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Wicked

Average rating: 4/5

Based on 313 ratings

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Wicked

by Gregory Maguire

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS | October 3, 1996 | Trade Paperback

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

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This item is found in: Fiction and Literature

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Reviews

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 1/5

    Not good

    Samantha

    2 years ago

    I read this book before it became a play, mostly because of all the hype around it. It was awful. The plot dragged, the author barely went into the issues (political oppression, racism, etc.) that Oz was supposed to have, and the unnecessary and vulgar sexual references distracted and ruined the story (eg: mountain passes likened to a very vivid description of a woman).

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 2/5

    High Expectations Ruined it

    Lindsay

    2 years ago

    I think the book's downfall came from the fact that I saw the Broadway play first (which was absolutely magical)...this story is only remotely similar to the play that was based upon it. I found the book to be much darker, much slower, much more convoluted and slightly boring

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    Everything I'd hoped it would be!

    BookThia

    4 years ago

    This is my second book by Maguire, and I have to say it was a wonderful, exciting and yet exploring story. By inventing a 'back story' for the infamous Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz, Maguire tells an epic tale of a bizarre and fantastical land and a woman who struggles to find her place in it. Elphaba (a homage to L. Frank Baum) is born with green skin -- marked as different in a land where Animals can speak and magic is taught in schools. As she struggles to both fit in and stand out, Elphie (as she is known to her friends) struggles with questions of religion, with politics and with loyalties to friends and family. Obviously we know how the story ends... but its the getting there that is so fantastic. And the ending is, somehow, a wee bit different now. Not quite so black and white...

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    John Watson

    Rating: 5/5

    Wicked is...well, wicked!

    John Watson

    13 years ago

    I apologize if I am gushing over this tome, but it truly is a memorable read.

    This spin-off adult novel, combining elements from the original "Wizard of Oz" children's series by Frank Baum and the classic MGM movie musical pays homage to Elphaba, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.

    From the earliest moments of a little green child, to her university days as roommate to Glinda (the Good Witch), to her eventual confrontation with Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West is portrayed as a strong woman, full of heart and compassion...and even, dare I say it...a soul.

    You'll never be able to look at the Witch in the same light again.

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From Our Editors

We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz... but what about that sinister witch we hear so much about? An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, Wicked retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and proves she wasn't so wicked after all! Taking you past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, this is one book that just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.

From the Publisher

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

Employee Review Carlos from Chapters # 920, Edmonton, AB

Have you every wondered what the Wicked Witch of the West was really like? Was she really as wicked as they say? And how about the Wizard of Oz? Was he really a nice guy? Well, this is the book for you, because these and other questions about Oz will be answered. This book is part political allegory, and partly a satire of L. Frank Baum's classic stories. Here you will find an Oz that is not the happy realm of the books and movie, but a dark and frightening place under the rule of an evil tyrant, the Wizard. An excellent read.

About the Author

Gregory Maguire is the bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. Wicked, now a beloved classic, is the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Trade Paperback

448 Pages, 6.12 x 9.21 x 1.13 IN

October 3, 1996

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS

English


0060987103
9780060987107

From the Critics

“Maguire combines puckish humor and bracing pessimism in this fantastical meditation on good and evil, God and free will, which should...captivate devotees of fantasy.” (Publishers Weekly)

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