The air of Eastwick breeds witches - women whose powerful longings can stir up thunderstorms and fracture domestic peace. Jane, Alexandra and Sukie, divorced and dangerous, have formed a coven. And into the void of Eastwick breezes Darryl Van Horne, a charismatic magus of a man who entrances the trio, luring them into his mansion, where he becomes the focus of their sensuous celebrations, and which is purest evil...
The Witches of Eastwick: A Novel
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Review
'Dazzling' - THE NEW YORK TIMES 'A sharp dissection of social and moral battles in upstate New York' - TIME OUT
From the Back Cover
"A Great Deal Of Fun To Read...Fresh, constantly entertaining...The text also abounds with delightful aphorisms for these times...John Updike remains a wizard of language and observation."
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer
"A wicked entertainment with lots (and lots) of sex...In book after book, Updike's fine, funny impressionistic art strips the full casings of everydayness from objects we have known all our lives and makes them shine with fresh new connections."
-- The New Republic
"A dazzling book...A very funny and very unsettling story of what witchcraft might look like if it were around today...Updike is devilishly clever."
-- Los Angeles Times
Selected By Time Magazine As One Of The Five Best Works Of Fiction Of The Year --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Pat J.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had seen the movie a few times and as almost always, the book is different. It was an interesting read, but I would say it is darker than the movie.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Animagess
Format:Paperback
Reading this book was like pushing a locomotive through a sea of molasses. Updike is apparently known for his very heavy descriptions, focusing in and in on seemingly unimportant details (like the scenery), and 'Eastwick' is no exception. Whether this appeals to you or not will most likely determine how much you like it. Literary trifles aside, this is a rich, sex-laden novel with lots of social commentary and underlying meaning. It's almost nothing like the movie as well; the characters are spiteful, hypocritical and vengeful, the magic seems to have more symbolism, and Darryl's role is somewhat different.
One flaw I saw with the novel was the fact that very little happened with any consequence. The witches have affairs all over the place, people die, and magic is thrown around a good deal, but it seems more for the sake of getting a vague 'impression' of what's going on, rather than pushing the non-existant plot forward. Much of the consequences in this novel usually result in something being gossiped about, and then it's back to the sex and hyper-focused detail and narrative meanderings, and then more sex.
In short, it'll be hard to sit on the fence about this one- it's not a likable book, but it'll be entertaining and thoughtful if you want it to be.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I just finished reading this book. Boy, it is almost nothing like the movie. Aside from basic plot of "three witches in the town of Eastwick fall under the influence of a new man in town", the book and the movie have almost nothing in common. I don't want to give away too much of the book's plot, but the witches here are more promiscuous than in the movie. Just about every married man in town has an affair with one of the witches. Anyway, the book is a "good read", as they say, and you will probably enjoy it if you are not offended by sexual content.
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3.4 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
When I finally got around to reading the novel the movie *CLAIMS* to be based on I was at first confused and then utterly delighted. Read more
Published on July 12 2004 by J.K.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Don't read this if you want a written version of the movie
This is a case where the movie is so different from the original novel that you will find yourself wondering if the person who wrote the screenplay ever read the book. Read more
Published on July 21 2003 by Jackie M. Bachenberg
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Satanic Romp
I thought that this was a delightful comic novel by Updike set, (as usual?) in a small East Coast community, and (again, as usual? Read more
Published on Oct 23 2002 by MR G. Rodgers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Updike gives witchery a whirl.
John Updike astutely recognizes the modern American suburb, with its hypocritical social mores and superstitions, as a rich literary setting. Read more
Published on Mar 5 2002 by A.J.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An European approach to THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK
This extremely rich novel is an outstanding sample of American society (in New England)in the late 60's*, also because the main characters are mostly centered on women. Read more
Published on Feb 6 2002 by ana teresa de castro
2.0 out of 5 stars
Verbose, homophobic, and misogynistic.
Updike's novel is totally overworded with unnecessary details that fail to move the story on. Did we really need to know about Sukie contemplating the area between her legs while... Read more
Published on Aug 9 2001 by "joegillis"
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Witches of Eastwick: Male Feminism At Its Finest
There's a scene in "The Witches of Eastwick" when one of the witches raises a thunderstorm on a beach. Read more
Published on Aug 16 2000 by George R. Galuschak
2.0 out of 5 stars
Typical Updike...draw your own conclusions
I won't go into what I dislike about John Updike's writing. I'll try to stick to this one book, the only one of his novels I managed to finish, thus the two stars instead of one. Read more
Published on July 26 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good, but not as good as Updike's best.
I found this a very entertaining read and finished it on a coast-to-coast return plane trip. There were several parts where I laughed out loud. Read more
Published on April 25 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scathingly funny, delicious and magickal
Three days ago I opened "The Witches of Eastwick" and immediately fell in love. Updike's language, his uncommon imagery, and his *knowing* of "what women think"... Read more
Published on Sep 2 1999
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