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Rating: 
Summary: Isn't she wicked? Hm.
Review: .........you have seen the Broadway musical. I had to read the book several times to finally get it and I am still scratching my head. I think since I knew the premise of the musical, and read the book afterwards, it was very confusing for the reader.
Maguire, although he writes well, just included too many characters and I found myself skipping paragraphs. Maguire skips around alot and that lent itself to the confusion.
I gave the book to my daughter and she agreed with my conclusions.
Do yourself a favor. Don't see the show, don't read the musical synopsis or familiarize yourself with anything from the show before reading this book. It is totally different.
And never compared it with the original Wizard of Oz. You will find out what happened before and during Dorothy's drop into Oz.
One thing I thought clever of Maguire which I thought was ingenious, he took the name of L. Frank Baum, the original author of the book, The Wizard of Oz, and created the name of The Wicked Witch of the West. The name Elphaba is created from Baum's name. L for his first initial, Fa, for Frank, and Ba, for Baum. ELFABA, although spelled, ELPHABA... Very clever....
This book is recommended for older children and adults alike but you will have to read slowly.
Unfortunately now I will never watch the original Wizard of Oz in the same light. I know now way too much.
In conclusion, you decide whether the WWW was really Wicked or was she misunderstood?
Flying High, Defying Gravity!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Elphaba
Review: A little satirical, philosophical, and illogical (but no more than the original Wizard of Oz), in addition of somewhat perverted and dark. Can be confusing and unclear at times, and certain facts do not match with the ones in the original book. Nevertheless, an interesting idea. This book humanizes Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, and halfway through you can begin to sympathize with her. I was even sorry for her, knowing in the end she would die melting, and wish the misunderstanding hadn't happened. Of course, unfortunately, The Wizard of Oz was written way long ago before this book.
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Summary: WHAT AN IMAGINATION!
Review: Amazing, awe-inspiring, creative, and most of all, what an imagination! Great book! Highly recommended from this reader!I picked this up a while ago and was intrigued with the illustrations and the concept. Who would of thought? A book about the Wicked Witch of the West??!! I began reading, although the beginning was a bit slow, I finished the book in record time! Who would of thought the fear of water could be so tumultuous? Or one could sew wings onto monkeys? Or Animals could talk (or teach!!)? Or Galinda (the "good" witch) and Elphaba (the "wicked" witch) could ever be friends? What an imagination! I followed up the book by reading a few of the Oz books (just to check the "facts"), and Maguire was right on. A bit of politics, a love story, an imaginary world, and the life of a "witch"...who could resist? Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Somewhere Over the Rainbow. . . .
Review: I had alreay read Maguire's CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER when I read WICKED (very contrary to my otherwise anal, everything-must-go-in-order personality), and I was greatly looking forward to it. Maguire again takes a relatively familiar storyline and turns it on its ear--and the readers along with it! We oftentimes think we know who and what is evil and sometimes even why. Maguire tampers with the "why" moreso than the who/what, really challenging the idea of the stereotypes and preconceived notions we all have. The "Wicked Witch of the West" from THE WIZARD OF OZ seems hardly the same girl, Elphaba, that we encounter in Maguire's book. In fact, she is the same, but our preconceived notions have clouded Maguire's "reality." I found the whole geographic aspects fascinating. How can she be the WW of the West, when she is really from the East? How can Glinda be the Good Witch of the North, when she is really from the East, too? Why does the Witch want those foolish shoes anyway? Why has Glinda given them to Dorothy? Where is Dorothy? Maguire doesn't even bring her into the story until it is very nearly over. Dorothy is more of an afterthought than the pivotal role she plays in the movie, and Maguire doesn't paint her kindly. . . . Maguire has invented a whole new world with his Oz, complete with detailed map, political strife and corruption, family histories, and fantastic elements. I can't wait to see THE WIZARD OF OZ now and watch it from Maguire's alternative perspective. It must be even better than Pink Floyd's DARK SIDE OF THE MOON experiment! The only times he lost me at all were when he stayed in that fantasy realm too long. I struggled momentarily with the lack of human beings and "reality" (whatever that is), unlike UGLY STEPSISTER, which has real people and real places throughout. That is hardly his fault, but that's why I gave UGLY STEPSISTER five stars and WICKED only four. Maguire is Tolkein meets C. S. Lewis meets L'Engle meets Jakob Grimm meets Ray Bradbury. . . . I don't know if he can continue this torrid pace of writing specatacularly creative, inventive, challenging, unique, and heady books, but I can't wait to find out!! (New one's out!!)
Rating:
Summary: Wicked
Review: I'd been hearing great things about Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister for quite awhile, so I finally read Wicked. And I was blown away. It's a book that you can't put down. Maguire's Oz is a far cry from the original Oz, but it's presented with such radiant clarity and so dynamic that you instantly feel part of the setting. The characters are beautifully developed, despite my fears that Maguire would rest most of their personality traits on what the reader remembered from the movie or from the original books. An amazing twist on a classical story, Maguire's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West (aka Elphaba) gives a new face to evil, a new persepective on what we normally take at face value. An enjoyable yet thoughtful read!
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Summary: Good book, great musical - but different
Review: The only thing that makes this a "musical tie-in edition" is that there are pictures of the Broadway musical with the original cast members. The story remains the same.
The book spends the bulk of its time detailing the political machines of Oz, while telling the story of Elphaba, one day to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. The book has some graphic scenes which make it PG-13 (and R in some places). The story of Glinda and Elphaba isn't fleshed out as it is in the musical, but you get a better understanding of the characters.
The musical, on the other hand, focuses on Glinda and Elphaba, confining its story to their arc from foes to friends. The political theme, so prevalent in the book, becomes one-note (no pun intended) in the musical. Obviously, many details had to be dropped and a happier ending is given.
Both are wonderful stories, but very different tales.
Rating:
Summary: a dense read but absolutely satisfying
Review: This would have to be my favorite book of 2004! Maguire takes Baum's original characters and gives them a thoroughly contemporary yet timeless spin that's attractive to any age reader. As a lover of L. Frank Baum's original stories I was happy to see another dimension of the land of Oz, one whose politics and even religions are completely developed, if slightly different from Baum's original presentation.
Elphaba becomes a person to be admired for her revolt against the norm, and as a social perriah rather than a doer of evil. Of course the Wicked Witch of the West must have had a back story, and this book provides ample explanation.
The spin with which Maguire presents these beloved characters is equally exciting. From Glinda's snobbery to the "Wonderful Wizard's" manipulation of Oz, Maguire transforms Baum's land into a place of depravity and general upheaval. By the end of the book I was convinced that the original story was merely one of propaganda (which it was) and that "Wicked" was the true retelling.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loved the original Oz stories and to all who love fantasy. Although the book is quite long (and it does take a bit to get into it) Maguire's story is a refreshingly modern backstory of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
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Summary: WICKED IS THE BEST!
Review: Wicked is absolutely wonderful, it creates the enchantment of Frank L Baum and mixes with the fiery soul of Elphaba, in creating the mysterious tale of Wicked. AMAZING BRILLIANCE!
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