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Etymology edit

Calque of German Magischer Realismus, first referring to the anti-expressionist artistic movement New Objectivity (1925), later applied to literature, especially in Latin America where it is known as realismo mágico.

Noun edit

magic realism (usually uncountable, plural magic realisms)

  1. A literary style or genre that combines naturalistic details and narrative with surreal or dreamlike elements.
    Hyponym: magical feminism
    • 2013 January 11, Tom Shone, “Oscar nominations pull a surprise by showing some taste – but will it last?”, in The Guardian[1]:
      Perhaps the best news to come out of the nominations was the brightened box-office prospects for such films as Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild, a dazzling piece of magic realism pieced together from just $1.8m, some rusty bathtubs and whatever Louisiana bric-a-brac its youthful collective of film-makers could lay their hands on; []

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