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Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1)
Wicked - Wicked Years, Bk 1
Author: Gregory Maguire
 The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West — 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 ...  more »
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780060987107
ISBN-10: 0060987103
Publication Date: 11/6/1996
Pages: 406
Rating:
  • Currently 3.3/5 Stars.
 3599

3.3 stars, based on 3599 ratings
Publisher: Regan Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 39
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire begins decades before Dorothy falls into the scene, with the birth of a strangely green baby girl who has unusually sharp teeth. We follow Elphaba as she grows up, attends university, and falls into the political turmoil behind the scenes at the Emerald City. Maguire paints a detailed background of the realistic politics that shape Oz into the country it is when Dorothy arrives. The Wicked Witch of the West may be a tortured soul, but for different reasons than you had previously thought. The book is perfectly understandable even if you have never seen the movie or read the original book, but several parts are much funnier if you have. The end of the story can drag on if you are not interested in introspective psychological monologues, but flipping past a few pages of internal commentary can speed the story along.

Literary Quality: 8/10

Enjoyment: 8/10
Spuddie avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 412 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 38
Fairy tale retelling, interesting reading and silly at times, but like the other Maguire book I've read before--Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister--I found it to be a bit slow and draggy in spots, and my attention wandered. Definitely not as good as all the hype had me hoping for. Still, I found the speculation as to the origins of Glinda and Elphaba--and her dead sister and the ruby (actually silver) slippers from L. Frank Baum's tale quite interesting and amusing, as were the political machinations that got the Wizard where was when Dorothy came on the scene a few years later. Maguire certainly has an imagination! I'd like to see the Broadway production of this, though--I bet that would be something!
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 26
Not at all like the musical. If this is why you want to read the book you will be disappointed.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 24
This book is great. Be prepared that it will not follow your idea of "Oz" with respect to the movie. There are definate "religious" and political undertones. However it will capture your imagination and you won't be able to put it down.
daredevilgirl013 avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 746 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 21
I tried very hard to read this book because I do like the Wizard of Oz etc etc. The start of the book is good, but after that..it really drops off and gets to be rather dull, boring, and hard to follow. Half way through I was disappointed by the book, as I was expecting so much more, and was also disappointed with the content that was put into the book. Why children are reading this book I don't know..but they shouldn't be. Older teens perhaps, but not 8 year olds!! I have heard the musical is very different and have even looked up the differences, and yep, it's really different. I think the musical would make more sense, and move at a faster pace and not be so wordy and full of filler words and content.

I say don't waste your time with this book. Think what you want to think, you'll probably come up with a better story anyways!
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reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on
Very good. Made me think way different about "The Wizard of Oz". Made me feel sad for the Wicked Witch of the West.
bookgoddessme avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 106 more book reviews
I have read a couple of Gregory Maguire's other novels, Next Queen of Heaven & Confessions of an Evil Stepsister, with mixed reviews. I liked Confessions a lot, and Queen a little. My feelings about Wicked were a bit underwhelming. Maybe I was tainted by the Broadway Show hype? The story was told in a visually beautiful manner; Maguire is a real detail author. The books makes me curious about the play, but as far as the story, I felt disappointed. I sympathized with the Wicked Witch of the West, Ephalba. Am I naive to want a happy ending for her sake? Maybe. I will still continue to read the rest of this, and his other fairy tale series.
amcriner1971 avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
I am absolutely enthralled with this book. Once I picked it up it was very hard to set down. I think it lends a different view of the wicked witch. Beautifully written in vivid detail!!
bran-flakes14 avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 72 more book reviews
Don't go into this book expecting anything. And I don't mean that in a bad way! This book is really one of the most unique, unclassifiable things I have ever had the pleasure to read. We all know the familiar story of Dorothy Gale's adventures in the magical land of Oz, and how, in the initial novel, a wicked old green witch tries to kill her for some shoes. But we never got to hear the story from the witch's perspective, did we? This novel explores adult themes and creates defining fantasy characters, the landscape of Oz it paints is a far-more complex one than ever encountered before. Don't miss this book, and don't think it's merely a gimmick to make money. It's far more than that. It's highly literary and mixes such opposite genres like fantasy, politics, drama, romance, and character study. Very interesting stuff, highly recommended!
patticom avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on
Another of GM's books that is definitely NOT for children. There are a few really creepy/icky parts in this book that I could have done without (in the city of Oz), but on the whole it was unique and fun, a very different and curious take on the classic story. I have NOT seen the musical, but I can tell you from photos I've seen that the sister "wicked witch" seems to be quite different in the musical than the book. STOP reading here if you don't want minor spoilers.... If you loved the classic Oz story, you may find some of the character changes offensive. Dorothy, at least in the book, is portrayed as an insipid idiot. The Wizard is evil, and Glinda is full of herself. If you are willing to accept these as another possible point of view, read it and enjoy it!
nx74defiant avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 25 more book reviews
An interesting book.

Most of the book is from the point of view of the people around the Wicked Witch of the West. Those around her don't understand her It is only in the last section that we see things from her point of view. I wish that we saw more of the book from her point of view instead of those around her.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 157 more book reviews
I could not finish this. I got to the explicit and perverse pantomine within the first few pages and wondered why is this is here? The author was making fun of low humor, debased entertainment, and superstitious mindless people. However, in order to do so, he had to conjure up, yeah, low humor, debased entertainment, and threaten to make the reader into a superstitious mindless person. I decided to walk away.
Sianeka avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 114 more book reviews
I'd seen the musical and was intrigued to find out more about the life and times of Oz and the Wicked Witch of the West. This book gave me what I expected and hoped for, and yet it didn't. The story is fleshed out more than the musical's plotline, and you do get more insight into the personality and life of Elphaba, the wicked green anti-heroine. However, the details start getting skimpier and Elphaba's motivations get murkier as the story moves along. How she actually becomes "wicked" and glories at her newly won reputation as the Wicked Witch of the West is treated shabbily. The plot details and looks at Elphaba's life get traded in for discussions of morality and the origin of evil and the theology of souls, and it's a poor tradeoff where readability is concerned. The story never recovers from this derailment and the last section of the book, which should have been exciting and enthralling as this is the section where Witch meets Dorothy, is a big letdown. Throughout the book, the main character is referred to by name, as Elphaba, although different nicknames are ascribed to her at various times, yet in the last section she is continually referred to only as The Witch and no longer called Elphaba, a distracting device designed to distance the reader emotionally from her death.

Characters are never fleshed out enough to garner sympathy or likeability and the sections of the story reflecting the well-known Wizard of Oz story are far too brief to enjoy properly. Author Maguire goes through all this trouble setting up a rich and detailed storyland and then pulls away the vicarious enjoyment we could've had comparing this refreshingly new take on old familiar scenes and people by removing almost all such references out of the plot.

An interesting but flawed read, not all I had hoped it would be.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 49 more book reviews
It was a pretty good read.
Yoni avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 327 more book reviews
Tough to get into, but once I did I was hooked. Much darker than I anticipated. Much more complex and satirical. I am looking forward to the sequel now!
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 36 more book reviews
A little dry for my taste.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Found it a little hard to get into, but I did finish it.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
The only luck is bad, all fate is unkind, the prime ingredient of the universe is selfishness leavened with malevolence.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on
A very interesting social commentary.
thebooksage avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
I tried to read this book a few years back and I couldnt get through it. I found the excessive use of vulgar language to be a distraction and it didnt add anything to the characters or the story. That being said the idea is very clever and original. If you are a fan of the musical, be aware that the two are nothing alike.
reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
Whenever there is a story like that of the Wizard of Oz and all its characters, everyone wonders what happened before. Maguire does a great job of combining every characters stories and also explaining why every character is the way they are from their backstory. It has lovely twists and turns with surprises that you may not see. A great read for anyone especially those with a love for the Wizard of Oz and/or the musical Wicked.
mywildrainbow avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
wonderful story about how things look different taken from the perspective of elphaba (the wicked witch of the west). what if the wizard of oz movie is all wrong? that is what is explored in this book.
daedelys avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
This was such a creative book. I loved the thought of having the story from the witch's perspective and it was so well-written, my view of Oz will probably stick with this one instead of the original. I just loved it!
daedelys avatar reviewed Wicked (Wicked Years, Bk 1) on + 1218 more book reviews
This was such a creative book. I loved the thought of having the story from the witch's perspective and it was so well-written, my view of Oz will probably stick with this one instead of the original. I just loved it!

Book Wiki

Series
Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Elphaba (Primary Character)
Galinda/Glinda (Major Character)
Fiyero (Major Character)
Boq (Average Character)
Nanny (Minor Character)
(Show all 6 People/Characters)
Real Places
Fictional Places
Oz

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