magic realism

noun

Definition of magic realism

1 : painting in a meticulously realistic style of imaginary or fantastic scenes or images

2 : a literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction

— called also magical realism

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The flashbacks play out in a mock-heroic style with tinges of magic realism — a leopard emerging from the forest at an opportune moment, a gang boss punishing his enemies in a particularly crushing manner. — Mike Hale, New York Times, "Review: The Criminal Life in Mumbai in ‘Sacred Games’," 6 July 2018 Thick with suburban magic realism, this novel-in-stories tracks three generations of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, living in Jersey City. — George Packer, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 16 June 2018 Examples of magic realism can be found in Tony Kushner's Angels in America or Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss, Garnes said, adding that Cariani uses the technique often in the context of more serious themes. — Annie Gentile, Courant Community, "Lunchtime Lecture Series Explores "Love/Sick"," 6 June 2018 There are more than just a few Sapphic suggestions here, along with the religious lunacy, sadism, hallucinations, magic realism and a visual vocabulary rooted in horror. — John Anderson, WSJ, "‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ Review: No Walk in the Park," 24 May 2018 Lin builds sinuous rhythms that intersect with gorgeous melodies that create a magic realism that melds our complex past with our tangled present, all the while elevating art and consciousness. — Oprah Winfrey And Quiara Alegria Hudes, Town & Country, "How Lin-Manuel Miranda and His Family Made Giving Back Their Tradition," 9 May 2018 Of course, magic realism is a genre that has been operating in literature for almost a century, in film for 30 years. — John Petkovic, cleveland.com, "Cleveland International Film Festival: 'A Trip to the Moon' a whimsical yarn about a boy, a girl and the moon," 11 Apr. 2018 My influences come from a stew of sources: Freud, Jungian archetypes, magic realism, surrealism, Paula Rego, Shirin Neshat, Kiki Smith, Marisol Escobar, Thomas Hirschhorn, Joseph Beuys, and many others. — Andrea Alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "This L.A.-Based Artist Wants You to Consider Your Immigrant Status," 4 Apr. 2018 Based on historical events (with layers of magic realism, Achebe-style allegory, and folklore ladled on top), Couto’s ninth novel is the first in a trilogy. — Vanity Fair, Vanities, "What to Read in April," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magic realism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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magico-religious

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The first known use of magic realism was in 1933

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