The last three decades have seen an increase in popularity of magical realist fiction as a form of narrative, adopted by writers and enjoyed by readers across the globe. At the same time, the term has been open to misuse and has become conflated with related terms such as 'magic' and 'marvellous' realism. In this invaluable student handbook, Maggie Ann Bowers*Provides clear definitions and distinctions between the terms*Examines their origins in German post-expressionist painting and Latin American fiction*Explores the relationship with other art movements, such as surrealism*Offers an historical overview of the geographical, cultural and political contexts in which magical realist art, fiction and film have been produced*Considers the relationship to issues of postcolonialism, cross-culturalism and postmodernism*Illustrates her analysis drawing on examples of the work of eminent writers and artists, including Salman Rushdie, Frida Kahlo, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Angela Carter.Magic(al) Realism helps the student navigate the complexities of magic, magical and marvellous realism within art and literary criticism, and will be of use to any reader who is confused by the conflation and contradictory usage of these terms.