DNF @ 45%:

I really gave it a good go. I put in a lot of effort and tried my best. However, it just wasn't meant to be for me. Maybe it was the complexity of the task, or perhaps it was my own limitations. But in the end, I had to admit defeat at 45%. Oh well!

It's okay to not succeed at everything we attempt. Sometimes, we learn more from our failures than from our successes. This experience will surely teach me something valuable and make me stronger for future challenges. I'll pick myself up and move on, ready to take on whatever comes my way.

Although I didn't finish this particular task, I'm still proud of the effort I put in. I know that I did my best, and that's all that really matters. So, here's to the next adventure and the opportunities it may bring!

Instead of my typical complaining style, this review will be presented in list form.

Things That I Truly Wish Gregory Maguire Had Taken the Trouble to Explain and That Might Have Made Wicked Worth Reading:

• Why Elphaba is green.


• Why Elphaba cannot touch water.


• The "Philosophy Club" which seemed like a strange sex club introduced in the middle of the story and then never mentioned again.


• How it's physically possible that Elphaba gave birth to a son but may not actually have because she doesn't remember it. (Maguire's explanation that she was drugged with sedatives throughout the pregnancy and thus can't tell if she had a kid is rather unconvincing. Come on, Greg, I know you're a guy, but there's no drug on earth or in Oz that makes a woman unable to remember giving birth.)


• What the hell the Clock of the Time Dragon was and how it can give puppet shows revealing the deep dark secrets of characters' pasts.


• Why Elphaba wanted the magic slippers so much.


• The backstory of the Scarecrow and why he hated the Wicked Witch of the West. (The Tin Man and Lion are explained, but by the time Maguire had to come up with a story for the Scarecrow, he似乎 had run out of creative juices. As a result, the Scarecrow just shows up with the others at the witch's castle, and even Elphaba can't figure out why he's there.)

UPDATE: I didn't want to be a jerk, but I'm compelled to issue the following public service announcement.

ATTENTION POTENTIAL COMMENTERS: I appreciate that you want to take time out of your busy day to offer explanations for some or all of the questions I raised above. HOWEVER, before you do, I suggest you read through ALL THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN POSTED explaining various aspects of the book that I'm too stupid to understand. IF, after reading every single comment, you still think you have something truly original and astonishing to say that hasn't already been pointed out countless times, then by all means post your comment. If not, please be aware that the book's numerous flaws have already been explained to me by dozens of people, and one more person telling me "it's a really good book, you just have to read it twenty times before you understand MaGuire's genius!" won't persuade me to change my one-star rating in any way.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

I had no inkling of what to anticipate from this particular work. However, as I delved into a few chapters, it dawned on me that this was the backstory preceding Dorothy's visit in "The Wizard of Oz"!!! Even more significantly, it is the backstory of the "Wicked Witch of the West", presenting a mature audience's re-imagining of Oz and its well-known and beloved characters, ranging from Oz himself to the Munchkins. And lo and behold, this was a resounding re-imagination that completely blew my mind!

I truly relished reading this, far more than the original series. On numerous levels, this one is superior. From the intricate family dynamics to the nuanced portrayal of the reality's politics, it offers a depth that the original lacked. Three quarters of the way through the book, I found myself having a rather unexpected thought: I wanted Dorothy and Toto to get "wacked" :D This is easily the best fantasy long-form storytelling re-imagination I have ever come across. It's a rarity for me, but I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone reads this one. It definitely earns a very firm Four Star rating, and out of 12 reads, it stands at 8.

2025 read

Years ago, when I was in high school, I read this book.

When I eventually added it to my Goodreads, apparently I put it on my favorites shelf and gave it five stars.

Not gonna lie, before I finished it for the second time and went to put it on my currently reading shelf again, I'm not sure I would have said that I felt that way.

The movie adaptation of the Broadway musical inspired me to pick this up again. Spoiler alert, I've never seen the musical. While I was aware of the differences made, I wasn't so aware of how much I would actually hate those differences until I was rereading this.

During the process of reading this book, I subjected my Patrons on Patreon to an absurd number of videos detailing my thoughts. In some ways, this reread has been derailed by my battle over whether I truly appreciate this book or if I just hate Stephen Schwarz that much. In the end, I think it's a bit of both.

I enjoy this version of Elphaba a lot more. Even though little of the book is from her perspective, she feels like a much more self-confident person, with a spine, her own ideas, and wants. She feels like a realized person. If there's a weak link, I do think it's the third act. A lot of the text grapples with the idea of predestination, but in the final part of the story, the book feels tied to the tracks of the MGM movie and Baum's original text. It's not necessarily the most interesting part of the book as you're supposed to know what happens and there isn't any further reasoning by that point. However, I don't think it ruins anything, let alone all the things that have happened before then.

Going in, I also felt that the book spent a lot of time sitting with itself, but was surprised to see just how little I actually felt that way while reading. Pacing wise, I think the book actually moves at a pretty decent clip. If anything, reading this made me mourn the fact that we won't get an adaptation that's not the musical, certainly not anytime soon. For as much as the musical wants to borrow from the source material, or however more Chu pulls for his movie adaptation, so much is lost in the framing of events and the way characters are compressed for time.

In 2025, I might continue on with The Wicked Years just to see if my love of this story will continue or if it is for this particular installment.

As far as fairy tales are concerned, adults often recall them as simple moral stories that illustrate how things can go awry if one desires the wrong things. Although adults may have a certain fondness for these tales, they are not usually dissected, interpreted, or believed in beyond the surface level.

The brilliance of Maguire's books lies in his ability to understand that the fantasy world and the real world can be unified by infusing the mystical with difficult situations, realistic emotions, and the simple human spirit. Even in the realms he creates, some of which are fantastical and others rather simple and ordinary earthly places, he manages to prove that life occurs everywhere. People experience jealousy, resentment, and hurt. There is no sugarcoating, and there is not always a straightforward solution to every problem.

He does not aim to create a beautiful or perfect world. Instead, it seems that he intends to take the perfect and pretty worlds we are accustomed to and transform them into something we dislike about ourselves. He fills his pages with the things that humans are reluctant to admit about themselves, and in several cases, he even makes us sympathize with characters who we once hated as children.

It is easier to believe that there is a clear line between good and evil, between do and don't. In reality, if things were so simple, wouldn't human beings encounter fewer struggles?

I love "Wicked." The once negatively portrayed green queen of evil from Oz (as I liked to call her) is placed in very sad situations, situations that seem so strange, and yet, she experiences emotions in the same way we all do. It allows me to look at people I had once regarded as enemies and see that they had human nature within them long before they became my "enemies." They had feelings that led them to their current positions.

Many people may not find a clear and straightforward moral in this book. They may think it is dull or that it fails to meet the standards of "The Wizard of Oz." However, I am not afraid to say this, darlings... but we are no longer in Hollywood's Oz.

In fact, if you properly read Baum's original Oz books, you will find that Oz was a rather morbid and cynical place. Aside from the names and places, "Wicked," the "The Wizard of Oz" movies, and Baum's Oz books do not have much in common. They each have their own missions.

Just like Elphaba and Dorothy had their own missions.

I don't have an in-depth knowledge of the wizard of oz. Therefore, I'm certain that I overlooked some connections.

Nevertheless, I truly relished this book. The characters were simply endearing.

I wasn't quite sure what constituted 'normal magic' and what was regarded as peculiar even among them.

The story had a certain charm that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Despite my lack of familiarity with the wizard of oz, I was able to appreciate the unique world and the adventures that the characters embarked on.

It made me wonder about the different types of magic and how they functioned within the context of the story.

Overall, it was a great read that left me with a sense of wonder and a desire to explore more about this fascinating world.

I thought this book was both good and sad. I had a vague recollection of listening to it on tape years ago, but in reality, I couldn't remember a thing.

I truly felt sorry for Elphaba, the so-called wicked witch of the west. From the moment she was born green, she was not loved by her parents or many people in the world. She was merely tolerated, and only a select few liked her. It's just like in normal society where people are prejudiced against anything different. I'm guessing that such treatment would turn a lot of people wicked. But in my mind, she wasn't really wicked. I thought she was awesome for fighting for the animals, as I am a wildlife activist myself. She always tried to be nice and make friends with people, but they just rejected her.

I don't understand why her parents loved her younger sister so much. Her sister was born with deformities yet was treated like a queen. It seemed strange to me, but perhaps I missed something. Her sister did end up becoming the wicked witch of the east.

The book was strange in many ways, and I often found myself thinking "what is going on" throughout a significant portion of it. Even so, I very much loved reading about Elphaba's birth and her life growing up.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. I just hope I don't get too confused in those!

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

  

I'm really having a hard time rating this book.

It was only last week during Thanksgiving break that I found out it was a book. During that break, I was dragged to the movie three times and at one of those screenings, I was informed that both the musical and the movie were based on a book. Naturally, I had to read it. And of course, as I discovered, the musical and movie were "Disneyfied" (even though Disney didn't produce either). After reading the book, I now understand why they had to do that to have any hope of commercial success.

The book is more like the original Brothers Grimm fairytales - dark, raw, sad, bloody, and unrestrained. It's also quite long as it follows Elphaba from her conception and every development milestone up to, presumably, her mid to late 30s. This includes her realizing she can forge her own path, create her own reputation and use it to her best advantage, experiencing love, fighting for her convictions, being lovable, being powerful and feared, having a maternal side, making mistakes, being undone, and facing innocence.

On one hand, I really enjoyed seeing this version of the story unfold. On the other hand, I'm extremely frustrated that she never got the two things she always wanted (I won't spoil it, but both are related to the two most important men in her life). Also, a few digressions were really distracting, and I hope they are further explored and developed in later books (for example, her father's confession about what Turtle Heart meant to her parents, the fact that she has a brother who was probably only mentioned a few times, the colonization of the Quadling, etc.).

Writing this book was truly a remarkable feat. I enjoyed the reading experience even though the story had some holes and several characters ended without proper closure. I think it's always crucial to see the world through other people's eyes. I guess it feels like a 3.5 that I'll round up to 4.

Don't waste your precious time! And by all means, don't let your teenager read it.

I persevered and read to the very bitter end of this book, holding out hope that suddenly, miraculously, it would all come together in a glorious flash of a beautiful, meaningful allegory that would somehow make all the nonsense and junk worth it. But no such luck.

When I finally finished, I was just really angry that I'd squandered so much time on it, constantly hoping that it would pull through and redeem itself.

Not only did it delve into some rather kinky and strange stuff, but it was also just plain boring and made no sense to me at all.

If you're interested in it solely because of the Broadway musical, don't bother either. The only similarity between the musical and this book is the basic identities of the characters. The storylines are completely different.

It's truly a disappointment and a waste of time.

I happened to come across this book while browsing at the thrift store close to my apartment. I decided to purchase it simply because the first couple of pages caught my attention and seemed interesting. For some unknown reason, it didn't occur to me at that time that this was the novel that served as the predecessor to the famous Wicked musical.

To my great surprise, I found this book to be truly wonderful. It filled a void in my heart that I wasn't even aware existed. I have a longing for the kinds of retellings that build complex political worlds with real-world implications. The characterization in this book was outstanding. Each character was flawed and at times aggravating, yet they were also endearing and easily distinguishable from one another. The unique names given to the characters contributed to this as well. The writing style was exactly the kind of prose that I have a craving for. If you, like me, miss the 2012-dystopian-fantasy-retelling era that kick-started the young adult/new adult craze that we are currently in, I highly recommend giving this book a try.

Although I cannot recommend it enough, it's important to know your own taste. I don't believe this book is suitable for everyone. However, I do think that if you do happen to like it, you will absolutely love it. Yes, it's that kind of book.

I've pretty much given up on purchasing lunch at my workplace cafeteria. No matter how frequently the description of the daily entrée gets my salivary glands working, the final outcome is always extremely disappointing.

The food looks as if it ought to be delicious. There's braised beef that seems savory, fresh-looking tomatoes that are supposed to impart a robust flavor, and colorful specks of herbs that suggest a certain deliciousness and make the stomach growl.

So, it comes as a fresh shock to the system almost every time when it turns out to be just a trick. Doesn't it require a particular kind of talent to begin with what seem to be such promising ingredients and then create a dish as completely bland and as pitifully uninteresting as that cafeteria food always ends up being?

Well, doesn't it?

Today I had a significant discovery.

I learned that "Wicked" the book and "Wicked" the musical are two very distinct entities.

The book presents a detailed and complex narrative, delving deep into the characters' thoughts, emotions, and backstories. It offers a rich and immersive reading experience, allowing the reader to explore the magical world of Oz from a unique perspective.

On the other hand, the musical brings the story to life in a completely different way. With its powerful music, stunning visuals, and dynamic choreography, it creates a captivating and unforgettable stage production. The musical emphasizes the emotional and theatrical aspects of the story, engaging the audience on a visceral level.

Despite their differences, both the book and the musical have their own unique charm and appeal. They each offer a different way of experiencing the story of "Wicked," and together they have become beloved by fans around the world.