Latin American Literature: From Realism to Magical Realism
Early 20th Century: Realism and Social Commentary
Latin American novels of the first third of the 20th century are characterized by realism, often intertwined with political and social themes. The essential motifs are land, nature, and humanity. A prominent example is Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos.
Mid-20th Century: Renewal and Magic Realism
Since 1940, there has been a renewal of language, novel structure, and narrative techniques. There is also a greater interest in human and existential problems, in addition to the social and urban novel. Traditional realism is transcended through what is known as magical realism. Notable authors of this period include Jorge Luis Borges, Miguel Angel Asturias, Juan Rulfo, and Alejo Carpentier.
The 1960s: The Boom of Latin American Literature
The 1960s witnessed the “boom” of the Latin American narrative, achieving international success and recognition. Alongside the aforementioned authors, names like Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez, José Lezama Lima, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Juan Carlos Onetti, Ernesto Sábato, and Carlos Fuentes gained prominence. These authors are celebrated as great storytellers and have paved the way for many others, some considered epigones of the boom: Mario Benedetti, Laura Esquivel, Álvaro Mutis, Jorge Edwards, and Isabel Allende.
Jorge Luis Borges: Master of the Short Story
Jorge Luis Borges, also known as Escarmeta, wrote poetry and essays, but he is primarily recognized as an exceptional storyteller. His stories transcend mere narration, imbued with his vast culture, knowledge, thought, and intelligence. The rich imagination and fantasy in his works often transport us to the unusual and extraordinary, the enigma and mystery of the world, life, and humanity. His style is necessary, dense, elaborate, original, and inspiring. Notable works include Ficciones, El Aleph, and The Book of Sand.
Julio Cortázar: Experimenter of Language and Narrative
Julio Cortázar is a master of the short story and an experimenter of language and narrative, a committed writer. Many of his stories introduce the fantastic without departing from everyday reality. He inserts the unusual into our daily environment, making us accept it as part of our reality. Among his collections of stories are Bestiary, All Fires the Fire, Octahedron, and We Love Glenda So Much. Cronopios and Famas is a unique book where Cortázar showcases his humor and wit. Hopscotch is his most celebrated work after his second novel, The Winners. Cortázar renews language and distorts time, space, and the narrative structure itself. Other novels include 62: A Model Kit, a book for literature enthusiasts, and A Manual for Manuel.
Gabriel García Márquez: The Quintessential Magical Realist
Gabriel García Márquez is the author of the quintessential novel of magical realism, One Hundred Years of Solitude, a landmark of world literature written in Castilian. The wonderful and fascinating world depicted in its pages had been developing in his previous stories, such as No One Writes to the Colonel and Big Mama’s Funeral. One Hundred Years of Solitude is a complex work, a fable where imagination runs wild, and the author constructs a particular, mythical, and wonderful universe. It is an allegory of his homeland, Colombia, and of Latin America as a whole. The novel blends fantasy and reality, with a dazzlingly rich language, full of nuance, suggestion, and beauty. Other notable works include The Autumn of the Patriarch, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Of Love and Other Demons. In addition to his autobiographies: Living to Tell the Tale and Memories of My Melancholy Whores.