Postethnic Narrative Criticism: Magicorealism in Oscar 'Zeta' Acosta, Anna Castillo, Julie Dash, Hanif Kureishi, and Salman Rushdie (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this exciting new book, Frederick Luis Aldama has done an outstanding job of remapping 'magical realism.'" Werner Sollors, Henry B. and Anne M. Cabot Professor of English Literature and Professor of Afro-American Studies, Harvard University

Review

In this exciting new book, Frederick Luis Aldama has done an outstanding job of remapping 'magical realism. (Werner Sollors, Henry B. and Anne M. Cabot Professor of English Literature and Professor of Afro-American Studies, Harvard University )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 141 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292705166
• ISBN-13: 978-0292705166
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,400,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Study, December 5, 2003

By A Customer

I've just finished reading this nuanced and rich study of magical realism and finally understand not only how it differs from realism and the fantastic, but also how the make-believe of fiction has been confused with real facts that enable real politics. An excellent book for scholars and creative writers alike.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book that you always wanted to read!, April 12, 2003

By A Customer

Enfin! Postethnic Narrative Criticism is the first book in ethnic and postcolonial literary and film studies that cuts through Gordian knots that arise from confusing narrative fiction (a complexly organized aesthetic that uses point of view, style, and genre to engage readers) with the facts that make up our reality outside of the text.
This is a must read for any reader interested in moving away from studies--poststructrualist or otherwise--that lead to dead ends.
It is a must read for readers tired of jargon and fundamental misconceptions of what novels and films can do in the world at large.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A poorly re-written dissertation on a much debated topic, November 1, 2003

By A Customer

This book can only be convincing to those who have no knowledge of the long and by now tedious debate concerning Magical Realism in the field of Latin American literature. What some reviewers call his "innovative" posture is actually based on one of the most conservative and oldest understandings of Magical Realism, Seymore Menton's, articulated in the 1960s. He basically skips over the latest and best criticism by Latin Americanists concerning Magical Realism. He brushes off complex and interesting arguments made by Alberto Moreiras in the space of one paragraph. There is no mention of Moses Valdez who also has written a serious scholarly essay on the topic. Aldama dismisses without confronting in any sustained way the monumental anthology on Magical Realism put out by Lois Parkinson Zamora in recent years. He creates the neologism "magicorealism" or "magicoreelism" (when talking about film) but gives no substantial critical reason for the creation of these terms; At least not one that coherently distinguishes it from any myriad of definitions already available and used when talking about the old term "Magical Realism". There is a lot of confusing argumentation and a lot of neat sounding words that may confuse and convince those who don't know any better of the "greatness" of his argument. However there is nothing here of any real substance. It is little more than a barely re-written dissertation (his dissertation was on a similar topic) that some how made it into press at UT Austin. For any one interested I direct them to Menton's monumental work on the topic, followed by Moreiras, and then the Parkinson Zamora anthology and Moses Valdez's article. All of these people are conversant in the topic, they write in a way that is, for the most part clear and interesting in terms of the theoretical debate.