Practical Magic
Written by Alice Hoffman
Narrated by Christina Moore
4/5
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About this audiobook
When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts, who happen to dwell in the darkest, eeriest house in town. As they become more aware of their aunts' mysterious and sometimes frightening powers -- and as their own powers begin to surface -- the sisters grow determined to escape their strange upbringing by blending into "normal" society.
But both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. And when trouble strikes -- in the form of a menacing backyard ghost -- the sisters must not only reunite three generations of Owens women but embrace their magic as a gift -- and their key to a future of love and passion.
Funny, haunting, and shamelessly romantic, Practical Magic is bewitching entertainment -- Alice Hoffman at her spectacular best.
Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Book of Magic, Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick), the Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.
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Reviews for Practical Magic
2,407 ratings127 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Mmmm... this is one of the cases when the movie is better than the book. I read the Rules of Magic first as part of Reese’s book club. It was so much better than this one. There really is no “magic.” They never officially talk about being witches, there is nothing about the curse and it’s mostly a bunch of mildly dislikeable characters who don’t do much other than bicker. I was so disappointed!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was just delightful. Yes, it has many differences from the movie, but both can be enjoyed on their own merits. There’s quite a bit about falling in love, but there’s enough substance and good writing for it to transcend the “chick lit” genre.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Good story about family bonds, but it felt like it was mostly exposition.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The book plot develops differently than the movie. But I enjoyed the book just like I enjoy the movie.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5If you're reading this because you love the movie, WAIT!
The book itself is decent, and at times very good, but it isn't too similar to the movie. Frankly, the plot of the movie is much more entertaining and focuses more on sisterhood and connection, while the book touches on the subjects but primarily focuses on each characters' individual growth.
There's no *Owens Family Curse* in this book, so a lot of what's mentioned in the movie is missing from the read. Fun to read, nonetheless! I didn't love the audiobook narrator, though---it didn't seem like she captured each character's tone well enough, and everyone came across as bratty, bitter, and/or selfish, when the actual writing doesn't necessarily portray that. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I’ve always loved the movie, but the book is just so much more special.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Movie is better, audiobook quality was fine though. Vulger boring book
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Audio was great. I just wished the book was like the movie.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
3-4⭐️
Fiction
Format: Paperback/Audiobook
Book 37 of 2022
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I love the movie Practical Magic with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock! I never knew it was a book. I guess I've been living under a rock because it's been out for 25 years! I picked up the book, started reading it and I was board to tears. It was so slow and nothing was really happening.I put the book down and decided I'd read it another time. A year passes and I decided to listen to it on audiobook. It was much better! The narrator had a lovely tone and way of speaking. However, I will say the movie has the heart of this book but they are not the same. The book is a slow burn and we see Sally's daughters grow into teenagers and get their perspectives. They all move away from the aunts house. There is no body possession or town help with brooms. It's a nice listen, rich in detail and interesting character perspectives. Very slow paced nothing exciting really happens. It's a rare occasion but the movie was better in this case.
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The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman.
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 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...
#practicalmagic #booktomovie #books #bookreview #fictionbooks #reading #bookstagram #bookworm - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a time I didnt know there was a book to the movie, and of course the book is always more detailed (better) than the movie and that is an understatement for this book!! LOVED IT!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Being a 90's baby I grew up watching the movie. I honestly don't know how it's considered based of the book! They are very different but they are both amazing!
In this book you get more of everyone's POV. You get to see Kylie and Antonia as teenagers. There are more main characters that are not in the movie. Sally and Gillian are kinda of different than I expected. Other things happens that was unexpected.
I keep comparing it to the movie because that the whole reason I read this book.. honestly for once I like the movie better than the book...but the book was still amazing just so very very different than the movie. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was Good!
And I got through it rather quickly. I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. I hope the story progresses. I want to know what happens next. If the next book skips a couple generations I'll be pissed lol
4 stars - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not a huge fan of this narrator. Voices got confused and mixed up between characters and some words weren’t pronounced right (forte is not pronounced fort). Luckily there weren’t a ton of characters. Storyline was okay once we got past the slow beginning and into the more interesting part of the plot (Jimmy)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic better even then the movie, full of fun and family ties, and magick mixed with a little drama.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great book. I love how the author even helps identify the relationship between mother and daughters. A must read book can’t wait to read the prequel.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is absolutely nothing like the movie. I can honestly say that I preferred the movie. The characters are really completely different and in reality so is the storyline. Both of which were what I loved about the movie and what led me to read the book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A great story but I still prefer the movie. Strange, because I usually don't.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It has been a delight to read this third installment of the saga, can’t wait to continue but sad knowing the next is the last
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I first read this book as a child, far to young to be honest, but It caught my attention. The Book stayed in my heart, and I tried finding it again later, with no Luck. At some Point I saw the movie practical magic, and fell in Love too. But it took me some more years to make the connection, as the book title in my language is different to the english title and the movie. When i finally found out I couldnt find the book as an audiobook, and when I bought the book Secondhand online, my Order got canceled. Now i have finally listened to it again, and it is so utterly wonderful.
But be warned, fans of the Movie, this book is so much darker and has quiet a few depressing themes, but also goes so much deeper into Love and relationships and growing up.
I might listen to ist again right away. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is one of my favorite books as well as fav movie!!!!!!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Was definitely kind of a slow start and lulled a bit in the middle but I really enjoyed the ending and now I feel like I could watch the movie and see how they both compare
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The story was great, I found the narrators voice difficult to connect to. Did not really work for me, so I struggled to finish it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good story but a lot f bombs. Make sure kids aren't around if you listen without earbuds!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I never quite understood what people meant by "show, don't tell" and I've struggled with mastering the technique myself. But, for the first time in my life, I finally get what people are talking about.
Hoffman isn't without descriptive prose, but a lot of Practical Magic is a summation of events, rather than a story happening in real time. The latter is something Griffin Dunne's film adaptation did well, picking and choosing moments that work best on film vs. on-page. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The writing was great! But the book didn’t have much of a climax.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loved the actual book, not crazy about the narrator though.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In this case, oddly enough, the movie is better than the book and it is quite different. However, I found it entertaining enough. But all in all, I liked The Rules of Magic better (I am reading the series in chronological order). I really enjoy the Owens family and I have only one book left. I will certainly miss them.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So very different than the movie but oh so very good! Read immediately after the Rules of Magic ❤️
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely love it! Very well written! Thanks, Alice Hoffman!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I like the book but i love the movie soooo much more.