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Wicked
  
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Wicked (Library Binding)

by Gregory Maguire (Author), Claudia Conde (Translator) "From the crumpled bed the wife said, "I think today's the day ..." (more)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (589 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 29.87 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Wicked + Son Of A Witch: Volume Two In The Wicked Years + A Lion Among Men: Volume Three In The Wicked Years
Total List Price: CDN$ 57.75
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Product Description

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. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.


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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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From the crumpled bed the wife said, "I think today's the day. Read the first page
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589 Reviews
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4.1 out of 5 stars (589 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, Aug 28 2007
This review is from: Wicked Musical Tie-in Edition (Paperback)
Have you ever read a popular book and wondered why it was so popular? That's exactly how I felt as I worked my way through WICKED. Actually, that's not entirely true. I know why it's a New York Times Bestseller. Part of it has to do with the reason I picked the book up in the first place. I expected a light, fairy tale-like story. It's based on a children's book. There's a Broadway musical about it. Sounds like it should be fun, right? Uh, not quite. I get the feeling, though, that a lot of people thought as I did and bought WICKED looking for an easy-to-read lead-up to THE WIZARD OF OZ. I wonder how many of them finished reading the book when they figured out the truth?

Although to be fair, WICKED doubtless also owes some of its popularity to the fact that it's a well-written, literary novel that can be appreciated by well-read, literary-type people. Unfortunately, I'm really not one of those. Giving me a piece of deep, meaningful literature is like giving a copy of Hemingway's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA to a manatee. In other words, I was disappointed. My disappointment was partly in the book for not fulfilling my expectations, and partly in myself for not being able to appreciate a quality literary effort.

In case you've been living in a hollowed out tree for the last couple of years and haven't heard about the play, WICKED is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and how she became the Wicked Witch of the West. The book delves far deeper into the witch's life and times than any musical could in only two hours, however. In the book version of WICKED, readers are introduced to the witch, whose real name is Elphaba, when she is first born. She's green and has dangerous, pointy teeth. Needless to say, she's not too popular with the other children. Even her parents aren't too sure about her.

As the story progresses, we see Elphaba at college. She falls in with a number of fellow students, some of whom are more and others less accepting of the strange green girl. It's not just her skin color that's different, though. Elphaba thinks and acts differently than other people. And she has this aversion to water.... Well, we all know how that turns out for her.

The book is an interesting departure from the Oz books, including such details as why the Cowardly Lion is able to talk, and the fact that everyone in Oz thought Dorothy's dog, Toto, was the most irritating thing to ever draw breath. I wish, however, that I could have liked some of the characters. No one was particularly likeable, as far as I was concerned. Even Elphaba, who readers should have had some sympathy for, seemed odd to me, and I never understood her motivation for anything she did. In other words, I could have gotten over the fact that she was green, but it really bothered me that she didn't act normal. Also, a word of warning: Even though these are essentially fairy tale characters, this book treats them like adults, complete with sex, swearing, and the occasional murder. Younger readers should steer clear, and older readers should be aware of what's in store here.

In general, I recommend this book for OLDER readers who are huge fans of the Oz books or the Wicked play and want to go deeper. According to my husband, who is capable of appreciating fine literature, it also has literary merit. But for those of us who want to keep our memories of the Oz stories as sweet as the old Judy Garland film was, those readers might want to be careful around WICKED.

Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but at times a little slow, May 25 2007
By Babyblue Kelly "Paperback Princess" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Wicked (Paperback)
I picked this up at a used bookstore b/c I had heard so many things about it and I thought the idea of telling a story from the "bad guys" P.O.V. would be really interesting. I also got Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister but I haven't read it yet.

This book tells the story of the Elphaba (aka the wicked witch of the west) from her birth all the way to her meeting with Dorothy that ends her life. Throughout the book are many interesting tidbits, when the wizard arrives, the meeting of Galinda/Glinda the "good witch", where the ruby slippers came from, more about Elphaba's sister Nessarose who will be the witch crushed by Dorothy's house. Lot's of interesting stuff.

Unfortunatly the bad thing about this book is it's tendancy to go off topic and perhaps a bit too into detail about certain characters/events that really aren't that interesting. Plus there is a lot of politics and the idea of power throughout the story and it's hard to ever really see who is the good and who is the bad.

I still think the book is worth reading though, but I didn't find it to be a can't put it down sort of novel. Definetely worth it if you have the time and interest to read an odd book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay., Jun 11 2007
This review is from: Wicked (Paperback)
I like the idea of his books better than the actual books it seems. This one actually had a somewhat engaging main character but the book as a whole left me feeling that about a hundred pages got left out of my paperback by accident.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars No where near worth the hype!
I've never tried harder to get through a book because I was sure it would get better, it doesn't. A dull disjointed story, uninspired characters, and little plot or anything to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jeff Hansen

4.0 out of 5 stars Deffently a worth while read
I had heard several different views on this book. So I decided to giver a shot. I like it. Pre knowing the ending is a little bit of a disappointment, but on the same note, the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Stephanie Martin

5.0 out of 5 stars Wicked is wicked!
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Elphaba is a heroine of our times. A classic novel ... read it, you won't regret it. :)
Published 20 months ago by Samantha

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Not in Kansas
I had some trouble getting in to this book at first because I grew up reading the Baum OZ books and had grown accustomed to his point of view. Read more
Published 22 months ago by N. Blackmore

5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing
An amazingly insightful novel. Maguire teaches us that black isn't as black and white isn't as white as first appearances seem
Published on Oct 22 2007 by R. Corson

4.0 out of 5 stars It's not easy being green...
Wicked was the first book in our newly formed book club, and between us, people either hated it or loved it. Read more
Published on Jul 31 2007 by maya j

5.0 out of 5 stars Courage, Brains, and Heart
This is a gorgeous novel. The writing is beautiful, every scene dances off the paper and paints itself like a magnificent oil portrait in your mind. Read more
Published on Mar 10 2007 by Selena Elizabeth

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanted worlds
What kind of a place is Oz, and what kind of people live there? "The Wicked Witch of the West," learns that nothing is as it appears. Read more
Published on Nov 21 2006 by car reader

3.0 out of 5 stars Not awful, but certainly not Great.
Due to recommendation, and a love of the musical, I decided to purchase this book. I hated the old Wizard of Oz movie, and I was excited about the storyline changing the nature... Read more
Published on Jul 5 2006 by Jaycub

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great concept that doesn't quite pan out
No one's the villain in their own story, so this story should have been a brilliant re-interpretation/fracturing of The Wizard of Oz as per The Wicked Witch of the West. Read more
Published on Mar 17 2006 by L. Laushway

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