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.

Like Water for Chocolate

by Laura Esquivel

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Food, Family, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Siblings, Marriage, Self Discovery, War

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Food, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Like Water for Chocolate is the debut novel of Laura Esquivel, published in Mexico in 1989 and then translated into English by Carol and Thomas Christensen. Esquivel has sold over four million copies of the novel worldwide. She is a novelist and active politician serving in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. She collaborated with her husband at the time to adapt the novel into a film in 1992, which was then nominated for a Golden... Read Like Water for Chocolate Summary

Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Community, Forgiveness, Memory, Guilt, War, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, American Civil War, Religion & Spirituality, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary

Love in the Time of Cholera

by Gabriel García Márquez

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Postmodernism, Latin American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

Love in the Time of Cholera is a classic work of literary fiction by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. It was published in Spanish in 1985 and translated into English in 1988 by Edith Grossman. The novel was adapted into a film in 2007, which was nominated for several awards including an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Plot SummaryLove in the Time of Cholera is set in... Read Love in the Time of Cholera Summary

Mama Day

by Gloria Naylor

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Magical Realism, Gender & Feminism, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Gloria Naylor’s 1988 novel, Mama Day, explores the history and folklore of Willow Springs, a mysterious fictional town located on an island somewhere between South Carolina and Georgia. Readers quickly get the impression that there is more to Willow Springs than meets the eye, and the novel continues to expand on this liminality, or feeling of being in between, that characterizes the town. The point of view repeatedly shifts between three characters: Ophelia “Cocoa” Day... Read Mama Day Summary

Mañanaland

by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Literature, Grief, Family

Tags Fantasy, Coming of Age, Arts & Culture, Grief & Death, Education, Relationships, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure

... Read Mañanaland Summary

Maybe Next Time

by Cesca Major

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Midlife, Daughters & Sons, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy

... Read Maybe Next Time Summary

Mean Spirit

by Linda Hogan

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Race, The Past, Environment, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Magical Realism, American Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

Mean Spirit (1990) is the first novel by Chickasaw author Linda Hogan. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1991, it was well-reviewed and established Hogan as an important Indigenous author. The novel tells the story of what came to be known as the Osage murders, a string of killings in Oklahoma’s Osage country after oil was discovered on Osage land. The murders were ultimately discovered to have been the result of not only... Read Mean Spirit Summary

Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe

by Heather Webber

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Regret, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Food, Daughters & Sons, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

... Read Midnight At The Blackbird Cafe Summary

Midnight's Children

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Family

Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Poverty, Social Class, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Midnight’s Children is a 1981 magical realism novel by British American novelist Salman Rushdie. The story follows Saleem, a child born at the moment of India’s independence who possesses strange powers. The novel won many awards, including the Booker of Bookers Prize, which was awarded to the best all-time winner of the Booker Prize on the award’s 40th anniversary. Midnight’s Children has been adapted for theater, radio, and film. This guide uses the 2006 Vintage... Read Midnight's Children Summary

Monkey Beach

by Eden Robinson

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Diversity, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Canadian author Eden Robinson’s novel Monkey Beach (2000) is set in the village of Kitamaat in British Columbia, Canada. Kitamaat is the primary community of the Haisla nation, one of the Indigenous Canadian groups known as the First Nations. Monkey Beach tells the story of teenager Lisa Hill, whose brother Jimmy has mysteriously disappeared. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Lisa reflects on memories of her youth. The novel combines elements of mystery and the... Read Monkey Beach Summary

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass

by Drew Hayden Taylor

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Animals, Appearance & Reality, The Past, Place, Family, Colonialism, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Humor, Magical Realism, Symbolic Narrative, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Religion & Spirituality, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education

... Read Motorcycles and Sweetgrass Summary

Mr. Fox

by Helen Oyeyemi

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Masculinity, Literature

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Fairy Tale & Folklore

... Read Mr. Fox Summary

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

by Robin Sloan, Rodrigo Corral

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure

We first meet Clay Jannon, the protagonist and narrator of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, shortly after he has lost his first job as a web designer for NewBagel, a casualty of the recession that is sweeping America. When he spots a help-wanted sign in the window of a bookstore, he embarks not only on a new career but also on a journey that will see him attempt to decipher a centuries-old encrypted manuscript. While he... Read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore Summary

Nightbitch

by Rachel Yoder

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Community

Tags Magical Realism, Satirical Literature, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Nightbitch Summary

Nights at the Circus

by Angela Carter

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, World History, Classic Fiction

Nights at the Circus is an adult fantasy novel by British author Angela Carter first published in 1984. It takes place in 1899 and follows protagonist Jack Walser, a journalist investigating the mystery of Sophie Fevvers, a part-woman, part-swan who performs as an aeraliste at the popular Colonel Kearney’s circus. The book was critically acclaimed upon publication and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1984, as well as a nomination for... Read Nights at the Circus Summary

North Woods

by Daniel Mason

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Memory, Fate, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Magical Realism

... Read North Woods Summary

Norwegian Wood

by Haruki Murakami

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nostalgia, Mental Health, Grief

Tags Japanese Literature, Romance, Coming of Age, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Classic Fiction

First published in 1987, Norwegian Wood is a coming-of-age novel by renowned Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. After becoming a bestseller in Japan, the book was translated into English by Jay Rubin in 2000. Set against the backdrop of the late 1960s, Norwegian Wood tells the story of Toru Watanabe, a young college student who falls in love with two very different women as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his best childhood friend. Told from... Read Norwegian Wood Summary