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adiereadsbooks 's review for:
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
by Gregory Maguire
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
To quote Gregory from his Authors Note: "But my Oz was even more toxic and dangerous than it appears on stage"
When I picked up this book I expected something similar to the play and the recent musical however THE BOOK IS ITS OWN ENTITY. The book begins with the use of graphic details and concepts that was NOT at all expressed in the play. This took me by surprise and as a result I did not enjoy the first half of the book. If you have seen the play/watched the movie, please do yourself a favor and do not compare them to the book. It will make the book much more enjoyable.
By the end of the book, I truly did enjoy the complexity within each part how everything tied together.
HOWEVER during the first roughly 70% of the book I did not feel that way. When I began reading, I felt the book wanted to address real-world complex topics (such as religion, politics, acceptance) at the same time of being a lighthearted fantasy novel. Gregory's tone changed constantly from using excessive and frivolous language to skipping details. The book covers the birth to death of the Wicked Witch of the West leading to gaps within the storyline. Each Part felt like an entire new book in itself (especially considering the change in perspective in each part) until the Final Part ties everything together. Overall I like the premise of the plot, and did enjoy the ending. However each character and part could have gone into more depth, without long winded side tangents to truly grasp everything Gregory was trying to display about Oz and life in general within his novel.
If you made it this far in my rambling, thank you and you will most certainly enjoy the book by the end too.
When I picked up this book I expected something similar to the play and the recent musical however THE BOOK IS ITS OWN ENTITY. The book begins with the use of graphic details and concepts that was NOT at all expressed in the play. This took me by surprise and as a result I did not enjoy the first half of the book. If you have seen the play/watched the movie, please do yourself a favor and do not compare them to the book. It will make the book much more enjoyable.
By the end of the book, I truly did enjoy the complexity within each part how everything tied together.
HOWEVER during the first roughly 70% of the book I did not feel that way. When I began reading, I felt the book wanted to address real-world complex topics (such as religion, politics, acceptance) at the same time of being a lighthearted fantasy novel. Gregory's tone changed constantly from using excessive and frivolous language to skipping details. The book covers the birth to death of the Wicked Witch of the West leading to gaps within the storyline. Each Part felt like an entire new book in itself (especially considering the change in perspective in each part) until the Final Part ties everything together. Overall I like the premise of the plot, and did enjoy the ending. However each character and part could have gone into more depth, without long winded side tangents to truly grasp everything Gregory was trying to display about Oz and life in general within his novel.
If you made it this far in my rambling, thank you and you will most certainly enjoy the book by the end too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Sexual assault, Murder, Colonisation