Magical realism is a loose term that has been applied to a number of distinct works or movements. However, one subgenre in particular had a major influence on my willingness to delve deeper into realistic or literary fiction, namely magical realism. My opinions have evolved a great deal since then and I am a lot more open to the genre now, but I still sometimes struggle with realistic fiction. I just didn’t see what they added to my life. It used to seem like such a pointless genre to me, after all, why would I want to read or watch people live completely standard lives when I’m already living one. As always, share the reading love.I used to struggle to get into realistic fiction. I cannot wait to hear what you think of Palmer’s use of magic realism to explore grief. Thank you for reading my review of Isaac and the Egg: magic realism and grief. I hope that if you read this book, you will laugh and cry along with Isaac. Sure, I didn’t imagine a giant alien egg-like creature was staying with me trying to get back to planet Wawoo, but I wouldn’t say there wasn’t a bit of magic in my thinking either. I fell in love with Egg, and it made me wonder about all the strange things I have done since my brother and father died. Palmer does a beautiful job at balancing the bitter-sweetness of loss. Sometimes I think the only way we can comprehend things is to think of them outside the realms of reality. I think that magic realism and grief go hand-in-hand in this story. ![]() The son is in the hospital and it isn’t until the end of the novel where the magic realism and insanity of Egg trying to get home that everything is revealed. It isn’t until later in the novel that we learn that Isaac had a son, who survived the car crash that killed his wife, and throughout his grief he hasn’t been a very supportive father. All of the things Isaac feels he has lost. The term seems to mean many things to Egg – it home, family, friendship, and love. The egg, simply named Egg by Isaac is able to communicate that it is trying to get home – Wawoo. Much like Isaac is learning how to be a human again, so too is the egg learning what it means to live in this new strange world. It cannot communicate properly, and the egg has no clue about its new world. In many ways, the egg is an extension of Isaac. The magic realism of this egg, how it appears and becomes this strange companion for Isaac is a beautiful and heartwarming story.įind more of my reviews about grief here. It allowed for comedic relief and played with the absurdity that can come after a great personal loss. Palmer’s use of this alien creature was perfect. When Isaac takes the egg home he puts it by the fire and in the morning, Isaac realises he doesn’t have an egg – but an alien friend. It is possibly the first thing that Isaac has come across that will acknowledge his pain, and simply let it be. Or is it the other way around, Isaac isn’t sure. When Isaac follows the scream into the forest he comes across a large wet-looking egg. Similarly, if you’re reading this and thinking about how your friends might be expressing their grief, know that this isn’t the only way to validly express loss. If you’re reading Palmer’s novel and think to yourself, “My grief didn’t look like this?” that is okay too. Grief is very unique and each person will feel and experience it differently. And while this can be true for some people. The loss is all encompassing for Isaac and he stops functioning. The Victorians might call it hysteria (were it a woman), or melancholia. ![]() ![]() Isaac’s grief is the kind I often see in movies and books about death. ![]() He doesn’t shower, he ignores his friends and family, and cannot cope with day-to-day life. When Isaac loses his wife, he is thrown into a deep and dark kind of grief. The scream and what is behind it, is what sends Isaac’s life in a completely new direction.īobby Palmer’s novel is one about grief, magic realism, and ultimately, love. Isaac has worn the same clothes for over a week. Isaac and the Egg starts out with a man on a bridge. So today’s post is a review of Isaac and the Egg and how magic realism is used to write about grief. It wasn’t until a friend of mine read this book and told me about it, that I decided I had to get a copy for myself. The blurb does not give much away so you might not think it is a book about grief, alien eggs, or magic realism. When I started to see this book around my local independent bookstores, I was intrigued but unsure.
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