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Toad
01-16-2011, 08:18 AM
Hi!

I was wondering if you could form a list of literature that contains these elements. I'm thinking of the likes of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol and The Turn of the Screw - set in the past but not an 'epic fantasy'. Something whimsical!

Thanks!

Dark Muse
01-16-2011, 12:54 PM
Peter Pan is a great one, as well as The Wizard of OZ

The works of H.P Lovecraft also include some very fantastical moments.

The Narrative of Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe

Since you liked A Christmas Carol, you may also enjoy by Dickens

The Chimes
The Story of the Goblins of Stole A Sexton
A Christmas Tree

Wilde woman
01-17-2011, 02:38 AM
The Phantom Tollbooth also springs to mind. Looks like there's a lot of children's lit which falls under this category.

Would magical realism count?

Toad
01-17-2011, 03:17 PM
Thanks for your replies.

There is certainly some good material in the Pickwick Papers, Dark Muse!

How would you define magical realism, Wilde woman?

I'm in the mood for slightly weird literature these days! I found that Lord of the Rings was too serious and too "removed" from everyday life.

Wilde woman
01-17-2011, 04:07 PM
Magical realism, according to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_realism

The main difference between fantasy/children's lit and magical realism is that the latter doesn't treat fantastic elements as fantastic. They're very much assumed to be a part of the world, and are never really acknowledged or challenged.

I've only read a few magical realism authors - Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, Laura Esquivel, and Salman Rushdie. There are probably a number of other litnetters more informed about the genre than I am.