Rating: 
Summary: Into the World of Oz
Review: When I purchased this book, I really didn't know what to expect. But the minute I opened the book and stated reading it I was engrossed. This book is just so different that I would feel like betraying the story if I even told you what it was about except for the ovious, which is of course the Wicked Witch of the West side of the story. The book is fantasy like, haveing talking animals and schools that teach sorcerey...but amazingly enough Elphaba...who is the " Wicked Witch of the West" doesn't even have any interest in witchcraft. A lot of things happen to Elphaba in her lifetime, and basically this is all this book is about... Elphaba being shunned for her green skin, her few friends, her first love, her betrayals. I thought the book was very dark and sad, but I loved every minute of it, it really puts the saying, " Don't judge a book by it's cover" into effect. But if your in the mood for something a little different, this is a must have. Gregory Mcguire is awesome and I hope every one of his future books are as illuminating as this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost got it
Review: I was expecting something more in this book. It has such a strong political undercurrent, that I could not enjoy the story as much as I should of. Wicked surprised me, as it was much more a novel than I thought it would be. The wicked witch, Elphaba, is a very strong character. She is smart, independant, capable of love, which allows her to be real. She has a family, she has issues, and how she handles them all, you would be surprised. The plot is different. With the political views, I felt that Mr. Maguire was trying to make a point, which I missed. If you are expecting anything with OZ qualities, don't expect them in this book. This OZ can stay in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Kansas, or Even the Oz You Used to Know
Review: This is, as one would expect, an imagining of the life of the fairy-tale character from Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West. It is extremely well thought-out, rich, complex, incredibly imaginative . . . and unfortunately a tiny bit too long. Elphaba, the witch, is born in Munchkinland to her preacher father and adulterous mother. Right from birth she is an oddball, with her green skin, and the gossip around town is that Mom had been fooling around with some elf. Nobody likes her: she's ugly and standoffish and maybe a little too smart for all of them. Smart enough to go to college, though, in the more civilized area known as Gillikin. Here she meets the friends who will play major roles in the rest of her life: Glinda, the society girl, (for lack of a better word), who will become the Witch of the North; Fiyero, the Winkie, who will become her only lover; Nessarose, her armless sister, who will become the Witch of the East; and finally Madame Morrible, their mentor, who may or may not have cast a spell over the lot of them, predetermining their lives and outcome. Oz itself is splendidly realized, comprised of civilized, uncivilized, and geographically diverse areas. Most of the inhabitants are human, or human-like, but there are also Animals, who are sentient, intelligent animals, (the Cowardly Lion would fall in here), elves, munchkins, dwarves, machine-like devices, and of course, regular animals of the sort that haul things and get eaten. The whole thing is presided over by the Wizard, a totalitarian despot who siezed control from the ruling monarchy, and who rules the place with an iron fist. He has delegitimatized the Animals, forcing them to act like animals, laid waste a wilderness to get at emerald mines, sent his troops into far-off areas like Quadling Country and the Vinkus in order to stomp them under his control, and created a secret, political, internal police force. Not a nice guy. Not a nice place. Certainly not the harmless, goofy Oz we've always associated with the movie. It is amusing to see that this is exactly the kind of place where the environmentalist, feminist, anti-racist, leftist rants that we currently have to tolerate--and which are espoused by many of the characters--actually have some value here! In any event, and without going into too much detail, Elphaba and her classmates get caught up in the political swirl to varying degrees, and Dorothy's arrival sets into motion the events with which we are all familiar from the film. As I mentioned, it is extremely well-thought out and incredibly complex. From religion to politics to economics to education, the author doesn't miss a thing, and by creating a world that is to some degree similar to our own, he is able to explore some occasionally thought-provoking themes. I'm not talking about the leftist angle--that's been done to death, and isn't terribly relevant anymore anyway. More interesting to me is the concept of how it is that we find our place in the world in which we live; the way we are perceived by others and our inability, often, to do anything about it; and the way we might be viewed or remembered after we leave it. Very, very cerebral. It is not without its flaws, however. There are several gaps in the plot which are unnecessarily confusing. For example, the point of view of the novel switches about half-way through--from that of Elphaba's to that of Fiyero's--at a very critical moment in Elphaba's young life, when she is apparently part of some revolutionary group. We are not sure though, because Fiyero is not sure, and at the end of this chapter Elphaba's life changes dramatically. Something is missing. And as a young girl, Elphaba's father moves the family to the backward, desolate Quadling area. It is hinted on several occasions later in the novel that this move had some effect on her, but the narrative skips over it entirely. This was also baffling. There are also just a few too many stretches in which the plot just kind of stagnates, while the characters ruminate on the meaning of their lives, their religion, the existence of the "Unnamed God," and so forth. This by no means kills the novel; perhaps a little paring would have been of benefit. But on the whole, this is a rewarding book, if for no other reason than to admire the extraordinary imagination of its author. It's a bleak Oz he paints, but surely a fascinating one, and it is well worth your time to become acquainted with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Tedious, Boring, Not in the least bit entertaining.
Review: I kept waiting for something intresting to happen to these characters. To see something that would keep me coming back to the book. Nothing but a dank drab picture, void of color.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely stunning¿
Review: I was totally unprepared for this spectacular piece of literature. I was expecting a "halfway" amusing novel. Instead I got one of the most well thought out, creative, though provoking, deep works of literature of my generation. I have read hundreds of books, the whole gambit from the classics to beautiful works of our time. I cannot think of a work that I can compare this to. It works on so many levels. It touched a chord in me that nothing else ever has. The entire time it took me to read this book I was in a perpetual state of astonishment. Incase you can't tell, I was really blown away! Thank you so much Mr. Maguire!
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Summary: Here's the thing ...
Review: Readers who loved the original WoO may be disappointed in a darker, more adult "Wicked", and readers who've been served up too much of the publicity hype are going to feel that it was overrated. Not to mention all the fantasy readers who feel that Maguire doesn't cover any new ground. Given their biases, they've all got legitimate points of view. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle. I brought it to my book group and consequently, they felt they'd "discovered" it, and they really enjoyed it. Really, they all loved it, and they don't ALL love anything, except for maybe "The Sparrow" (Mary Doria Russell). Maguire is a clever writer, and he's fleshed out Oz in a pretty complete way. Although it's not without flaws, "Wicked" is so much better written than so much of what gets printed today, it's not surprising that so many people really took to it. I liked it too.
Rating:
Summary: I still liked it...
Review: I've been looking for a good, different book to read. The cover of Wicked is what initially struck me, but when I learned that it is a different perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West portrayed in the original novel, I was so intrigued that I had to buy it. This was a great book. A few people have mentioned that it is not suitable for children, and only because of the somewhat sexually explicit parts, I have to agree. But one reviewer said the book was entirely unsuitable for any reader. I absolutely disagree. Just because you disagree with the content doesn't mean the book lacks creativity, and wasn't well written. While I enjoyed the book, I too was disappointed with the ending. Maguire did such a wonderful job of building up the story and then all of a sudden it just seems to end, not living up to the buildup. Still, I couldn't help giving it five stars. I enjoyed reading it, and it is such an interesting perspective.
Rating:
Summary: Wicked is Wasted
Review: This author has a great imagination, but he fails to follow through on his ideas and this greatly weakened the characters and plot. There are some very exciting parts, but then it rambles on . I am surprised that the publisher went ahead with this book as is. There was great potential that was missed.
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Summary: From "Wicked" to "Wonderful"
Review: As a child, I enjoyed the movie and the books about Oz. I wouldn't say that I was a fanatic about them though and it was only after friends repeatedly encouraged me to read "Wicked" that I finally charged into it. I am very happy that I did. Except that Maguire occasionally gets bogged down trying to explain as a philosopher rather then demonstrate as a novelist his themes of the deceptive natures of appearances, politics, and of evil, the book was a refreshing look at a childhood pleasure. The greatest fun was reading "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" immediately after finishing "Wicked". I hope that I have not offended Mr. Maguire by saying that.
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Summary: Which Witch?
Review: OK, as a steriotypical Gay man I know lots of the movie by heart (and once played the Cowardly Lion in community theater). As a life long bibliophile I read the Oz books over and over again back in the days before VCR's when you had to wait a WHOLE YEAR to see the movie again but could read the book at any time. Anyone who has read the book and seen the movie knows they are different, seperate realities. _Wicked_ draws mostly from the books, but there are elements from the movie that don't belong in the books. A third alternate reality of the story, and the seams show. If you were not familiar with either the movie or the book, or prehaps not compulsive about contiunity or versimilitude, you might enjoy this one. If you know the other versions, you will be confused.
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