The book was in decent condition upon arrival. The book itself is worth the read, I enjoyed seeing the land of Oz through the prepective of the Elpahba (the wicked witch). Gregory Maguire has become one of my favorite arthors and I am now unable to put his books down.

This book offers a peculiar mix of philosophical blather and burlesque comedy. I give it one star because the writing is good enough to draw you in but then leaves you high and dry. The other star is earned by the characters of Nanny and Amah Clutch (I'm not sure about the spelling of Amah Clutch as I listened to this book).

I wish I would have said that to this book. I rue the day I spent the money to buy it and most of all I rue the time I wasted trying to read it.
I was so excited at the concept of the book and 110% ready to love it. I was incredibly disappointed that I couldn't even like it a little. It was boring and disjointed and did not hold my attention at all. It was actually painful to read.
Reminds me of a quote from the Wizard of Oz:
'You are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.' I think the Wizard said that about time spent reading 'Wicked'.

For a book that was hyped as being so good, I was really disappointed. The book was well written, but after reading many pages, the book ended.

I couldn't wait to pick up "Wicked" because I've heard all the incredible things said about it and how it is such a cornerstone in literary history. Then I read a lot of mixed reviews on this web site and was a little shocked. I thought this was supposed to be this perfect read. Turns out it isn't.
I think this is a brilliant concept but ultimately not the easiest read in the world, and a lot of political symbolism, which, if you are a reader that enjoys that sort of thing then you could change my three stars to five. I, on the other hand, am not. I don't really know what I was expecting but I don't think it was what I got.
I think the concept behind "Wicked" is brilliant and I really enjoyed the description and characters I think it could have been done just as well in 100 less pages, however.

Incredibly imaginative and fanciful. Highly literary and tailored to the intelligent, philosophical reader. Not for the immature thinker or someone just looking for light reading. Entertaining, but disturbing. Loved it!

It is long- it is so long. And it takes a very long time to get behind the characters and learn them. However it is SO worth it!
*spoiler alert!* I had no idea Elfie was really good and Glenda was bad- it's so backwards!!
And I fell in love with Elfie's charcater and was so happy when I started to read her falling in love.
And the ending! Oh how the ending made me cry! Dorothy is such a damn bimbo!
Wonderful, wonderful story.
MUST READ! MUST READ!

This book seemed hard to follow at times. It is average at best. Confusion seemed to come often. There are far better reads out there.

While Baum's books plays more towards children with just enough hints for adults to grasp the political undertones, Maguire's realm punches you in the face with it. I always hesitated to pick up Wicked, knowing that it would take away from the childhood innocence I found with Baum's series of Oz books. I'm disappointed I waited so long to read it. In today's society, its more of an interesting read, as this book justifiably mirrors nearly everything wrong with Politics, and not just in North America. Things are not always what they seem, and sometimes the voice of reason comes from those that are considered outcasts in a society where everything is under false rule. I'm definately picking up more of Maguire's novels now that I find he has something interesting to say.

5 stars!

I threw the book in the trash when I was done with it. I saw the musical and wanted to know more behind the scenes. Believe me, the story of the musical was soooooooooo much better than this difficult to follow piece of dung. There were mysteries setup that were never resolved. You are left still wondering. It does people a disservice to put the musical's poster on the cover because the 2 stories could not be more apart.

Fantasticly creative, mysterious, and clever! Cant wait to see the live action musical! Great quality book, shipment and communication! Thanks

We purchased this book as a middle school graduation present for my daughter. We knew there was some mature sections but are confident in our daughters ability to handle that type of prose. She loved the play and liked the book as a supplement to the entire Wicked experience.

The book is completely different than the musical - loved the musical, hated the book. The book was very racy and hard to get through.

I ripped the cd's to my mp3 player, but had the hardest time identifing discs 1 from 16. Let me explain. It seems that disc one is named disc 16, as well as, disc 16 is named disc 16. This happened from the point of origin. My Zune player recognized disc 16 when it was ripping it, and promptly erased disc 1. I had to re-install disc 1 then burn it to a cd-r, and then rip it back to my player without the factory installed identifier "disc 16" on it. My Zune ripped it as "unknown" and I was able to rename it "disc one". Besides all of that, I am enjoying the audio book.

I've seen the Judy Garland "Wizard of Oz" more times than I care to think about so I have much more familiarity with the movie that the (very good) Frank L. Baum books. "WIcked:..." is not only about the Wizard of Oz and Ozma, it has a deeper layer that made me think about the nature of good versus evil. After reading this, I wondered "Was Glinda really 'The Good Witch'? Did Glinda have a right to give away the 'Wicked Witch of the East'shoes?" It sounds pretty silly, I know, but it's not something I ever considered after seeing the movie.
It's a good, fast read, one I couldn't put down. If you want a little thinking with your reading, try this book. If you would rather remember "Ease on Down the Road" or "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", this is not the book for you.

I loved this book and when I finished reading it, I went out and bought the rest of Maguire's books. By far, this is my favorite of his books. It's definitely a little different and somewhat risque, but overall a great read!

I'm only giving 2 stars because it waffles on way too long.

I would give it a 4 and 1/2 star if abridged.

The story line is brilliant and as a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz (seen video so many times because raising children) I don't mind the idea of Oz being filled with danger and evil characters. Hearing of Elphaba's birth, school years through to her becoming a witch was very interesting.

I would give it a 4 and 1/2 star if abridged.

The strange sexual themes could be removed. Story could easily be 5 cds long or even 8, more than that is just rampling. But what a brilliant concept just raved on too long. (Narrator excellent)

I saw this book on a shelf at the store and thought the cover looked good. Reading the back it seemed like the book would be a fast, good read and so I purchased it. I usually read at least 10 books a month. I'm not sure if it was the writing style, the flat characters, the long, drawn out details, or what the issue was because the plot seemed good and solid. After a month of it sitting on my couch and me being able to get only halfway through I just completely gave up. I could not finish it and could not even bring myself to care how it ended. I gave the book to a friend who was interested. She did not make it as far as I did and passed it on to another friend. At least she did not make the mistake of paying for it.

Despite the hype, this simply is not a good book in any way. It plodded along, failed to engage into the characters, had a convoluted and improbable plot, considering the source material, and simply ran out of plot gas. What is the adoration? The musical ain't much better (not one decent song). Such be the power of hype - and L. Frank Baum is spinning in his grave. Look was has been done to beautiful and wondrous Oz by this piker.

I really enjoyed this book, but it's nothing like the play. If you are reading it after seeing the play you might be dissapointed to find out how different it is. Although the basic plot is the same it is much more dark than I expected. Well at least it is when you think about how fun and bubbly some of the songs in the musical are. This book has 14 pages of colored photos!! And they are great pictures. I actually read a copy of this book before I bought this one, and I kept this one as a sort of collectible for the pictures inside. If you have a child who wants to read it, or if you are a child you might want to have your parent read it first.

*AWESOME*

Be sure you read the follow-up book, 'Son of A Witch'.

I shall paraphrase the most striking part of this novel:
"You should become a witch," said the Elephant.
"All right!" said Elphaba. "Sounds cool!"
I sat and read it over again, and then I back-handed the book. I will always remember this as the laziest transition ever written.

In my experience, there are some authors who can effortlessly work together thought provoking issues with fiction, keeping it entertaining at the same time they shock. Then there are some who are no good at entwining storytelling with depth and stick to writing for entertainment's sake. I think that Maguire falls into the second category, but just doesn't know it. He just tries too hard and he falls flat on his face. The end result is a book that suffers heavily from trying to figure out which side of its dual personality it wants to be when it grows up.

Unfortunately, it never does.

Maguire can write well. I found the first part fascinating; I looked forward to reading about Elphaba's childhood. Oh wait! Skip that! Instead we pass to college-bound Elphaba! Which leads me to another problem with this book: since Maguire can't figure out whether he's writing to explain a "deep riveting philosophical theme" (pfft!) or an entertaining story with a plotline, every bit of information he presents seems no more or less exciting or important than anything else. If this was written for entertainment, I would be looking for a plotline here (there is none). If it is written for a deep philosophical meaning, it is merely a setup.

In fact, this entire book is a setup. It sets up, and it sets up, and it sets up, and it comes to no conclusion at all. Is there a plot, or some adventure? Well, wait a bit, says the book. Is there some promising deep thought waiting in the wings, asks the reader? Wait a bit, says the book. It's almost like a practical joke with the perpetrator laughing his way to the bank.

Also, it's worthwhile to note that Maguire has an unhealthy fixation on sex and (ugh) urination (really, why?). He has a remarkable skill for writing sex scenes. I suppose that's nice, but when he was describing a traveling party going up into a pass between two mountains and compares those mountains to a woman's "inviting open legs" I realized the man was past obsessed. Ah, X-rated geology. That's one thing I'll probably never forget, if only for the fact it was the moment I experienced a striking realization: that I hated this book and I wanted to burn it. Frankly, if you can see sexuality in the landscape you are watching too much porn.

Nevertheless, this book is fascinating in a way I can't quite explain; I honestly wanted to find out why the Witch was the way she was. I thought the idea was clever. Instead we get hackneyed characters (all of whom are unlikeable), and a dreary Oz more akin to a third-world dictatorship than a fantasy fairytale land. All the magic is removed. Nobody really "loves;" the only character I even halfway liked was Boq (poor fellow, what a name, what a life). It's a sick and dreary and nasty story that left me feeling depressed and foul, like I had just taken a leap into an open sewer. It has nothing new to present, no plot to speak of, and the Witch's and Nessarose's lives don't justify their "larger than life" personas. They're just too bland, too mild, almost stupid. Why did the Witch gain her reputation? Honestly, the book doesn't present any good reason why. I was wondering to the very last page.

Maguire really wants this book to be an exploration of the notion of evil. It's really just an exploration of how not to write. Whole sections of this book should have been knocked out. Many characters should have been excised. Characters were mostly two-dimensional and boring. The sex was all pervasive, foul, cold, and selfish. Avoid. this. book. Don't even start it. Just don't. Yes, it'll suck you in. Yes, it will promise you a fascinating ride. But it's no good, it has no point, and it's downright filthy in a myriad of ways. Get it at the library if you must.

The story's "idea" is so excellent that I often hope an ambitious writer will re-write this premise and knock the socks off of this particular pretentious piece of garbage.

I dare you, whoever you are. Go for it.

"Wicked" is the story of Oz as might have been narrated by Karl Marx, by which I mean it is boring and filled with dull proletarian propaganda. Why did Gregory Maguire take a charming fairy tale and turn it into a history of genocide and the struggle of the masses against their oppressive rulers? His "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" was an appealing historical novel--no magic, but an interesting variation of the Cinderella story.

I was expecting the same from this novel, especially after I saw the musical version of "Wicked" which was both charming and funny. The musical had a great ending that tied various references to L. Frank Baum's Oz into a unified story. It's hard to believe that the musical was taken from this turgid, dull biography of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The witch, Elphaba (her name is fashioned from L. F. Baum's initials) is born rather promisingly in the Clock of the Time Dragon, and immediately bites a finger off of one of her midwives. Does this mean that she is evil from birth? She is green with pointy baby teeth, but she isn't evil. Elphaba is kind to her handicapped sister, makes good friends in college, and subscribes to all of the right causes (Animal rights, for instance). She takes up the proletarian fight, falls in love, bears a son (probably), and joins a nunnery. She goes on a long, difficult journey to apologize to her lover's wife.

Then her sister is squashed by a falling house and Elphaba becomes paranoid and obsessed with her dead sister's shoes. Readers of L. Frank Baum's story can guess how "Wicked" the novel ends (the musical is much more upbeat).

It is true that Elphaba was mean to her (probable) son, desecrated a corpse, alienated her friends, and performed radical, experimental surgery on monkeys. However, she seemed more miserable, and toward this story's end, crazy rather than truly wicked. If she were featured on that cable T.V. show about evil, I think she'd end up as maybe a six on a scale of one to twenty-two.

I'd recommend "The Prince of Darkness" by Jeffrey Burton Russell for readers who are struggling with the enduring problem of radical evil. For those of us who are interested in the story of Oz from the Witch's perspective, go see "Wicked," the musical.

book came in perfect condition. i had read this by borrowing it from my cousin and had enjoyed it so much i wanted a copy of my own. also lead me to get the sequel(son of a witch). amazing story, most recommended for fans of OZ.

How do you describe this book?
You can't just use one word! This is a literary masterpiece that has inspired a whole generation in more ways than one! With cutting edge description, boiling conflict and a sense of good vs. bad, we get to return to Oz as we never knew it!
Gregory Maguire added a bit of sex and politics to this childlike fantasy world, not only making it a best seller but making a more relatable story for teenagers and young adults. This book is going down as a classic forever.

I really wanted to like Wicked, and in fact, I assumed I would. I love the premise and expected great things. I was extremely disappointed in it - and worse than that, I was incredibly bored by it. I didn't care at all about any of the characters, including Elphaba, and since it is episodic rather than plot-driven, unsympathetic characters are fatal. I kept waiting for something to happen, for some narrative arc to unfold, for some conflict to be resolved, for some revelation in Elphaba's life - nothing. Just dreary little misery after dreary little misery, adding up to nothing much.

The Oz that Maguire creates just didn't interest me, either. There's all this allusion to its complicated social and economic history, and it all came off as...boring. I either needed to know more in order to get engaged, or hear about it less. I expected the kind of imaginative reworking in which the original content gets new facets and is revealed to be more complicated, more ambiguous, and more interesting - did I mention I was disappointed?

I could not wait to finish this. I found myself reading it faster and faster, not because I was so caught up in it, but at first because I couldn't believe it wasn't going to suddenly get far better, and then because I couldn't stand it and just wanted it over.

"Wicked" started out with promise. I enjoyed the tale of how Elphaba was born, and initially going to an all girls college with her snooty glamorous roomate Glinda. After that, it fell downhill.
Some things I liked about this book were that, despite its many downfalls, the authors use of words and imagery is astonishing. I also like the hidden allegories to modern day society in the novel: gay rights, tyranny, murder, domestic violence, but...
I dont know about most people, certainly not the ones who gave this books 5 stars, but usually when I read a book I like it when there is a plot... some kind of struggle with the characters, internal or otherwise. I found myself speed reading after about page 300, not because I was enjoying what I was reading but because for some oddity, I have a compusion to finish a book no matter how bad it is.
This novel had absolutely nothing in common with the Frank Baum's "Wizard of Oz", not that thats bad, its just that it would have been nice to read about some of the origonal characters that we all know and love, before 10 pages till the end of the tale.
I cant say that I hated it. I can say that I disliked it, and although it was mildly entertaining, I still want the last 2 weeks of my life back.
My suggestion: read something else.

I purchased this book for both myself and my sister to read over our christmas break and by the end of our vacation we were racing to see who would finish and find out what happens in the end. Maguire does an excellent job of creating "the untold story" on the classic Wizard of Oz. I must admit though after reading this I purchased his other books and sadly this was the only book I can say that I enjoyed.

I really loved the first section of the book that deals with elphaba and her childhood. then things took a turn for the worse.
i guess my main problem with the book was that the character development was poor. i didn't feel connected to any of them and i didn't understand where they were coming from, especially elphaba. it seems like the author could have gone so many places with the story and just didn't.
the story also didn't feel like fantasy, mainly because their entire society was exactly like what we have in the world today, except magic exists and some animals can talk. I don't want to read a book like this and have it seem like i'm reading of whats to come in real life.

I got this book for my birthday, and, frankly, I was greatly disturbed by the way the author turned the charming story of The Wizard of Oz to a book of sex, language, and violence. Even as a child, I pitied the Wicked Witch, and this book was very creative and had originality, but I could not get over the way it turned the story of Oz into a book with so much language, and so much sex. I appreciate the different aspect it offered of the Wicked Witch, and the way it gave a different side of the story, so kudos for that. I don't love the book, but I respect it for its general idea.

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.

Ugh. What a terrible book. I was so looking forward to it, and I couldn't even get halfway through. I don't know what this guy was on when he wrote it, but I hope I never have any. It was a good concept, but just too weird, and not in a good way.

In contrast, I am now reading his "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister", and it's far better.

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.

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.

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.

I bought this book in hopes of reading a fun, unique fantasy story to transport me away from reality. However, I soon found myself in a long political rant that barely had ANYTHING to do with the original Wizard of Oz. The book iself it written very well, which is why I gave it two stars, but so much of it was flat out boring. It is very long and as time went on I felt as though I was really dragging myself through. Not to mention there is not much that actually involves Dorothy and the rest of the group associated with the Wizard of Oz. I also found the "murder" scene with the water shockingly anti-climactic. There were some clever things and ideas, but this was so filled with politics and other boring stuff that it left me greatly disappoiinted.

I bought this book because I heard the soundtrack for the musical and loved the libretto so much that I had to know where the idea for such amazing words could've stemmed from. I definitely wasn't disappointed! In fact, this surpasses the musical in ways that I don't have time to explain. This is a spectacular read! It's incredibly captivating with colorful characters (no pun intended... Ok, well maybe just a little), bewitching fantasy, and innovative insight into what is "good" and what is "evil" and why, but in a very well rounded, open-minded and cleverly entertaining way. Although I am more of a "dialog person" than an "imagery person", the metaphoric imagery in this was more captivating to me than most. There are some fairly explicit scenes and descriptions in it, but I didn't find them abrasive, out of place, or unnecessary.

I got this book because I absolutely loved the musical. I loved the idea that you thought that you knew the difference between good and evil. Everything you thought that you knew is turned on its head. That's still the case with this book, but I am a fan of happy endings, and this book was missing that. I knew that the musical was loosley tied to the book, but did not realize how loosely.

This book was amazing!! I've never seen the play but I got really into the music and decided to buy the book. It has a few questionable parts/random lines but over all it's an excellent book and a great buy! I highly recomend the book.

This book was okay up until the "sexual scene" which I really can't remember much of because of how random and confusing it was. Eventually I got to a point in the book where I put it down and didn't finish it until a few months later when I decided I had to get it over with. Very disappointing ending. I wish I hadn't read the whole thing, so I could just think up a better ending. The book never got anywhere, and the whole book pretty much had no point. This idea really could've been so much more.

While the plot was mediocore and somewhat interesting, although slow, what disgusted me were the random, unneccisary sexual scenes. They were outlandishly weird and I wish I could get the imaginary images out of my head. I pressed through the first few scenes of them, thinking that they were just flukes, but I finally had to give up and throw the book away because I didn't want to leave any more of the perverse images in my head. I bought the book like most others, because I love the musical, but was sorely dissappointed. I'm going to make a point to tell people NOT to read it.

I waited a few weeks after finishing this book to write my review, hoping that hindsight would soften my feelings... I'm sorry to say this, but I really hated it. Generally, stories that are adapted from novels for screen or stage get destroyed in the process. Not so here. The pointless story drags on with little direction, leaving the reader wondering when the "good parts" are going to start. Interesting plot points that were hinted at early on never get fully developed or are completely ignored, and I spent the last few hundred pages begging for the book to end. Also, this book is NOT for children...not that it would hold their attention long enough for them to get to the objectionable material.

Wicked takes you on an imaginative exploration what you thought you knew about a classic story. With an interesting dive into obsession, heartbreak, failure, and expectations, Maguire allows you to draw a lot of your own conclusions when it comes to the Wicked Witch. I read this book with no expectations which was perfect. I had no idea what to expect and was enthralled with the brilliant evolution of the story line and the characters that we thought we had pegged in terms of character. Even Dorothy is left in a different light.

The imagery of all of Oz and its surrounding regions are beautifully done and capture the imagination from page to page. If you think you know what the story is all about, think again. This will make you rethink several of your favorite characters from Baum's original masterpiece.

I think the author puts a great set of twists on the original storyline. I enjoyed this book. Different but refreshingly so.

This book was extremely difficult to get through. It's dark, demented, and twisted. I chose it for the Book Club I'm hosting this time around and none of the other members liked it either. I have one word for this book....disappointing.

I was very excited to receive my copy of "Wicked..." in the mail. But, once I started reading, I became quickly disappointed. I am an unsually speedy reader and found myself dragging through this extremely cumbersome text. The story is interesting, but it is bogged down with too many details and disjointed ramblings.

I have never seen the musical "Wicked" nor have I heard the music from it. The only thing I've ever seen of the musical was the minute or so clip from it on "Ugly Betty" last season. I have, however, read the classic "Wizard of OZ" and seen (numerous times) and loved the MGM movie. Seeing the book on every bookshelf from Borders to Wal-Mart to Walgreens finally peaked my interest enought to purchase the book. I went into this with ABSOLUTELY no expectations whatsoever. I was hooked immediately into the story with the birth of Elphaba, the little green baby with sharp teeth who later became the Wicked Witch of the West. The baby Elphaba was literally a monster when she was born but as she aged Elphie became a normal young woman. Or as normal as she could be, what with her green skin and all. We follow Ephaba as she leaves home and goes a woman's boarding school/college. There she becomes roomates with Galinda, a snotty thing. Galinda of course later becomes Glinda, the Good Witch. From this point on we follow Elphaba's life and slowly witness the events that later change this intelligent woman into a wicked witch. This story isn't for children, or the easily offended. If someone is completely obsessed with the movie Wizard of Oz, and you don't want that image tarnished, skip this one. We definately see a side of Oz, Frank never intended us to see. Maguire's Oz makes a lot of sense. It is apparent the author truly knows his "Wizard of Oz" from the book to the movie. I found that a lot of blanks were filled in for me here, while also allowing me at least a degree of empathy for the Wicked Witch. Only the last fifth of the book or so, brings in Dorothy and her motley crew, the scarecrow, lion, tinman, and Toto. Maguire follows this part of the story fairly closely. The only things that really stood out to me was the fact that Elphaba wasn't present to see her sister lying dead beneath Dorothy's house, and the Wizard of Oz is truly the evil party here. There was no kind man behind the face of the Wizard here. This guy comes off like a fictionalized Hitler. There was also no scene involving Dorothy and crew getting their desires and learning they already had them all along. Again, this isn't your normal fairy tale. And it defenately isn't a book for your kids. There is plenty of sex here, far more than should have been in my opinion. Of course I've read worse, but that part just feels odd in Oz. The lion talking about castration made me balk a little...but maybe that's one of the intents in "Wicked". I found myself thinking about this book awhile after I finished it. Tracing back how Elphaba drifted down the path of wickedness. I think the seed was always there and she fought to be normal, and then it just became to much for her. I'm babbling here too much. This book was amazing, far more than I ever intended. I did a little research into the musical "Wicked" and I can say it appears to be very different and a lot more kid friendly. I can't say that those changes will sit well with me because I truly love this story as it stands.

I had heard of the musical version of Wicked and listened to the songs, which are peppy and fun. I turned to this book expecting to see a believable way that a person who started out good (or neutral) could turn into the evil, vengeful Wicked Witch of the West in the popular children's movie. If anyone reading this is looking for the same thing, you will be sorely disappointed by this book.

The story is dull, the characters lifeless, and the writing is painful to wade through. I would have expected many opportunites for laughs (the musical has plenty), but this book is utterly humorless. The good-to-evil metamorphosis never occurs. This witch doesn't do any of the villanous things in the familiar land of Oz, so there never is the angle of seeing a justified side of her "evil". Late in the book there is an attempt at discussing the nature of evil, which is actually just a list of disconnected statements made by people at a dinner table. It was pointless and struck me as pretentious -- the writer seems to think he's "deep" by talking about evil, but offers no insight or conclusions about it.

Some people have criticized the musical for departing too radically from the book, but that was the best thing they could have done. The musical is popular and enjoyable. I think the author has only made a lot of money on this book because people think the premise sounds cool, and then after being disappointed they can't return the book.

First of all I must admit that I've never read the original Wizard of Oz. Of course, I have seen the movie with Judy Garland, and I even saw Sci Fi's attempt at a miniseries, Tin Man.

Wicked is a thought provoking work. I suppose as a treatise on good and evil, politics and education it has it's merits. I found it a bit tedious to get into, and kept wondering how the whole piece related to the Wizard of Oz I was familiar with. I saw no relationship between the Wicked Witch I am familiar with from the movie and Elphaba the protagonist of this story.

I prefer my leisure reading to be for entertainment. This book doesn't really fit that description. It was very heavy on the political overtones to the point of being almost preachy. Personally, that turns me off in a book.

I might pick up the sequel just to see what happens with some of the loose ends, but I can think of other works I'd rather read first.

I always knew that Dorothy was a naive, little twit. As an author, I admire how Maguire redeems a misunderstand, archetypal character. Elphaba is a heroine for the 21st century and beyond. This is one read that will stay with you.
Amber LaShea Holmes
Snow White on Acid: Nine Fantastical Nightmares