October 2024 Selection: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

[Katie]

Happy fall, y'all!
I decided to go with something that might be nostalgic and fun for October. I'd bet many of us have seen the movie, but have you ever read the book??
I hope this generates some good discussion! Please use this thread to share your thoughts and opinions on this month's selection. How does it compare to the movie for you?

[Katie]

I hate to say it, especially as a librarian, but I honestly feel like the movie was better than the book. The book felt very anticlimactic to me, and all the most charming, iconic, and endearing parts of the story were only in the film adaptation. It seemed like the book had a lot of deep dives into interpersonal relationships that didn’t really add anything to the plot, and made the flow of the book feel choppy. A lot of those interactions made the characters less likable, also.
What did y’all think?