Negative Positive
Title: If you want to read "magic realism," read "Turtle Moon."
Review: As a former English teacher and lover of good fiction, I have enjoyed Alice Hoffman's "Turtle Moon," "Illumination Night," and "Seventh Heaven." When my daughter offered "Practical Magic," I snapped it up, and read it in a day, while attending a conference in Boston. I couldn't believe the poor quality of the writing, when compared with "Turtle Moon," say. Use of the f--- word was gratuitous, and the plot was strained to say the least. The witchy aunts (up there in Salem, I presume,) were interesting, once Hoffman got around to coloring in their sketches, in the last few pages. Lust, not true love, seemed to be the driving force. Come on, this is for ninth graders. What about the rest of us, who expect much more from Alice Hoffman? If you really want to enjoy Magic Realism, read "Like Water for Chocolate!!"
Is the review positive or negative? 