The Witches of Eastwick

First trade edition cover
Author	John Updike
Country	United States
Language	English
Publisher	Knopf
Publication date	April 12, 1984
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	320 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0394537602

The Witches of Eastwick is a 1984 novel by John Updike. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... John Hoyer Updike (born March 18, 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania) is an American writer. ... In political geography and international politics, a country is a political division of a geographical entity, a sovereign territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation and government. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Alfred A. Knopf ( September 12, 1892 – August 11, 1984) was a leading American publisher of the 20th century. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... John Hoyer Updike (born March 18, 1932 in Shillington, Pennsylvania) is an American writer. ...

Plot summary

The story, set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Eastwick in the late 1960s, follows the witches Alexandra Spofford, Jane Smart, and Sukie Rougemont, who acquired their powers after leaving or being left by their husbands. Their coven is upset by the arrival of a devil-like character, Darryl Van Horne. The mysterious Darryl seduces each of the women, encouraging them to play with their powers and creating a scandal in the town. The three women share Darryl in relative peace until he unexpectedly marries their young, innocent friend, Jenny, who they resolve to have revenge on. The witches doubt their judgement after Jenny's death when Darryl flees town with her brother, apparently his lover. In his wake he leaves their relationships strained and their sense of self in doubt. Eventually they each summon their ideal men and leave town. FicTioNaL is a Gaming Legend. ... Official language(s) English Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area  Ranked 50th  - Total 1,214* [1] sq mi (3,144* km²)  - Width 37 miles (60 km)  - Length 48 miles (77 km)  - % water 32. ... This article is part of the Witchcraft series. ... Satan frozen at the center of Cocytus, the ninth circle of Hell in Dantes Inferno. ...

Literary significance & criticism

Some have expressed concern that the book may be misogynistic, as it seems to reinforce the patriarchal conception of women as witches, and of women requiring a man for personal growth; others believe that the book may be more of a satire of such ideas.^[1] Misogyny is an exaggerated pathological aversion towards women. ... A patriarch (from Greek: patria means father; arché means rule, beginning, origin) is a male head of an extended family exercising autocratic authority, or, by extension, a member of the ruling class or government of a society controlled by senior men. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ...

Celebrity Big Brother 2007 contestants Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara were nicknamed the "Bitches of Eastwick" and "Witches of Elstree" by the British media due to their apparent racist bullying of fellow housemate and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Celebrity Big Brother 2007 is the fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. ... Jade Goody (born 5 June 1981) is a British reality television celebrity who gained notoriety after appearing on Big Brother in 2002. ... Danielle Lloyd (born 16 December 1983, Liverpool) is an English lingerie and glamour model, and former Miss England (2004). ... Joanne Valda OMeara (born 29 April 1979) in Romford, London Borough of Havering is an English singer and actress. ... Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ) (born 8 June 1975 in Mangalore, India) is a four-time Filmfare Award-nominated Indian film actress and Supermodel. ...

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

• In 1987, the novel was adapted into a film starring Jack Nicholson as Darryl, Cher as Alexandra, Susan Sarandon as Jane and Michelle Pfeiffer as Sukie.
• In 2000, the novel was adapted into a stage musical by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe.
• In 2002, a TV series pilot was filmed based on the world created in the book, called simply Eastwick. It starred Marcia Cross as Jane, Kelly Rutherford as Alexandra, and Lori Loughlin as Sukie. It was not picked up as a series so only the pilot episode exists, and is officially unavailable but does show up from time to time in the collector market.
• in 2007, the stage musical had a sold out American debut at Signature Theater in Arlington, VA.

Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 feature film based on the novel of the same title by John Updike. ... Nicholson as Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). ... Cheryl Sarkisian LaPierre (better known as Cher) (born on May 20, 1946),[1] is an American actress, singer, songwriter, author and entertainer. ... Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (born April 29, 1958) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and internationally known American actress. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Witches of Eastwick is a 2000 stage musical, based on the novel by John Updike. ... John Dempsey is a theatrical lyricist and playwright who has worked in Britain and the United States. ... Dana P. Rowe is a musical theater composer whose works have been performed in New York and London. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Eastwick could refer to: Eastwick, a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. ... Marcia Anne Cross (born March 25, 1962 in Marlborough, Massachusetts) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated American actress. ... Kelly Rutherford (born November 6, 1968 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky) is an American actor best known from her role of Megan Mancini on Melrose Place from 1996 to 1999. ... Lori Anne Loughlin (born July 28, 1964) is an American actress who gained prominence in the 1990s as playing the wife of John Stamoss character, Rebecca Donaldson, on ABCs, Full House. ...

References

1. ^ Kiera Tara O'Brien. The witching hour: Halloween chick flicks. Digs Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.