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A review by peppypenguin
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
5.0
God this book was so intriguing! I'll never look at the Wizard of Oz in the same way again.
First of all, it's extremely well written. Everything just flows and sometimes it's almost like poetry.
The characters are very interesting and well developed. I wouldn't say there's character growth: this isn't a typical fantasy story where everyone turns for the better in the end. But they are certainly realistic, even in a setting so different from our own.
Elphaba's story is beautiful and tragic. Her strong will is so admirable and despite her shortcomings I think the author does a very good job of making the reader feel for her. The summary on the back says the book makes you question the nature of good and evil. Not only is this concept represented in the character herself and the events surrounding her, but there are actually philosophical musings on the subject that the author writes out as being present in Elphaba's thoughts. This my bother some people depending on the reader. Personally I found it added more depth and interest to the story. And it certainly gave more meaning to the end of the Witch's tale.
I think the end went by a little fast. One things kept happening right after the other in a ridiculous frenzy. But I think maybe this is done to represent the Witch's state of mind at the time, to make things chaotic.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I would strongly recommend it to anyone.
I'm almost tempted to read the original Wizard of Oz just to compare it to the original story. And I look forward to seeing the musical and what lighthearted twist they take on the story.
First of all, it's extremely well written. Everything just flows and sometimes it's almost like poetry.
The characters are very interesting and well developed. I wouldn't say there's character growth: this isn't a typical fantasy story where everyone turns for the better in the end. But they are certainly realistic, even in a setting so different from our own.
Elphaba's story is beautiful and tragic. Her strong will is so admirable and despite her shortcomings I think the author does a very good job of making the reader feel for her. The summary on the back says the book makes you question the nature of good and evil. Not only is this concept represented in the character herself and the events surrounding her, but there are actually philosophical musings on the subject that the author writes out as being present in Elphaba's thoughts. This my bother some people depending on the reader. Personally I found it added more depth and interest to the story. And it certainly gave more meaning to the end of the Witch's tale.
I think the end went by a little fast. One things kept happening right after the other in a ridiculous frenzy. But I think maybe this is done to represent the Witch's state of mind at the time, to make things chaotic.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I would strongly recommend it to anyone.
I'm almost tempted to read the original Wizard of Oz just to compare it to the original story. And I look forward to seeing the musical and what lighthearted twist they take on the story.