Rating: 
Summary: Re-leaves Winter Depression
Review: No doubt this is a thick and indepth read.. i fly through books usually and this one took me sometime. However, it was well worth it!It gives you a hole nother perspective of the Witch of the West.. notice I did not use Wicked. It's light harded but also questions the characters morals..hence it cause you to think if you want otherwise you can be absorb in the fantasy story. I liked it so much that I am actually on Amazon to order another of his books!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Slow Read
Review: Ok. i had seen the play "wicked" and fell in love with the story. It was one of the best plays i've seen. So after seeing it, i ran out to get the book. Yes, i know its never quite the same. Well after finally getting through the book, i was very disappointed. Obviously, they had to change the story for stage, but I found that the book was just slow and very detailed. There were some funny parts and I did get through it (even though at times I wanted to throw the book across the room). There were parts I had to read over and over just to try to comprehend it (i'm not really dumb).
Basically, i would skip the book and go see the play! The play brings all the familiar characters from the movie together in a way the book didn't.
Rating:
Summary: Great idea gets bogged down
Review: I had heard all about the musical from a friend and had really high hopes for a good read. And, it was a good read for the first half of the book - I couldn't put it down. Then the plot slows way down and the character development ceases. The main difference is in the main character... Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). In the first half she is humanized - she has friends and feelings and struggles just like any other person and you can empathize with the character. But halfway through the character loses herself, and unfortunately, the reasons are not completely flushed out. She has no feelings, she is cruel, she neglects her son, and becomes semi-deranged (but not completely). And the readers are left to wonder why, because the transformation happened somewhere in the 7 years that the author skips between sections. I kept hoping that the book would right itself and it never did. In addition the author throws in so many half-story lines that are supposed to add mystery, but instead just muddle the flow and don't do anything for the plot. However, the concept of the book, the characters and the set-up are very intriguing and if you are interested in the concept it is worth checking out. If nothing else, you can do like I am and think of how great the book could have been.
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Summary: What is evil?
Review: What is evil? Elfalpha is the anti-hero and the precursor of the "slack generation". Maguire re- creates the Land of Oz as world as real or surreal as ours. Elphie is a college-dropout, adulteress, friend, shrew and clearly a mad scientist. It just so happens, that despite all good intentions, our green-skinned, hydrophobic heroine is also the Wicked Witch of the West.I am a fan of Baum's books going way back. I have every one of his children's novels on my shelves and love them in all their splendid silliness. Baum gave me a heroine and animal heroes and a land where no one dies. However, like most fantasy, Baum relied on a rigid social order to support his beautiful world. Workers, aristocracy, heroine, heroine's friends. Aside from those on quest, the ones I am supposed to care about, everyone is in his allotted place. My idea of a perfect world has something to do with justice. I don't find it in Middle Earth or Green. Imagine Shangrila--all those workers slogging up and down hill to support utopia! Is this my egalitarian fantasy? Maguire provides a character in Elphaba who is troubled by the essential injustice of her world, a character seeking goodness and thus inevitably misunderstood, feared, and persecuted. Baum's stories become the child's version of Maguire's true political and social history of OZ. This is not a book for children or anyone unwilling to stare into sexual thunder and the violent conflict of body and conscience. The language is rich and the imagery lively and lush. I believe these people and salute the vision which moves this story. Thank you for "Wicked," which is really about faith in, and the terrible power of, good. (...)
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Summary: Elphaba! ~ Glinda the good witch who?
Review: Everyone has seen the movie the Wizard of Oz, well this book will change your perspective of the movie. I gave it three stars because, although it was a good book, I'm not quite sure that I am pleased with this new found out look I have. Now every time I watch the Wizard of Oz from this point on, I will be thinking "Ahhh why doesn't everyone hate her? It's not her fault." This book could also be something to open your eyes (in some strange way). Elphaba was made fun of for her whole life for being green, then he lover man dies, and things for this chick just never turn out well. I'm sure if I had her life I would be rude to everyone too. So after reading this book, you are just cruel if you still hate Elphaba! (If your ready to change perspectives, then read this book!)
Rating: 
Summary: Liked the concept of the book
Review: I liked the concept of the book, and I did find a lot of the ideas to be interesting. But frankly, I got lost in all the religious jargon. I could have lived without half of it. There was more description and detail in the 4 (were there only 4?) religions than the rest of the story. There were so many things that could have been expanded on but he spent soooo much time on the religions. I was so glad to finally be finished with the book. I just wanted it over. I can't even say now if I enjoyed it or not. It was ok, but it could have been a lot better.
Rating:
Summary: an ok read, pretty slow book
Review: i did not really like this book very much because it was a very big departure from the world many are accustomed to with regards to the wizard of oz. the witch elphalba is portrayed as a near demonic child, green and with sharp pointy fangs. she is a tragic figure right from the start because her mother is embarrassed of her and her father believes her to be a punishment. when she goes off to school we meet galinda, the good witch of the north. her name is later just shortened to glinda. this part in the book is the most interesting because her character gets a chance to really be developed. her next evolution is on of a radical political activist. after that she assumes the name of wicked witch. the book really borders on ridiculousness for me because the author has tried to make a parallel world of oz to one hear on earth. i did not like all of the political undertones and the turning elphaba into a would be political assassin. i did like how the character of elphalba came to be, he gave her enough tragedy to turn into a tragic figure that you really are afraid to see die. everything in the book seems to coincidental or by aciident. this was not the best book i have read and i do not think that i will ever again. the book as a very languid pace and only has snipets of interesting points. i dont believe this an author i will pursue. if you are really on oz fan, go ahead and pick it up, but be prepared for a very different oz than you are used to.
Rating: 
Summary: Broadway bound novel!
Review: I picked up this novel after buying the soundtrack to the new broadway show. I enjoy reading books based on books and this one kept my interest to the final page. I liked the idea of the pre-Wizard of Oz story and how the "Wicked" witch and "Good" witch were once sorority sisters. I think the author has found a niche in his writing and I plan on reading others of his books. I think it's definitely worth a try, Oz fan or not.
Rating:
Summary: A book I will always cherish
Review: this book was very well written. It has changed a lot on my point of view for some things. Comical,romantic,dramatic, sad,philsophical, and a mystery to some. It has all the wonders and more to a great book. Kudos to Mr. Greogry Maguire. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to know the true meaning of evil.
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Summary: The beautiful show photo's inside DON'T MATCH THE STORY!!
Review: Hey. Wicked is one of the best religious and politically themed novels I have ever read. I loved every word. My complaints regarding the new publication are simple. It features photo's from Wicked the Musical, which has a plot almost completely unrelated to the novel. While characters in the show have the same names as those belonging to Maguire, and certain aspects of the plot "ring a bell" when compared to the book, the musical really tells it's own story. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but the new publication DOES NOT match the story contained between that stylish green, black and white cover.
For one thing, photos of characters from the show do not match up with descriptions of characters in the book. I can only imagine how confounded a first time reader would be to see the pictures of Nessarose and Fiyero (she has arms in the show, he's not brown and tatoo-bespeckled). The vivid costume discriptions from Maguire (of academic shawls, lengthy pleated gowns, etc.,) can only boggle the minds of readers when compared to the costumes photographed here. Don't get me wrong, the show is lovely and very visually exciting, but does not match up with the story. I also thing it's very sad to loose the gorgeous original cover design, particularly becuase it matched the somber mood of the witches tale in it's final chapters. The show poster appears to tell the tale of two witches, while the novel is plainly Elphaba's story. Also, for reasons of cohesiveness, the new edition doesn not work. This is becuase the illustrations from the original edition are still contained within, causing the artistic style of the new cover to clash with that of the inside illustrations.
I will forever cherish my original copy of Wicked, and encourage readers to FIND THE ORIGINAL COVER DESIGN. It just makes better sense. I don't think I would like having my imagination swayed by the images from the show while I'm reading a novel. I say let us discover our own concepts of the characters based upon Maguires wizardly crafted words, THEN we'll seek out images of other incarnations!!
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