Wicked

Book Description

Critics

• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

  My earliest memories of movie-induced terror torment me with images of flying monkeys and a green-skinned witch. As a result, I've never watched the 'The Wizard of Oz'. Even as an adult I've managed to miss it; no room in my world for childish things ... (read full critics)

  bookotron published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

• Wicked

  Wicked Gregory Maguire ReganBooks Paperback 406 pages 1995 When I was a child in the early '70s, one of the Big Three networks aired the classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" with some regularity, about once a year or so. I watched it every time it was on ... (read full critics)

  curledup published on Tue, 7 Sep 2010

28 Reviews

• 3 people find this helpful

  

  The story started out well enough, but I quickly grew bored with it. The writing is unengaging and rather bland throughout. And for some reason, the author seems to think the reader wants to know when any character decides to take a piss. Literally. I'm sure there's some symbolism there I didn't car ... (continue)

  The story started out well enough, but I quickly grew bored with it. The writing is unengaging and rather bland throughout. And for some reason, the author seems to think the reader wants to know when any character decides to take a piss. Literally. I'm sure there's some symbolism there I didn't care to figure out.

  The last part of the book was better than the rest (following as it did hundreds of pages of boring political and religious machinations and thinly veiled allegories on civil rights) but by the time I reached those final 100 pages I was reading not to find out what happened, but just to get through the thing.

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  Cuzzin Todd said on Feb 3, 2008 | 1 feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  Really clever retelling of a classic story. Maguire clearly has a great mind, and it was put to good use here. The Wicked Witch as you've never seen her before. Looking forward to seeing where the series goes after this.

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  Jaemi K said on Jan 20, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  Elphaba! Elphaba!

  <humming: Popular, you're gonna be popular . . >

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  Hoverbug said on Feb 10, 2008 | Add your feedback

• 

  A fresh look at an old story...

  I really enjoyed this book, it's a really unique way of looking at a really old story. I loved the beginning showing where the Wicked Witch was born and how she came about.

  Some parts dragged a little but for the most part I thought the story was well paced and exciting. I especially liked the end ... (continue)

  I really enjoyed this book, it's a really unique way of looking at a really old story. I loved the beginning showing where the Wicked Witch was born and how she came about.

  Some parts dragged a little but for the most part I thought the story was well paced and exciting. I especially liked the ending when Nanny had really gone doddery and kept making hilarious comments. It really tied in well with the actual Wizard of Oz story at the end too with Dorothy and her companions.

  Very original and unique story and I really enjoyed it. Would love to see the musical, must add it to my life's to-do list!

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  Lauraolsthoorn said on Feb 25, 2012 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  It's a great book, however my knoledge of English isn't enough to understand everything. I'm just a little annoying by the fact that the book is VERY different from the musical: I know it's "ispired of", and not "from" the book, but... oh, I don't know, I wish to read about Fyero and Fabala just lik ... (continue)

  It's a great book, however my knoledge of English isn't enough to understand everything. I'm just a little annoying by the fact that the book is VERY different from the musical: I know it's "ispired of", and not "from" the book, but... oh, I don't know, I wish to read about Fyero and Fabala just like in the musical! :D
  However, it's a good book to read! My advice is to read it!

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  Spooky said on May 2, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  My Review of "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West"

  Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” is a victory in revisionist fictional writing. The novel is based on the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. The author takes his time in establishing his interpretation of OZ. In wonderful detail we are told of the different races such as the Munchkin Landers, Quadli ... (continue)

  Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” is a victory in revisionist fictional writing. The novel is based on the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. The author takes his time in establishing his interpretation of OZ. In wonderful detail we are told of the different races such as the Munchkin Landers, Quadlings, and Arjiki. Maguire even goes so far as to create a volatile political climate. The Wizard of Oz is portrayed as a cruel dictator determined to strip away the rights of Animals (not to be confused with animals). These are talking beasts who strive to be first class citizens. But the real fulcrum on which this story rests is the complicated character of Elphaba - who eventually becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.

  Elphaba’s childhood is disastrous. Though a large part of this is due to her being born with green skin, her parents are absolutely dysfunctional. Despite these problems - Elphaba’s personal actions as a young student are surprisingly moral. She openly questions the teachers at the School of Shiz when they support the Wizard’s anti - Animal rights propaganda. She even ends up joining a freedom fighter movement - though this ends unsuccessfully and with the death of her only lover.

  What irks me about Wicked is how purposefully anti-climactic it was at times. I realize this was the writers intent to create mystery, but it borders on being infuriating. We are never really given any insight to the movement Elphaba was involved in nor was there an immediacy with its failure. When she seeks forgiveness for the affair with Fiyero, events unfold in such a way as to prevent the suspenseful moment from happening. Even her death at the hands of Dorothy lacked poignancy. Yes. We all know the Wicked Witch dies at the end of the story - but I didn’t feel Maguire’s novel owns that moment.

  But again - what carries this story is the precocious, spiny, and endearing character of Elphaba. Wicked has many brilliant lines of dialogue and internalization. This was the main reason this novel was so easily adapted into a Broadway musical. Wicked is an entertaining read and deserves its place beside L. Frank Baum’s original work.

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  Jason Zapata said on Aug 26, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

See all 28 comments

Book Details

• Rating:
  (227)
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• English Books
• Paperback 448 Pages
• Edition: Musical Tie-in Ed
• ISBN-10: 0060745908
• ISBN-13: 9780060745905
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Pub date: Mar 01, 2004
• Dimensions: 1484 mm x 1032 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Mass Market Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette, School & Library Binding and Others
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Libri Italiani

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