Practical Magic is one of my favorite movies from high school. So, naturally, when I saw the
original novel, by Alice Hoffman, on my bookstore shelf, I had to pick it up. Many of the story elements are the same; the sisters are still unlucky in love, Jimmy is still buried in the back yard, and the aunts are still magical. But there are several differences which make the book and movie two entirely different creatures.
In the movie, Sally, played by Sandra Bullock, moves back in with the Aunts after her husband, Michael, dies. She is subjected to the same prejudices and teasing she experienced as a child and longs to be accepted by the townsfolk. Her sister, Gillian, returns to comfort her sister and brings along her own troubles. In the novel, Gillian leaves as a young girl and vows never to return to the East Coast, only calling her sister once a week when Michael dies. Gillian believes she is unworthy of love and so finds the worst types of men. For Sally, it is her husband's death which prompts her to leave the Aunts and seek out a better life for her children. In the movie, Sally is depicted as an outcast from the town yearning for acceptance. In the book, she finds acceptance and structure in a small town in New York, turning her back on everything magical and clinging to a "normal" life. Her daughters grow up never knowing about the magic the Aunts would perform for the desperate townswomen. It's only when her sister, Gillian, shows up that things start to go awry. In the movie, the Aunts leave Sally and Gillian to clean up their own mess whereas in the book, it's the Aunts who are called in to save the day after Sally and Gillian discover they are unable to handle it alone.
The novel flows very easily from one idea to another. We get everyone's thoughts and fears with an omniscient narrator. While telling the story of Sally and Gillian's struggle to deal with their past and accept a future, we also learn about the first Owen's woman to live in New England. We learn about the Aunts and their first loves as well as the hopes and dreams of Sally's daughters. Gillian and Sally are both able to find honest love and, in turn, be open to it. It's a great lesson in being careful what one wishes for. From the townswomen that visit the Aunts in the dark of night, to the Owen's women's desire to avoid similar fates. It's about being open to life and the possibilities of love; leaving your past behind you and moving toward something positive.
The ending isn't the same as the big hollywood ending one sees in the movie, but it's equally as satisfying. A fairly quick read, great for the beach.
Posts
