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Book Review: The Witches of Eastwick, by John Updike
Book Description: In a small New England town in the late 1960s, there lived three witches. Alexandra Spofford, a sculptress, Jane Smart, a cellist, and Sukie Rougemont, the local gossip columnist. Their supernatural gifts were intriguing, to say the least. Divorced but hardly celibate, content but always ripe for adventure, one day all three witches found themselves under the spell of a new man in town, Darryl Van Horne. His hot tub was the scene of some bewitching delights, but that doesn't being to conjure the half of it....
I read Witches of Eastwick because it's said at the back cover that my favorite author Haruki Murakami likes John Updike's novels as well. So I gave it a shoot.
I must confess, Mr. Updike's subject matter (daily affairs of a bunch of middle class women in a quiet island community) and his writing style is not my favorite type. Still I found Witches of Eastwick riches with clever writing, and it's no feel-good chick-lit; those Witches of Eastwick are no harmless and likable creatures. I'm both surprised and delighted that the witches actually *cursed* people who had crossed them and used magic for their own gains (although for more than once, they suffered the consequences of their magic later on), that's entirely different from those goody-two-shoes chick-lit witches.
The description about magic and how the witches worked magic on other people and on themselves is brilliant as well (love that scene about a witch called down a storm on a beach). The description about the island community and the interactions among the island's residents is delightful and full of satire. Since I have only read the Chinese translation so far, I suspect I will like the writing even more if I read the original English text.
However, the ending is a bit of a letdown and the book as a whole is too long-winded. As to the witches, vividly and realistically written characters that they are, can still be very selfish, hardhearted and unlikable at times. Their love interest--the mysterious rich man who is also a newcomer in town, is totally obnoxious as a person---but thankfully he's very different from those unrealistic YA love interests. (Jack Nicholson starred as this male lead in the 1987 Witches of Eastwick movie, clearly he was made for that role!) I honestly can't see why the witches were head over heels for him, I can only say they were bewitched.
**plot spoiler warning**
Plus, the more I think about it, the more I feel it's problematic for the author to set this male lead as a closeted homosexual who later married a young woman only for her money. What a big fat 'cheating, dishonest gay men' stereotype. I really, really can do without this setting.
**end of spoiler**
In many ways, Witches of Eastwick reminds me of Midnight At the Garden of Good and Evil, still it's not as charming and bewitching as the latter. I'm on my way to read the sequel: Widows of Eastwick.
Suggestion: You can give it a try.
Book Description: In a small New England town in the late 1960s, there lived three witches. Alexandra Spofford, a sculptress, Jane Smart, a cellist, and Sukie Rougemont, the local gossip columnist. Their supernatural gifts were intriguing, to say the least. Divorced but hardly celibate, content but always ripe for adventure, one day all three witches found themselves under the spell of a new man in town, Darryl Van Horne. His hot tub was the scene of some bewitching delights, but that doesn't being to conjure the half of it....
I read Witches of Eastwick because it's said at the back cover that my favorite author Haruki Murakami likes John Updike's novels as well. So I gave it a shoot.
I must confess, Mr. Updike's subject matter (daily affairs of a bunch of middle class women in a quiet island community) and his writing style is not my favorite type. Still I found Witches of Eastwick riches with clever writing, and it's no feel-good chick-lit; those Witches of Eastwick are no harmless and likable creatures. I'm both surprised and delighted that the witches actually *cursed* people who had crossed them and used magic for their own gains (although for more than once, they suffered the consequences of their magic later on), that's entirely different from those goody-two-shoes chick-lit witches.
The description about magic and how the witches worked magic on other people and on themselves is brilliant as well (love that scene about a witch called down a storm on a beach). The description about the island community and the interactions among the island's residents is delightful and full of satire. Since I have only read the Chinese translation so far, I suspect I will like the writing even more if I read the original English text.
However, the ending is a bit of a letdown and the book as a whole is too long-winded. As to the witches, vividly and realistically written characters that they are, can still be very selfish, hardhearted and unlikable at times. Their love interest--the mysterious rich man who is also a newcomer in town, is totally obnoxious as a person---but thankfully he's very different from those unrealistic YA love interests. (Jack Nicholson starred as this male lead in the 1987 Witches of Eastwick movie, clearly he was made for that role!) I honestly can't see why the witches were head over heels for him, I can only say they were bewitched.
**plot spoiler warning**
Plus, the more I think about it, the more I feel it's problematic for the author to set this male lead as a closeted homosexual who later married a young woman only for her money. What a big fat 'cheating, dishonest gay men' stereotype. I really, really can do without this setting.
**end of spoiler**
In many ways, Witches of Eastwick reminds me of Midnight At the Garden of Good and Evil, still it's not as charming and bewitching as the latter. I'm on my way to read the sequel: Widows of Eastwick.
Suggestion: You can give it a try.
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What if he turned out to be an awesome warlock! and totally into witches and super sweet spells, oh the fun 