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Summary: Satirical, incredibly creative, a wicked read!
Review: This most wonderful, magically inventive novel details everything you could have imagined life in Oz was like before the great tragedy of Dorothy's arrival. We learn about Elphaba (the little green girl who would become the WW of the West), her physically deformed sister, the WW of the East, Nessarose (whose ruby red shoes caused all this trouble in the first place), Elphaba's college roommate (!), Glinda (whose bouncy blonde curls make her unforgettable as the Good Witch of the North), etc... One reviewer says, "Wicked is a punchy allegory that alludes to everything from Nazi Germany to Nixon's America." Another writes, "This book is a glorious frolic, a feast of language, a study of good and evil, and a massive history of the fabulous land of Oz." I loved it and couldn't help wanting more and more detail on every aspect of Maguire's tale. Although I came to admire and understand Elphaba (he does a wonderful job of making her the typically misunderstood villain) I was somewhat disappointed by the chapters leading up to the end (which we all know from watching the movie) only because they seemed rushed where I wanted to luxuriously bathe in more.
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Summary: Wicked Good
Review: The first book I have read in years that I simply could not put down. This is an incredible exploration into every adult's childhood and the story we accepted for what it was. The subtext that was never explored makes for the most fascinating read. It is "Into The Woods" as a novel. Riveting. I look at all fairy tales in a different light now and wonder what REALLY happened.
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Summary: Creative and entertaining!
Review: After reading Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister, I tried this book and liked it even better - very creative and thought provoking. An elegant, entertaining book. Try it!
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Summary: The Real Oz
Review: As a fan of the world of Oz, Maguire's version is magnificent. The details of Oz and the humanity afforded the Witch are awe inspiring. It's so cleanly written, the descriptions leap brilliantly to life in your mind and the hours sweep past unnoticed while reading this book. Maguire is a genius storyteller, taking classic fairytales and giving them real meat and bones. Any adult who loved the original fairytales should read Maguire's versions, you won't be disappointed.
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Summary: great read!
Review: Not knowing much about the book other than the Wizard of Oz/Wicked Witch of the West concept I expected something light and funny. I got a great read. Dark, fantastic and exciting. This was a great book!
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Summary: Sometime good people do bad things.
Review: One thing this book does do is make you look at the witch differently. It becomes clear that there are reasons she's doing everything she does. She doesn't do it just for evil. This book was entertaining but a little long on the social commentary. I found I was getting bored but it got better towards the end. I'm glad I stuck with it. One word of warning though - this takes place in the Baum Oz not the movie Oz. You will still understand what's going on but there are scenes the movie adds that aren't in the book that are skipped over ( like the fact that the witch in the books doesn't appear as soon as Dorothy get to Oz. ) This is only slightly confusing but very easy to figure out. Essentially - don't worry about it - you'll be able to figure out what's going on anyway. Very interesting though the relationship between the Witch and Glinda ( yes there is one. ) And we finally learn the witch's first name! But you'll have to read it to find out.....
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Summary: Oz for Adults
Review: I have just finished reading Wicked for the second time. Once just wasn't enough. In a list that boasts such titles as Great Expectations, Watership Down, and To Kill a Mockingbird, Gregory Maguire's Wicked ranks as one of my top five favorite books. In my mind, it is beautifully written, and completely engrossing. Maguire brings to the forefront the true definition of wickedness, and challenges the reader to think through his or her own perceptions regarding this question. This is not an entirely black or white area of the human psyche, and as Elphaba demonstrates, might be another shade altogether. Whether a fan of the traditional telling of the Oz stories or not, Wicked is a must. Maguire is a treat to read. One can only hope that he offers more familiar stories retold, and by so doing, encourages rethinking of the things we thought we knew.
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Summary: Wicked:The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Review: There are two sides to every story and Mr.Maguire has told the Wicked Witch of the West's side with style and a great deal of humor. For all of you that lived for the one time a year that they showed The Wizard of Oz this is a book for you. The story is imaginative and introduces a whole host of colorful characters. Mr Maguire uses the orignal story as a jumping off point and expands on it, Oz before Dorothy. You are shown things from another perspective and you begin to wonder if the wicked witch was all that wicked or was she a victim of Oz society or society in general. I recommend this book without reservation.
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Summary: Instant classic
Review: I agree with every reviewer before me who said this book was brilliant. I dare you to put it down after you read the first page. I had no idea that I would become so attached to this story. Rarely do I come across a novel that qualifies as modern classic literature, especially one by a FIRST TIME author, but this book is the real thing. Gregory Maguire has given Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West so much! So much heart, so much soul, so much suffering, so much courage, so much conscience, that after reading just the first part of the book (Elphaba's childhood), I found myself thinking of nothing but Elphaba. I often thought of the way Elphaba first said "Horrors!" and green instantly became my favorite color. I won't reveal anything in this review as I do not want to spoil a single surprise of this book. I will say, that if you have ever been persecuted, ever felt damned, ever felt that the desire to conform was reserved for the less evolved but that the less evolved were guaranteed an easier ride in life, you will find a kindred soul in Elphaba. I never wanted this book to end and read it again as soon as I was done. I can certainly relate to the reviewer who said she wanted to name her child after this character. Elphaba does become indelible, and she is real enough to break your heart. I wished that there could have been infinite sequels to this so I could spend more time with Elphaba. I would LOVE to know how Gregory Maguire built this character. Where on earth did he get all of his inspiration? If you have not yet read this story, I urge you to pay attention to the other reviewers who have commented on the statements this story makes about society, skin color, animal rights, friendship, destiny, parental neglect, sibling rivalry and the nature of good and evil. This is not a simple satire. This is a classic! Do yourself a favor and read it - I guarantee you will not be bored!
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Summary: WICKED GOOD!
Review: If you go into this story with expectations of a retelling of the classic "Wizard of Oz", then you may be disappointed...but enter with an open mind and a desire to be fully entertained, you'll find yourself incredibly satisfied by the end of this "Wicked"-good book. Gregory Maguire sets out on an ambitious journey into the story that we grew up with, but by giving it a clever twist and fleshing out the characters we never got to know in the original. Yes, we all know about Dorothy and her annoying little dog...the twister, the house... But, how much were we told about how Oz came to be, or Munchkinland, or the Wizard himself? We were expected to accept these places and things as they were, without any explanation, and as kids, we did. We accepted that Glinda was the good witch and that the Wicked Witch of the West was evil...but why? Well, when you read "Wicked", you get the story, warts and all! You find that perhaps the Wicked Witch of the West (born Elphaba) wasn't entirely acting out of pure evil at all, nor was Glinda acting on behalf of all that's good. You find that perhaps there was a lot more going on in that particular world than you ever imagined...but luckily for all of us, Maguire does an excellent job of imagining it for us! The politics, the treachery, the origin of The Wiz himself...all of this included in this highly readable, immensely likeable book! Don't start it expecting to read another take on Dorothy or her adventure in the "wonderful Land of Oz". She doesn't even enter into the picture until the very end! What you will find is an incredibly imagined story, for adults, that you'll find yourself thinking about for a long time after you've finished reading it!
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