Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

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It's a hit!

I had a lot of misconceptions about this book based on having seen the musical. There are similarities between the book and the play, but they are ... (show more)

I had a lot of misconceptions about this book based on having seen the musical. There are similarities between the book and the play, but they are superficial. Like the play, this is the story of Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who became known as "The Wicked Witch of the West" in "The Wizard of Oz".

However, while the play serves as sort of an origin story for most of the characters in Oz, and wraps everything up into a tidy happy ending, the book is much more nuanced and challenging. It goes beyond the simple conceit of showing a well-known story from a different perspective. It is fascinating character study and stands on its own as a great work of fiction.

The play simplifies Elphaba, making her into a character who is objectively good, but misunderstood. The Elphaba of the book cannot be defined as simply "good" or "evil". She is often motivated by good intentions, but is not above pettiness and spite. Above all, she is relatable, and her appeal is rooted as much in her shortcomings as in her virtues. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook-gebruiker

No, it's a flop!

I had high hopes for this book, as I had heard so many good things about it. However, having gotten 100 pages into it (just about a quarter of the... (show more)

I had high hopes for this book, as I had heard so many good things about it. However, having gotten 100 pages into it (just about a quarter of the way through, as it was 406 long) and having absolutely no connection to any of the characters or concepts presented, I decided that I would rather spend my time reading something that I would actually enjoy.

I can't entirely put my finger on what turned me off about the book, but I will say that the first portion - detailing the birth and infancy of Elphalba - honestly bored me to tears. It is well written to be sure, it just... wasn't... very... interesting.

Perhaps it's because I really don't care too much for the Wizard of Oz in general - I somewhat doubt this, as the first two chunks of book that I read only tangentially dealt with anything I remember from the book/movie that inspired this. (show less)

 

 

by Steven Warfield

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  This is not the first book to flesh out the backstory of a less-detailed predecessor, and the description of how the characters reached their familiar personalities was certainly a key part. Even more interesting to me though was the detailed reimagining of Oz as a world gripped by the rule of the increasingly authoritarian Wizard. Wicked is a darker and more mature book than I anticipated, with adultery, oppression and the nature of evil all being central elements.

  The narrative does drag... (show more)

  This is not the first book to flesh out the backstory of a less-detailed predecessor, and the description of how the characters reached their familiar personalities was certainly a key part. Even more interesting to me though was the detailed reimagining of Oz as a world gripped by the rule of the increasingly authoritarian Wizard. Wicked is a darker and more mature book than I anticipated, with adultery, oppression and the nature of evil all being central elements.

  The narrative does drag occasionally; the stretches at Kiamo Ko in particular took a long time to go anywhere, although I'm not sure if the lack of action is supposed to reinforce Elphaba's irresolute self-doubt during this period. Also, I felt several plot threads, such as the Grimmerie and Yackle, produced less than they promised, although these might return in the sequels.

  On the whole, however, it's well worth a read and I look forward to checking out some of Maguire's other books in the same vein. (show less)

   

   

  by Michael West on Mar 11, 2008 at 10:14AM

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  Long and wordy are the first words that come to mind when I think about this book. While I thought the story was very original, it was hard to stay focused on the plot with descriptions of things that have no bearing on the story. While I think Maguire has created an amazing web, I think it could have been made even better by not distracting the reader with random tidbits or by fleshing out things that are not extremely clear in the book. Some of the most fascinating locations, namely the sch... (show more)

  Long and wordy are the first words that come to mind when I think about this book. While I thought the story was very original, it was hard to stay focused on the plot with descriptions of things that have no bearing on the story. While I think Maguire has created an amazing web, I think it could have been made even better by not distracting the reader with random tidbits or by fleshing out things that are not extremely clear in the book. Some of the most fascinating locations, namely the school and The Philosophy Club, are not given enough story to make it clear what their purpose is. The characters are rather confusing as well, as it seems like Maguire is an outside spectator, never seeming to go into what's in the characters' heads.

  The book is much darker and political than I expected, though not unpleasantly so. However, the pacing seems to drag at points, taking the reader's attention away from what is a very important point. While I'm glad I read the book (mainly to see the differences between it and the musical), I found it too heavy and unclear for my normal light fantasy reading tastes. If you're looking for a beautiful story with political undertones, I'd recommend it. If you're looking for something to curl up by the fire with, I'd recommend something a little less heavy to start off. (show less)

   

   

  by Avian Jangula on Feb 17, 2009 at 07:44AM

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