Some thoughts on The Rules of Magic, by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm am now an Alice Hoffman fan, and am looking forward to reading the sequel to this novel (which was written before this prequel). The back cover sort of covers what I would say myself: "The Rules of Magic takes us on a dreamy, unforgettable journey, both thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastic--reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself." And the last line: "The only remedy for love is to love more."

This tale of the Owens family, for whom love is a curse, is set in the 1960s in New York, focusing on the three children of Susanna Owens, "Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood-red hair; shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people's thoughts; and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk" (back cover). Their mother, knowing of the old curse, dating to the 1600s, forbids them to truck with anything magical, and to never, ever, fall in love. This does not happen, and the children for who and what they are, and they find love, real and painful, sometimes even fatal, as they discover their peculiar strengths, their magics.

Once upon is how this novel begins, and off we go, into a fairy tale that is also a human tale.

Recommended.



View all my reviews