And, of course, there’s what you might think of as “magical realism lite” (which I do not intend as a dig - in fact, I consider it a highly enjoyable subset of the genre), such as the mesmerizing works of Sarah Addison Allen. There are various subsets of magical realism - such as feminist magical realism - that use magic to disrupt dominant ideologies. Writers like Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez, and Isabel Allende have employed the genre toward anti-colonial aims. More than that, I argue that despite the harm that has been done through the problematic application of this term, it has a long and rich history of revolutionary work. If you can name it, you can think and talk about it more deeply. That means it’s legible and defines a particular category of literature (however imprecisely). ![]() So why continue to use this label? Well, for better or worse it’s a term that has gained traction in the publishing industry. By signing up you agree to our terms of use Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Others are very specific, considering only works where the tone is highly objective - even journalistic - but the characters or events break from reality. Some scholars include anything that is not typically the domain of the “real,” the broadness of which can see the label “magical realism” applied to folklore, mythology, fairytales, fantasy, speculative fiction, paranormal literature, and more. Regardless of how much magic there is, what counts as “magic” is widely disputed and largely disagreed upon. Sometimes the magic permeates the text, jumping out at you from every page, while in other instances the magic is occasional. Beyond that, well, there’s a lot of confusion. Generally speaking, magical realism novels are characterized by its overall adherence to realism…except for the magic. So broad, in fact, that it can absorb other genres (like fantasy). ![]() ![]() What defines a magical realism novel? The presence of magic, obviously! But that’s an extremely broad definition. Originally hailing from the sun and sandstone of southern California, she currently resides with her partner, offspring, and feline companion in the sleepy mountains of western North Carolina. She exists on a steady diet of books and hot chocolate, with a heaping side of travel whenever possible. Anne Mai Yee Jansen is a literature and ethnic studies professor and a lifelong story addict.
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