Rating: 
Summary: Great writing and hard to put down
Review: I enjoy fairy tale and thought this book would provide that-but for me it didn't. However, it was a wonderful book. The relationships between the characters were well developed and I found Alice HOffman's writing engaging and inspiring. I did not find this book whimsical, though. I noticed a strong underlying theme of anxiety, abuse, and co-dependence which was just a little too close to real life for me to find the whole book a fun time.
Rating: 
Summary: There's a little witch in everyone
Review: Being the odd one out in a community is not a new problem but when you've got a family history like the Owens' it's the most likely outcome. For Sally and Gillian the family secret- the power of the super-natural/ witchcraft has lead to a lonely life, but they overcome all problems. The story of Practical Magic follows the lives of two sisters on their paths of life but always in the background their aunts keep a watchful eye. The story follows their love for eachother and for the men in their lives but in the back of the story is the idea of a family cursed throughout the generations. I would give this book top marks; it is the type of book that you could read over and over again and never tire of it. "Keep rosemary by your garden gate; Plant lavender for luck; And fall in love whenever you can."
Rating: 
Summary: Great fairy tale
Review: This is my first Alice Hoffman book, and I was pleasantly surprised. This book is a fairy tale that explores the magical occurrences in the lives of sisters (2 main pairs). It reminds of the magic realism style of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and other Latin American writers.Ms. Hoffman weaves a beautiful, interesting world where good and bad things happen. Add a layer of magic and you end up with a fun book to read. Some people may find the book to be slow and plotless. It certainly is not the fastest book ever, but its slowness adds a silkiness that envelops you as you read and enter this world. As to it being plotless, I disagree. It's not your average genre plot. It's a character study showing you how the main characters react to new obstacles and themselves. All in all, I highly recommend it. If you liked this book, I also recommend Laura Esquivel's "Like Water For Chocolate." Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: Astonishing, beautiful
Review: This book truly touched me; it stirs thoughts of past, present and future and gives a new appreciation for the depth and beauty, the sadness and poignancy of them all. I would recommend this book to anyone I knew who enjoyed thoroughly touching, viscerally romantic stories about /people./
Rating:
Summary: A Delight!
Review: Once again, Alice Hoffman has given us a delightfully charming story that starts out as a fairy tale and becomes true life extraordinary. Her books are so magical,that once you begin, you are caught in a spell that doesn't allow you to put down the book until the last page has been turned.
Rating:
Summary: Good views on desire and love
Review: This book was okay. It had a new look on desire, love, and obsession that was fairly interesting, and it had a good perspective on being young and beautiful. However, I thought that the narrative seemed to wander a bit, and I often wondered when it would actually get to the real story, which it never seemed to do. Despite these faults, I found the book Practical Magic to be somewhat entertaining, and a nice way to pass an afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: just a great book
Review: i had to read a book for school and i just randomnly picjed "Practical Magic" b/c it was a movie also and i figured if i didn't get the book then i could just rent the movie. it turns out that i loved this book. it's such a captivating story line and although i haven't seen the movie yet, i know i'll love it. plus sandra bullock is one of my fave actresses also. now i just need to get some info on alice hoffman for my report. she is a great writer. i love how she mixes suspense and romance.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Novel, Replete with Miracles
Review: Alice Hoffman uses a splendid narrative style to reveal how extraordinary life is. Her talent has captured me from the beginning till the end. This novel starts with telling us the Owens women had been blamed for everything that had gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally were two of them, one was beautiful and lazy whereas another one was very responsible. Their aunts encouraged them to practise witchery but what Gillian and Sally only wanted was to escape. Though they were seperated, but finally they're back together. Practical Magic not only describes withcery, but also the "magical" relationship between the Owen sisters. The novel is charming, funny and written in great rhythm. Once you start reading Practical Magic, it's hard to put it down because of the great narrative flow. The novel is as enchanting as the movie. Practical Magic is one of her best novels and you can't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: One of My Favorites
Review: I seem to be one of the few people who had read the book before seeing the movie. I enjoyed the book so much I have read it about five times already. The relationships between Gillian and Sally compare to the sister relationship between their two magically inclined aunts. The movie leaves a lot of this sisterly relationship to the imagination where the book gives a broad prospective into the details that make Gillian and Sally so close. I highly recommend this book, but recommend you read the book before seeing the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Intresting
Review: I will confess I picked up the book because I liked the movie. While I found that they were very different, I think that its those differences that make both the movie and the book so good. I found this slightly slow to start with but by about page 75 I was having trouble putting it down and finally finished it a 1am in the morning. I am now looking forward to reading another of her novels and hope that I find the same depth of feeling in those.
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