The question of what is real is at the heart of a genre championed by Gabriel García Márquez in his fiction—especially One Hundred Years of Solitude. The genre: magical realism. How do you read it? Why should you care? Everything you need to explore the most magical of literatures is in this expert guide!

The Basics

• Distinguishing Features 
• In a Nutshell 
• How to Read It 
  

The Bigger Picture

• A Message for This Century 
• Realism in the Details 
• Opposites and Contradictions
  

Around the World

• What's in a Name?
• A World of Magic

For more information about magical realism, go to MARGIN: Exploring Modern Magical Realism.