines the best of speculative and literary fiction. Beginning as a Latin American artistic movement and moving into popular literature and film, magical realism bridges the ordinary and the extraordinary in creative new ways.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about this upmarket genre, including where the term came from, some key characteristics of magical realism storytelling, and the best magical realism books to steep yourself in everyday wonder.
Understanding Magical Realism
Definition of Magical Realism
First things first: What is magical realism in literature, exactly? Let’s break it down.
Magical realism is a genre in which supernatural or fantastical elements bleed into the everyday. It’s subtler than something like urban fantasy or crossover fantasy (comparable genres considered below) and often involves down-to-earth, everyday people.
In magical realism novels, the strange and uncanny often serve as an extended metaphor for a deeper emotional theme. For example, a character who begins crying shards of glass instead of water might symbolically be shedding their fragility or brittleness. Similarly, flowers that grow only one day a year could be a metaphor for something special that happens on that day, like a visit from a beloved family member.
Magical realism uses these extraordinary or surreal elements as a lens through which the writer can convey powerful and sometimes difficult themes in an approachable and emotionally evocative way.
Characteristics of Magical Realism
Even though magical realism literature encompasses a broad range of stories, there are a few characteristics that these stories always have in common.
Real-world settings
Unlike high fantasy, magical realism is always set in the world we know. This might involve recognizable places (like the Cincinnati setting of Toni Morrison’s Beloved) or settings that combine elements of archetypal environments (like Macondo, the fictional town at the heart of Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude). Even if the setting is somewhere that doesn’t strictly exist, it will have enough in common with real-world places that it feels like it could exist. By rooting the story in a realistic place, magical realism authors suggest that the events taking place on the page could happen in the readers’ own backyard.
Recognizable Characters
Magical realism also focuses on regular human people. This means magic realist stories don’t normally have fantastical creatures like elves or vampires. Instead, the main characters will seem like people a reader might encounter at school, at work, or down the street. This helps the story feel intimate and accessible to the reader, emphasizing the genre’s goal of expressing experiences, emotions, and concepts that occur in daily life but feel too big or extreme for the boundaries of strictly realist representation.
Fantastical elements
All examples of magical realism have magical or impossible elements. Strange things happen in strange ways, with the strangeness often surfacing in the natural world, food, or craftsmanship—textiles, jewelry, and so forth. The magic in magical realism is generally subtler than that of full-blown fantasy, and it’s accepted as a part of everyday life.
Folkloric roots
Magical realism draws heavily from folkloric traditions around the world—particularly those in Latin American culture. Readers may find traditions, superstitions, and beliefs from older cultures reworked in contemporary stories. This gives the story a powerful connection to historical sacred truth as well as a strong foundation from which to build its world.
Soft exposition
One of the biggest differences between magical realism and “hard” fantasy and sci-fi is the lack of mechanical worldbuilding.
In a high fantasy or sci-fi novel, the narrator will often explain how certain technology works, how certain creatures evolved, or why the magical elements function the way they do. In magical realism, the uncanny exists as a part of everyday life, like gravity or the unconscious. It’s woven into the essential fabric of the world.
Symbolism
Magical realism is brimming with symbolism and metaphor. Everything, from the fantastical to the mundane, contains layered meanings that support the story’s themes. This allows the story to be read in multiple ways and given multiple interpretations.
Sociocultural critique
The symbolism of magical realism can communicate messages about the real world. Magical gifts, talents, or occurrences that take place within the story are often a way for the author to talk about something more subversive—like race, class, gender, politics, or environmental challenges. Things that are too contentious to be stated overtly can be addressed more subtly through the lens of magical realism.
Magical Realism vs Fantasy
Speculative fiction, an umbrella term for fantasy, science fiction, and other works with “unreal” elements, encompasses a wide variety of subgenres. Here are some fantasy genres similar to magical realism.
Magical realism vs high fantasy
While magical realism is firmly rooted in the everyday world, “high fantasy” specifically refers to fantasy that takes place in secondary worlds and is often epic in scope. The Lord of the Rings series is a famous example of high fantasy.
Magical realism vs low fantasy
In contrast to high fantasy, “low fantasy” refers to any fantasy work that takes place in a recognizable world, rather than one with its own internal rules, as in High Fantasy. Low fantasy may also refer to fantasy narratives that focus on everyday people, rather than kings or empresses, and that play out on more realistic or less epic scales, like Conan the Barbarian. Magical realism is sometimes considered a form of low fantasy, but low fantasy covers other types of stories as well. A good rule of thumb is that if it takes place in a modern or earthly location, it may be low fantasy, but if it contains things like fairies, werewolves, battles between good and evil, or doorways to other worlds, it’s probably not magical realism. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is a good example of low fantasy.
Magical realism vs urban fantasy
Urban fantasy is a kind of low fantasy that refers to stories that take place in cities and towns. It’s closely related to magical realism, and some stories can have a foot in both genres. In general, urban fantasy will contain more traditional and paranormal elements like vampires, monsters, and high-stakes conflicts. The goal of urban fantasy is to take familiar motifs from high fantasy and transpose them onto city living. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is a famous example of urban fantasy.
Magical realism vs crossover fantasy
“Crossover fantasy” refers to stories that literally cross over from a primary world (i.e., our own) to a secondary world (i.e., somewhere else). This is especially popular in YA fiction. Magical realism, by contrast, only takes place within the familiar primary world. The Chronicles of Narnia series is a classic example of crossover fantasy.
Magical realism vs surrealism
Surrealism means “above reality” and shares a lot of common elements with magical realism. However, while magical realism is grounded in the ordinary world, surrealism deals more with the subconscious and the dream realm. It doesn’t always follow a traditional narrative pattern the way magical realism does, and it often explores the complex and multifaceted landscape of the mind. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami is a popular example of a surrealist work.
Magical realism vs fabulism
Magical realism and fabulism are very similar in that they both incorporate speculative elements into the mundane world without the rigorous world-building of genres like high fantasy or urban fantasy. Their main distinction lies in their history; magical realism comes from Latin American artistic movements and is traditionally concerned with social politics, whereas fabulism refers to any emotionally driven story with folkloric, everyday magic. The Sandman comic book series is an excellent example of contemporary fabulism.
Magical realism vs science fiction
Like fantasy, science fiction is a wide umbrella genre that can manifest in numerous ways. It uses science, technology, and earthly exploration to explore potential realities and convey a message about the state of the world today. Like magical realism, it may use “what if?” questions to create a powerful social commentary. Unlike magical realism, however, it doesn’t normally incorporate magical or supernatural elements; science fiction classically concerns itself with events that are at least theoretically scientifically explicable. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a classic example of “what if?” science fiction.
Historical and Cultural Context
Origins and Development
German art critic Franz Roh introduced the term “magic realism” in 1925 to describe postimpressionist paintings from Latin America and the Caribbean. As an artistic style, magic realism blended the mundane with the dreamlike and unexpected.
In 1955, literary critic Angel Flores used the term “magical realism” to describe prose writing that displayed this same merging of reality and the fantastic. Much early magical realism responded to colonialism and the slow erosion of folkloric tradition. Today, many refer to any character-driven fantasy with a literary bent as “magical realism.” However, some writers and literary critics are cautious about using the term too widely, believing it should be the intellectual property of the culture in which it was born. For this reason, terms like “fabulism,” “surrealism,” and the broader “speculative fiction” are less contentious.
Meanwhile, many contemporary Latin American writers are pushing back against the idea that magical realism defines their region’s work. They’re experimenting with other avenues of storytelling and pushing the boundaries of what magical realism can be.
Magical Realism in Latin America
Latin America is considered the birthplace of magical realism. One of the most famous and earliest magic realist novels is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. Márquez went on to write several other books that informed the Latin American magical realism movement.
Other prominent Latin American authors who explore magical realism in their work are Jorge Luis Borges, Isabel Allende, José Donoso, and Julio Florencio Cortázar. Authors like Márquez use the fantastical elements of magical realism to draw attention to social and political flaws and to illuminate the struggles of those on the fringe.
Today, magical realism is considered a cornerstone of Latin America’s literary heritage. Contemporary authors like Íngrid Betancourt and Silvia Moreno-Garcia are connecting with this heritage while also using magical realism to explore pressing modern themes.
Characteristics and Themes in Classic Magical Realism
The earliest magical realism stories were united by a common goal: to understand oneself and one’s world better. Effective magical realism stories encourage readers to look at things in a new way and even take steps to improve the way they interact with others. Here are some of the most important magical realism characteristics that define this genre.
Character-driven narratives
Unlike some fantasy subgenres, classic magical realism is driven by character. Although some external goal or conflict may set the story in motion, what’s really happening under the surface is a battle with the self. These stories explore human psychology in a compelling, relatable way.
Re-examination of the self
A lot of these stories take their protagonist on a journey that causes them to confront their own secrets, weaknesses, and strengths. They might have had a certain idea of who they are and a face they project to the world only to discover that their true self is something very different. Magical realism uses fantastical or surrealist symbolism to take the characters on this journey.
Broadening of perspectives
Likewise, magical realism stories often help the main character (and the reader) look at the world around them in a new way. This might involve exploring ethnicity, economic class, or belief system, or it may critique a pressing social issue like climate change. By the end of the story, the protagonist and the reader should both emerge with the ability to see through a fresh and unexpected lens.
Cultural and political subversion
In early Latin American magical realism, fantasy was a way to address political issues like racism, colonialism, and economic divides in a safe and indirect way. Even today, magical realism can help writers express contentious messages about broken political systems or outmoded systems of belief.
Examples of Magical Realism in Literature
Key Magical Realism Authors and Works
The following authors are considered pioneers of the magical realism genre.
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez was a Colombian novelist and short story writer, sometimes called “the father of magical realism.” His most famous works include One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, both of which are set in the fictional town of Macondo. Márquez uses magic realist elements to explore themes of solitude, loneliness, and community.
Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende is a Chilean American writer most famous for the novels The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts. Her writing deals primarily with Latin American history and shines a light on the untold stories of women during these times. Allende uses fabulist elements to explore themes of oppression, interconnection, and the value of storytelling.
Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie is a British Indian writer who has gained international acclaim for his contentious and politically subversive novels. He’s most famous for the novels Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses. Rushdie’s magical elements are often more overt than those in other works of magical realism, and he uses them to address sensitive cultural and religious topics.
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine writer and poet who was particularly influential in the evolution of magical realism short stories. One of his most famous works is “The Library of Babel,” a story about an endless library capable of holding infinite knowledge. His work incorporates dreamlike surrealism to examine the potential of the human mind.
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is a Black American writer most famous for her novel Beloved. Her work uses a magic realist lens to examine themes of race, oppression, and trauma. Morrison’s novels combine subtle magic realist elements with supernatural and paranormal motifs, such as ghosts; however, in the tradition of magical realism work, these motifs function as metaphors for the deeper psychological issues at play.
Carlo Fuentes
Carlo Fuentes was a Mexican writer who wrote magical realism with a political bent. His work included novels and novellas like Aura, The Hydra Head, and The Old Gringo. Fuentes uses uncanny and fabulist elements to explore political themes surrounding the Mexican Revolution and the theme of nationalist identity.
Laura Esquivel
Laura Esquivel is a Mexican novelist most famous for her magical realism novel Like Water For Chocolate. She uses food as a vessel for magical symbolism—generally as a form of purification or catharsis for the characters. This framework of food as an unconscious magical practice is part of a larger literary tradition that includes authors like Joanne Harris, Aimee Bender, and Sarah Addison Allen.
Best Contemporary Magical Realism Novels
Magical realism is booming as a literary genre. Today’s authors are realizing that fantastical elements can be an extraordinary tool for communicating delicate themes that may be difficult for both the readers and the author, such as political unrest or childhood trauma. These are some contemporary writers who are producing powerful magical realism today.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Gods of Jade and Shadow is inspired by Mayan mythology and follows the journey of two contrasting figures: a teenage girl and a god. Moreno-Garcia blends elements of magical realism and “romantasy” to explore a culture underrepresented in contemporary literature. Through this speculative lens, the novel examines themes of malleable realities and what it means to be human.
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
The Book of Form and Emptiness is a more contemporary reimagining of the magic realist tradition, and its magical elements are more psychological in nature. It follows a protagonist who can interact with objects in unusual ways, and the author uses this structure to examine themes of mental illness and materialism. It introduces the reader to Buddhism and Japanese culture, which are not traditionally associated with the magical realism genre.
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Oona Out of Order is a slipstream novel that follows a protagonist whose consciousness jumps backward and forward in time. Although very rooted in the modern day, this novel is part of a surrealist literary tradition concerned with human psychology. Montimore uses this speculative framework to explore themes of mindfulness and choice.
Best Magical Realism Short Stories
Here are some more magical realism examples in literature.
“The Tiger’s Bride” by Angela Carter
From Angela Carter’s iconic collection of fairy tale retellings The Bloody Chamber, “The Tiger’s Bride” repositions the motifs of “Beauty and the Beast” into a gambling den run by an avaricious tiger. Carter uses magical elements of the “beastly bridegroom” literary tradition to explore themes of inner wildness and the constraints of society—a recurring theme since the inception of the magic realist genre.
“Axolotl” by Julio Cortázar
“Axolotl” uses a surreal premise, the transformation of the narrator into the amphibious creatures that so fascinate him, to explore identity and desire. Cortázar was an Argentine writer, and like many works of magical realism, “Axolotl” also comments obliquely on postcolonial themes—in this case, whether one can ever fully understand an exoticized “other.”
“Fleur” by Louise Erdrich
Like Angela Carter, Erdrich uses magical realism in part to explore issues of gender and power: “Fleur” features a woman whose purported shapeshifting abilities make her an object of hatred and desire among men. However, “Fleur” also draws on folklore from many Indigenous American traditions in its depiction of its titular character.
Learn More
Magical realism is a genre with a rich, subversive history. It cleverly uses fantastical elements as a lens through which to tackle tough topics, from broken political systems to intergenerational trauma. Contemporary writers are finding new ways to blend folkloric motifs with modern challenges to draw attention to underrepresented voices and events. This is why you’ll so often find magical realism being written by and about people with marginalized identities.
Looking for more magical realism to explore? We have a ton of recommendations in our magical realism library!
Additional Resources for Magical Realism in Literature
To learn more about magical realism, consider checking out the following resources:
● What We Talk About When We Talk About Magical Realism
● The Radical Extension of Reality: Jorge Luis Borges
● Ten Years without Gabriel García Márquez: An Oral History
● Saying Goodbye to Magic Realism