The term “magic realism” was coined by the German art critic Franz Roh in 1925 as a description of a magic insight into reality.

Roh saw magical realism as synonymous with post-expressionistic painting (1920-25) because it revealed the mysterious elements hidden in everyday reality and expressed man’s astonishment before the wonders of the real world

The term is often applied to any writing that portrays both the real and the fantastic

The term is generally defined as a blend or fusion of reality and fantasy.

One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is considered one of the best examples of the genre.

Magical realism:

• Embellishes works with surreal events and fantastic imagery to obscure the distinctions between illusion and reality
• Presents even the most incredible events as if they are commonplace
• Features dreamlike surrealistic imagery that evokes a pungent sense of place