"The Museum of Extraordinary Things" might have upset me with some dark, disturbing imagery but there were enough memorable sentences and thoughts between the pages of that novel that I decided that Hoffman deserves some more of my attention, so I went little back in time and checked out on her probably most popular book, in fact there is already Hollywood version of it, which I absolutely have no intention of watching as reading books gave me much more pleasure and gets my whole brain active with imagination.
At first I didn't really know what to make out of "Practical Magic" - I probably accidentally read some chick lit in my life previously without even realising its tailored for particular female audiences, but this is the first time that I was aware of it, story being exclusively and decidedly centred on female family and their daily ups and downs. Nothing here even approached the darkness I found in "The Museum of Extraordinary Things" which in a way was good thing, because I could do with some lightheartedness for change. The story here centres around the two orphaned sisters who get adopted by witch aunts and grew in two completely opposite personalities - there is something almost fairy tale like about Sally and Gillian Owens and the way their characters and colouring so perfectly contrast each other. When life eventually sets them apart and than brings them back again, they are already grown up women with different baggage but now Sally has two daughters of her own (Antonia and Kylie) who are not only at the verge of adulthood themselves but might have inherited family witchcraft powers. Oh yes, and there is a corpse buried in the garden that refuses to stay still, disturbing everybody with some malevolent energy. Initially I was slightly disappointed because it all appeared too simple - lots of women cooking, cleaning, gossipping and talking about men. In fact, this obsession with the man as the main fulfilment of their lives kind of put me off and I almost regretted starting something so trivial, wondering what on earth possessed me to even think that I might like this kind of fluff but since I already started, I might as well finish the darn novel so I continued and at the end it turned quite delightful. Ancient witch aunts arrive to save the situation, they know exactly what they are dealing with and how to get rid of all man & ghost troubles. Family unites around the kitchen table, everybody happy. There is even a wedding, possibly two. Every girl gets a guy. Female readers delighted because everybody loves happy end, right? All my initial reservations eventually melted away because this has all been so good natured and I have spent enough time around female relatives and friends to understand something about female psyche, so towards the end I actually smiled because yes, it was entertaining though nothing like what I expected coming from "The Museum of Extraordinary Things" which bubbled over with green depravity. Just like before, every now and than Hoffman shots unexpectedly fine sentence or a thought that stopped me dead in the tracks and made me re-read it twice, this seems to be her trademark and I finished the novel in a such a positive, uplifting mood that I might even continue with some more of the same writer.
"Although she’d never believe it, those lines in Gillian’s face are the most beautiful part about her. They reveal what she’s gone through and what she’s survived and who exactly she is, deep inside."
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