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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
been wanting to read this for prob over a decade but finally got around to it. i will say you can tell gregory maguire is a very talented writer although i think he goes for form over function at some point. i feel like the keywords that people use when describing this book are "weird" "dark" "mature" etc. and while i don't disagree with that characterization, i feel like it boils down what is ultimately a very nuanced and full story to its most shocking parts. the last few pages of this story are a whirlwind (no pun intended) and it took reading it over again and stewing in it for a bit to realize the meaning of it all. i definitely didn't absorb everything the words were saying but i think the mood is so well crafted. i think i prefer it as a standalone ngl so i'll probably abstain from the sequels. glad overall that i finally gave it a read. apart from mumford i really have not read many books this year LOL
Before the film musical, I would have said that this is the perfect accompaniment to the stage musical, gives more background and context to the world of Oz, and the book reads well as a fantasy book with a whole cast of characters, but since the film musical, I don’t think it adds much for my view of the story. It does add more context, but I dislike this version of Elphaba (and Glinda to an extent) and I think in the film at least, if not the stage musical as well, they are more well rounded characters. Elphaba is more passionate about the Animals, she defies the wizard, steals the Grimmerie. In the book, she meets the wizard and it’s a bit of a bland scene, then decides to go undercover. She ages a couple of decades in the book, whereas the musical is packed into a smaller time frame.
There are things I do prefer in the book, like the parallel with meeting Dorothy which we don’t really see in the musical, only a glimpse of her arriving into Oz, more characters, more about the politics and geography of the world of Oz, but I think I prefer the musical. Especially the film (which I have seen 5 times already).
I’m undecided as to whether I would read the other books in this Quartet as of yet.
If you love the musical, the book is not a must-read, in my opinion.
There are things I do prefer in the book, like the parallel with meeting Dorothy which we don’t really see in the musical, only a glimpse of her arriving into Oz, more characters, more about the politics and geography of the world of Oz, but I think I prefer the musical. Especially the film (which I have seen 5 times already).
I’m undecided as to whether I would read the other books in this Quartet as of yet.
If you love the musical, the book is not a must-read, in my opinion.
slow-paced
Wanted to read this because the movie was SO GOOD and I need to know the ending before next year. I had tried to read it once before and stopped. Now I remember why. This book is painfully boring.
We started off strong with the mother daughter incest puppet porno and it just got crazier from there! This book was absolutely wild. But it did drive me deeper into the wicked lore and I’m not really mad about that. I think I’d have to read this book ten times to understand any of it but being clueless is kind of fun.
I personally love this book. Maguire’s writing style is so captivating and I love how thought provoking the content is. It almost reads like a thesis (complimentary). Using Oz as the landscape for sociopolitical commentary is inspired and allows for comparison to current (and previous) real world problems without feeling like the book is on a soapbox. It’s intellectual and a little weird without being preachy or weird to be weird. Overall, this book is just as relevant today as it was when I read it in high school.
Elphaba is such a complex character, though Nanny might be my favorite. I love the elements of prophecy and magic though they feel like accessories to the story.
Note: While this book can be for fans of the musical, it is not like the musical at all. It’s a much deeper, less family friendly story and only resembles some parts of the skeleton of Wicked the Musical. I personally love both, but they are separate entities. This book is best for late teens to adulthood.
Elphaba is such a complex character, though Nanny might be my favorite. I love the elements of prophecy and magic though they feel like accessories to the story.
Note: While this book can be for fans of the musical, it is not like the musical at all. It’s a much deeper, less family friendly story and only resembles some parts of the skeleton of Wicked the Musical. I personally love both, but they are separate entities. This book is best for late teens to adulthood.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Half-starts and red herrings and a lack of any motivation to care about any character. Sometimes you could empathize. Sometimes you could feel the character's frustration. But you know what that frustration was? Frustration with the story! Utterly unsatisfying. It attempts to leave you with the same air of speculation and mystery with which it began. What happens, then, is nothing short of stupefaction. I slogged through 500 pages of paranoia, hurt, and crabbiness for nothing? I'll choose to forget all about it.