41 pages • 1 hour read
Elizabeth AcevedoA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Magical realism is a literary genre characterized by its blend of fantastical and ordinary elements. The term was introduced in 1927 by German art critic Franz Roh as “magischer realismus,” which he used to describe a new German style of painting that emphasized the fantastical elements of ordinary objects. “Magical realism” was coined in 1955 by literary critic Angel Flores, who named Jorge Luis Borges the first magical realist for his collection of short stories Historia Universal de la Infamia (1935). Some argue Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis (1915) was the first popular example of magical realism, but nevertheless, the genre became popular in Latin America, and its writers made the genre what it is today.
Unlike traditional fantasy, magical realists create stories wherein magic is part of the mundane. Their worlds often draw inspiration from cultural traditions, folklore, and mythology. In Elizabeth Acevedo’s Family Lore, Flor’s ability to foretell deaths through dreams of her teeth crumbling is inspired by Latin American symbolism, wherein teeth are associated with health. Usually, magical realists omit explanation of magic to further reinforce its normalcy.
By Elizabeth Acevedo
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
Childhood & Youth
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Hispanic & Latinx American Literature
View Collection
Magical Realism
View Collection
Marriage
View Collection
Memory
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Mothers
View Collection
Popular Book Club Picks
View Collection
Pride Month Reads
View Collection
The Best of "Best Book" Lists
View Collection
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
View Collection