Wicked

The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

By: Gregory Maguire

Narrated by: John McDonough

Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Heralded as an instant classic of fantasy literature, Maguire has written a wonderfully imaginative retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.

Elphaba is born with green skin, a precocious mind, and a talent for magic. An outcast throughout her childhood in Munchkinland, she finally begins to feel as though she fits in when she enters the University in the Emerald City. While she hones her skills, she discovers that Oz isn't the Utopia it seems. She sets out to protect its unwanted creatures, becoming known as the Wicked Witch along the way.

Narrator John McDonough draws you in to Maguire's magical world of witches and talking animals, making it possible to believe in a land somewhere over the rainbow.

©1995 Gregory Maguire (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"A staggering feat of wordcraft." (Los Angeles Times)
"McDonough's excellent portrayals of Elphaba's outspoken, gravel-voiced nanny, Glinda's snobbish friends, and the wide-eyed, soft-spoken Dorothy make this excursion to Oz worthwhile." (Publishers Weekly)

Unexpected

A very evolved, believably built world surrounding the witch's life from birth to death. Not an action story; flawed and interesting characters, more human than I would have thought.

Interesting.

What did you love best about Wicked?

Elphaba

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wicked?

When Elphaba tried to talk to Nessa Rose about Oz and her treatment of animals.

What about John McDonough’s performance did you like?

The different characters he portrayed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The loyalty of the animals that Phabula took care of.

Any additional comments?

Glad I listened to this book. The story wasn't about what I expected it to be about.

I made the mistake of seeing the musical first.

No spoilers. . . it's just dated and some of the character descriptions depart necessity and stray toward the offensive. Entertaining enough, and the narration is delicious, but I won't be moving on to the second book.

prefer the play

I knew it would differ but to this extent, I would not have surmised. other family members have enjoyed this but I pushed through to see if there was a likeness to the play ending. one of my first impressions was that it clearly seemed written by a man.

Give it a chance

I learned about half way through this story, the key to enjoying it was to disassociate yourself.
This story is not The Wizard of Oz, nor is it the polished story that the musical makes it. So a reader must approach it for the philosophies and writing of the author.
This story is dense I'll admit and the authors telling of it is rough around the edges. But in a way it gives a sense of first hand retelling, not an over edited story line.
In a way this book is part novel and part biography of The Wicked Witch of the West and the politics and culture of Oz and the analysis of them.
No, it's not the finest story ever written, but I'm glad it was created. It gives a whole new dimension to Oz, one that adult readers can immerse themselves in.
Keeping the tradition of Oz alive for over 117 years is a remarkable thing and this book gets credit for breaking it open and showing the possibilities of that world for a new millennia of people.
As someone who has read the original Oz stories, I am happy that Gregory Maguire has taken Oz lovers back there for a second look.

Explains a lot!

I will start out by saying that this book is not for kids. They would be very bored by all of the socio-political conversations and situations discussed. And depending on a person's particular bias on sexuality in general, this may be beyond what some may deem appropriate for their children. However, sexuality is not the dominate subject matter by any means whatsoever.

That said, I found this book to have a depth and a conciousness that I appreciated. The manner in which the author approaches issues within the world of Oz brings light to why Elfeba was the way she was. As a person of conciousness, she was angry at the injustices of the world around her and tried to affect a positive change...albeit tinged with her own issues in regard to her skin color and questionable childhood situation. Eventually, she gets frustrated and.......

There were parts in the book where spirituality, sexuality, and political consciousness are pantomimed into unashamed and rather mature displays. These were not explicit, but definitely got the point across...clearly! I think this last is why so many people reviewing the book are so critically negative about it. Again...this book is not for kids, nor is it anything like the Oz of Judy Garland's day.

The audio performer did a great job with the different voices, and I didn't mind a male performer doing a female voice.

My only critical comment on the book is that it can get kind of "heady" with the constant political conversations. But overall, a very good listen.

Great new take on a classic story

I have read this one more than once. Great story. Interesting take on the Wicked Witch and what her life must have been like. Loved this!

Very visceral in its descritions

What did you love best about Wicked?

The idea that nothing was off limits. Most of the time authors brush over descriptions that are perhaps uncomfortable and taboo. Not Gregory he describes those topics at length.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Sometimes the pungent descriptions were too much and distracting from the story.

Have you listened to any of John McDonough’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, he is a great voice actor. In my head I have this white bearded old man. Its hard and awkward at first to hear him describe some of the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I would say the shock was just the wording of things after half way through you get over that though.

Any additional comments?

This is a creepy perspective into the land of oz. I love the creative thought behind it.

Not like the musical

This was like an audio version of bitter sweet chocolate... But way more bitter than sweet. A train wreck that you can't look away from and is truly engaging.

A pre-qual that works

Gregory Maguire did a suburb job in creating a pre-qual to the Wizard of Oz that spawned a whole series of books. This book goes through the life of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). It poses a great question: was Elphaba born wicked or turned wicked? Anyone whose read the 'Wizard of Oz' knows that the movie is WAY off the mark as far as the story goes. Here the author tries to stick with that story line with elements from the book mixed into it. This book will make you take a look at your own preconceptions and hopefully make you re-evaluate them. This book can be a stand alone or you can read the whole series. I would recommend reading this one and 'Son of Witch' because with all series it starts to decline from there until it flops.