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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995)

by Gregory Maguire

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: The Wicked Years (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
27,56063494 (3.57)1 / 633
This re-creation of the land of Oz, tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Wicked just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.… (more)
  1. 273
    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (TuesdayNovember, lucien, sturlington)
    lucien: An obvious choice and one that's already listed. I will add that if your only exposure to the original is the film, I'd recommend this short read. There are several ideas Maguire plays with that are only in the book.
  2. 102
    A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (KrazySkaterChick)
  3. 104
    Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire (Kerian)
  4. 40
    Grendel by John Gardner (mcenroeucsb)
    mcenroeucsb: Both are books that give you the "bad guy" take on classic tales.
  5. 63
    The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (Shuffy2)
  6. 42
    The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (joyfulgirl)
  7. 20
    The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (mhmolinaro)
  8. 31
    Was by Geoff Ryman (jonathankws)
    jonathankws: Set more in the 'real world' this re-telling of Oz compares three protagonists: a gay male actor with AIDS, a girl called Dorothy who a fictional L. Frank Baum 'created' Oz for, and a makeup girl on the set of the original film version film who encounters Judy Garland.… (more)
  9. 32
    A Barnstormer In Oz by Philip José Farmer (jonathankws)
    jonathankws: This retelling/sequel to the Wizard of Oz focuses on Dorothy's son who returns to Oz by accident.
  10. 11
    A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez (infiniteletters)
  11. 11
    The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (thenothing)
  12. 11
    The Librarian (Book Two: Unhappily Ever After) by Eric Hobbs (Othemts)
  13. 34
    Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (khoov00)
    khoov00: This book seems to appeal to some with the same sense of humor as it would take to appreciate the book Wicked.
  14. 415
    Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (hayfa)
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Group TopicMessagesLast Message 
 Someone explain it to me...: Wicked18 unread / 18LynnB, January 2013

» See also 633 mentions

English (623)  Spanish (7)  Dutch (1)  Portuguese (Portugal) (1)  Hungarian (1)  All languages (633)
Showing 1-5 of 623 (next | show all)
this was some kind of test of endurance, let me tell you. ( )
  alison-rose | May 22, 2023 |
As an instructional aide and a camp counselor I was lucky enough to see the Broadway play a few times. It was amazing and witty and fun. Unfortunately, it was many years ago that I saw it, and I don’t remember it all that well, but from what I remember it was nothing like this book. The characters were boorish at best, the timeline skipped around with no real regularity, at times the story was crude and crass for no reason, the plot was also thin with the story so meandering and superfluous that it was often lost. Books I love I race through because I can’t put them down, this one I raced through just to get it over with. ( )
  MrMet | Apr 28, 2023 |
i remember going to theatre to see this and i found it so cool! i read the book and it was even better! a wicked take to the wizard of oz, with humor wit and wonderful characterisation this is my favorite wizard of oz (excluding the muppet movie one) ( )
  Enchanten | Mar 12, 2023 |
wow. This was dark! Not what I was prepared for at all lol ( )
  scathach01 | Mar 3, 2023 |
I agree with so many of the other reviews - this book is terrible. Nothing like I thought it would be, even after reading descriptions of it. I have not finished it, but I seriously doubt it will improve. I am sticking with it because I got it as a gift from my brother (who I told that I wanted it) and I will feel guilty if I don't finish it. My recommendation - don't even start it! ( )
  DanHelfer | Dec 29, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 623 (next | show all)
Although Mr. Maguire demonstrates a knack for conjuring up bizarre adventures for Elphie and introducing her to an eccentric cast of creatures (though nowhere near as enchanting as the many creatures Baum invented in his multiple sequels to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"), his insistence on politicizing Oz and injecting it with a heavy dose of moral relativism turns a wonderfully spontaneous world of fantasy into a lugubrious allegorical realm, in which everything and everyone is labeled with a topical name tag.
 
With a husky voice and a gentle, dramatic manner that will call to mind the image of a patient grandfather reading to an excited gaggle of children, McDonough leisurely narrates this fantastical tale of good and evil, of choice and responsibility. In Maguire's Oz, Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West, is not wicked; nor is she a formally schooled witch. Instead, she's an insecure, unfortunately green Munchkinlander who's willing to take radical steps to unseat the tyrannical Wizard of Oz. Using an appropriately brusque voice for the always blunt Elphaba, McDonough relates her tumultuous childhood (spent with an alcoholic mother and a minister father) and eye-opening school years (when she befriends her roommate, Glinda). McDonough's pacing remains frustratingly slow even after the plot picks up, and Elphaba's protracted ruminations on the nature of evil will have some listeners longing for an abridgement. Still, McDonough's excellent portrayals of Elphaba's outspoken, gravel-voiced nanny and Glinda's snobbish friends make this excursion to Oz worthwhile
added by kthomp25 | editPublisher's Weekly
 

» Add other authors (8 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Gregory Maguireprimary authorall editionscalculated
Avirom, JoelCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Smith, DouglasIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
'Tis very strange Men should be so fond of being thought wickeder than they are. -Daniel Defoe, A System of Magick
In historical events great men--so called--are but the labels that serve to give a name to an event, and like labels, they have the last possible connection with the event itself. Every action of theirs, that seems to them an act of their own free will, is in an historical sense not free at all, but in bondage to the whole course of previous history, and predestined from all eternity. -Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoi, War and Peace
"Well," Said the head, "I will give you your answer. You have no right to expect me to send you back to Kansas unless you do something for me in return. In this country everyone must pay for everything he gets. If you wish me to use my magic power to send you home again you must do something for me first. Help me and I will help you." "What must I do?" asked the girl. "Kill the wicked Witch of the West," answered Oz. -L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Dedication
This book is for Betty Levin and for all those who
taught me to love and fear goodness.
First words
A mile above Oz, the Witch balanced on the wind's forward edge, as if she were a green fleck of the land itself, flung up and sent wheeling away by the turbulent air.
Quotations
"Maybe the definition of home is the place where you are never forgiven, so you may always belong there, bound by guilt. And maybe the cost of belonging is worth it."
"Ah, we're slow learners, Nanny countered. But they can't learn at all" (p.12).
"You're not so bold at all," said Elphaba, "you're about as bold as tea made from used leaves" (p.129)
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
ISBN 0349117993 is for A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve.
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Canonical LCC

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Wikipedia in English (3)

This re-creation of the land of Oz, tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Wicked just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Elphaba, born with emerald green skin, comes of age in the land of Oz, rooming with debutante Glinda at the university, and following a path in life that earns her the label of Wicked.
Haiku summary
A witch is a witch
Not evil - not understood
So men will kill her
(Nodosaurus)

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