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Guests | October 15, 2009

Michelle Wildgen: IMG A Few Initial and Not-Comprehensive Meditations on Group Novels

1 comment By Michelle Wildgen

I am a sucker for a book about a group. What reminded me of this was Joanna Smith Rakoff's A Fortunate Age, her homage to Mary McCarthy's endlessly re-readable... Continue »

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

by Gregory Maguire

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

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

Review:

"Children - children of all ages, as Maguire reminds us in this splendid novel - need witches.Gregory Maguire has taken this figure of childhood fantasy and given her a sensual and powerful nature that will stir adult hearts with fear and longing all over again.It's a brilliant trick - and a remarkable treat." (The Times-Picayune)

Review:

"It is to [Maguire's] everlasting credit that he has succeeded so admirably that his book stands as an independent and inspired whole; it is also very close to being an instant classic.... Maguire has hit a home run his first time at bat.That Wicked is a first novel is remarkable because it is so fully realized, so rich and involving.It is the most seamless interweaving of fantasy and reality since John Crowley's peerless Little, Big, written in poetic language as graceful as a Ray Boldger tap-dance." (The Commercial Appeal)

Synopsis:

An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Taking readers 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. Line illustrations.

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About the Author

Gregory Maguire is the bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the basis for the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical. Maguire has lectured on art and culture at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the DeCordova Museum as well as at conferences around the world. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts, and in Vermont.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 13 comments:
Chad, February 24, 2009 (view all comments by Chad)
a great literary piece, just as timeless as the "wizard of oz" film itself. i was captivated from beginning to end and immediately watched the film as soon as i was finished with the book. Oz has never been painted in such a way, revealing a much different landscape with a much harsher reality. maguire has a great writing style and knows how to keep the pages turning. i loved it.
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rwilson, February 19, 2008 (view all comments by rwilson)
Forget what you may have heard about the Broadway musical by the same name: this book is a literate, sophisticated piece. Prepare for delicious language and complex characterization. In particular, the Wicked Witch of the West becomes an intelligent character worthy of respect and compassion, and Oz is--like most real places in any real world--a fascinating and layered combination of cultures and localities. I read this book very slowly because it is worth it!
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CopyCat, November 17, 2007 (view all comments by CopyCat)
The Wizard of Oz was a child's tale, merely the brightly colored surface of a world and the lovable characters who reside there in technicolor. Where the movie took you from the black and white of reality to the color of fantasy, Wicked takes you back to the dark shades of blacks and grays (with a spot of green) of the realities of Oz. Exploring darker issues such as class discrimination, racial inequality, and the ancient question of spiritual purpose, Wicked explores the life of a "bad guy" where we learn that Wickedness is Relative. Good Guys aren't always good and Bad Guys aren't always Bad.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780060987107
Subtitle:
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Author:
Smith, Douglas
Illustrator:
Smith, Douglas
Author:
by Gregory Maguire
Publisher:
ReganBooks
Location:
New York :
Subject:
General
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Fantastic fiction
Subject:
Fantasy
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Oz (Imaginary place)
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Subject:
Oz (Imaginary place) -- Fiction.
Subject:
Oz
Subject:
Witches
Subject:
General Fiction
Copyright:
1995
Edition Number:
1
Edition Description:
1st HarperPerennial ed.
Series Volume:
106-930
Publication Date:
December 2000
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
448
Dimensions:
918x612x115 108
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