Book Review: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

By georgelthomas on 18 Aug 2023 • ( 5 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. It’s Friday, which means it is time for another review. Today I am reviewing the book Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman was initially published in 1995 by Berkley and (my copy) is 245 pages long.

The Plot
Practical Magic follows the lives of two sisters, Sally and Gillian Owens, descendants of a long line of witches. While Sally strives to live an uncomplicated life with her two daughters, Gillian runs away. When Giliian gets involved with a dangerous man, who ends up buried under some lilacs in Sally’s garden, the sisters must come together to protect their family from his dark presence.

Characters
Sally Owens
Sally Owens is the elder of the two sisters. When she is still a child, she and her younger sister, Gillian, move in with elderly Aunts when their parents are killed while taking a second honeymoon.

As they Grow up, the sisters are bullied due to rumours about the family being witches, and both long to leave town.

When Gillian does leave and runs off to be with a boy, Sally feels left behind.

She winds up falling in love and marrying a man called Michael, and they have two beautiful daughters. They live very happily until… one day, Sally discovers a deathwatch beetle. The Aunts try to convince her that it means a loved one will die. At first, Sally will not believe them. Unfortunately, they are proven correct when Michael is run over and killed by a car full of drunk teenagers.

For a year, Sally is in deep depressive grief and stops speaking altogether. She cannot take care of herself, let alone her children, so it is up to the Aunts to pick up the slack.

When Sally can finally deal with the world again, she and her children move to New York City for a fresh start, though they return every summer to visit the Aunts.

One night, after having not spoken to Gillian for a while, she turns up on Sally’s doorstep in New York with her boyfriend in tow… the only problem is, he’s dead.

Sally is portrayed as a reserved, responsible, and nurturing character. She is the more practical and cautious of the sisters and tries to shun her family’s magical life.
She is depicted as having a strong maternal instinct taking great care in providing a safe and comfortable home for her daughters.
Despite her somewhat sombre demeanour, she possesses an unwavering inner strength. She is also fiercely protective of her family, as evidenced by her willingness to go to great lengths to protect her children from the dangers of their magical heritage.

Gillian Owens
Gillian Owens is the polar opposite of Sally. She is a carefree, impulsive free spirit, and she’s often reckless in her actions, such as when she decides to leave her Aunts’ house to pursue a relationship with a boy.

Afterwards, Gillian and Sally do not see one another again in person for quite a long time. When Sally’s husband dies, however, Gillian does call her sister once a week on a Tuesday at 10 pm and just talks as Sally silently listens, encouraging her not to give up and to snap out it.

Gillian’s impulsiveness often has dire consequences for her and those around her. This is explicitly depicted when Gillian begins a passionate but ill-advised affair with a dangerous man (Jimmy), who regularly puts her life and well-being in danger.
Eventually, Jimmy’s story abruptly ends when Gillian accidentally gives him too much belladonna and kills him.

Unsure of what else to do, Gillian heads to her sister’s house.

With Sally’s help, they bury Jimmy in the garden under the lilacs, which mysteriously grow out of control.

The characters of Sally and Gillian are complex, and their differences often cause them conflict, underscoring their different worldviews. The sisters’ dynamic portrays the dichotomy of duty and desire as they confront and reconcile the weight of their magical background.

Aunt Jet and Aunt Frances Owens
These elderly sisters take care of Sally and Gillian after their parents’ untimely death and provide them with a sense of stability, albeit with a dose of their own quirkiness.

Despite their flaws, however, the Aunts are a constant source of support and guidance for Sally and Gillian, taking on the role of parent for Sally’s children during her year off from the world and even more so later when they help the sisters get rid of Jimmy once and for all.

Kylie Owens
Kylie and Antonia do not get along, to begin with. They are total opposites, much like their mother and Aunt Gillian. Kylie is more of a quiet introvert who starts to really become empathic.
She even starts to develop the ability to see auras, and in particular, she can see Jimny’s. She can see him down by the lilacs and does not like how he makes her feel.

Kylie develops a close relationship with her aunt Gillian. On her thirteenth birthday, with Gillian’s help, she changes up her appearance by cutting her mousy hair short and dying it blonde, much to Sally’s chagrin.

After a fallout with her best friend Gideon about how much she’s changed, Kylie decides to make him a cake as a peace offering. While on her way to deliver it, however, she is chased and almost attacked by a pack of rowdy men. Because of her height and long legs, though, she can outrun them and heads into the ice cream shop where Antonia works.

Antonia Owens
Antonia is more of an extrovert, very outspoken and often rather mean.

She has a crush on her biology teacher Mr Frye, with whom her aunt Gillian begins a relationship, and Antonia is a little jealous. She gets over it, though, when she meets starts dating Scott Morrison, a boy who went to her high school.

Beginning as a mean and selfish character, Antonia starts to change and grow throughout the book.

When Kylie is almost attacked and runs into the ice cream shop, Antonia helps to console her. This initiates a change in their relationship, a sign that they are beginning to grow up and grow closer.

James (Jimmy) Hawkins
Jimmy is Gillian’s abusive ex-boyfriend. He is a dangerous and cruel man who torments her.

He is even cruel to animals. Once, when house-sitting for friends, he put their cat, who he found annoying, in the refrigerator and closed the door before going to bed. The poor thing only lived because Gillian rescued it in the night.

When he meets his untimely, and yet some may say, deserved end, he winds up buried beneath the lilacs in Sally’s garden. The trouble is he refuses to stay gone, and even in death, he causes chaos for Gillian and those she loves.

Garry Hallet
Gary Hallett is a police officer from Arizona who, upon discovering a letter she wrote to Gillian, is drawn to Sally’s gentle nature and falls in love with her when he heads to New York to question Gillian about where he can find Jimmy. He represents stability and security and brings a sense of normalcy to Sally’s life.

Writing Style
The story is told in present tense and that mixed with Hoffman’s poetic and vivid writing, make you feel immediaty connected and part of the tale.

The characters are complex and well-developed, and each has personal strengths and weaknesses that make them relatable and endearing. Even the secondary characters feel fully realised and fleshed out.

One of the strengths of Practical Magic is its ability to balance the fantastical and magical elements with the realities of life. Hoffman seamlessly weaves the themes of love, loss, and forgiveness with the supernatural world of spells and potions. This makes for an enchanting and grounded tale and an unforgettable read.

Practical Magic is not just a story about witches, though. It is also about grieving and navigating the complexities of family relationships. Hoffman skillfully delves into the bond sisters share, the power of female friendship, and the struggle between embracing your true self and conforming to society’s expectations.

Final Thoughts
The book is a captivating, thought-provoking read. Hoffman’s writing is beautiful, and her characters are fully realised and profoundly human. This novel should be on everybody’s reading list, especially if you enjoy contemporary fiction and magical realism.

I am giving Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman a 7/10.

Have you read Practical Magic or watched the movie adaptation? Let me know your thoughts.

As always, thank you for stopping by to read my review. It means the world.

Until next time,

George