Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7129 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11-06
• Released on: 1996-09-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 406 pages

From Publishers Weekly
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, Glinda's snobbish friends and the wide-eyed, soft-spoken Dorothy make this excursion to Oz worthwhile.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
YA?Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, has gotten a bum rap. Her mother is embarrassed and repulsed by her bright-green baby with shark's teeth and an aversion to water. At college, the coed experiences disapproval and rejection by her roommate, Glinda, a silly girl interested only in clothes, money, and popularity. Elphaba is a serious and inquisitive student. When she learns that the Wizard of Oz is politically corrupt and causing economic ruin, Elphaba finds a sense of purpose to her life?to stop him and to restore harmony and prosperity to the land. A Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and an unknown species called a "Dorothy" appear in very small roles... The story presents Elphaba in a sympathetic and empathetic manner-readers will want her to triumph! The conclusion, however, is the same as L. Frank Baum's. The book has both idealism and cynicism in its discussion of social, religious, educational, and political issues present in Oz, and, more pointedly, present in our day and time. The idealism is whimsical and engaging; the cynicism is biting. Sometimes the earthy language seems appropriate and adds to the sense of place; sometimes the four-letter words and sexual explicitness distract from the charm of the tale. The multiple threads to the plot proceed unevenly, so that the pace of the story jumps rather than moves steadily forward. Wicked is not an easy rereading of The Wizard of Oz. It is for good readers who like satire, and love exceedingly imaginative and clever fantasy.?Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

--USA Today
"An outstanding work of imagination."

Customer Reviews

philosophical blather and burlesque comedy
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).

You go away or I - I'll bite you myself!
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'.

Incredible concept. Maybe a lttle overrated.
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.