Abstract
Central to discussions of the development and reception of Latin American fiction in the second half of the twentieth century are the categories of “magical realism” and “
lo real maravilloso
.” The marvelous is a visceral form, sharply oriented towards the interiors of the body, and in this way appears to be a kindred spirit to seemingly disparate forms, such as horror or pornography. The visceral thrust of magical realism as a wonder genre is articulated through the construction of signature
atmospheres
that seek to envelop its readers and linger as the emotional after‐effects of the novel that gives them form. Magical realist and fantastic literature from 1960s is part and parcel of these structures and energies. The translation of a collective form of emotional experience into a literary atmosphere is never literal or direct.