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- Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
- Notes of a Dirty Old Man
- A Diary of a Chambermaid (Decadence from Dedalus S.)
- Darcy's Story
- Erotica 1: Bettina's Tales
- The Hobbit - illustrated paperback
- Condemnation
- Chesapeake Blue
- Love Is a Four Letter Word
- "Doctor Who" the Deadstone Memorial
- Metes and Bounds
- The Jeeves Omnibus: No.4
- Further Tales of the City (Tales of the City)
- Breathe
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- The Diamond Hunters
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- A Drink Before the War
- Akira: Vol. 2
- The Sunne in Splendour
- Eagle in the Sky
- The Second Rumpole Omnibus: Rumpole for the Defence;Rumpole and the Golden Thread; Rumpole's Last Case: 2nd
- Royal Game
Average customer rating:
- Wicked...save your time and money!
- HOW DO YOU WANT TO REMEMBER THE WIZARD OF OZ?
- Starts out well, then goes to hell
- Genius
- Damaged Child
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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Gregory Maguire
Manufacturer: Regan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0060987103 |
Book Description
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
Download Description
Packed with e-book extras, including the original classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, and the Reader's Group Guide. When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only one side of the story. Meet Elphaba -- a smart, prickly, little green-skinned girl who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
Customer Reviews:
Wicked...save your time and money!.......2007-06-28
I was so excited to read this book...it was a total waste of time. Elphaba is a mess! A green skinned, vegetarian animal activist is the Wicked Witch of the West? That's not the Wicked Witch, that's my overly sensitive younger sister- except her skin is very pale from staying inside all the time!
I think maybe my expectations were too high, but the book sucked. It could've been so great, the author had a pre made magical world to feed off of. He should have added that Oz was experiencing climate change, and had Elphaba fight that, too. Or written how the Munchkinlanders were suffering genocide at the hands of the evil Ruby miners, and had Elphaba become their voice/ advocate in Oz.
I wanted to enter Oz again...didn't happen.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO REMEMBER THE WIZARD OF OZ?.......2007-06-20
I think that's the first question one needs to ask themselves before they start reading this book: How do I want to remember "The Wizard of Oz"?
If you're perfectly content with The Wizard of Oz (the book or the movie), then my recommendation for you is to skip this book. As an alternative I'd recommend watching the movie synced up with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album.
But if The Wizard of Oz (the book or the movie) wasn't "all that", or if you're as cat-curious like I am, then it might be worth a read.
The idea of telling a story from the "bad guy's" point of view is not new. The novel "Grendel" springs to memory, where the monster that Beowulf later kills tells its version of events. "Wicked" does pretty much the same thing, but in the end, I rate both books at 3 stars (maybe 3.5 for Wicked, it was a *little* better).
For me, Wicked got off to a slow start. The author creates the world of Oz well, but where Baum's Oz was alot more childish, Maguire's Oz is alot more adult. The story did pick up pace once Elphaba (a very brilliant play on L. Frank Baum's name) started getting romantically involved, but that whole section of the book was too short and ended a little too abruptly for my taste. It picked up again though towards the end, but by the time I got to the last dozen pages, the chapters got shorter and shorter, giving everything a very "rushed" feeling. Like the author was unable to contain his excitement at finishing his first novel.
I primarily read "Wicked" because I was curious about how this book dealt with the topic of "Evil". The author seems to beat you over the head with that subject and other ponderous questions. Once you get to Part 7 in the last section of the book (page 369ish or so in my edition) there is a party at the Margreaves where the characters ramble on about the nature of Evil. If that's why you're reading this book, then you might just want to skip to that one section and save yourself a few hundred pages of reading.
"Wicked" is an okay book, but if you're looking for some light reading like the original "Wizard of Oz" novel, this is not it.
"Dorothy! Put that book down! There is content in there not suitable for you! Or Toto! Dorothy!!!"
Starts out well, then goes to hell.......2007-06-19
It's difficult for me to say what I think of Gregory Maguire's "Wicked." On the one hand, the premise is truly interesting and Maguire writes well, with compelling characters and rich (if sometimes heavy-handed) symbolism. Unfortunately, although he ostensibly chose to set his tale within the land of Oz imagined by L. Frank Baum, Maguire soon jettisons this well-known world of childhood in favor of his own postmodern interpretation. The result is an Oz of relational angst, animal activism, political intrigue, alcohol abuse, murder and explicit sex, with more than a little autobiography mixed in for good measure. The result is a story that unspools like a broken film from a projector.
This is the rarest of books: a story where the musical adaptation is far superior to the source material. Don't bother with the book if you can see the Broadway production instead.
Genius.......2007-06-18
Do you ever read a book and say, "#$*!, I wish I had thought of that!"? I did with Wicked. It is pure and unadulterated genius. You have the very well-known story of the Wizard of Oz. In this book, though, you have the story told from the perspective of the wicked witch rather than Dorothy. From the child's tale told in the Wizard of Oz, Maguire creates a very adult novel, complete with jealousy, love, and power. The most impressive thing about the novel is, of course, the creativity, but the solidity of the plot comes in a close second. There are no loose ends, and he explains everything that happens in the original telling of the story. I watched the movie right after reading the book and could not find any inconsistancies. So often in fantasy, authors bend the rules, but Maguire establishes his story and sticks to it. Bravo! Then, of course, the characters are fabulous. They are huge exaggerations, as is necessary in a work of fantasy, but they ring true. We may not have been born green like the wicked witch, but we all understand the pain of feeling different. You really must read this book. If you have seen the musical, don't worry. You will still be entertained...the book is different.
Damaged Child.......2007-06-14
My favorite movie as a child was The Wizard of Oz. As I watched it I always wanted to know more about the Wicked Witch of the West, more about the Land of Oz. Now I know! Gregory Maguire tells the story of Oz in Wicked through the witches' point of view.
The story is placed in the Lands of Oz where the great Oz himself dwells. You are told the story of the Wicked Witch from the day she is born until the day she dies. Elphaba is her real name and she was born in Munchkinland. You are also introduced to other characters such as her sister Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East; Glinda, the good witch; her friends from Shiz such as Fiyero, Elphabas' love; and many others.
Elphaba was born different from the rest. She was green or, as her mother said, she was "damaged". As a child she was devilish and not well approved by most. When her sister Nessarose was born is when she started to settle down. She was sent to Shiz (a school) and met many friends as well as enemies. She worked for an Animal while she was there; he was a professor of science named Doctor Dillamond. She observed his findings and when he was killed she became against the laws that the Great Oz had put on the Animals. As you read many things begin to happen to Elphaba and Elphaba gets involved with many things, which make others portray her as evil. But is The Wicked Witch of the West truly evil?
My favorite part of the book is when Elphaba and Fiyero became lovers. When he was killed and she described how she felt that really overwhelmed me and won my heart. It was the saddest part of the book but all the while it was the best.
What makes a person good or evil? Intent or action? In the movie the Wicked Witch is portrayed as "wicked", but, in Wicked, Elphaba is not evil, but a compelling and honest character. Maguire's Elphaba will make you question the nature of mortality.
I loved the book and would give it 10 stars. I recommend it to all, except children of course. There is also sequel called Son of a Witch and many others along with novels suitable for children. If you want a good read and an understanding and answers to any questions you may have of Oz then definitely read Wicked it sums it up.
In Wicked, Gregory Maguire has re-created Oz with the power of his own imagination. Fantastically real, after reading this novel you will be unable to see the Wizard of Oz in the same way again.
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