25th Anniversary Edition—with an Introduction by the Author!The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic and Magic Lessons.For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate … Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic…
“Splendid…Practical Magic is one of [Hoffman’s] best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is.”—Newsweek
“[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible.”—Cosmopolitan
more
YES it’s finally October and I can start recommending all my favorite witch books. There are so many. I can’t get enough of them.
Practical Magic may be an obvious choice, but it’s such a wonderful book. Sisterhood, magical realism, self-acceptance, girl power, romance, eccentric witchy aunts. It’s perfect.
The movie is also very good, and I’m definitely due a watch this Halloween season. The midnight margaritas scene alone is worth the viewing.
Loved this book. Will definitely read again. After I read Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman, I was hooked! She just infuses enough magic and mystical powers into her book to actually keep them real, not beyond what is plausible, like others I have read. I highly recommend this book. The story line and characters are oh so real but there’s that magic about it!!
I love all of Alice Hoffman’s books… this was the first one I read so it has a special place in my heart.
One of the few books I’ve read where I’ve enjoyed the movie as much as the book itself! I love witches and Alice Hoffman’s writing is so lyrical and lovely — this book was an absolute no-brainer for me.
One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, made into one of my favorite movies! A feel-good story about love, witchraft, and family – told in Hoffman’s beautiful prose – what more do you need? Read it!
What is there NOT to love about this novel? I’ve read this so many times, the pages of my book are crinkled and faded. This is one of my favorite books by Alice Hoffman. If you’re looking for a magical realism book that is packed with lovable characters, this is a great choice for you!
I’ve loved the Practical Magic movie from the first moment I saw it five years ago, and I’ve watched it at least once a year every year since, right around Halloween. There’s something so wonderful and joyful and warm about that movie, and I decided this year, it was finally time I read the book as well. Alice Hoffman is a masterful storyteller and writer, and reading her words is always a pleasure, but this book was missing a little bit of the magic the movie has always held for me. I’m sure the comparison didn’t help since I knew and loved the movie so well first, but while the two had the same rough outline, the movie is fleshed out with romance and vulnerability and female companionship, while the book is colored in with something darker and sadder. It was more disquieting and unsettling, and I found myself missing the presence of the aunts, the lovely, mysterious greenhouse, and the child’s journal entry with a man who was not supposed to exist, but who walked up the back lawn with one blue eye and one green and made perfect pancakes to serve beneath the roses.
I love Alice Hoffman and she hasn’t let me down once. Practical Magic is similar to the movie, but different too. The book is different enough to make it a worthwhile read. Loved it. And I couldn’t put it down at all.
Great book! Saw the move first but still see Nicole and Sandra every time I read it! One of my favorite books ever!
I was looking for a fantasy book that wasn’t too gory and dark. I found Practical Magic. It wasn’t a super dark fantasy and there were some lighter moments, but overall it was just okay.
A lot of time was spent describing how the community was frightened of the Owens family because they were a little different. Many thought they were witches. But what it seemed to me was a lot of old wives’ tales and superstitions. The characters were not deeply developed and the plot was weak.
Do I regret reading it? No, it was okay. Will I read others I. The series? Probably not.
This book is a modern classic, and with good reason. Hoffman’s unique prose style is comforting and easy to fall headlong into, like love. Books that make us sorry to say good bye at the final page are just the best.
The legacy continues with Gillian and Sally Owens ,I really enjoyed their story .Though this was made into a movie years ago,(I loved it) THE book is better , going into more depth ,how the sisters grew up , the love for family , what they will do to save each other .Truly a amazing story .
Read the book before the movie came out. Practical Magic had cast a spell on me. Thoroughly enjoyed it – both the book and the movie. It’s a fun read that is heartwarming, sad, magical, and hard to put down.
Happy that the prequel “The Rules of Magic” came out, as it gives you more history of the Owens family and their unique lives.
If you love magic, you’ll love Alice Hoffman books. I have many more of her books on my list.
I loved this book!
I enjoyed the story (a bit different than the movie), but the writing style is sometimes confusing – she will change characters and even centuries from one paragraph to the next. It was worth reading, but didn’t make me want to run out and buy other Alice Hoffman books.
A Magical Tale of Family and Love
So here is the thing… Practical Magic the book is NOTHING like Practical Magic the movie. They might as well be two different stories that just happen to have some of the same characters and a few similar scenes. With that said, I very much enjoy both versions. They are each wonderful in their own ways.
Except this review is for the book and NOT the movie.
My review of the book:
Practical Magic is a story about family, the pains of falling in love, and the trials of growing up. There are also hints of magic and superstition in this unique tale, and they are so beautifully interwoven into a real world setting that it comes off as natural as breathing. I personally love all the themes that spill off the pages, each of which is shown through the eyes of the major characters — Sally, Gillian, Kylie, Antonia… even Ben and Gideon and Gary. The narrative style (third-person omniscient) is pleasant and refreshing as well; it allows readers to know and see and understand everything despite the characters not knowing any of it themselves at the time.
Speaking of the narrative style. It should be pointed out that this book is told from the outside looking in. There is very little to almost no conversation as we travel through Sally and Gillian growing up, moving out, creating lives of their own, making mistakes. Readers even get to see the two daughters grow up and begin to find their own paths. Yet despite this perspective, it is easy to fall into the emotions of the characters — I cried a few times, felt stressed, and got upset.
Unfortunately, I have a handful of issues with the way the story is told and one insulting sentence that forces off two stars. These can be found in my Goodreads notes/highlights. I cannot possibly get into them in my review as it would become an essay. I really wished to give this book 5 stars.
Warning:
Comments of abuse and rape.
A few sexual moments.
There are a couple scenes where good male characters steal a second to think some disturbing things, but in my opinion those have been over-exaggerated by other readers.
Read September 8, 2021
Having read other books by Hoffman, I expected more than a steamy romance with a ghost or two thrown in.
**3.5 stars**
To say Practical Magic was not what I expected is an understatement. Alice Hoffman, as always, writes with beautiful prose, but this book falls flat in terms of plot. And, there was hardly an magic in this story. I couldn’t even call this book magical realism. Perhaps this book not living up to my expectations is a reflection of me rather than the book itself. But at times I couldn’t find the characters likeable and I wanted more from them and from the story. Sure, it’s a beautiful tale about sisters and their relationship, and that’s pretty much it. The movie was so much different, and while it was just okay in my book too, at least it has those “fall/autumn, witchy” vibes I was anticipating in the book. Most of the book takes place in summer. This of course is not a big deal and didn’t detract from anything, but this book is not one I’d curl up to read every October.
Different than the movie, but I liked them both
If you watch the movie before reading this, you will be constantly comparing them. There are huge differences, but both the book and movie are more than enjoyable on their own. I love the differences and the more in-depth characters of the book.