The definition of magic novel

Magic novels are by no means "magic", but have a completely different definition, which is far from what most people imagine.

Magic novel, that is, "magic realistic novel", is a literary genre mainly appearing in Latin America. This genre's creative technique combines shocking reality with trance-like illusion, and tries to describe and reflect complex historical, social and political phenomena by absorbing and weaving plots through extremely exaggerated and staggered artistic brushstrokes.

Magic realistic novels often adopt specious, specious and "turning fantasy into reality without losing truth" techniques. Typical magical novels are characterized by: transforming real life; Add mysterious, magical and even weird content; It has strong social contradictions and political struggles. If realism is a mirror of society, then magical realism is compared to a mirror of society. Although it is covered with a mysterious shell, it is still used to describe the real world. However, it does not adopt the realistic method, but adopts the way of exaggeration and fable.

The biggest difference between magic novels and other three kinds of fantasy novel lies in that it must be based on reality. Its "illusion" is to increase the mysterious atmosphere and strengthen irony, and the core is real life.

For example, the famous magical novel One Hundred Years of Solitude can be put together with Les Miserables and War and Peace if the fantasy content is removed. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" begins with the gypsies holding two magnets "... walking from house to house ... iron pots, iron tongs and small iron stoves fell from their original places, and the boards rattled because nails and screws broke free ... rolling around behind those two magic irons"; Gypsies brought magnets, binoculars and magnifying glasses, but two magnets need to be exchanged with a big mule and a group of goats, and a magnifying glass needs two magnets and three gold coins. In order to see the ice they have never seen before, residents have to pay 5 rials each, and the price will double if they touch it.

After reading the whole book and looking back at the plot, we can understand that this is not about gypsies at all, but a metaphor for colonists looking for the poor. In "One Hundred Years of Solitude", such fable-rich plots abound.

Therefore, magic novels are not entertainment novels at all, but novels with exaggerated appearance, profound and serious connotation and real social problems.