Magical realism is one of the most wonderfully weird literary genres out there. It is characterised by its fantastical moments in an otherwise normal setting, which are integrated into the text without acknowledging the abnormality of these occurrences. It can take a while to get accustomed to the eccentricities of this genre; often in the stories time moves differently, the lines between the world of fantasy and reality blur and merge and the identity of the characters shift and metamorphose.
One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, instantly draws readers in with its hooking first line: “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” The distorted depiction of time, coupled with the two captivating images described, set the tone for a book full of enigma and drama. It follows the story of the Buendía family in the fictional town of Macondo over seven generations, loosely following the history of Colombia from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. At times, the story can be incredibly confusing, as almost every male character is called José Arcadio or Aureliano and history repeats itself in a strange, cyclical way. However, these baffling elements add to the wonder of the story.
The House of Spirits, by Isabel Allende, mirrors One Hundred Years of Solitude in many ways, but the integral difference is that Isabel Allende’s book centres around a female narrative. The book follows three generations of women in the Trueba family, in a dramatic saga that follows the political turmoils of Chile over the 20th century . However, despite the serious nature of these topics, the book is littered with mystical occurrences, notably the clairvoyance of the grandma Clara, who predicts the future, levitates objects and talks to ghosts. For those who are a bit bewildered by magical realism, this novel can be an easier read to start with as it dips in and out of the supernatural, but follows accurately and linearly the history of Chile.
Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children seamlessly intertwines fantasy and the history of India and Pakistan. The book follows the life of Saleem Sinai, who is born at the exact moment of Indian Independence, and therefore develops supernatural abilities, along with every other baby born at this exact moment in India. The plot of this novel is incredibly unique, with the protagonist going through so many different periods, cities and situations, it feels as though he has lived multiple lifetimes. Saleem’s supernatural abilities are unusual for even a fantastical novel: as well as telepathic abilities, he also has a comically large nose that has an extremely acute sense of smell.
While the mystical elements of this genre make magical realist books an enjoyable read, the best part of its unconventional nature is that entire swaths of history can be encapsulated in a single story, even in a single lifetime. This is why the genre remains relevant today, capturing the political landscapes of the past and the present in a distinctive, compelling way.
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