The genre "magical realism" is is mystery to a lot of readers. While some would lump it in with fantasy, I studied it in an academic context and most of the magical realism I've come across really belongs with literature.
In magical realism as I understand and write it, the reader enters a world very similar to our own -- either contemporary or historical -- but with at least one element that is impossible, unlikely, or undiscovered as yet in our world, and which is accepted as everyday truth with no explanation needed within the world of the story.
A lot of readers are really piqued by the aspect of "no explanation" of the unusual elements, but that's the part I love best! For me, real life is pretty darn inexplicable at times, and I love writing that embraces that.
Popular authors of magical realism include Isabel Allende, Alice Hoffman, and many others (largely Latin American). Have you read any magical realism? Did you love it, or did it frustrate you?
My best example of magical realism is my story "Middle Awash in Talent." It's told with the wry humor of an extraordinarily self-centered and unreliable narrator whose sister is "talented," which is to say, she has magical healing powers and the ability to move objects using only her mind (telekinesis). The talents are rare, but are a well-known element of the world in which the story takes place. They have a history of government control, etc, which never has to be fully explained, only hinted at.
I first excerpted "Middle Awash in Talent" a year ago for Six Sentence Sunday. The narrator meets her love interest for the first time in this longer excerpt. Another excerpt, which I have indeed changed substantially since I posted, is here. Mainly you get the tone and narrator's voice from these segments, but I hope you enjoy them! I've finished the first (long) part of this story, and I hope to share it with you in full very soon.
I've never considered "magical realism" before, so I'll have to give it some thought. I do like novels that explore realities that are close to our own with some subtle changes.
ReplyDeleteJessica, have you heard of the Lucky 7 meme? Well, I've tagged you. You can find details on my blog if you're interested in participating. :)
I have not explored this genre--or is it a "sub"genre of another? Good post. I admit I was unaware of magical realism, and your description was good. I think I do understand it now. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI came here from the SixSunday link. Nice to "meet" you. :-)
I was raised in 'Magical Realism'.
ReplyDeleteFor the Mexican half of my family ghosts, saints, spirits even people with 'abilities' are as real as the kitchen table. In a way it makes them quite nonmagical. After all there's nothing particularly magical about your computer or the guy at the coffee shop (unless of course there is). If Auntie Lina saw La Llorona once then she saw La Llorona, next topic.
Though I appreciate Magical Realism as a sub genre until I was in my teens and hanging out with more white kids things like ghosts were just filed under the category of realism, nothing particularly magical about it.