Magical Realism by Aliza Brylinsky

Readers of cozy mysteries may foster more familiarity with the mystery genre. Mystery is a great part of our everyday culture- TV dramas and mystery novels tell of the process behind solving many kinds of crime, and even forensic science today relies heavily upon the kind of careful attention to detail that many readers of the Sherlock Holmes series may be able to identify. Mystery is a well-known, nuanced genre, and its audience encompasses many different age groups and readers. But magic realism may be a lesser-known genre to many. Now that Cozy Cat Press has decided to publish magical realism mysteries, readers may struggle to find specific examples of this genre or know what elements novels featuring it as their primary focus include. Even defining magical realism may come as a challenge. Therefore, it is the goal of this blog post to examine magical realism—what it entails and the literary devices it includes, as well as the history behind the term—in an attempt to foster greater understanding and appreciation of the genre.

First, a definition. To the uninformed reader, magic realism and fantasy may seem to be one and the same, as the word “magic” has certain assumptions and expectations tied to it. But magic realism varies greatly from the average fantasy novel. Magical realism, put in simple terms, is a literary genre that shows a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements into it. The setting does not necessarily have to include the modern world that we live in now. It could include any time and any different variety of characters. The main literary trope tying novels that involve magical realism together is that they introduce a magical or supernatural phenomenon to an audience within a mundane, real-world setting. Where fantasy novels are often very much separated from reality, magic realism could be trying to make a point about reality by using magical elements to tie into the narrative.

The term “magical realism” was first used in 1925 by German art critic Franz Roh (expressed there as magischer realismus) in his book After Expressionism: Magical Realism, to describe New Objectivity, a style of painting that was popular in Germany at the time. He used the term to describe how whimsical and strange normal objects could appear when you took the time to stop and look at them, and from there the term grew in popularity and use. The writer Alejo Carpentier was influenced by magic realism during a stay in Paris, developing the concept into “marvelous realism”-but it wasn’t until 1955, when literary critic Angel Flores officially coined the term “magical realism” and named Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges the first magical realist, that the genre became widely used, evolving into what is commonly used today. In a way, Latin American authors have had the largest influence upon magic realism, and this influence continues to be seen today, as many of the novels including such a concept on the market today are written by Latin American authors.

What details does magic realism include? A realistic setting is a must have, as we have seen already. So too are magical elements. Limited information is another key element of magic realism—the magic elements may not be explained by the author to further normalize them. Magic realism may also be meant as a critique on everyday society (generally in the realm of politics), especially considering that the genre itself grew within Latin American countries, which were often oppressed both politically and economically by Western societies. Magic realism novels tend to not stick to a concrete plot structure as well, without a clear beginning, middle and end. This helps add to the overall reading experience and the “mystery” elements of the novels, aiding it in giving off a mysterious and otherworldly air.

Whether magic realism is a genre that is widely known to readers or not, there is no doubt that it is a greatly nuanced form of writing, with a rich history and many key elements that make it uniquely fascinating. If one wishes to delve deeper into the genre after reading this post, the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges are recommended- as are any of the magic realism novels that Cozy Cat itself will someday publish!