The classic story with a twist

Loved this book many years ago and reading it as an adult, has been a trip, talks of philosophy and spirituality that completely flew over my head blew my mind this second time around. Brace yourself for it is triggering and explicit.

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wasn't a fan of the narrator but I still enjoyed the book

After watching Wicked at the cinema and rewatching The Wizard of Oz, I decided to listen to the audiobook—and I’m so glad I did! Hearing Elphaba’s story brought Oz to life in such a vivid and captivating way.

I listened with intent and awe, completely drawn into the twists and turns of the tale. I loved it so much, and now I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series! Perfect for fans of Wicked or The Wizard of Oz.

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Not what I expected

A very hard book to listen to. Very disjointed and out there. Not sure if it is because of the common Disney version we are familiar with but definitely not what I expected. So may questions arise from this book.

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Wickard by Gregory Maguire 💜🖤

To start with I thought this was about Rain but think it's about her wiccan family iam enjoying Gregory's books this is my third one thank you Gregory Maguire and thank you John McDonough for reading to me 💖💖💖

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Originality of writing

I love the world in this book, the creatures, the uncertainty of magic throughout. I did find it a bit long, but once you're over halfway there's no going back. Would read again.

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Not for fans of the cheerful, uplifting musical

Gloomy long story with no redeeming features. The narator did a good job. Was hoping it would get better and then it ended.

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Fantastic, dark and gritty.

Far darker than anything I expected, I was absolutely gripped by Wicked right from the very beginning.

I have never seen the theatrical version, but cultural osmosis had given me some preconceived ideas about the contents of the book. I was surprised to find that my expectations were immediately contradicted by a surprising amount of grittiness within the first few chapters. For a revisionist story based on a fairy tale, Wicked is incredibly ‘adult’; covering topics like adultery, racism and radicalisation.

The book explores the question of whether evil is inherent or learnt, and blurs the lines between good and bad. I was glad to discover that Maguire doesn’t simply make The Wicked Witch a victim and Dorothy a menace. Maguire could have easily garnered readers sympathy by simply making the witch a helpless victim, but instead he makes her powerfully independent and smart. She is certainly not devoid of all blame, but when viewed with the perspective of her lived experiences, the Wicked Witch’s actions seem reasonable.

The novel is long, but the words are not wasted. Characters continue to grow and evolve through the entire book and despite knowing the outcome of the tale, one never experiences predictability. A very enjoyable read if you are open to its dark tone.

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A thoughtful spin on a classic tale which brings so much more humanity to the characters and their arcs.

Before I watched the 2024 Wicked film, I wanted to explore the source material. Firstly I read ' The Wizard of Oz' and found it was written as a child's tale. This felt so jarring as I'd already seen Wicked the Musical and was used to more defined characters with backstories. Reading this book filled in the gaps that the original take couldn't provide me. The question explored in this novel is, How does someone become evil? The corruption in this story reminds me of the propoganda news of our own time and wartimes past. With an almost 1984 or Animal Farm vibe to it, it seems sad to be left with an ending we all knew was coming (if you've seen the original Wizard of Oz film).

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Never gets old

I read this book years ago before it was adapted into a musical. It's brilliant. You can't compare this to the musical as many characters die in this version that are kept alive in the musical. Many parts of this book leave you gasping or shocked. The characters are well developed and the narration is done very well. You really get a sense of OZ, it's denizens and its history. There are many questions left unanswered which has me excited to read the rest of the series.
I love both the musical and the book equally, but they are not the same and should be treated as such. Once you've read this book you will emphasise with the wicked witch of the West and want to kill the wizard yourself. Totally recommend this book as it's become a classic in my opinion. You probably don't need to read the rest of the series to enjoy it. It stands on its own very well.

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3 people found this helpful

Better than wizard of oz

Gave this one a go as it was free, I’m glad I did. Story line is great grabs your attention, and gives you perspective you would not have regarding ‘the wicked witch of the west’

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