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Practical Magic (novel)

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Practical Magic
First edition
AuthorAlice Hoffman
Cover artistHoni Werner
LanguageEnglish
GenreFiction
Publication date
1995
Publication placeUnited States
Pages286
ISBN9780425190371

Practical Magic is a 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman.[1] The book went on to spawn a media franchise of the same name, which consists of a 1998 film adaption of the same name by Warner Bros., a 2004 television pilot (Sudbury), two prequel (The Rules of Magic (2017) and Magic Lessons (2020)) and sequel (The Book of Magic (2021)) novels written by Hoffman, and a upcoming 2026 film sequel based on The Book of Magic.

Plot summary

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Gillian and Sally Owens were two happy, normal girls – until their parents die in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, the girls move in with their two eccentric aunts, Frances and Bridget, in a small town in Massachusetts – the town their mother left so many years before. The aunts raise the girls without discipline or rules, allowing them to drink soda for breakfast and eat candy for dinner.

As the girls began their new lives with their aunts, they found themselves ostracized by the suspicious and superstitious townsfolk, who viewed them as descendants of a long line of powerful witches. The aunts openly practiced their craft, relying on their aptitude for selling love potions, charms, and herbal remedies as their main source of income, despite the townsfolk's hypocritical reliance on their services. Initially, the girls refused to believe in their magical heritage. However, after witnessing a powerful love spell backfire, resulting in the terrifying, destructive obsession of the recipient, the sisters decided to forego and avoid magic and love entirely, believing both brought inevitable pain.

Following high school graduation, Gillian ran away to California with a boy, seeking escape and distance. Meanwhile, Sally desperately yearned for true love but feared meeting the same fate as her parents, who had died in a fire—too in love to save themselves. Sally soon met the charming Michael. They quickly married and had two daughters, Antonia and Kylie, living happily for three years until Michael suddenly died. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Sally became convinced that her family's centuries-old curse surrounding the Owens women had caused his death. She packed up her daughters and moved away to start over, determined to sever ties with the magical world for good.

Years later, trouble followed Gillian back to Sally’s doorstep when she arrived with the dead body of her abusive ex-boyfriend, Jimmy, in the passenger seat of her car. As the sisters reconnected while scrambling to cover up the incident, Sally's daughters began to come into their own womanhood. Kylie, in particular, developed the "Sight," which allowed her to view Jimmy's lingering ghost, growing closer over time, affiliated with a mysterious and threatening patch of flowers that seemed to bloom overnight in their backyard.

Adaptations

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Main article: Practical Magic

The book served as the basis for a film adaptation directed by Griffin Dunne.[2] The film was released on October 16, 1998 and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, and Aidan Quinn. The film received negative reviews from critics upon its release[3][4][5] and was a box office disappointment, grossing $68.3 million worldwide against a $75 million production budget.[6][7] It later developed a cult following in the years since its release.[8][9][10][11] The film deviates from the book to varying degrees, such as a tonal shift from a dark coming-of-age story to a lighter and more comedic one, ageing up the female leads from teenagers to young adults, expanding upon the role of the two aunts, and taking on a totally different conflict between Gillian and her former love interest Jimmy.[12] A sequel based on Alice Hoffman's 2021 sequel novel The Book of Magic was confirmed in June 2024[13][14][15] and is scheduled for released on September 18, 2026 with Bullock, Kidman, Wiest, and Channing reprising their roles.[16][17][18]

References

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  1. ^ Fried, Kerry (April–May 1995). "Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman". Boston Review. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  2. ^ "Practical Magic (12)". British Board of Film Classification. October 27, 1998. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  3. ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 10, 2024). "Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman Returning for 'Practical Magic' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  4. ^ Nateras, Jose (November 1, 2021). "Does Practical Magic hold up? 'Tis the season to find out". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  5. ^ Framke, Caroline (October 31, 2016). "The flawed but fun Practical Magic is the Thelma and Louise of witch movies". Vox. Retrieved November 4, 2024. The scattered script (written by Akiva Goldsman, Robin Swicord, and Adam Brooks) and constantly changing tenor are why Practical Magic received such negative reviews upon its 1998 release.
  6. ^ "Practical Magic". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Practical Magic". The Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  8. ^ Walsh, Savannah (October 6, 2023). "How Practical Magic Pissed Off a Real-life Witch". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Shapiro, Lila (October 26, 2017). "Practical Magic Got Cursed by an Actual Witch. Is That Why It Bombed?". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  10. ^ Goldstein, Jessica (October 20, 2020). "Stockard Channing Answers Every Question We Have About Practical Magic". Vulture. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  11. ^ Bashian, Lori A. (October 28, 2023). "'Practical Magic' turns 25: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman then and now". Fox News. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  12. ^ Kassel, Mary (June 25, 2024). "7 Biggest Changes Practical Magic Makes To The Book". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  13. ^ Woerner, Meredith (June 10, 2024). "'Practical Magic 2': Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Return for Sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Juneau, Jen (August 5, 2024). "'Practical Magic' Producer Says Sequel Will "Honor" Original Film". People. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Perez, Lexy (August 5, 2024). "'Practical Magic' Producer Says Sequel Will "Honor" Original Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (May 6, 2025). "Practical Magic 2, Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, Sets Fall 2026 Release Date". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 60626328. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  17. ^ Haring, Bruce (June 13, 2024). "Nicole Kidman Confirms Return For 'Practical Magic 2' With Sandra Bullock". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  18. ^ Lang, Brent (July 11, 2025). "Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing Returning for Practical Magic 2". Variety. United States: Penske Media Corporation. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 60626328. Archived from the original on July 12, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
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