Review #9: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

“It doesn't matter what people tell you. It doesn't matter what they might say. Sometimes you have to leave home. Sometimes, running away means you're headed in the exact right direction.”

As a child, I was mesmerized when I was introduced to the 1998 film 'Practical Magic', starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. I was always enthralled by witches and magic, and nothing said it like potion brewing, cat owning, eccentric Owens women.



So obviously, once this blog took off, I immediately jumped for joy at the chance to read the book it was adapted from and to write about it, and I wasn't disappointed.

Actually, I kind of enjoyed the changes. Usually, I read the book and then watch the film to complain about the differences. But this was a rare occurrence, as I fell in love with the film before reading the book. I found these changes to be quite refreshing. I would just sit on the train thinking 'This could throw me a curve ball and end everything on a different note'.
I just couldn't put it down!! As I was reading it as an eBook, every time I picked up my phone, I would just wind up reading it again.

The story revolves around Sally and Gillian Owens, two sisters who were raised by their aunts after the deaths of their parents, resulting in the odd and magical childhood which later on become the very reasons for their departure from the home where they group with their aunts in Massachusetts.

While Gillian marries several times, living a carefree existence as she roams from job to job, and state to state, her sister Sally decides to settle down, marry and have two daughters. After the death of her husband, she stays with her aunts for a year while she is unable to raise her children or face life, instead opting to spend the year in bed grieving. Only to, later on, leave with her children, find a steady job and become a mature and responsible single parent, never once looking for love and instead ensuring that she remain logical and organized, unlike her sister.

The story kicks off, with the arrival of Gillian on Sally's doorstep after years of just writing letters, because she's in trouble. She has a dead man in her car.

Being the responsible older sister, Sally think quick under pressure and helps to protect them both by hiding the body which leads to a lot of bad luck in the neighborhood such as unnaturally growing flowers, thorn bushes, storms, heatwaves, things moving around and going missing, among other things.

However, this is where the book differs from the film. In the film adaption, Gillian doesn't find love, and Sally's daughters are so young that they don't know what is happening. Whereas the book is the total opposite, not only explaining motives more, but also offering Gillian another chance at a happy relationship in the form of the biology teacher, Ben Frye. In the book, Sally's daughters are also 13 and 16, making them not only understand what is happening but also giving them their own lives and subplots.

Of course, the characters in the books will be different to those in film adaptions, what film will show a character who is described as having 'lines around her eyes'? Although this didn't anger me. I liked these differences.

And lastly, for those of you probably familiar with this film, the character of Gary Hallet, only comes into the story in the last fifty or so pages. But a highlight of reading about Gary is that we, as fans, finally get to know more about his past history and family which we never learn about in the movie.

And no, there is no mention of one green eye and one blue.

Overall this book was completely magical. I loved how it incorporated superstition, such as women wearing blue for luck, planting roses and lavender for luck, the way rings can encircle the moon and so forth. The language was easy and flowed beautifully. The description weren't overboard and perfectly described the East Coast of America.

I highly recommend both the film and book to anyone interested in fantasy or just some good 'ol 90's magic. I also recommend that while reading this, you give the film soundtrack ago, because nothing says relaxing magic like the voice of Stevie Nicks.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman can be bought on Amazon, Kindle, or at your local bookstore.

4/5

Thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed it!

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~Joanne