The novel the movie Practical Magic was supposedly based on.
The only reason I picked this book up was because I loved the movie so much. I’ve never read Alice Hoffman, but she’s apparently written a ton of other novels before this one. After reading this story, I still wish someone would actually make a movie out of it, because Practical Magic certainly isn’t based on this novel.
This is a light tale, even though it has some heavy issues of death and bad relationships. Alice Hoffman’s style is disconcerting to me, though, because she starts out in the third person, and then switches to this odd second person, present tense style. I guess you’re supposed to feel like you’re right there as the story happens, but it actually keeps me from being drawn in like I should have been.
Gillian and Sally are still sisters, different as night and day. Gillian still goes off and lives a wild life, while Sally stays on the island, marries, has two daughters, and becomes a widow. However, Sally’s daughters are much more at the crux of the story. Their relationship is explored much more intricately, and while I despised one of them, I still felt like I caught a glimpse into the world of sisters. Since I have no sisters, and my brother is twelve years older than me, I was more like an only child, so this was fascinating.
The movie mirrors the book in broad strokes. There is the death of Gillian’s abusive lover, and he does get buried in a garden. Strange things do happen after that. However, even though this is supposed to be about witches and superstition, it’s so understated in the book, I was really disappointed. This kind of stuff intrigues me, and I enjoyed the portrayal of it in the movie so much, that this was a letdown. I wasn’t looking for spells or incantations, or anything, but I was looking for more than just flowers growing faster than they should.
Don’t get me wrong. Despite my complaints, I still enjoyed the book for a one time read. Alice Hoffman’s style of writing, while not to my liking for general fare, was certainly good for a taste of something exotic. The characters are very well drawn, and their motivations are all believable. The plot is carefully thought out, and you don’t feel cheated at the end. I would say this book is worth buying on sale, but not necessarily at the full cover price. Since it’s over ten years old already, I’m sure you could find a really good price with the Amazon link.
