Wicked
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I'm surprised how many people didn't like the book.
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Cindy wrote: "I absolutely LOVED the book. It was wonderfully written and forced me to look closer at the psychological workings of the characters. I've read many one-star reviews calling it "boring" and I'm gen..."Lol i enjoyed this book. But to each their own. I thought like you it was well written and great character development. And i like the backstory of the oz the people, the politics and the atmosphere. But i didnt like the Son of the witch or the last one inthe series they were awful imo.
I couldn't say what it was about the book I didn't like. It was well written, but did not hold my interest and I just wasn't motivated to finish it. I just couldn't connect with the stories or characters. After giving up on this one I did decide to try Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and I really enjoyed it.
Holly wrote: "I couldn't say what it was about the book I didn't like. It was well written, but did not hold my interest and I just wasn't motivated to finish it. I just couldn't connect with the stories or ch..."Hmm... I wonder if our like/dislike of Wicked has to do with our feelings about the original Wizard of Oz. 'Cause I know I don't like Cinderella, so I have no interest in reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
Terra wrote: "Holly wrote: "I couldn't say what it was about the book I didn't like. It was well written, but did not hold my interest and I just wasn't motivated to finish it. I just couldn't connect with the..."I adored Wizard of Oz and still have the big illustrated copy of the book my mother read to me. Perhaps it was the politics in the story that turned me off.
I never liked the Cinderella story either, but Confessions was a wonderful historical novel without all of the fairy tale elements (Cinderella is autistic, the prince is syphilitic, etc) Completely un-Disneyfied
I like the sound of that. I will have to pick up Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and check it out.
It took me three tries to finish it! I was too young I think to when I tried to read it previously. Or maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. But, as they say, "Third times the charm."
This is off-topic, but how about Mirror, Mirror? Is it nice> I guess that is one of the only Maguire books I haven't read. I did not enjoy Lost but the others are really nice.
Terra wrote: "I absolutely LOVED the book. It was wonderfully written and forced me to look closer at the psychological workings of the characters. I've read many one-star reviews calling it "boring" and I'm gen..."I completely agree with this!! It was so beautifully written, every sentence was so carefully constructed. I found it very effective and it made me think twice about life in general. Very clever how Maguire managed to build Wicked off the Wizard of Oz, with no blips. It all connects and makes perfect sense. I can see how some would find it boring, it's very philosophical and thick with unusual words etc. But a delight to read. I cannot fault it. I am 12 and somehow I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as any adult reader would. Is there a secret writing style in which a writer can capture the attention of anyone? I think so- and Maguire has it!!!! I JUST LOVE LOVE LOOVE IT!!
I hated reading this book. I loved the musical and I also loved reading the Wizard of Oz but this book was worse than pulling my own teeth out. HORRIBLE! Although it had a few funny parts
Its not that I didn't like the books - i've gone through most of his work, but the way her writes is slow moving and THICK! Lots of descriptive and dizzying settings that are both beautiful and at the same time, not easily digested. and the themes are not simple either, because the story doesn't plod down a set standard framework like most books.CREDIT - McGuire taught me that you can make a book that is a story about a story and not a pre molded format to an ending. It rambles at times, but so does LIFE - so in this I loved it. Also, in every one of his books he takes a GIANT DUMP! on the readers at the end. There is no happy ending. He litterally craps on us in each book and we come back and say with a Tiny Tim voice 'May I have a'nother sir?'
Ok -- so I learned you can write a story and let the story LIVE and not be enslaved to a pre set formula (to a poiont) and that all endings do not have to be roses for a book to be successful.
CONFESSION - I did not, could not, read them. I listened to them on CD. Only way to get through his thick reading style. Still, its worth the journey.
So many people seem ‘stuck’ with the first version of a book or movie. They just do not accept that there can be other takes on the stories they first read or saw. They remember their first experience with the book or movie – do not want to accept a darker version or a political version or a version that is not all Tra La La Happy Happy. There are several books now that are very different takes on childhood stories. Alice in Wonderland; Santa Claus; The Easter Bunny.I have a question, I had lent Wicked to my brother to read, he said he did not like the homosexuality in it. Made me wonder if we read the same book. Or did I just miss it all together?
I couldn't get through it. I found it boring and badly written.I'm not really attached to the original Wizard of Oz. I might try reading this again because friends have been telling me they liked it.
But I honestly tried and could not read even half the book.
Its not really readable - CD's - thats the ticket. Definitely a ride worth taking, but letting someone else read as you drive or at night as you lay there and let it roll. Best way to experience this.
JoAnn wrote: "So many people seem ‘stuck’ with the first version of a book or movie. They just do not accept that there can be other takes on the stories they first read or saw. They remember their first exper..."(view spoiler)
I absolutely love Wicked, however as I progressed through the subsequent novels in this series I found I was getting bogged down by the attempt to draw correlations between popular fairy tales and modern social-political scenarios. It was not that I found the writing poor, but I had become bored with the topic and was ready to move on to other things. I recently saw the musical at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver and while I delighted in the vocal skills of the lead singers I again found myself "bored" at times. It reminded me of why I failed finish the entire series.
JoAnn wrote: "So many people seem ‘stuck’ with the first version of a book or movie. They just do not accept that there can be other takes on the stories they first read or saw. They remember their first exper...".........or maybe the politics was a total turn-off because one of the reasons I read fiction in the first place is because I wish to escape real world politics? At any rate, the boredom was overwhelming.
Personally I loved the book. I read it for the first time March 2013 and it was easily the best book I had read all year. The characters were individuals and they developed into real people. Almost nothing about them was fantastical, and that struck me as impressive considering that they were in Oz.The politics didn't bore me, on the contrary they got me thinking about how leadership works, forms and changes. It made me, for a time at least, pay more attention to politics in general. I gave the book five stars, and it is currently my favorite book of all time.
I loved his writing and I loved his parallels to both the famous film version and the original narrative. You can tell that he put time and effort into this writing and it came out very well written. I have yet to read the rest of the series, but that's because I believe that it should be a stand alone. I wanted to know about Elphaba (The Wicked Witch) and Glinda (The Good) not about Elphaba's bastard son. Who cares?? I have purchased a copy though (Son of a Witch) and will try and get through it, my expectations spectacularly low.
The people I've met who disliked the book said almost unanimously that the sexual, religious, and political content offended them too much. It really is a beautifully written book with a catching plot but I can see why so many people turn their noses at it. It's still sad they're missing out on such a great read though.
Sexual, religious, and political content - I agree. If that's the way the story falls, let it rip. So many books and authors steer clear of dangerous topics for fear of offending a reader, but McGuire is stone cold fearless. He's not afraid to give you an ending that is NOT happy either. I actually loved that. Not that I'd want it in every book I picked up or it would loose its novelty - but reading books that are written for adults and are needlessly censored or neutered totally sucks. Censorship can take a 'realistic' fantasy and pull it from the place in your head where you feel invested and touched and push it right into that safe happy place where nothing connects in a visceral way to the here and now. Yuck.
I loved the book. I even bought and read its sequel "Son of a Witch." I also loved the musical, but didn't expect it to fully adhere to the book which it didn't, but that was okay.
Shane wrote: "Sexual, religious, and political content - I agree. If that's the way the story falls, let it rip. So many books and authors steer clear of dangerous topics for fear of offending a reader, but M..."I saw the play first so I wasn't expecting such a different tale in the book, but wow was I surprised. I was expecting the happy ending but I felt the ending he gave it was more profound and honest to the story itself. Mcguire was awesome at that.
When my son recommended I read this, I have to admit I was dubious, but it drew me in immediately and I loved getting an entirely different perspective of the Land of Oz.
Confessions of an ugly step sister is everything wonderful that has nothing to do with Cinderella. Even if you don't like Cinderella, I think you would love this book.
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I was able to SEE Elphaba's transition, though I never found her to be wicked, just mentally unstable at the end. The story gave me "the feels," especially the love story between Fiyero and Fae. Aww, I'm sad now.