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

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Maguire, Gregory	4-week checkout	Due 05-09-2024

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

:) submitted by torres4 on July 2, 2011, 11:46am this is the book of what happened in oz before dorothy showed up, and how the wicked witch of the west and the good fairy became what they are...awesome mmusical, but i haven't read the book...

Wicked submitted by Commander Taffy on July 24, 2011, 1:52pm Not a very good book, but if you ever get the chance see the muscial.

A real page-turner submitted by pkooger on February 20, 2012, 4:42pm Wicked reminds me most of an allegorical tale of Germany and Europe during the rule of the Nazis. How can people be so evil? Why do we perpetrate such atrocities against people who should be (and in some cases actually are) our brothers and sisters. The "witch's" descent into madness is heartbreaking, and this is certainly not a light read. Still, I couldn't put it down.

Dark Side submitted by Sunny29 on July 23, 2014, 4:02pm Maguire investigates the dark side of this well known story, and on a deeper level, the dark side of society. Chalk full of allegories, some more pleasant than others, Wicked makes you think if one person or action is any worse than the other, when looked at from a different angle. It can be a bit dark and his use of language made me check in with the dictionary from time to time, but it's a very entertaining novel.

wicked submitted by hcf on July 28, 2014, 11:03am I will admit ~ I couldn't finish the book. It just didn't work for me but I love the musical! Maybe I need to try it again...

Weird, Wonderful, and Wicked submitted by mickplu on July 4, 2016, 10:26am Interesting remake of famous characters from childhood. The end result is that the reader gets to see how the Wicked Witch of the West became wicked or was she just misunderstood? Although some aspects of this plot remain true to L. Frank Baum's classic, such as the house landing on and snuffing out the Wicked Witch of the East, there is now sharp edged satire with a reference to current events. For example, after the house kills the witch, "various terrorist groups claimed credit" and macabre, cruel jokes are immediately passed around such as "everyone needs to grow up and leave home sometimes, but sometimes HOME DOESN'T LIKE IT!".

wickedlywicked submitted by AJ Chen on July 26, 2016, 10:22am This is a great book

I love this - but it’s not for everyone submitted by jbranski on June 16, 2018, 9:51pm Wicked is fascinating to me. Each time I read it, I notice something I hadn’t noticed before. This book is long and slow and intricate and full of classic Maguire wittiness, puns, and digs at other works of literature. It’s dark and none of the characters are particularly likeable (a stark difference from the musical) and Elphaba’s characterization is lacking in a way that keeps you from ever really grasping who she is. I personally enjoy it, and will return to it again and again. However, almost everyone else I’ve talked to about this book is not a fan. They’re looking for a story similar to the musical or the L. Frank Baum original children’s. This book is VERY different in style and tone from both of those.

PS I’ve read every book in this series. This one is the best followed closely by Out of Oz. I found Son of a Witch and A Lion Among Men both to be even more slow than Wicked and pretty dull. I would recommend Wicked but not the other books.

Probably not for fans of the musical submitted by majean on August 10, 2018, 12:44pm I loved this book, but having listened to the musical soundtrack and read a detailed synopsis, I don't think I would like the musical. They remove all of the things that I love about the book in order to make a happy story, and the Wicked Witch's story is not happy! It's also a very political story filled with prejudice and unhappy people in relationships that don't satisfy them. If you're looking for love, look elsewhere.

Imaginative submitted by lstorc on August 27, 2018, 4:50pm This was a fantastic political commentary with well-developed characters and a unique perspective regarding the Wizard of Oz.

Ugh submitted by FordAlpha on August 15, 2019, 10:20pm There are some great ideas here, sharp political satire, food for thought, and a lot of wit. Maguire is a gifted writer. But this book just kind of grossed me out. I didn't like any of the characters. I didn't enjoy spending time with them. I haven't seen the musical, by the way, and I wasn't expecting a children's story. But nor was I expecting the borderline obscenity.

Wow submitted by vclinton on August 17, 2023, 9:05pm This book is a fantastic book but incredibly dark - cannot believe this was chosen as a musical.