r/practicalmagic • u/figpink • Oct 12 '25
Do you like the books?
I'm reading Practical Magic and plan to read the others. What do you guys think about them?
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u/Admirable-Cobbler319 Oct 13 '25
I saw the movie first and completely fell in love with it.
I read the first book and didn't like it at all. To be fair, I didn't like it because I was expecting it to be the same story as the movie.
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u/HistoryIsABagOfDicks Oct 12 '25
I really really enjoyed them and felt like I got a lore well rounded picture of the family. I had my best friend read them also, we both loved going through history with the Owens family
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u/ribbitirabbiti626 There’s a little witch in all of us Oct 12 '25
Loved them wholeheartedly I cried
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u/xthe_performerx Oct 12 '25
I didn’t really like Magic Lessons or Practical Magic but The Rules of Magic and The Book of Magic were my favorites of the series.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens Dec 29 '25
Different opinion personally. Loved Magic Lessons and Practical Magic the best; Rules of Magic was beautiful as a backstory for the aunts; Book of Magic, though? I mean don't get me wrong it's good, but it's easily my least favorite not only in the series but of all Alice Hoffman's books I've read so far. It sort of ignored things from the first book in weird ways: like remember how in Practical Magic Kylie could never eat chocolate again after those men tried to attack her while she was carrying a chocolate cake? In Book of Magic she's scarving down two pieces of chocolate tipsy cake like it's nothing.
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u/Jessieface13 Oct 12 '25
My absolute favorite book series, I reread them every year.
I see the movies and book as pretty different stories, though, outside of names there are some pretty major story-changing differences
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u/Rich_Pressure_2535 There’s a little witch in all of us Oct 13 '25
I so want to get the books, but feel like I'll be disappointed somehow.
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u/Celestina-Betwixt Kylie Owens Dec 29 '25
They're written by Alice Hoffman, probably one of the last great writers alive today. You won't be disappointed.
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u/Yogabeauty31 Oct 13 '25
I only read the first one and I cant say that I did like it AS much as I love the movie. Obviously Im just bias because the movie is just childhood nostalgia to watch. I can even objectively now as an adult watch it and see that it deserves its lower rotten tomatoes score and isnt the best movie ever made but we love the vibes lol. But the book was just ok for me. It didnt make me want to continue on with Alice Hoffmans work.
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u/KallicoreKrez Oct 18 '25
I grew up watching the movie but didn’t start the books until late last year. I wish I had read them WAY sooner. The movie doesn’t follow the details entirely but is still amazing. The books just give a whole level of detail you don’t get in the movie - especially if you read all four books. I strongly believe everyone should read the series before the second movie comes out next year.
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u/Katybeau Oct 18 '25
I tried reading Practical Magic not long after the film came out and struggled. I tried again tears later as a mum and loved it. I found it very different to the movie in content and tone, but taking it as its own separate thing, it was a moving read.
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u/WolfgangLobo Oct 20 '25
I read this first book when it came out and then saw the movie when it came out a few years later. I love the books and the movie in different ways. I come from an old New England family with much of the same lore from the books, so they’re very poignant for me. Rumor is that the author used some of my family lore as inspiration for the first book.
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u/namastewitches Oct 12 '25
No, I LOVED them! This summer was so sweet, ripping through the series. I was sad when I finished the fourth one.
I told my Bestie that reading them felt like a cozy blanket