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)

A whole new look at the wicked witch.

Our writer really dove into the characters in the story we all know and love. Great imagination was necessary to present the witch to us in this form. To give the reader a look into who she was and where she came from,,and why.
When I was a child I would watch the movie and be afraid of her, now I will see it in a whole new light. If your in love with "Wizard of OZ " then you may not want to taint that. This story will. For me it was in a good way. Some die hard fans may feel like the story has taken out the magic in the movie.
All in all. A good read..

just finished Wicked

loved it easy listdn interesting perspective and great audio. I will do another. I recommend ATW

Two sides to every story

Wicked is a clever and captivating story as well as a thought provoking social commentary. Juxtapositioning the witch as the unlikely hero and the wizard as the politically motivated villian illustrates that there are two sides to every story.

Great all around

A great adult take and background on the wicked witch and all of Oz. Note this story is not about Dorothy and all for the better!

enjoyed the story very much

I've never been one to care for the wizard of Oz, but this story was quite different but made for my enjoyment. I hope others enjoy it as much

Very Long, but a Good Story

Would you recommend Wicked to your friends? Why or why not?

Maybe, the book was very long and at points you could find yourself falling asleep. It dragged on for too long... Just watch the play

Not the musical

I love the Broadway musical based on the book, unfortunately the charm from the musical isn't in the book. The book writes women as stupid and feckless. The only woman with any strength (Elphaba) is written as a bumbling angry woman. Finishing this incredibly depressing book was difficult and it doesn't make me want to pick up the rest of series.

Wordy but Interesting

This was an interesting and thoroughly thought out take on this story. I appreciated the creativity but it was incredibly wordy at times. There were also elaborate plot points that were never really explained fully. It kept me going though. Any time I started to get bogged down, something really interesting would happen.

Wickedly Great

I admit, I watched it in musical form before listening to the book. I am still a little thrown off by how different the two were, but loved both equally. The book of course gave a more complete back story which just draws you in and has you falling in love more and more with all the characters. So worth it!

Great Story

You learn so much about the wicked witch of the west. Who she was and how she became to be that iconic character. Loved this book narrator did a good job to keep it entertaining.