My Thoughts on Carousel Grift, by David Lane Williams

I must admit, at first, I wasn’t a fan of where this novel began and where—I thought—it was going. The narration—and, by association, the author—seemed to summon the surrealism of Karen Russell and the ridiculously quirky characters of Tom Robbins.

But not quite.

In purchasing this novel and placing it at the top of my TBR (To Be Read List), I looked forward to what I thought would be a magic realism story. I was led astray from this desire as I began and continued to read through it. But ultimately, it paid off, albeit not as a fine example of one, such as those by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or my favorite, Karen Russell.

Consulting two different search engines—read: two different AIs—I asked the question, “In magic realism, does the magic add to the plot of the story?” and received two different yet surprisingly similar responses. One responded, “It does not add to the plot,” while the other said it did. About magic realism’s symbolism, one states, “Magic acts as a mirror or metaphor for deeper human experiences, social injustices, political turmoil, or hidden traumas...” Needless to say, the other agreed by relaying a similar, if not verbatim, explanation of the genre’s figurative meanings.

But still, after finishing the book, my doubts were cleared, and I found myself smiling. The resolution was satisfying, and the emotional impact, authentic. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys magic realism as a genre.