Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) by Gregory Maguire
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Book Reviews of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction)
Book Review: One of the few books Ive never finished.
Summary: 1 Stars
I saw this book on a shelf at the store and thought the cover looked good. Reading the back it seemed like the book would be a fast, good read and so I purchased it. I usually read at least 10 books a month. I'm not sure if it was the writing style, the flat characters, the long, drawn out details, or what the issue was because the plot seemed good and solid. After a month of it sitting on my couch and me being able to get only halfway through I just completely gave up. I could not finish it and could not even bring myself to care how it ended. I gave the book to a friend who was interested. She did not make it as far as I did and passed it on to another friend. At least she did not make the mistake of paying for it. Book Review: Sorry - No L. Frank Baum is MaGuire
Summary: 1 Stars
Despite the hype, this simply is not a good book in any way. It plodded along, failed to engage into the characters, had a convoluted and improbable plot, considering the source material, and simply ran out of plot gas. What is the adoration? The musical ain't much better (not one decent song). Such be the power of hype - and L. Frank Baum is spinning in his grave. Look was has been done to beautiful and wondrous Oz by this piker.Book Review: Wicked?? ABSOLUTELY!
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book, but it's nothing like the play. If you are reading it after seeing the play you might be dissapointed to find out how different it is. Although the basic plot is the same it is much more dark than I expected. Well at least it is when you think about how fun and bubbly some of the songs in the musical are. This book has 14 pages of colored photos!! And they are great pictures. I actually read a copy of this book before I bought this one, and I kept this one as a sort of collectible for the pictures inside. If you have a child who wants to read it, or if you are a child you might want to have your parent read it first.Book Review: One Word Needed...................
Summary: 5 Stars
*AWESOME*
Be sure you read the follow-up book, 'Son of A Witch'.
Book Review: Foul, Boring, Pointless, Self-Indulgent Tripe
Summary: 1 Stars
I shall paraphrase the most striking part of this novel:
"You should become a witch," said the Elephant.
"All right!" said Elphaba. "Sounds cool!"
I sat and read it over again, and then I back-handed the book. I will always remember this as the laziest transition ever written.
In my experience, there are some authors who can effortlessly work together thought provoking issues with fiction, keeping it entertaining at the same time they shock. Then there are some who are no good at entwining storytelling with depth and stick to writing for entertainment's sake. I think that Maguire falls into the second category, but just doesn't know it. He just tries too hard and he falls flat on his face. The end result is a book that suffers heavily from trying to figure out which side of its dual personality it wants to be when it grows up.
Unfortunately, it never does.
Maguire can write well. I found the first part fascinating; I looked forward to reading about Elphaba's childhood. Oh wait! Skip that! Instead we pass to college-bound Elphaba! Which leads me to another problem with this book: since Maguire can't figure out whether he's writing to explain a "deep riveting philosophical theme" (pfft!) or an entertaining story with a plotline, every bit of information he presents seems no more or less exciting or important than anything else. If this was written for entertainment, I would be looking for a plotline here (there is none). If it is written for a deep philosophical meaning, it is merely a setup.
In fact, this entire book is a setup. It sets up, and it sets up, and it sets up, and it comes to no conclusion at all. Is there a plot, or some adventure? Well, wait a bit, says the book. Is there some promising deep thought waiting in the wings, asks the reader? Wait a bit, says the book. It's almost like a practical joke with the perpetrator laughing his way to the bank.
Also, it's worthwhile to note that Maguire has an unhealthy fixation on sex and (ugh) urination (really, why?). He has a remarkable skill for writing sex scenes. I suppose that's nice, but when he was describing a traveling party going up into a pass between two mountains and compares those mountains to a woman's "inviting open legs" I realized the man was past obsessed. Ah, X-rated geology. That's one thing I'll probably never forget, if only for the fact it was the moment I experienced a striking realization: that I hated this book and I wanted to burn it. Frankly, if you can see sexuality in the landscape you are watching too much porn.
Nevertheless, this book is fascinating in a way I can't quite explain; I honestly wanted to find out why the Witch was the way she was. I thought the idea was clever. Instead we get hackneyed characters (all of whom are unlikeable), and a dreary Oz more akin to a third-world dictatorship than a fantasy fairytale land. All the magic is removed. Nobody really "loves;" the only character I even halfway liked was Boq (poor fellow, what a name, what a life). It's a sick and dreary and nasty story that left me feeling depressed and foul, like I had just taken a leap into an open sewer. It has nothing new to present, no plot to speak of, and the Witch's and Nessarose's lives don't justify their "larger than life" personas. They're just too bland, too mild, almost stupid. Why did the Witch gain her reputation? Honestly, the book doesn't present any good reason why. I was wondering to the very last page.
Maguire really wants this book to be an exploration of the notion of evil. It's really just an exploration of how not to write. Whole sections of this book should have been knocked out. Many characters should have been excised. Characters were mostly two-dimensional and boring. The sex was all pervasive, foul, cold, and selfish. Avoid. this. book. Don't even start it. Just don't. Yes, it'll suck you in. Yes, it will promise you a fascinating ride. But it's no good, it has no point, and it's downright filthy in a myriad of ways. Get it at the library if you must.
The story's "idea" is so excellent that I often hope an ambitious writer will re-write this premise and knock the socks off of this particular pretentious piece of garbage.
I dare you, whoever you are. Go for it.