Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction)

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) | Gregory Maguire | Very Good and Worth the Read

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Wicked: The Life a...

	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) Gregory Maguire Harper, 2007 - 560 pages average customer review:based on 1505 reviews view larger image
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But Was She Really?

I recently reread Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire, because I wanted to see if it was appropriate for my soon to be 11 year old daughter. She has recently become a fan of the Wicked musical score, and really wants to see the show when it comes to town next year. While the musical is suitable for audiences of all ages, I knew about 4 pages into my reread that the book is NOT appropriate for my 10 year old. I'll let her read it when is about 18. However, that did not stop me from enjoying this story of an "emerald in the rough" a second time.

This is the story and back story of The Wizard of Oz as told from the perspective of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. If you think about it, until now, we have only been told Dorothy's, Glinda's, and the Wizard's side of the tale. As that telling goes, those three are the side of good, and the Witch is on the side of evil. But is she really?

This creative and fascinating novel gives us in vivid, colorful detail the life history of the Wicked Witch of the West, from her birth to her death. Maguire's Oz stays true to that of L. Frank Baum, while making it more real, more alive, more textured. Not everything is as it seems from the more familiar tale. Glinda is a spoiled brat, the Wizard a corrupt politician, and Dorothy, well, Dorothy commits manslaughter and then skips town. And Elphaba is a victim of circumstance. She tries to do the right thing, but is always misunderstood. It seems that fate is against her.

Wicked gives you all the little background details that you wanted know, but were afraid to ask. You will learn the history of the flying monkeys, the ruby slippers, the green skin, Glinda's gowns, the yellow brick road, and more.

Wonderfully written, beautifully paced, and supremely entertaining, Wicked is the ultimate study of good and evil, of how similar they are, and of how hard it can be to tell the difference. Believe me, you will never look at Glinda the same way again, the little twit.

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Very Good and Worth the Read

Wicked is an ironic twist to a classic tale. It was well written and imaginative. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the novel. In part 1 (Munchkinlanders), I pitied Elphaba as a baby. The second part (Gillikin) painted a modern picture of college friends...making it easy to empathize with Elphaba. The book simmered down and became a bit dark in the last 2 parts until alas...the unhappy ending... The book was more about the irony and events that led up to her death. We all know how it's going to end. After you read this book, you will never look at Oz the same way again. A worthy read.

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Intelligent, fun read

Like another reviewer here said, I came to this book only knowing that this was about the Wicked Witch of the West, and was pleased to find the detailed setting and characters, especially Elphaba, and was intrigued by the various questions it raises, the issues and problems, the psychological intricacies in the characters.

I found the writing intelligent and involved, but thought the ending chapters were lacking in punch. It was hard to buy the almost crazy and desperate Elphie who traps Dorothy and ultimately dies. The best sections for me were the second and third (At Shiz and Fiyero & Elphaba) and felt especially that the secret mission that Elphaba goes on should have been brought to light a little more rather than just hinted at.

Overall, wonderful work, and I plan to read more of this author's writing.

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Fans of the Musical, Beware

Fans of the mega-hit show should know that the novel is in short, a very interesting mess. It could definately have used quite a few re-writes and judicious editing...though much of what is there has flashes of true brilliance. I say skip the book and go right for the show.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, page 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

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