Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Magical Realism
The Magical Realism Collection highlights narratives that present magical or supernatural elements in a realistic way. Often challenging literary conventions, these selections situate elements of fantasy, such as time travel or the ability to communicate with animals, in otherwise believable settings. This Collection features titles from authors who frequently employ magical realism in their narratives, such as Gabriel García Márquez and Haruki Murakami.
The Listeners
The Little Glass Slipper
The Lost Bookshop
The Lost Library
The Lost Steps
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
The Magic Barrel
The Magician's Assistant
The Magician's Elephant
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
The Marriage Of Opposites
The Master and Margarita
The Measure
The Memory Police
The Midnight Library
The Miniaturist
The Mistress of Spices
The Murmur of Bees
The Night Tiger
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1697
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Femininity
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Romance, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fame, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Family, Literature
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Literature, Truth & Lies
Tags Animals, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Marriage, Colonialism, Art, Literature, Music, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Symbolic Narrative, Latin American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
The Lost Steps, first published in 1953 by Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier, is a parody of the lost world novels that were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912). The novel follows an unnamed New York City composer on a quest for Indigenous musical instruments in South America. Carpentier, known for his roles as a... Read The Lost Steps Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Childhood & Youth, Aging, Hope, Joy, Love, The Past, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism
Publication year 1958
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Race, Regret, Self Discovery
Tags Jewish Literature, Immigration & Refugeeism, Magical Realism, US History, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Grief, Regret, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Place, Family
Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ+
Written by acclaimed American author Ann Patchett, The Magician’s Assistant is a piece of contemporary literature that explores life after grief, the nature of love, and the power of family dynamics. Told in two parts, one set in Los Angeles and the other in small-town Nebraska, the novel emphasizes the importance of setting and environment in the development of identity.The author of nine novels and the recipient of numerous awards, Ann Patchett is an outspoken... Read The Magician's Assistant Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Siblings, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Coming of Age, Family
Tags Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, Relationships, Animals, Action & Adventure
A fortuneteller tells 10-year-old Peter that an elephant will lead him to his lost sister, which starts Peter on a journey of self-discovery and wonder in Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant (2009). When a magician miraculously conjures an elephant, its appearance affects everyone in town. In his efforts to find his sister Adele and rescue the homesick elephant, Peter must overcome obstacles and unite a diverse group of characters that includes a policeman... Read The Magician's Elephant Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Inspirational, Music, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Mitch Albom’s 2015 novel, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, blends magical realism with historical fiction to create a genre-bending work that is accessible for a wide range of audiences; however, given the complex themes of love, loss, regret, and redemption, the novel is best suited for a young adult audience and older.A personification of music, “Music,” narrates much of the novel. The novel starts at Frankie’s funeral and is interspersed with anecdotes from famous... Read The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mental Health, Mothers, The Past, Race, Hope
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Science Fiction, World History, Chinese Literature, Mental Illness, Fantasy
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, World History, Magical Realism, Romance, Arts & Culture
Alice Hoffman’s 2015 novel, The Marriage of Opposites, is a work of historical fiction with magical realism and romance elements. The novel begins in the early 1800s and spans three generations of a Jewish family living on the island of St. Thomas after having fled the Inquisition in Europe. The novel follows a linear timeline and, told from different perspectives, creates a sweeping look at a historically significant moment in time. Hoffman based her tale... Read The Marriage Of Opposites Summary
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil
Tags Satirical Literature, Fantasy, Russian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. The novel was written over the course of 12 years but due to the content being deemed controversial by the Soviet Union it was not published until 1966, which was more than two decades after Bulgakov’s death. The novel uses themes, ideas, and imagery from Christianity and the supernatural as well as dark comedy to subtly critique the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin... Read The Master and Margarita Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Self Discovery, Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Nation
Tags Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Science Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy
The Memory Police is a science fiction novel by Yoko Ogawa. The Japanese edition debuted in 1994 and was translated into English by Stephen Snyder in 2019. Under the sci-fi umbrella, the novel more specifically belongs in the dystopian, or Orwellian, speculative fiction subgenre in that the story explores the quiet, quotidian results of scientific experimentation. In doing so, it considers themes like Memory and Manufacturing the Uncanny as well as Alienation Within a Police... Read The Memory Police Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mental Health, The Past, Fear
Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Mental Illness
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Femininity, Religion & Spirituality, Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World History, Magical Realism, Fantasy
The Miniaturist (2014) is the debut novel of English author and actress Jessie Burton. The novel became an international bestseller following a bidding war in 2013 and won the 2014 Waterstones Book of the Year award. In 2017, a television adaptation aired on BBC One, starring Anya Taylor-Joy.A work of historical fiction, The Miniaturist is set in 17th-century Amsterdam. Narrated in the third person, the story follows the coming-of-age of protagonist Nella Oortman within a... Read The Miniaturist Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Food, Joy, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Race, Aging, Plants, Family, Self Discovery, Immigration
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Indian Literature, Food, Asian Literature
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Social Class, Perseverance, Good & Evil, Family, Fear, Hate & Anger, Death, Animals, Indigenous Identity, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Future, The Past, Religion & Spirituality, Justice, Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, World History
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Sexual Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism
Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo was published in 2020. Like Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride (2013), The Night Tiger is a mixture of genres, including mythology and historical fiction, and it is a New York Times bestseller. The Night Tiger chronicles the period between May and July of 1931. The setting is colonial-era Malaysia, or “Malaya.”Plot SummaryChinese house servant Ren, is a 10-year-old orphan who’s mourning the death of his master, Dr. MacFarlane... Read The Night Tiger Summary