Wicked (Wicked Years 1) [Paperback]

 

 

Create your own review

In Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire has written a novel that deals with the life of Elphaba, an emerald-green skinned young woman who was born into the family of a preacher and his wife in Munchkinland. Elphaba's family are not Munchkinlanders, however, and Elphaba grows up knowing more than she ever wanted to know about persecution and alienation. As a result, she becomes somewhat introverted, rebellious and yes, a little wicked.

When we all root for Dorothy as she triumphs over the Wicked Witch of the West in Frank Baum's Oz tales, we seem to forget that we are only hearing Dorothy's side of the story. There is more to Elphaba than wickedness and Maguire proves it as he chronicles Elphaba's odyssey through the land of Oz.

What makes Wicked such a special book is the fact that Maguire has written a story that challenges our preconceived notions of what, exactly, is good and what, exactly, is evil, with the character of Elphaba at the heart of the matter. Although Dorothy does make an appearance near the end of the book, it really isn't necessary to know anything about her or the Baum stories to understand and appreciate Wicked.

In Wicked, we follow the life of Elphaba as we learn what shaped her personality, what it really means to be a witch and how things are not always as we think them to be or even as we want them to be. The characters in Wicked are fully-fleshed out and believable. Besides Elphaba, there is her university roommate, Glinda; Boq, the lovelorn Munchkin; Fiyero, a tribal prince from the primitive West of Oz; and Nessarose, Elphaba's beautiful and witchy sister.

The fantasy elements in Wicked are actually quite light; this is no book for children and it even runs the risk of becoming overburdened by the weighty issues it seeks to tackle. Maguire could have let this book slip into nothing more than a sappy view of the technologies and magic that pervade the land of Oz. Instead, he wisely chose to focus on the people, instead and he has created characters that are vibrant, strong and full of life.

Maguire's Oz is no Utopia and Elphaba is more than just a green-skinned witch. She is a woman who has become wise through the mechanations of guilt and sorrow and one who is, surprisingly, actually happy to meet the young girl from Kansas who eventually shows up at her door.

Wicked is more than satire; it is an imaginative, fast-paced, fantastically real and supremely entertaining novel of vision and revision. Once you read it, Oz will never be the same again.

Ever since the publication of "The Wonderful Wizard of OZ" and its subsequent immortlization as a movie, the Wicked Witch of the West has been maligned, feared and hated. Gregory Maguire's fascinating biography of this fictitious character gives depth and understanding to the real reason of her "wickedness." Maguire puts a whole new twist on the story of the Witch--if you were born with green skin and hated and reviled by your parents, what would be your outcome in life? This book takes Ephelba from birth clear to her sad demise at the hands of a cold-blooded murderess. Along the way, we learn about the politics of Oz as well as the psychological profiles of many of its greatest citizens. Maguire treats his book with great skill, never going for the easy laugh or gag, but presents a fascinating new twist on a tale that many have heard since infancy. No longer a fairy tale, but a history--this book is a must for all lovers of Oz, fantasy and the blending of fantasy and life.

It was with much anticipation that I settled down to begin Wicked. It seemed to be exactly my kinda thing - a retelling of a classic, from the "bad guy's" point of view.

I wasn't sure what to think at first. There were some overly crude sexual referrances which were a bit too much, even for me (seemed a bit unnecessary) and the writing was... wordy. But the characters were interesting, and the concept alone kept me hooked, hoping to be impressed.

It's just that not really all that much seems to happen in this book. Many of the major events actually happen off-stage, even though they concern the main characters. Whole chunks of time are skipped, often leaving me feeling like I've missed out after discovering what happened during those gaps. I was left with too many questions unanswered, and feeling like I'd been cheated out of a few hours of my time: the book could have been told in half the pages. There were a lot of events that just seemed... pointless, never to really go anywhere or be resolved or explained. Perhaps that's just meant to be a reflection of how life really is, - not everything ever gets resolved or makes that much sense - but I don't read books to put up with yet more of "real life".

I'm of the opinion this might be one of those love it or hate it things. I will not go so far as to say I hated it, because I was at least able to find it interesting enough to read through to the end. But I didn't find the whole effort very rewarding. And I won't be reading this book again.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 195 customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, imperfectly executed
I read this novel because I loved the musical and liked the basic premise behind it - subverting the tale of 'Wizard of Oz' to give the Wicked Witch of the West a sympathetic... Read more

Published 11 days ago by BookWorm

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing
I thought this would be a great premise for a story. The Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys still send shivers down my spine even at my age. Read more

Published 15 days ago by Pilipala

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating But Not Enough
I really wanted to read this novel, i had long since been told that it would alter my perception of the Wicked Witch of the West and it did. Read more

Published 23 days ago by Janet Parry

5.0 out of 5 stars She called it... wonderful
Well, I bought this for my partner for christmas, and it turned her into a mindless reading zombie. Safe to say I am pleased! Read more

Published 1 month ago by Slinkydean

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual fantasy
*possible minor spoilers*

Before I begin my review, I must state I am not generally a fan of fantasy. Read more

Published 4 months ago by A. Non

3.0 out of 5 stars Not terribly "wicked" after all
I came to this book with no prior knowledge, other than the recommendations of other reviewers.

The basic gist of this book is that we follow Elphaba's trials and... Read more

Published 7 months ago by Pixie_Innocence

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling read
I got this after falling in love with the musical. Be warned, this book is very different. There's much less Glinda for starters with the focus completely on Elphaba and the book... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Heffff

4.0 out of 5 stars Not an easy read!
A lot of people will miss out by watching the musical and not reading the book. The musical misses out so much of the depth of this book, and has twisted certain sections to make... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Mr. R. A. Williams

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but not what I expected.
Book was delivered very quickly and in perfect condition. Bought this book after seeing the musical and the book isn't quite what I expected. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Needles

1.0 out of 5 stars still waiting
i think it is appaling that i have amazon prime and should have recieved my item on wednesday 5th but it is now thursday 6th 5pm and still no sign of my item

Published 13 months ago by kate

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 195 customer reviews on Amazon.co.uk

Search Listmania!