Magical Realism?

[madcowsexiness]

I would really appreciate it if someone could recommend some books that could be classified as "magical realism", especially if it has a dark or creepy twist to it. Thanks so much!

Comments

[intotheaether]

i'm not sure how familiar you are with magical realism so sorry if you've already read these! they're sort of the classics of MR.

the master and margarita - mikhail bulgakov is probably the "creepiest" book i can think of. takes place in the soviet union but is completely insane and doesn't have to be read as an allegory for anything to be weird.

angela carter could probably be called magical realism, she often retold fairy tales from a feminist point of view and also added a lot of disturbing elements to her versions (which makes sense seeing how strange fairy tales are today). sort of her most famous books are nights at the circus, or the passion of new eve.

the founder of MR is pretty much undisputedly gabriel garcia marquez and especially his novel one hundred years of solitude. not especially creepy but it's a fantastic book nevertheless! and pretty much set the example for later writers.

sorry that this is so long but i studied this genre a lot in high school so it's sort of my obsession!

[rilkes]

(barça!)

the master and margarita is so strange and so good. i thought it was a bit hard to read, but it was worth the effort.

[kitchen_poet]

Bernard Malamud's The Magic Barrel and The Tenants are two of my favorites. :)

[silentrequiem]

I just finished reading The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake which I really liked, and it took a definite dark and weird turn towards the end.

Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt is definitely dark - it features the personification of depression.

[rilkes]

the end of the particular sadness of lemon cake is so unexpected, sad and amazing.

[misslynn]

I don't know if you'd call it magical realism, really, but for a totally creepy mindfck of a book, try House of Leaves.

[onelove_xx]

Not sure if you'd call it magical realism but I've just finished reading The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey & LOVED every bit of it! :)

Happy Reading!