Observations on Magical RealismWhat is magical realism? Many people have conflicting ideas about when and who first used the term. Most people are likely to be completely confused when dealing with this topic, but after reading a few articles about magical realism, everything becomes a little clearer. Articles written by Amaryll Chanady, Luis Leal, Angle Flores, Franz Roh, and Scott Simpkins have been helpful in studying the history and theory of magical realism. Each article contains many good points, but the authors argue so much about who is right or wrong that it is difficult to decide who to agree with. Angel Flores has several good points in his essay on magical realism. He says it “has been studied primarily through the thematic or biographical approach. The thematic approach focused on geographical areas... The biographical approach, however, examined literary production chronologically” (109). Flores believes that Jorge Luis Borges' 1935 book A Universal History of Infamy was the first use of magical realism. He describes magical realism as the transformation “of the common and everyday into the fantastic and unreal.” He says that writers “cling to reality as if to prevent 'literature' from intruding between them, as if to prevent their myth from flying away, as in fairy tales, into supernatural realms. The narrative proceeds in well-prepared, increasingly intense steps, which may ultimately lead to great ambiguity or confusion… All magical realists have this in common” (qtd. in Leal 119-120). Flores states that “magical realists do not cater to popular taste, but rather appeal to the sophisticate, to those who are not simply initiated into aesthetic mysteries but versed in subtleties” (qtd....... middle of paper... ..metropolitan paradigms.” Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris; NC: Duke UP, 1995: 125-144.Flores, Angel “Magical Realism in Spanish-American Fiction.” , 1995: 109-117. Leal, Luis “Magical Realism in Spanish-American Literature.” Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. O'Reilly, Breen. Franz. “Magical Realism: Post-Expressionism.” 1995: 15-31. Simpkins, Scott. “Sources of Magical Realism/Supplements in Contemporary Latin American Literature.” Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris: Duke UP, 1995: 145-159.