I don't know about you, but I'm kind of fed up with…
““I don't know about you, but I'm kind of fed up with realism. After all, there's enough reality already; why make more of it? Why not leave realism for the memoirs of drug addicts, the histories of salt, the biographies of porn stars? Why must we continue to read about the travails of divorced people or mildly depressed Canadians when we could be contemplating the shopping habits of zombies, or the difficulties that ensue when living and dead people marry each other? We should be demanding more stories about faery handbags and pyjamas inscribed with the diaries of strange women. We should not rest until someone writes about a television show that features the Free People's World-Tree Library, with its elaborate waterfalls and Forbidden Books and Pirate-Magicians. We should be pining for a house haunted by rabbits. (from the review of Kelly Link's Magic for Beginners in The Guardian)””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Calls for imaginative, fantastical storytelling that abandons conventional realism.
In simple terms: We need more imaginative, fantastical stories.
Key Takeaway
Seek creative, fantastical narratives.
Themes
fantasy
creativity
literary criticism
genre
imagination
Mood
playful
inquisitive
critical
Type
literary
creative
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- reading groups
- publishing
- creative education
Key Concepts
magical realism
subversion
narrative innovation
Questions to Reflect On
- What stories can blend realism with fantasy effectively?
- How does fantasy reflect real human concerns?
A Different Perspective
Realism still offers valuable insight; abandoning it entirely may limit empathy.