I only got to read books that were considered magical realism pretty recently.
I finished Midnight’s children this year (partially because I wanted to read Tomb of Sand by Geethanjali Sree which I was told talks about other books about Ind/Pak partition)
After that I read One Hundred Years of solitude, which I thought was even better than Midnight’s Children.
I also recently read The Seven Moons of Mali Almeida by Shehan Kartunatilake which I really liked.
Isabell Allende who has magical realism elements in her books. Where should I start with her?
by bangeneticalgorithms
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I started with Eva Luna, but would suggest starting with The House Spirits. It’s multigenerational, and the historical context really adds to the story.
Definitely House of the Spirits.
Oh yeah, definitely *The House of the Spirits*. It’s her first, most famous, and arguably still her best book (although there is competition for sure). I also believe it’s the one with the strongest elements of magical realism, so if that’s what you are after, there is really no question.
If *The House of the Spirits* leaves you wanting to read more of Allende’s work, there are several good choices for a second book, depending what you liked the most:
* You want the full family saga? > *Fortuna’s Daughter* and *Portrait in Sepia*
* You want to read more about Chile around the time *The House of the Spirits* ended? > *Of Love and Shadows*
* You want more imaginative storytelling? > *Eva Luna*
* You want more context on the author’s own life, family and writing? > *Paula*
The Wind Knows My Name is the last one I read, I loved it. Luxuriant storytelling.
After you’ve read some Allende, look into Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Another great novel with magical realism.