What is "Magic realism"?

[wrinklytum]

Following a recent conversation with my db who is studying a Spanish degree I wonder if anyone can enlighten me.He has been doing Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez and was talking about this.My study of literature finished at A level and I am a bit crappola at such things.Thanks

Um - my understanding of it is that it involves realistic settings e.g. Allende's Chile, and often political issues, but uses magical/fantastical devices as part of the telling of the story.

Lol - I was just about to say it is something to do with Isabel Allende!

I think it is where fantastical ideas (eg the magical spiritual freaky grandmother stuff a la Allende) takes place within otherwise normal settings with otherwise normal characters ie: not fantasy.

I am probably talking rubbish though!

its when 'magic' (weird) things happen in real settings, like ghosts appearing in trees (e.g. marquez, allende) or food transmitting the emotions of the person who cooked it (esquival) - but it is nearly 20 years since I studied it properly as part of my degree

also try reading Louis de Bernieres - Senor Vivo and the Coca Lords and that series for a great taste of magical realism. i really like the genre and think his books set in south america. If my memory serves me right - and bear with me because it's some time since io've read these books, the story is set in columbia and involves the real brutality of the cocaine trade and the drug baron stuff, an interesting, fun, village full of folk whilst also an (obviously)long dead army of Conquistadores ressurects itself. Honestly, great books. Ought to re-read actually.

duckyfuzz sounds spot on. I think it was deployed a lot during the Stalinist era, when freedom of expression was effectively banned, and authors would use it as a device to comment on the policies of the day - Bulgakov's Master & Margerita springs to mind. But again, it's a while since I was at uni, so that could be nonsense!

Toni Morrison uses it in her novel 'Beloved' - where ghost (dead girl) is main character. Not sure if that helps!!

Kate Atkinson uses it in some of her stuff too, 'Emotionally Weird' and 'It's Not the End of the World' are particularly good.

funny, i was just reading an article on magic realism by tom robbins last night. he has a fine way with words and this is how he explains it;

"down in latin america, they also write about bad marriages and ill health (as well as the kind of government brutality of which we in the US so far have had only a taste). the big difference, though, is that even when surveying the gritty and mundane aspects of daily life, Latin novelists invoke the dream realm, the spirit realm, the mythic realm, the realm of nature, and the psychological underworld.

in acknowledging that social realism is but one layer of a many-layered cake, in threading the inexplicable and the goofy into their naturalistic narratives, the so-called magic realists not only weave a more expansive, inclusive tapestry but leave the reader with a feverish exaltation rather than the deadening weariness that all too often accompanies the completion of even the most splendidly crafted of our books."

Thanks for all the replies,so it stemmed from Latin/South American literature.I will have to look at the Kate Atkinson novels cited,so far have only read "Behind the scenes" and "One good turn".I am going to order the Coca Lords one and re visit Allende.

Thank you.Very interesting.

Or try a Murakami for some Japanese magic realism!