The first novel I have to read for one of my English courses this semester is Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor. It’s Canadian Magical Realism, heavy with Indigenous themes and content. Usually that means super-massively-depressing (not without justification!), but so far this one is… neat. Interesting. Not without elements of depression, certainly, but not just depressing.
But it’s got me thinking about Magical Realism as a genre. I’m curious to hear what my professor will say about it (eventually… classes don’t start for another week), since it’s a genre I’ve always found fascinating. Neil Gaiman wrote a bunch of it when I was younger, and the man is a genius, so they were a tonne of fun to read. Douglas Adams wrote the sublime and bizarre Dirk Gently Holistic Detective novels, and those were weird and fun in equal measure. But this one… I don’t know if “Fun” is going to be the correct descriptor. Just a hunch.
Anyway, I’m enjoying the reading, and am hopeful I can crush through at least 2 or 3 of my 8 course books. This one is very easy reading, and I’m enjoying it… not a requirement, of course, but it does tend to make the reading easier.
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!