Magical Realism in Olga Tokarczuk’s Novels: Primeval and Other Times, The Journey of the Book-People, House of Day, House of Night

Abstract

The article presents and analyzes the use of magical realism in novels by Olga Tokarczuk. Magical realism allows the author to go beyond the limits of the genre in its traditional sense. In selected novels (Primeval and Other Times, The Journey of the Book-People, House of Day, House of Night), the author shows the collision of real and mythical worlds. The border between them is often almost invisible, which gives Tokarczuk an opportunity to play with the reader, who may get lost in the intermingling worlds created by the author. However, what Olga Tokarczuk is most interested in is the almost invisible border. The author draws attention to space, states and times located in between. One of the most important frontiers for the writer is dream. It acts as a bridge which connects everyday reality with the shore of magic world. The writer employs magic realism, together with its characteristic vocabulary, to describe dreams and present amazing spaces, times, events and characters. By means of this method, the author presents her philosophical and mythological concept in which the world exist only because of merging of the two opposing forces.