Hi Everyone! Sorry I'm posting so late, but at least it is still September. I've been out of town for a family funeral and life has been pretty crazy. I hope you all enjoyed "Practical Magic."
Questions
1.) What did you think of the book in comparison to the movie?
2.) Who was your favorite character?
3.) What did you think of Alice Hoffman's writing style? (And tell us if you've read any other books by her.)
4.) Do you have a favorite scene from the book?
My answers:
1.) I read several reviews where people said this is the only book they've read where the movie was better. I hate to admit that about a book, but I do see their point. But to standby books, I think this story stands on it's own as a book and as a movie. They changed a few of the characters and plot for the movie, so you can enjoy both as unique. (The daughters are younger in the movie, they all live at the aunts house, etc..) However, I will say that I probably will only read the book once, but I could watch the movie multiple times.
2.) I wish we saw more of the aunts in the book! I really wanted to read more about them. The nieces got on my nerves, but I really liked the daughters. Especially the youngest - although I can't remember her name now.
3.) This is the only Alice Hoffman book I've read to date. I enjoy how she starts each chapter of Practical Magic with a little piece of magic folklore and then slowly weaves it into the storyline. I think it was effective in creating a place where magic feels like it could exist and still be a story in a modern day.
4.) I liked any time the youngest daughter (Was her name Callie?) notices weird things about the lilac bush - like seeing the dead guy under it, having the toad bring her the ring, or knowing he is the reason for the tension in her house.
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3 comments:
I really struggled with this book. I have tried a couple of times to read it, but I can't get past the language in the beginning. I guess I'm turning into a bit of a prude. I had the same problem with the southern garden book that everyone had on their blog. I guess I'm a little sensitive. Sorry ladies. I did like the movie when if first came out, but last time I watched it I felt the same feeling. bummer I'm not contributing much, but at least a little. I did think it was interesting to hear the perspectives on the girls personalities and how they react to the life they have been given. I think I am a Sally in that I try to blend in a bit more and want to have the best for my family and myself.
I think the book and movie both have good points! Now that I have read the book I understand the magic stuff better and so will watch the movie with different eyes. The movie would be able to tell all the folk lore and can't show the colors that kalie sees coming off everyone. I wished there would have been more about the aunts personalities earlier in the book, I liked reading about them. I agree that the language is a huge turn off for me...I don't remember if there is bad language in the movie either since it has been years. I liked how all the women had men that fell in love with them no matter what they did.
1.) What did you think of the book in comparison to the movie?
I liked the movie better, mostly because even though it had it's scary serious parts, it had such a lighthearted bent to it. I loved the sister's relationship with each other and the aunts. But I really loved the detective at the end. Plus, how can you beat Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman? (While reading the book, the characters seemed so different to me, that I couldn't picture them as the same as the ones in the movie. I hated how flat Sally's character was in the book.)
2.) Who was your favorite character? Thinking back, I can't choose a favorite. I liked the young Sally, but once her husband died, her character lost it's life. I wish she had given more in the story to the aunts, whom were my favorites.
3.) What did you think of Alice Hoffman's writing style? (And tell us if you've read any other books by her.)
This is the only book I have read by her, and although there were the things I liked, such as the start of the chapters, I found her writing style distracting. She flitted from subject to subject, character to character, and it left me lost. I felt it made it much harder to read the story.
4.) Do you have a favorite scene from the book?
It has been too long since I read it, and so I can't think of a favorite scene. One scene that was very memorable was when Callie escaped from the guys who were chasing her. It was very intense.
My overall impression of the book was that it was okay. There were parts that I really loved, but some that were flat and anticlimactic. (Especially the ending.) The language and sex were totally unneccesary. The book was very creative though and brought forth a great movie :).
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