• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

What is Magical realism?

June 13, 2012 by Tahlia Newland

Worlds_Face

My young adult novel You Can’t Shatter Me  is magical realism, and all my fiction has magical realism elements, in particular The Prunella Smith books . But what does that mean exactly? What is magical realism? Here’s what Wikapedia says about it.

“Magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction [1] in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the “real” and the “fantastic” in the same stream of thought. It is a film, literary and visual art genre.”

The question this raises is how is it different to fantasy? Magical realism is set in the real world. Fantasy is set in a fantasy world. Even in urban fantasy, the witches, fairies, vampires and so on that populate the world make it not the real world as we know it. The real difference lies in the purpose of the magical elements. In magical realism they are there to emphasize something, usually a characters perception or inner experience. They are there to illuminate reality, to help us look at our reality in a different way.

Magical realism is often considered a literary form of fiction and I expect that this is because the magical elements have meaning. They aren’t there for decoration, rather to make a point. The magical elements usually have their basis in metaphors which are extended until they become a tangible part of the characters experience.

For example, in You Can’t Shatter Me, flying words attack Dylan as he tries to make a decision. This shows how threatened he feels by his thoughts. When Justin hassles Carly in class, a fishing rod appears above her with a hook labeled with his abusive words. This shows that he’s trying to hook her, and the way she deals with the fishing rod is an analogy for a way to deal with verbal abuse. In the same way,  love and compassion appears as light shining in our heroine’s chest, a light that she learns to send to others. Why? To emphasise its power.

Magical realism is the term used to describe the work of writers like Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind) and is a relatively unknown genre. You won’t find a shelf for it in your local bookstore. Such books would be shelved under literature, general fiction or perhaps contemporary fiction. It’s a genre with a lot of potential and perhaps because of this, it will become more widely written and read. There are enough magical realism books in the Awesome Indies listing for me to give them their own page.

Magical realism blurs the line between fantasy and reality in a more subtle way than urban fantasy does, and instead of taking us out of reality as fantasy does, it highlights aspects of reality as we perceive it.

Have you read any magical realism? If so, would you recommend it?

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to read more, you can subscribe to new content delivered by email or RSS feed (see the buttons on the right side bar). You can also follow me on Facebook and/or on Twitter.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Book talk Tagged With: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, fantasy, fiction, genres in fiction, magical realism, The Shadow of the Wind

« Fiction with meaning
Review: The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross »

Comments

  1. Curtis says

    June 15, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    An Interesting article, although I would disagree that it’s a relatively unknown genre. For example, Haruki Murakami, someone considered a writer of magical realism, has enjoyed huge popularity and fame on account of his novels and short stories. Also, I wonder if you would consider Borges, or even Kafka, as magical realists?
    I think magical realism is difficult to define because from culture to culture its meaning, and what it is attached to, varies.
    Thanks for your article, it gave me a lot to think about.

  2. Tahlia Newland says

    June 16, 2012 at 6:01 am

    Yes, it is difficult to define and I wouldn’t want to limit it with a too tight definition, but I think the point that it illuminates reality rather than replaces it is a good one. Athol Dickinson said something like that on a post on Racheal Gardner’s blog some time ago.
    The reason I said it isn’t well known is a perception I’ve gained because I’ve come across a lot of people who don’t know what it is. I guess it depends on what circles you move in.

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss

 

Loading Comments...