Rating: 
Summary: big news for Judy Garland fans.....
Review: ...It turns out that when Dorothy crash-landed in Oz, she was just in time to witness the very last act in the tragic epic story of someone else. Who? The Wicked Witch of the West, of course!Here is the clever, daring and imaginative book that answers all your most probing questions about Oz and its inhabitants. Such as: why was the Witch wicked in the first place? Where did those shoes come from? And why did she want them so badly? Are they really magic? Are ALL munchkins short? Why were they so glad the Wicked Witch of the East was killed? Why is the Wicked Witch of the West allergic to water? How does she stay clean? Why is she green? Does that bother her? and more! Using elements from L. Frank Baum's classic book, a few throwbacks to the classic film, a lot of allusions to past and current historical events and political regimes, and heaping chunks of his very own imagination, Gregory Maguire weaves a very compelling story that explores the true nature of wickedness. Written along the lines of a traditional Tragedy (capital T), the Witch continually grapples with the issues of Fate and Choice, and if we even have one due to the aforementioned Fate. Lots of deep issues for being such an entertaining read, huh? But tuck the kids in first. This isn't about Dorothy, remember? This is a fairy tale for GROWNUPS. The Wicked Witch (really, Elphaba. And really, not a witch) is a fabulously interesting and flawed character. Glinda (formerly Galinda) is revealed to be (dare I say it?) blonde. The Wizard really IS a "bad wizard". Is he the wicked one? Can we even judge? Is Fate final? Read and admire a feat of imaginative skill. But remember, if you simply adore Dorothy and have a thing for endearing cowardly Lions, this might not be the book for you as fully 3/4 of it is over before the house even drops into Munchkinland. PS: They're making this into what looks like a pretty cool Broadway musical. I'm not sure how much this lends itself to music, but it should be neat onstage, especially with the ladies they've got for the leads. Should be an interesting addition to a soundtrack collection, if you're into that sort of thing.
Rating: 
Summary: Wickedly Fantastic!!!
Review: I LOVE this book! The concept is fantastic!
If you love the Wizard of Oz, then take a spin on this broom stick and find out the reality behind the myth.
Of course, the story is not real - but the take on this classic tale is hysterical, thought provoking, and real enough to relate to our own reality! I found myself forgetting I was reading about childhood characters, and tore through the pages to see where it would all get to.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic
Review: The imagination on display by Gregory Maguire in "Wicked" is almost breathtaking. He bites off way more than he can chew in some instances and introduces more themes and storylines than he knows what to do with, but somehow none of that matters, and the book is compulsively readable anyway. The various threads of story are tied up with varying degrees of success, but what comes through most is the audacity with which Maguire has envisioned this pre-Dorothy Oz. I guarantee you will not be able to watch "The Wizard of Oz" (or read it, for that matter) with the same perspective again. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond the Rainbow
Review: This marvelous, imaginative and thought-provoking novel takes the story of the "Wizard of Oz" and spins its themes around more thoroughly than the famous tornado spun Dorothy and her house. Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, is a Munchkinlander, born of a religious preacher who thinks her birth is some sort of punishment,and a beautiful, alcoholic mother who is restless and lonely. During the course of her life, we see her as a freak of a child, a cranky but intelligent schoolgirl and then as a rebellious young woman who hopes to turn the tide of history in Oz by fighting against the powerful Wizard. Elphaba's loneliness is primarily self-inflicted, and at heart she does not believe she has a soul, although she longs for one. During her journey, she makes mistakes, some very serious, and ultimately fears that she is a failure. Among the fascinating questions this novel raises is the question of whether she is indeed a failure, or, because she never compromises and never gives up, is she ultimately a success? Her fate is very well known, and her whole life seems to lead up to the final confrontation with Dorothy, her seemingly innocent murderer. But this novel addresses the question of free will vs. destiny, as well as good vs. evil. Was Elphaba's destiny pre-determined, or was it of her own making? Is she better or worse than the Wizard who sends an innocent child to murder her? Was her single-minded abandonment of her family and friends to become a revolutionary a necessary part of a noble journey, or was it a thoughtless and selfish act? Is her story ultimately tragic, or did she succeed? I am still thinking about it and while I may never know the answers to the questions it raised, I have thoroughly enjoyed contemplating them. The women of the novel, from Elphaba to her self-righteous sister, the armless Nessarose (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East), to Nanny, the nursemaid to them both, to Glinda, Elphaba's girlhood friend and the shallow society girl who becomes the Good Witch of the North, are all strong characters who are well drawn and who all evolve as the novel progresses. Each deals with life under her own terms. But in the society of Oz, this does not always make a woman a success. Gregory Maguire has managed to make one of the most frighteningly evil icons of literature into a sympathetic and even vulnerable character. I will never see the Wicked Witch in the same way again. There is so much to say about this book and it is difficult to do so in this small space. Nothing is clear -- everything is questioned and there are many gray areas. That is why I found it fascinating. I will probably think about this one for a good while to come.
Rating:
Summary: Something Wicked This Way Comes...
Review: I first heard about this book during my junior year of college. I was pursuing my bachelor's degree in English literature and the subject of my third year seminar was "The Fairytale." The class was taught by a very outspoken feminist professor and although we were not required to read this text, she did mention what an insightful tale "Wicked" was. The class discussed everything that "Wicked" explores: What exactly are we teaching our children by telling them these stories? What makes a person evil and another person good? What's so great about "happily ever after" anyway?
After hearing that the book was being turned into a Broadway musical (and living only 20 minutes from the Great White Way), I decided to finally read the story that I had heard so much about. I absolutely loved it. Perhaps the biggest shock, being a head-strong feminist myself, is that the book was written by a man. I applaud Maguire for his insights and I admire him for being able to weave a tale from the virtually unknown. I find myself, after reading this novel, in love with the character of Elphaba. She is, alas, a tragic figure, but Maguire has finally given her a voice. At the very core of the feminist movement is the act of questioning. If this society is to evolve, we must teach our children to constantly question. Why is "throwing like a girl" such a bad thing? Why should a woman abandon her own last name when she gets married? "Wicked" is what resulted from Gregory Maguire's own questions. As a child, he heard the story of "The Wizard of Oz" and quite frankly, didn't buy it. Why is it ok that all of these characters lied to Dorothy? The Wizard and even Glinda herself told Dorothy lies. And why shouldn't the so-called "Wicked Witch of the West" deserve her own sister's shoes? What right did Dorothy have to take them anyway? It is these very questions that gave birth to this remarkable book, and all I can say is that I cannot wait to see what Maguire does next...
Rating:
Summary: You'll never think of the Wizard of Oz the same way again
Review: This book was well written and completely unique, as much a comment on society as a biography of the Wicked Witch. Maguire's story is thoroughly entertaining just as a work of fiction. Add to that his insight on our social intricacies and his excellent wordsmithing and you have a book that you can love on so many levels. It felt as though he had inside information, previously unreleased, about the truth of OZ and he was finally showing us the "reality" of this place and its people. I have to remind myself that the history of the Wicked Witch is his creation, not just a piece of the story that was left on the cutting room floor! I was totally impressed with Maguire's work and have subsequently read and loved all his other books.
Rating:
Summary: Not what your would think...but still good
Review: I was amazed at how well Oz was described by Mr. Maguire. He takes that imaginative world created by Mr. Baum and transforms into what, it seems, Oz would be like to an adults eye. If you can get past any ideas of the Wizard of Oz you may have had as a child, then you will enjoy this fantasy, and actually start to sympathize with "the wicked witch of the west".
Rating:
Summary: a little dissapointing...but still good
Review: I started reading Maguire's 'Confessions', and absolutely loved the twists on the original story. I thought I could expect the same thing from 'Wicked'. When I first picked up the book and started reading it, I was sure I was in for a similar experience. The begining was witty, grounding all characters in both Oz and in themselves. I admired Maguire for the way he worked the major characters in with all the subplots that seemed to come in from all directions. He uses plain language paired with sophisticated philosophies and sexual explicitness to entice a readers interest.
Dorothy takes a only very small part at the very end, as do her cronies. And it is the last part of the book where things begin to fall apart. Seemingly important threads tend to be left hanging or not explained. The pace picks up at this point as opposed to the relatively leisurely pace of the rest of the book, and many details are glossed over. All Maguire's characters seem to lose their 3-dimentional sparkle as he tries desperately to work the story close enough to Baum's Oz. All in all, it was an enjoyable tale, but not what I expected from Maguire at all.
Rating: 
Summary: 1/2 a good book
Review: I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the premise, and like many people I too am interested in the source of evil. This book does start out very well. Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West (WWW), is born green and grotesque. She does not get the warm love every child needs to grow up well adjusted, but her dysfunctional family does its dysfunctional best. My favorite part of the book is when we meet WWW in college, she meets Glinda and there is an interesting plot twist involving the Intelligent Animal population in Oz. I have read that the original Wizard of Oz has connections with American history, particularly the argument about the gold standard in the 1890's, but this is definitely beyond me. I think that Wicked is trying to do a similar thing with the plight of imigrants, or maybe African-Americans, or maybe the Irish, I never really got that. But it was an interesting plot line. The last half of the book is where the wheels really come off the track. Having created an interesting leveled character the author has to connect her up to the movie caricature. And therefore Elphaba gets less and less interesting. Although it can be interesting to see how that transformation happens, it is not interesting enough. The author also takes up a lot of the last half discussing, in a very muddled way, the nature of evil. No conclussions are really drawn here about evil. I wished I had enjoyed this book more.
Rating:
Summary: Rushed at the end
Review: Wicked was something of an unauthorized prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It tells the story of Elphie who will later be known as The Wicked Witch of the West. She is not wicked though, only scorn by the fact that everything she tries to accomplish in her life, including winning her own father's love, fails miserably. In this tale you'll learn the origins of The Yellow Brick Road, the ruby slippers and the flying monkeys. The first three sections of the book were wonderful. I had high hopes for the last section, which is when Dorothy finally comes into play, but the final section disappointed me greatly. It was a chance for the author to tie everything together. To explain and finalize Yackle and the Wizard. To learn more about this other world the Wizard and Dorothy come from and why that Book is so important. I ended up liking Elphaba SO MUCH that the whole last section just irritated me. She wasn't acting like herself, I don't think. She was acting how the author wanted her to act in order to advance the story to the point where we all know it would end up. Maybe the subtlety was lost to me, but I gathered no resolution at all from this book. All I really have to say about it was that I was disappointed, although I am glad I read it.
| 
