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Summary: This is NOT Oz
Review: This is not Oz, this is Nazi Germany. This is"Schindler's List" with talking animals (or Animals),sorcery, and random elements of Baum's Oz sprinkled in. No wonder Dorothy wanted out of _this_ "Oz." Yes, the Witch is humanized, but only at the expense of turning the Wizard into Hitler...
Rating: 
Summary: A witty and complex book. Worth a weekend of reading!
Review: First of all, let me say that I loved this book so much I plan on naming my first born child Elfabala. Second, although I can't say for sure, I'm not the author, I think one of the ways this book was sucessful was that it appealed to a older audience. It took the childrens story tale and made it into a political and sociological tale that kept me reading. It made the character of Elfabala (the Wicked Which) not just plain evil, but a character we can realize, one who stands up for her beliefs (whether we agree with them or not). And it furthered the story of the Good Which into the spat between the two sisters. Yes, the ending didn't thrill me as much as it could have, and no, I can't say the book was the best ever written. But, I still greatly enjoyed it, and feel it was sucessful in what the author was trying to do, even if it did need one more run through with the editor. It is definetly worth one's time though, and I'd strongly recommend to anyone who took the time to read this review, that you buy this entertaining book (or at least find a friend who has one and borrow it).
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Summary: No Place Like - OZ
Review: I've recently finished reading this book and I thought it was excellent! I have always been a fan of THE WIZARD OF OZ and this book gave everything a whole new feel. And for once we got to see how the Wicked Witch of the West got that way and why. And we learned that she had a name.This is the first Gregory Macguire book I've read, but I would love to read more if they are anywhere near as well written as this.
Rating: 
Summary: What a let down
Review: The premise for this book is SUCH agreat idea. I just wish Maguire would have given it to someone who could write. I SO wanted this to be a good book, that I too read it in a couple days, constantly expecting it to get better. It never did. In fact the ending is the most disappointing thing about the book. Maguire goes into great detail and develops numerous characters which he then abandons or fails to connect to the story in any way. Hopefully someone in Hollywood will pick this up and turn it into a decent movie; like they did with the original.
Rating: 
Summary: Hackneyed, self-conscious and pretentious...
Review: Sigh. I _really_ wanted to like this book. I was terribly disappointed and I had to steel myself to finish it as a result. Part of the problem may lie in the fact that it is billed as "brilliant", "insightful", and even as a "psychological study"... and so I expected a book on par with classic literary tales addressing the nature of good and evil, a book that could add to an already extensive body of sophisticated literature. Instead, I read a book wherein the author merely dabbles in character development and philosophical concerns, and never takes on the risk of drawing any conclusions. Instead of creating believable characters (and I do not feel the term 'believable' forbids the fantastic) that struggle with legitimate and engrossing dilemmas, the author parades us past a whole host of one-dimensional characters and odd scenarios that are astonishingly devoid of any real complexity despite the elaborate and thorough descriptions employed. Maguire is conscientious in introducing a wide spectrum of issues that are at the fore of modern Western culture (such as homosexuality/lesbianism, living with disability, the nature of justice, etc.), but to claim that he gets to anything _beyond_ an introduction on even one of these issues is laughable. I would describe his method as the 'Post-it Note' approach to the themes he claims to address... and while Maguire's writing style is certainly palatable, that's no excuse for his lack of depth. Sure, it seems oh-so-current and fresh for 1995, but this isn't a book that will stand the test of time. In this regard, it is almost embarassing to draw attention to it's dependence on the true classic children's tale, _The Wizard of Oz_... a book that never pretends to be more than it is and yet accomplishes so much more than Maguire's feeble and soon-to-be-passe attempt to update and maturate the original.
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Summary: WOW!
Review: I won't add more detail to the already helpful positive reviews of this book, but it amused me how the "intellectuals" (well, at least they're literate) who posted the few negative reviews also said how they "devoured it in a weekend" and "spent so much time reading" -- funny, when I'm not affected by a book or movie, I walk away.... Read this book, you'll be constantly stimulated and amused by this clever new angle on a story that touched all of our early years. Can't wait to read your other works, Mr. Maguire.
Rating:
Summary: A Different Slant on Oz
Review: Author Maguire has come up with a delicious plot twist...since we only see Dorothy's side of the story in the Wizard of Oz, how accurate of a portryal is that? The author manages to create a complex woman (the Wicked Witch) who turns out to be more revolutionary than witch. The twist and turns of the plot are fascinating and the writing is crisp and paced well. The cast of supporting characters is well done. The ending of the book seemed a bit hurried but overall an excellent job of "spinning".
Rating:
Summary: Delightful!
Review: A perfect summer book for the discriminating reader. I missed the book after I was done - know that feeling? So I ran out and bought his second book "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" to keep me company. An amazing, entertaining story written so well its sometimes stunning.
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Summary: I don't see what all the FUSS is about.
Review: This book was reccomended to me by a bookstore owner in 1996, he said it was really funny, and it was the Witch's point of view. But I didn't buy it until this year, and after the first chapter I put it down and got started on "Summer With the Leprechaun's" by Tanis Helliwell and "The Ruby Princess Finds a Baby Dragon" by Jahnna N. Malcolm. But after I finished those two I got caught up on this one. I know Maguire has read the books (I only found references to the first three of the Oz books) and has seen the movie. This book is thought provoking at times, and I did like some of the characters (like Doctor Dillimond) But, seriously,this book gives Oz a bad name! The Wicked Witch of the West in love? How could anyone be in love with a WITCH! WHAT was Maguire THINKING? The Wicked Witch of the West born a human? GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY! If you're looking for a modern, realistic sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" I recommend "Dorothy-Return to Oz" by Thomas L. Tedrow. It is suitable for all ages. Or, if you want something that is for adults, "A Barnstormer in Oz" by Philip Jose` Farmer. And if you want a spirtual book about Oz, "The Zen of Oz" by Joey Green. But NOT this! This is a tedious, headstrong, too long for it's own good (I couldn't stop asking when she was finally going to be melted) nonsense book of a well known villian.I can see a lot of people have been asking for a sequel, but I hope that there is no sequel. A sequel could mean the ruining of EVEN MORE Oz characters! Like Mr. Wogglebug. I know him better than anyone and I know what's best for him. And seeing how well Maguire got others to love the Wicked Witch of the West, it could be just as easy for me to get others to love Mr. Wogglebug
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: Wicked came very highly recommended to me. I was quite let down. If parts of the book didn't bother me so much, I'd be tempted to reread it just to make sure that I didn't completely miss out on the point. I thought that the author's mode of writing was irritating. He let almost all major themes of the book - which were intriguing [this fact added to my eventual disappoinment] - unresolved. I felt like he was trying too hard to present multiple viewpoints for the reader to read, and in doing so left far too much un- and under-developed. The author also took far too long to say very little - done in the name of creating atmosphere, I guess. I would wonder after finishing a long chapter why the whole chapter couldn't have been boiled down to a few paragraphs. I also had little sympathy for the main character. I thought she acted in such ambivalent ways throughout her whole life that for the last quarter of the book I impatiently waited for her doom to come.....if for no other reason than to just put her out of her misery. I did appreciate the fact that most of the strong characters in the book were female, and he did have some interesting ideas. But in the end, I felt frustrated having spent so much time reading and having gained so little in return.
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