The Witches of Eastwick, John Updike

This was an amazingly compelling, well written novel.  It is shocking, unpredictable, exciting and hence delightful at the same time.  The story and the mood of the story is very different than the movie.  You won't find a chapter with a description of Darryl Van Horne (played by Jack Nickolson) murderously storming down the street, spitting out chicken feathers, returning to home to take care of his naughty coven.  Instead, you will find that the witches, namely Jane, Sukie and Alexa, are a bit more wicked than portrayed in the movie.  Darryl is a less devious and magical, and the story less fantastic. There is an additional major character, Jenny, in love with Darryl adding a whole new subplot to the story.

This would be a great adult book club book, not only for the discussion of the story, but to discuss Updike's mastery of description and insight into human behavior.  I would follow the discussion with a movie night viewing of The Witches of Eastwick with flowing adult beverages. 

This would not be a good book for high school discussions, and would likely insult the heck out of anyone who isn't open to discuss the self centered wicked lives of the coven.  Morals are not held up in any high standards, though there is a fair amount of regret tied to bad witchie choices.

Lastly, Mr. Updike has a sequel published in 2008, The Widows of Eastwick.  I have not read this yet, but wonder why he waited so long to write part two!  The Amazon reviews are not as high as they are for the The Witches of Eastwick, so perhaps it isn't as good.

Updike has many other great novels under his belt, so if this selection doesn't appeal to your sensibilities, there are many other great novels such as his famous Rabbit series. I found a complete list on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Novels_by_John_Updike.



Happy Bookclub Reading!  Katherine.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This was a thoughtful well written philosophical book set in Seattle.  On the surface, it is a story about Enzo the dog and Enzo's family, Denny the race car driver, his wive Eve and their daughter Zoe.  The interesting part is that Enzo was born with human intelligence.  This makes the story incredibly amusing, but also a fantasy.

What makes this book so special is the insight into the seemingly impossible situations that make up each of our lives.  Enzo's family experiences extreme challenges that I hope not a single reader will ever have to cope with, but the application of professional car racing skills to life is absolutely delightful, entertaining and profound.  Just the idea that we are all zooming at incredible speeds on a race car track, trying not only to win, but to survive life is an exhilarating metaphor.

In the following paragraph, Enzo is considering how he will live his next life when, as he believes, he will be reincarnated as a person.

"To live every day as if it had been stolen from death, that is how I would like to live.  ...  To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter every day.  To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am.  I am.  This is something to aspire to.  When I am a person, that is how I will live my life."

This is a good book club choice.  It is a short, easy read, and is fun to discuss.  As for the book club party, I would recommend a trip to the races, lunch at a sports bar, or a trip to the doggie park for a picnic!

Please, post and tell me what you thought of this book!  I give it two paws up!