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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2020

By
Christopher Warnes  and
Kim Anderson Sasser
Edited by
Christopher Warnes  and
Kim Anderson Sasser
Christopher Warnes
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Kim Anderson Sasser
Affiliation:
Wheaton College, Illinois
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Summary

Magical realism is a concept that has proved stubbornly resistant to processes of naming and definition. In the narrow sense in which the term is used by literary critics, magical realism refers to a mode or a style – sometimes a genre – of writing in which magical elements are presented alongside realistic ones as if there were no difference of kind between them. A magical realist text will treat supernatural occurrences as if they were perfectly natural. It will incorporate, without surprise, fantastic elements into the realm of history and objective materiality.

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Magical Realism and Literature , pp. 1 - 10
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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