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Wicked Musical Tie-in Edition : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West | 
 enlarge | Author: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy Used: $4.00
You Save: $12.00 (75%)
New (7) Used (14) from $4.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  1510 reviews
Sales Rank: 380505
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3
ASIN: B0006V3Q8Q
Publication Date: March 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: well read but clean fast shipping in a padded mailer
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Product Description
Following the traditions of Gabriel GarcIa Marqu,z, John Gardner and J.R.R. Tolkien, Wicked is a richly woven tale that takes us to the other, darker side of the rainbow as novelist Gregory Maguire chronicles the Wicked Witch of the West's odyssey through the complex world of Oz -- where people call you wicked if you tell the truth. Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald-green skin -- no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or to overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. But Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters the university in Shiz, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz' most promising young citizens. Elphaba's Oz is no utopia. The Wizard's secret police are everywhere. Animals -- those creatures with voices, souls and minds -- are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals -- even it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Even wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl from Kansas. In Wicked, Gregory Maguire has taken the largely unknown world of Oz and populated it with the power of his own imagination. Fast-paced, fantastically real and supremely entertaining, this is a novel of vision and re-vision. Oz never will be the same again.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1505 more reviews...
 Love it or hate it?? October 2, 2008
I know that some people really enjoyed the book, but I was not a fan. I can honestly say that I never hated a book until I read this one. It was incredibly slow, had a lot of GRAPHIC and equally DISTURBING content, and there was no resolution. I agree with an earlier review that I felt absolutely no connection to the characters, and didn't care what happened to them. I didn't know if I was supposed to feel sorry for Elphaba, or if he meant for me to hate her, but at the end, I just hated everyone in the book. No endearing qualities for anyone in Oz, apparently.
 My new favorite October 2, 2008
I love, love, LOVED this book. It was so much more dark and twisty than I had expected, as I'm familiar with the musical version (nothing alike) and I was so pleasantly surprised. I had anticipated this book to be somewhat juvenile, but it really surpassed my expectations -- it was incredibly adult (I know I felt myself blushing a few times on the subway, shielding it from my fellow passengers!) By the end of the book I felt very familiar with the world of Oz, as though I was right there with them. Maguires descriptions made me feel so much like I was a part of the action, and really got me involved in the story. I will admit that this story is not for everyone, KNOW what you're getting yourself into, it is not a Frank Baum tale!
 Is evil born or made? October 2, 2008
This books touches on politics, religion, adolescence, childhood, death, and many other facets of life. However, these are sometimes too brief and undeveloped. It was a good read in that is was different and unique. The author may have tried to make it too many things to too many people. Definetly a creative and unpredictable perspective on a story most of us know. Just wish it wouldn't have left off with so many unanswered questions, it seemed a bit rushed at the end. This was far from an unworthy read, it just could have been better.
Disappointed October 2, 2008
After hearing so much about Wicked, I decided to pick it up at the bookstore to see what all the hype was about. I'm only about halfway through the book, and I'm not sure I'll be able to make myself finish the other half. The storyline has so far been painfully plodding and dull, without even the benefit of likeable or charismatic characters to keep me interested enough to continue. There was so little character buildup with any of them that they all tend to sound equally irritating with the unnecessarily flowery language. The plot is vague and confusing at this point, and doesn't show any signs of improving. On the whole, I'm not sure why this book has gotten so many rave reviews, although I'm glad it was made into a musical, because I DID enjoy that performance. Too bad the written version doesn't share the same appeal.
 A 'Wickedly' Good Read October 1, 2008
There was so much to this book. It would be redundant of me to comment on the specifics of this book - it was however very entertaining and enjoyable to read. The main character, The Wicked Witch of the West, was thought provoking in her thoughts, words and deeds.
Plan on staying up late a few nights!
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