Practical Magic (25th Anniversary Edition) by Alice Hoffman
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Web ID: 167780903.5 stars
PRACTICAL MAGIC by Alice Hoffman I read this ages ago and remember preferring the movie version more than the novel. I figured I should read it again since I plan to read the other books in the series eventually. Verdict? My previous review/opinion stands. While I appreciate how much deeper the book goes into the relationships between Sally and Gillian along with the younger girls, Antonia and Kylie. I missed the snarky, fun and magical influence of Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances that the movie so vividly portrayed. As a standalone book, this was a good story of sisterhood and family. The plot is darker and more serious in tone with topics covering sexual abuse, bullying and grief. All in all, worth reading if you want a more well-rounded perspective of the Owens family. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
First Book Written in the Practical Magic Series!
I've been itching to test the water's of Alice Hoffman's writing and with the "Practical Magic Series" being synonymous with this author's name, it seems like the perfect place to begin. If you're thinking about reading this series, there are two options to consider before you begin. Do you read the books in the order written? OR in chronological order? My choice was to begin where Alice Hoffman began writing... "Practical Magic" is the story of Owens sisters Sally and Gillian who grew up in Massachusetts with their two elderly aunts. As children, they were viewed as outcasts, ridiculed, and treated like oddities to avoid and blame for anything awry in their small town. Although they look and act entirely different from one another, they share a dream of one day escaping to a place where no one knows who they are. To tell you anything more would spoil your experience of reading "Practical Magic"... I will tell you that Hoffman's writing style is, shall we say, unique. She packs a ton of information about the story and characters into one thought after another, in a rambling fashion that at first feels overwhelming, then addictive, and strangely enough, it all works. All the pieces and parts connect and flow together seamlessly. It's magical! The characters are all a delightful surprise and even the most unlikable ones are interesting and creatively drawn. There are abundant deep emotions that swirl around the Owens sisters, sometimes it gets a little darker than expected, but the magic within the story is what's most memorable. One small issue I experienced was the design of the book with four overly long sections that were between 56 - 95 pages. I enjoy a read with short chapters or, in this case, frequent section breaks that make a book feel like a faster read. It's a personal preference but I do know I'm not alone in this opinion. "Practical Magic" was the perfect read to begin my October reading month and I enjoyed the heck out of it from beginning to end. I highly recommend it and I'm excited for the remainder of this four book series! 4⭐ On to the next book in this series, "The Rules of Magic", that gives details about the Owens Family curse that began in 1620...
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
enjoyable and entertaining
Practical Magic is book one of the Practical Magic series by best-selling American author, Alice Hoffman. After their parents die in a house fire, four-year-old Sally Owens and her younger sister, Gillian are sent to Massachusetts, to the house on Magnolia Street owned by their mother, Regina’s aunts. Their upbringing with these unconventional women is undisciplined. The rumours about the aunts reflect on the sisters and taint the town’s perception of them: the sisters are feared, avoided and excluded. Sally makes every effort to create for them lives as ordinary as possible: cleaning, washing, cooking and excelling at school; but the girls can’t avoid seeing the town women who visit the aunts, nor avoid knowing much of what is requested by these women. Attractive to the men of the town, young and old, at eighteen, Gillian escapes into a nomadic life of conquests and breaking hearts, vowing never to return. Her own happy marriage settles Sally, until the unthinkable happens. Thus, it takes Sally longer to leave, but eventually she overrules her daughters’ reluctance to abandon the aunts, takes them to New York and brings them up in a normal house in a normal town. Redhaired Antonia, sixteen, dazzles the boys and men a bit like Gillian did, while at twelve, dowdy Kylie sticks to soccer practice and chess games with her gawky best friend, Gideon. It all turns upside-down when Gillian turns up. Arriving in an Oldsmobile bearing Arizona plates, she brings trouble and, even when it is dead and buried, it does not allow them any peace. With three divorces and a dead body in Gillian’s recent history, Sally worries about her sister’s influence on her younger daughter: Kylie turns thirteen and is suddenly too attractive, turning dangerous heads, and haunted by a ghost in the backyard. More of a worry, though, is a new arrival in town: Gary Hallet is from the Attorney General’s department, looking for Gillian’s latest boyfriend but also mesmerised by Sally’s letter to her sister. Time to call in the aunts? Hoffman gives the reader an enchanting tale of family and love and magic. The characters are appealing and often a bit quirky, the romance is delightful and the magic fun. It will be interesting to see how Hollywood interprets this one, and where the two prequels and the second book in this series lead. An enjoyable and entertaining read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
everything I loved from the movie but more
The Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town for more than two hundred years. After all, who wouldn't blame every wrong thing on the town witches? It's no surprise that sisters Gillian and Sally grow up here as outsiders--taunted and whispered about without ever being understood or even truly seen. It seems to be the only option when their aunts Jet and Fran seem to do everything they can to encourage every rumor with their strange house and the concoctions they offer at night from their kitchen door. Gillian escapes by running away; Sally by getting married. But no matter how far they go from their family, from each other, some things--some bonds--can't be broken in Practical Magic (1995) by Alice Hoffman. Like a lot of people of a certain age, my first encounter with Practical Magic was the 1998 movie adaptation starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. I love that movie. It's iconic, one of a handful of films I know by heart and watch every chance I get. I was nervous that the novel would never stand up to the adaptation. I'm happy to report I was wrong. The story covered in the film version is roughly the final quarter of the book with a few changes to better translate the story to a new medium. Instead of the small vignette viewers get in the movie, Practical Magic offers a wider slice of life as Gillian and Sally grow up and do everything they can to deny their family, their history, and their magical roots. Sally's daughters, Antonia and Kylie also play bigger roles in the book. Practical Magic is everything I loved from the movie but more. This book has more history, more magic, more evocative scenes, plus Hoffman's beautiful prose to tie it all together. Possible Pairings: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, The Careful Undressing of Love by Corey Ann Haydu, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe, Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim, Among Others by Jo Walton
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful Book about Sisters
This was so different from the movie. I say that to say that I loved it. I love them each separately. Sally and Gillian were great characters. We got to see Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia. That was so neat. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Book to movie
Review of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ After Gillian and Sally’s parents unexpectedly die, they move across the country to live with their aunts. But being raised by well-known witches in a small town leads the girls to be taunted and teased in school. All they wanted to do was escape and so Gillian is the first to leave, eloping with a man who won’t be her first husband. Then Sally eventually moves away to start a new life in a place where her children won’t be the center of all the whispering. But while the sisters go their separate ways, they find their way back to each other. And Sally’s girls are very much like Sally and Gillian themselves. I’m a little jaded after reading the other two books in this series. I was so underwhelmed by this book, it was missing the magic that I so enjoyed in her other two prequels and there were some details that didn’t line up with the other books. But this was a fun read and I enjoyed comparing and contrasting with the movie. You’ll actually find that the book is far different than the movie which came as a nice surprise. The details in the book made it easy to envision the scene though I will admit, I still visualized Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian. Hoffman has a unique way of writing and being so descriptive with her words. This book was all about familial relationships and was certainly relatable for me having grown up with an older sister. This book certainly lends well to an interesting discussion in comparison to the movie. And obviously makes for a fun themed book club!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great characters!
This was a quick read that packed an emotional punch. The story is all about love - romantic, familial, and especially sisterly. The story feels repetitive/drags a little at times, but overall the characters pull you in and keep you invested. I enjoyed it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com