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Most Helpful Favorable Review
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Wicked good
I loved these books and I was pleased to find them in this great looking volume. I found myself unable to tear away from these stories. What the author has done by fleshing out characters we thought we knew and giving them histories that place them in completely new c...
I loved these books and I was pleased to find them in this great looking volume. I found myself unable to tear away from these stories. What the author has done by fleshing out characters we thought we knew and giving them histories that place them in completely new context was brilliant. These stories however are not child friendly. With issues such as oppression of minorities, terrorism, adultery and the search for redemption to name a few I would strongly recommend that parents read the books first before deciding if it is something they want their kids reading by themselves.
posted by WilV on November 13, 2008
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9 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Left me wondering how they ever made this into a Kid-friendly Musical
I would call this book a character exploration into how the wicked witch of the west (and her sister) became known as "wicked". Maguire does an excellent job of introducing his heroine/villan as likeable and passionate. All the imagination behind the characters I would...
I would call this book a character exploration into how the wicked witch of the west (and her sister) became known as "wicked". Maguire does an excellent job of introducing his heroine/villan as likeable and passionate. All the imagination behind the characters I would consider fantastic.
The Plot was rather loose, jumpy, and almost pointless/nonexistant.
The other thing for me, which I definitely could have done without was all the gratuitous and elluded to sex. It was over the top - the onlye sex mentioned in fact would be "forbidden sex" (ie- adultry, beastiality, homosexual) No "clean" sex at all. And all the debaucherous images of nudity left me with the feeling that Maguire is a pervert who would get a kick out of sharing his depraved fantasies with a more innocent mind for at least the shock value if nothing else.
Some may be able to edit those sickening scenes out of the book and be left with the gorgeous characterizations and have a good impression of the talent of Maguire (for in my opinion he is as equally talented as he is excessively wanton).
But I could not get rid of the dirty feeling I got from reading this book - and still am left wondering #1 was it really necessary to have those licentious scenes at all? and #2 how did they make this into a family friendly musical?
The Plot was rather loose, jumpy, and almost pointless/nonexistant.
The other thing for me, which I definitely could have done without was all the gratuitous and elluded to sex. It was over the top - the onlye sex mentioned in fact would be "forbidden sex" (ie- adultry, beastiality, homosexual) No "clean" sex at all. And all the debaucherous images of nudity left me with the feeling that Maguire is a pervert who would get a kick out of sharing his depraved fantasies with a more innocent mind for at least the shock value if nothing else.
Some may be able to edit those sickening scenes out of the book and be left with the gorgeous characterizations and have a good impression of the talent of Maguire (for in my opinion he is as equally talented as he is excessively wanton).
But I could not get rid of the dirty feeling I got from reading this book - and still am left wondering #1 was it really necessary to have those licentious scenes at all? and #2 how did they make this into a family friendly musical?
posted by Hosanna on February 14, 2009
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Hosanna
Posted February 14, 2009
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Left me wondering how they ever made this into a Kid-friendly Musical
I would call this book a character exploration into how the wicked witch of the west (and her sister) became known as "wicked". Maguire does an excellent job of introducing his heroine/villan as likeable and passionate. All the imagination behind the characters I would consider fantastic.<BR/><BR/>The Plot was rather loose, jumpy, and almost pointless/nonexistant.<BR/><BR/>The other thing for me, which I definitely could have done without was all the gratuitous and elluded to sex. It was over the top - the onlye sex mentioned in fact would be "forbidden sex" (ie- adultry, beastiality, homosexual) No "clean" sex at all. And all the debaucherous images of nudity left me with the feeling that Maguire is a pervert who would get a kick out of sharing his depraved fantasies with a more innocent mind for at least the shock value if nothing else.<BR/><BR/>Some may be able to edit those sickening scenes out of the book and be left with the gorgeous characterizations and have a good impression of the talent of Maguire (for in my opinion he is as equally talented as he is excessively wanton). <BR/><BR/>But I could not get rid of the dirty feeling I got from reading this book - and still am left wondering #1 was it really necessary to have those licentious scenes at all? and #2 how did they make this into a family friendly musical?
9 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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WilV
Posted November 13, 2008
I Also Recommend:
Wicked good
I loved these books and I was pleased to find them in this great looking volume. I found myself unable to tear away from these stories. What the author has done by fleshing out characters we thought we knew and giving them histories that place them in completely new context was brilliant. These stories however are not child friendly. With issues such as oppression of minorities, terrorism, adultery and the search for redemption to name a few I would strongly recommend that parents read the books first before deciding if it is something they want their kids reading by themselves.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Bookworm1973
Posted April 27, 2009
Fantastic!
When I saw that both Wicked and Son of a Witch had been put into such a beautiful cover I was uber excited. I have already read both and also A Lion Amoung Men. This series will become a classic and I love that it was put into such a classic looking cover.
This story of the Wicked Witch of the West and her history has changed how I see her in the movie The Wizard of Oz. I do feel there are a few scenes in the book that are not necessary to the story line that are of a sexual nature and also it irritates me that there is profanity. I was hoping that my daughter would be able to read this as well and I will have to wait a few years until she is old enough.
Other than that, this book takes you on a ride that you don't want to end. It is a must read and a keeper.4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Taz4591
Posted October 22, 2010
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Interesting and Offputting
Not a book for children or those with puritanical beliefs. As of yet, I have only read Wicked. The story is interesting and, at times, off-putting. Some scenes (especially of a overly sexual nature) seem unessary. This book did stretch my vocabulary (I would invest in an electronic dictionary) and hold my interest. It is well designed with thick gilded pages and a sumptous leather cover. I enjoyed the back stores referring to other Ozites such as the Cowardly Lion, Glinda, The Wizard, and the Woodsmen. Wicked has added a new layer to the Wizard of Oz and made the movie more enjoyable for me as well as given me an insatiable desire to see the play.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 2, 2010
YUCK ! Ruined the joy
I found these books to be some of the worst written and biggest disappointments in a very long time. They were clumsy, poorly constructed, crude for no reason; basically torturing the original spirit of the Wizard of Oz. The author took a beautiful, though disturbing, fantasy and destroyed the plot, characters and general naivete' of the original story in a base attempt to fully flesh out the characters and their history/movitvations. Overall, neither story flowed effectively, both introduced unlikable new characters, made old characters unlikable and generally killed the joy of a great childhood classic by including inappropriate concepts. There is no child that should read this book. I can't think of a reason anyone should read this series. I had such high hopes for this book since the play is so successful. The website for Wicked has a great description that should be more than enough info to understand the plot.
3 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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LoveTheRain77
Posted February 27, 2010
wicked!!
Wicked was AMAZING! I totally fell in love with Elphaba! Wonderful work Great characters!!
Son of a Witch was a little more difficult to get into.. still interesting, i just didn't connect with it as much... but all in all it was a good purchase!2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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nonnadonna
Posted February 21, 2010
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A Book As Wickedly Beautiful As The Stories Within....
This is a wonderful keepsake book for anyone's personal library. Great to give as a gift for someone who loved the broadway play "Wicked" and wonders what happens next.
I think if you see the "Wicked', the play, first it definitely makes these written stories easier to read.2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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GeneticBlue
Posted April 28, 2013
I think many would bash this review based off of the love of the
I think many would bash this review based off of the love of the musical or the original OZ series. As far as the pure aesthetics of the book itself, it is well bound and designed with that front cover picture that we have all come to love. It looks fantastic on the shelf and embodies a very rich green hue against the black backdrop.
As for the writing itself, if one were to purely take a step back and call it as it is, it is fairly poor written book. The character development is weak and often confusing. The plot-lines drive into such a strong political arena, that you may think they turned a real case into fantasy just to try and make it interesting. Throw in some very awkwardly-done sexual situations, some with animals, and you have Wicked. Far be it from me to bash the author, but whoever re-wrote this for the stage is the pure genius. I bought it for the collection and its cover, and now I will be sure that no one with any time to waste does not read this.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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IgnisSerpentus
Posted December 24, 2012
Not the greatest book Ok first, the leatherbound edition: Its g
Not the greatest book
Ok first, the leatherbound edition: Its gorgeous! Absolutely stunning. I love the leatherbound series and there are a bunch of books Im planning to get (barring the ones Ive already bought) The only thing I'm wondering though, is why B&N bothered to bind this book in leather. Surely, it doesn't quite fit with the other editions to the leatherbound series. Coz this book is... uh.... not even in the same LEAGUE as the other classics that have been bound.
Now for the book review:
So my review is going to be half and half.
I was pretty excited to read this book, based on the short premise I had read. The jist, or so I thought, was the re-telling of the story of the Wizard of Oz, but from the witch's perspective. Ok, this could be good! In an evil kind of way.
I expected evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. That is, afterall, what the wicked witch of the west is supposed to be. What I got was an awkward green person who never had anything go right in her lifetime --- despite the claim that she would rise to a huge fate, yet... she couldn't even do magic. Uh, what??? If an awkward life of pain is something to aspire to, why bother with life at all? And in spite of all, while she wasn't pure by any stretch of the imagination, she upheld something of an innocence to her, that is just a turn off when it comes to WHO she was ACTUALLY supposed to be. I waited for her to turn totally revolting..... but even toward the end, it was just.... not believably so. And the greatness she was supposed to achieve??? It never happened.
Also, its a bit tawdry... I'm not even sure why, exactly. But even all the eroticism displayed in the book was.... I dunno, bland at best. Thrown in for shock value, perhaps?? Plus, sex with animals is pretty gross lol Freud would have a field day with this guy. Sexuality for the mere sake of it, does not make a good read.
It was wrought with a lot of political prowess... which I found to be quite boring. That isn't to say that someone may not take an interest in all the political leanings. Even that, would have been a fine pill to swallow, if the expectation of greatness was there, with Elphie - alas, it fell flat on its face there too.
HOWEVER... I realize... having grown up with the Wizard of Oz, that I had certain expectations.... maybe even unruly ones. Had I not known of the story beforehand, and treated this book as a stand-alone story... I prolly wouldn't have been disappointed. Or at least, not AS much so. On its own, it was a okay enuff book.... I just think that if you go in with certain expectations, or even referring to the Wizard of Oz, you may actually end up slightly bitter. Oh and DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN READ IT. Not for kiddies. Newp, it sure is not.
I don't think I will bother to read the sequel "Son of a Witch" either.... it had pretty terrible reviews, and based on my experience of Wicked, would probably be as bad. If not worse.
I'm not one to turn off readers coz I personally didn't like something, however.... so I will say, if you're interested, read it and decide for yourself. You will most likely, anyway.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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THIS is Considered a "Classic"???
I've never even HEARD of it--and I've got a college degree in English literature!
1 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Favorite book of all time in this beautiful compilation? How could I lose?!?
Wicked is my favorite book of all time, along with other books Gregory Maguire has written. When I first saw this, I couldn't get over how stunning it was, and of course I was freaking out because I absolutely love the musical as well, and they put the musical logo right smack dab in the center! I think it's wonderful that they put the first 2 books together, and I am so glad I've added it to my collection. With 2 wonderful books bound in this beautiful leather, the price is extremely reasonable and a must-have for any Wicked fan out there!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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EHD
Posted January 11, 2013
Gorgeous
Beautifully bound, vibrant colors, and a perfect addition to my library!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Well worth the confusifying terms!
I cannot tell a lie. Starting this book was like jumpstarting my Green Geo-Tracker, that was probably worth more in scrap metal; it took many tries to get going. However, after 50 pages in, I realized just how difficult it was to let it go. Re-imagining L. Frank Baum's original novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is adventuresome, but to take the 1939 American classic, The Wizard of Oz, and give it a dark twist? That takes…courage. Yes, that pun was intended.
The incredible imagination of Gregory Maguire kept me hypnotized, trying to crack open the deep connections between every character, every moment, every unsuspected turn. Wicked, at times, baffled this reader by often cutting me off just in a moment of comprehension, leaving important significance dangling, just out of reach. The green heroin Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, endures one misfortune after the other, giving an inside look to the complexity of good and evil, by stretching out all the shades of gray in her life, as well as the rest of Oz.0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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AmandaCherie
Posted August 10, 2010
Wicked
This book is absolutely beautiful and so is the story. I read Wicked and I loved it. The book is so pretty though and I keep stroking the cover. I'd buy this again any day to give as a gift. It's amazing.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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jenrs924
Posted April 26, 2010
Fantastic Book
I was extremely impressed with this book. I received it as a birthday gift and could not have been more pleased. It is so beautifully designed, the black leather with the bright green artwork and markings, it is just pleasure for the eyes. Then on to the story, the writer did sucj and excellent job introducing the characters. I found it very interesting to see characters from the movie in their youth and getting to know a little about how they came to be. I was always interested in these characters from watching The Wizard of Oz as a child. I started reading and I just could not put it down. The artwork within the book is also quite appealing. Overall I think you will enjoy this book
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Don't blame the Witch
Aw man! I'm heavy into Wicked. Can't put it down! Now I'd read the reviews about Wicked and got to hear some pretty interesting things about it. Herd it's really hard to come by, lot of hard names, and most of all lot of graphic sex. Kay I'll admit I'm not done reading it but I can see what people mean. This book is not for kids. Will never let my kids read it until they were 13+. But hey here is the thing we're reading about the Wicked Witch of the West. Her story is not going to be kid friendly. So I can understand why it's graphic. But man! This is a good book. Now I'm not the biggest fan of Wicked. Haven't seen the musical but I'm a fan. The characters to me are interesting. The author made me dislike Elphaba and her sister's mom Melena. Further on in the book he made Elphaba beast! He just took The Wicked Witch of the West and overdosed her on Viagra! I mean I'm so into Wicked that I changed my avatar into a Witch to represent beastiness that is call Elphaba. Aw man. Now hearing my review I'm still not the biggest fan. But your dang on right that I'm a fan. And plus I get this awesome B&N Leatherbound classic edition which makes the book beast to the 20th power!
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2010
Its Just Wicked!
I am probably one of the biggest fans in the world of The Wizard of Oz and most people don't like Wicked who love the Wizard of Oz... I on the other hand love it! I love how Gregory Maguire made the story of Elphaba come to life and truly explained why/ how the Wizard of Oz came to be! I love it and I encourage others to give it a chance!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Great book all around
I made the choice to see the play first and then purchase the book, which was probably a mistake as the book is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I loved the play but the book opens doors to the world of Oz that was never explained in the play. I decided to read this book for a light read after reading a very dark and heavy book "The Cult that Died." I wouldn't say its the lightest book, but it definitely takes you away to a world of fantasy and wonder.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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gorgeous
A very maculate tale.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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I love this book!
I have not been able to put this down. I am finally on the second book Son of a Witch, I do have to say this part is just as good. I can't wait to start the book Wicked the life and times of the wicked witch.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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