- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Headline Review; First Edition edition (2 Oct 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755348206
- ISBN-13: 978-0755348206
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 163,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'Amusing and will delight fans of the previous two volumes'
(THE TIMES )'You'll be enthralled by the story of how this little lion lost his courage'
(WOMAN )Product Description
As civil war looms in Oz, an ancient and tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before she can return to dust, however, the Cowardly Lion, an enigmatic figure named Brrr, arrives seeking knowledge about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West - the woman who defended him when he was a cub. But Yackle, too, demands answers of her own.
Brilliant and entertaining, A Lion Among Men is another stellar work from the wildly imaginative and talented Gregory Maguire.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Maguire faces a conundrum; he's created arguably one of the most powerful heroines in modern literature and also killed her off as he was required to do; he has to therefore build on the success of Elphaba without being able to portray her. Son of A Witch and now A Lion Among Men continues the story of Oz in which Elphaba acts only as a background character whose presence, because of the success of Wicked, must somehow seep into each subsequent novel.
I did not find Brrr- the Cowardly Lion appealing. I was not as interested in his story as I thought I'd be. I had expected Maguire to weave a traumatic tale of abuse, rejection and how Brrr's relationships in life created a nervous and, perhaps, psychologically disturbed individual. I didn't get that, at least not to the extent I expected from Maguire. Perhaps I just did not engage in Brrr's journey as I found the character quite dislikable and aversive (and not in the Elphaba type of way). I did enjoy the allegorical dimension in which the Lion is perceived as being a collaborationist to the Wizard's regime and also a sympathizer to the Witch's cause at the same time. The discussion regarding the coming and going of different political regimes was also a poignant one. Maguire is a master of political allegory and there is much to be found in this novel. Oz is a rich, dark and complex world on the brink of civil war and Maguire builds the tension brilliantly. With the two Witches who were leaders of separatist states dead, Oz is in freefall.
The novel tells two distinct stories, that of the Lion and that of the mysterious Yackle who appeared to frequent Elphaba's life in Wicked. Although I enjoyed not knowing who Yackle was in Wicked and the many questions that arose about her, her story was the most enjoyable in this novel. The second half of A Lion Among Men pieces together the significance of the allusive Clock of the Time Dragon, Yackle's purpose and what eventually happened to the Grimmerie. Fate is also a recurring theme as it was in the previous two novels and Maguire also begins to challenge unquestioned faith. There's a slight discord between Brrr's story and Yackle's and the two narratives simply don't mesh.
Because the characterization of Brrr was not as strong as I had hoped, I found myself longing to read more about Maguire's familiar characters such as Glinda and Liir. Although both are mentioned, neither appear in the novel and I had hoped to discover more about Liir's journey, especially after finishing Son of a Witch a few years ago for I desperate to read more. My biggest disappointment is that this novel did not continue what Son of A Witch established and where it left off. Maguire will hopefully continue Liir's story in future novels.
An enjoyable read as Oz is such a rich tapestry of people and places but perhaps sadly lacking in Brrr's narrative.
I did not find Brrr- the Cowardly Lion appealing. I was not as interested in his story as I thought I'd be. I had expected Maguire to weave a traumatic tale of abuse, rejection and how Brrr's relationships in life created a nervous and, perhaps, psychologically disturbed individual. I didn't get that, at least not to the extent I expected from Maguire. Perhaps I just did not engage in Brrr's journey as I found the character quite dislikable and aversive (and not in the Elphaba type of way). I did enjoy the allegorical dimension in which the Lion is perceived as being a collaborationist to the Wizard's regime and also a sympathizer to the Witch's cause at the same time. The discussion regarding the coming and going of different political regimes was also a poignant one. Maguire is a master of political allegory and there is much to be found in this novel. Oz is a rich, dark and complex world on the brink of civil war and Maguire builds the tension brilliantly. With the two Witches who were leaders of separatist states dead, Oz is in freefall.
The novel tells two distinct stories, that of the Lion and that of the mysterious Yackle who appeared to frequent Elphaba's life in Wicked. Although I enjoyed not knowing who Yackle was in Wicked and the many questions that arose about her, her story was the most enjoyable in this novel. The second half of A Lion Among Men pieces together the significance of the allusive Clock of the Time Dragon, Yackle's purpose and what eventually happened to the Grimmerie. Fate is also a recurring theme as it was in the previous two novels and Maguire also begins to challenge unquestioned faith. There's a slight discord between Brrr's story and Yackle's and the two narratives simply don't mesh.
Because the characterization of Brrr was not as strong as I had hoped, I found myself longing to read more about Maguire's familiar characters such as Glinda and Liir. Although both are mentioned, neither appear in the novel and I had hoped to discover more about Liir's journey, especially after finishing Son of a Witch a few years ago for I desperate to read more. My biggest disappointment is that this novel did not continue what Son of A Witch established and where it left off. Maguire will hopefully continue Liir's story in future novels.
An enjoyable read as Oz is such a rich tapestry of people and places but perhaps sadly lacking in Brrr's narrative.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
For me Maguire had a lot to live up to. Wicked was sensational, and Son of a Witch continued his story of Oz perfectly. Yet another new take on the adventures in Oz we thought we knew.
In truth I was dubious about a tale of the Cowardly Lion. Always the least favourite of the characters in my opinion, Maguire had a challenge on his hands to pull this off. And he does. Kind of.
Oz is at war, the political backdrops are classic Maguire, and his development and reveal of what we assume are stage-side characters blossom at a perfect pace - it made me want to keep reading! The two protagonists, Brrr the Lion and Yackle (the previously discrete oracle hag) grew to be more appealing, interweaving their stories in interviews. There is tension, drama and that level of humour we have grown to love in the previous novels. Brrr is endearing to an extent but one can see where Maguire has tried to make him so. His adventures were a tad dull, but I suppose that's made him who he is! I couldn't have cared less about the Ghullim - his time there bored me (absolutely nothing happpened) and they were poorly drawn. Yackle on the other hand appears just as I have grown to love and wonder about her, a true enigma. It's also true there are other characters I care about and wanted to learn more - Liir, Trism, Glinda and Shell certainly, with brief mentions but that is all, but as an intermediary book (I hope) we will return to their stories soon enough.
To answer a question - yes buy it, read it, marginally enjoy it and then wait for the next one.
One final thing - Unlike Son of a Witch (which I believe was written with the idea in mind) this isn't going to be a musical anytime soon.
In truth I was dubious about a tale of the Cowardly Lion. Always the least favourite of the characters in my opinion, Maguire had a challenge on his hands to pull this off. And he does. Kind of.
Oz is at war, the political backdrops are classic Maguire, and his development and reveal of what we assume are stage-side characters blossom at a perfect pace - it made me want to keep reading! The two protagonists, Brrr the Lion and Yackle (the previously discrete oracle hag) grew to be more appealing, interweaving their stories in interviews. There is tension, drama and that level of humour we have grown to love in the previous novels. Brrr is endearing to an extent but one can see where Maguire has tried to make him so. His adventures were a tad dull, but I suppose that's made him who he is! I couldn't have cared less about the Ghullim - his time there bored me (absolutely nothing happpened) and they were poorly drawn. Yackle on the other hand appears just as I have grown to love and wonder about her, a true enigma. It's also true there are other characters I care about and wanted to learn more - Liir, Trism, Glinda and Shell certainly, with brief mentions but that is all, but as an intermediary book (I hope) we will return to their stories soon enough.
To answer a question - yes buy it, read it, marginally enjoy it and then wait for the next one.
One final thing - Unlike Son of a Witch (which I believe was written with the idea in mind) this isn't going to be a musical anytime soon.
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