Final answer:
Magic realism was introduced notably by Gabriel García Márquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' and Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist', with Márquez's novel being a seminal work that blends the fantastical with the ordinary, reflecting personal and political influences from his life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Introduction of Magic Realism through Novels
The two novels that introduced magic realism are One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. However, it is important to note that magic realism as a genre was not founded exclusively by any single book but evolved over time with contributions from various authors.
One Hundred Years of Solitude and Magic Realism
One Hundred Years of Solitude exemplifies the genre of magical realism by weaving together the ordinary with the extraordinary, creating a world where fantastic elements are treated as part of everyday life. Influences in Gabriel García Márquez's life that helped inspire this novel include his upbringing in the region of Colombia steeped in folklore and political unrest, as well as his grandfather, Nicolás Ricardo Márquez, and his grandmother, Doña Tranquilina Iguarán Cotes, who provided him with stories of magical events retold as part of family history.
García Márquez was part of the Latin American "boom," a literary movement characterized by a break from traditional narratives and the inclusion of magical realism. The narrative of One Hundred Years of Solitude adopts a circular shape, reflecting the cyclical nature of the history it describes, and this shape is created through the repetition of names, events, and prophecies that span multiple generations within the novel. Furthermore, historical events like 'The Banana Massacre of 1928' are interwoven into the plot, grounding the magical elements in a setting fraught with real political turmoil.
Influence of Other Authors
While magical realism may be associated with Latin American authors like Márquez, the influence of writers like William Faulkner is also evident in his work. Following Márquez, authors such as Isabel Allende and Salman Rushdie have carried on and adapted the genre to encompass the historical and cultural experiences of other regions, contributing to the evolution of magical realism.