Magical Realism in West African Fiction - read with a third eye

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Asher

Magical Realism in West African Fiction examines the cultural politics of magical realism through the work of Syl Cheney-Coker (Sierra Leone), Ben Okri (Nigeria), and Kojo Laing (Ghana). Brenda Cooper argues that magical realism grows from postcolonial societies where modern and ancient, and scientific and magical, ways of seeing coexist. The study analyzes plots, themes, and narrative techniques that blend magic, myth, and historical reality, situating the genre within postcolonial debates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages259

Reading Time6 h 39 min

AccessFree to download

Seeing with a third eye

Magical realism and postcolonial contexts

The novelists and their narrative techniques

Global and African expressions of magical realism

Structure and conclusions

MAGICAL REALISM IN WEST AFRICAN FICTION Magical Realism in West African Fiction provides a far-reaching examination of the cultural politics of this exciting genre, as exemplified in the fiction of three of its West African pioneers, Syl Cheney-Coker of Sierra Leone, Ben Okri of Nigeria and Kojo Laing of Ghana. Brenda Cooper argues that magical realism arises out of postcolonial, unevenly developed societies, where modern and ancient, and scientific and magical, views of the world co-exist. She examines the plots, themes and narrative techniques of novels that mingle these dimensions of magic, myth and historical reality. This study contextualizes the art of magical realism within current debates and theories of postcoloniality. Cooper explores the distinct elements of this fictional genre in a West African context, and in relation to • a range of global expressions of magical realism, from the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez to that of Salman Rushdie; • wider contemporary trends in African writing, with particular attention to how the ‘realism’ of authors such as Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka have been connected with nationalist agendas. Magical Realism in West African Fiction is an invaluable introduction to an increasingly important and popular genre, as well as presenting an engaging and in-depth look at the fictions of three of its most brilliant practitioners. It will be of interest to anyone wanting to expand their knowledge of magical realism, African fiction, and themes of postcoloniality more generally. Brenda Cooper is Associate Professor in the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town. Her previous book, To Lay These Secrets Open (1992), debates the criteria for the evaluation of African fiction. She has produced resources for teaching African literature in schools and colleges, including Modern African Writing (1984), Debates, Dilemmas and Dreams (1992), and Nations: Stones of the World for Africa (1995) . ROUTLEDGE RESEARCH IN POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURES In collaboration with the Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Studies at University of Kent at Canterbury This series aims to present a wide range of scholarly and innovative research into postcolonial literatures by specialists in the field. Volumes in the series will concentrate on writers and writing originating in previously (or presently) colonised areas, and will include material from non-anglophone as well as anglophone colonies and literatures. The series also aims to include collections of important essays from older journals, and re-issues of classic texts on postcolonial subjects. 1. MAGICAL REALISM IN WEST AFRICAN FICTION Seeing with a third eye Brenda Cooper 2. THE AESTHETICS OF POSTCOLONIAL EMANCIPATION Luis Madureira MAGICAL REALISM IN WEST AFRICAN FICTION Seeing with a third eye Brenda Cooper London and New York First published 1998 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004.© 1998 Brenda Cooper All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available on request ISBN 0-203-45139-2 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-75963-X (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-18239-5 (Print Edition) FOR DANIEL MY ABI KU CONTENTS Acknowledgements viii 1 Seeing with a third eye 1 2 ‘Sacred names into profane s

FAQs

What do the three writers in this study have in common?

The book focuses on Syl Cheney-Coker, Ben Okri, and Kojo Laing, arguing that their fictions are shaped by myth turning into magic and history turning into the universal.

How does Brenda Cooper explain the origin of magical realism?

Cooper links magical realism to postcolonial, unevenly developed societies where modern and ancient, and scientific and magical, worldviews coexist.

What aspects does the study analyze across the novels?

It examines plots, themes, and narrative techniques that mingle magic, myth, and historical reality, and it places the genre within current theories of postcoloniality.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Asher