[Camilla]

I've raced my way through Sarah Addison Allen's books recently and adore the way she writes. Can anyone recommend me some other authors/ books in the magical realism genre?

Thanks!

 

[NogDog]

Can you define "magical realism", so that I know whether I've read any?

 

[Guest]

Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan!

 

[BrassMan]

Can you define "magical realism", so that I know whether I've read any?

Hey, Nogger. Take a gander at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism#Major_authors_and_works. Down the page there's a list of some likely titles. Personally, I'd include The Hummingbird's Daughter, by Luis Urrea, which I've recommended elsewhere on the Boards.

 

[The Hooded Claw]

Glad you posted the link to explain, I was getting ready to suggest some fantasy novels with carefully thought-out systems of magic!

 

[ashel]

House of the Spirits is too obvious, right? Still awesome, though.

 

[MariaESchneider]

Glad you posted the link to explain, I was getting ready to suggest some fantasy novels with carefully thought-out systems of magic!

Yup, that is what I was thinking too!

 

[jabeard]

One Hundred Years of Solitude

 

[NogDog]

All I know after reading (okay, mostly skimming) that Wikipedia article and some of its links is: (a) I do not appear to have read any books by the authors it classifies as in that genre/style, (b) I don't think I could even write one, as I'm still not sure I actually understand what "magic realism" is, and (c) based on the small number of authors/books so classified, I'm not sure many others do, either.

 

[9Lanterns]

Glad you posted the link to explain, I was getting ready to suggest some fantasy novels with carefully thought-out systems of magic!

Totally agree, that link had a very distinct definition. A lot of books that I consider to be magical realism would not have fit into this category (Alvin Maker series, by Orson Scott Card).

 

[Paul Jones]

EDIT: Sorry, I'm new and I just realized the "Next" button at the bottom of the page moves you to the next post not the next page of replies

 

[BrassMan]

All I know after reading (okay, mostly skimming) that Wikipedia article and some of its links is: (a) I do not appear to have read any books by the authors it classifies as in that genre/style, (b) I don't think I could even write one, as I'm still not sure I actually understand what "magic realism" is, and (c) based on the small number of authors/books so classified, I'm not sure many others do, either.

An excellent example, in my opinion, would be Like Water for Chocolate. Example of magical realism therefrom: a woman cries as she prepares a dish. When wedding guests consume it, they too begin crying. Another example, I think from Face of an Angel, by Denise Chavez: a dead baby floats to the ceiling, signifying acceptance into heaven. I enjoyed both books, but quite some time ago....

 

[The Hooded Claw]

I didn't "get" the Wikipedia article either.  But I knew from it that my fantasy examples weren't appropriate!

 

[kiyash]

Jorge Luis Borges is one of the fathers of magical realism, and his short stories are gems that you can just turn over and over and see different things every time. I highly recommend the collections "Ficciones" or "Labyrinths" to start. Amazingly, neither one is on the Kindle in English.

 

[Camilla]

Thanks all - definitely not looking for fantasy. I didn't get that wikipedia article either! I've heard Like Water for Chocolate mentioned before so will see if I can get that one. Someone recommended Alice Hoffman but not all her books seem to be on Kindle in the UK :-(

 

[lib2b]

She mostly writes YA, but you might want to check out Francesca Lia Block, particularly her Weetzie Bat books. There's also Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

 

[EGranfors]

Swamplandia in a weird sort of way.

I taught Penelopiad as a form of magic realism (Atwood).

Lots of Mexican and Latin American writers use it (Isabelle Allende)

 

[BarbraAnnino]

I've raced my way through Sarah Addison Allen's books recently and adore the way she writes. Can anyone recommend me some other authors/ books in the magical realism genre?

Thanks!

I loved Garden Spells!

Alice Hoffman and Tracy Madison, also The Kitchen Daughter and The Love Goddess' Cooking School

I just realized those all involve food.

 

[Geoffrey]

I guess I just learned about a new genre ... although to my mind it's still a sub-genre of fantasy .... the wikipedia didn't help much, but the examples of specific books did ....

 

[BarbraAnnino]

She mostly writes YA, but you might want to check out Francesca Lia Block, particularly her Weetzie Bat books. There's also Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Do you mean Hoffman writes mostly YA? Because I wouldn't classify her work as YA.