Customer Reviews: Read 211 more reviews...
 Maguire's imagination receives a 10 November 18, 2008
Gregory Maguire creates an Odyssey for Liir, the presumed son of the now deceased Wicked Witch of the West. Liir, with the burned, witch's broom and cape in hand, ventures off from the castle, Kiammo Ko, in search of his true heritage and the only friend he ever knew, Nor. Is Liir the son of the Witch, Elphaba? Is Nor his half sister? Will the broom work for him? With his knack for personification, Maguire puts his readers in the adventure, and the reader comes to believe there really is an Emerald City and Munchkinland where animals and dwarfs can talk, feel and battle for good and evil. Liir has several unforgetable affairs with humans; one affair with the female, "Quadling" named Candle, and another with a male, enemy-turned-allie, and soldier for the Emerald City, a "minor Menacier," Trism bon Cavalish. With the use of flashbacks, the years and adventures pass and in the end, Candle leaves a very special gift for Liir. This gift makes for an exceptional ending, a smash, and one this writer won't give away here. Hopefully, we haven't heard the last of Liir and this special gift. Any lover of the Wizard of Oz will thank Gregory Maguire for once agian, keeping the Land of Oz alive.
 The author should have stopped with Wicked! November 17, 2008
This book contains long periods of boredom with minimal amount of interest. It is a true let down from it's predecessor. The author should have stopped while he was ahead.
 I might be in the minority here...but November 13, 2008
I think Son of A Witch was every bit as good as Wicked. Son of A Witch is the story of Liir, a young man who was raised by the Wicked Witch, but may or may not be her son. Liir's near dead body is found by travelers and brought to the mauntery for the maunts to try to heal. It just happens to be the Cloister where Elphaba once resided. It was from that same place that Elpahaba left years later with young Liir in tow. With the help of a young lady named Candle, Liir begins to heal. The thoughts running through his subconsious as he is healing tells his story starting at the point of the Witch's demise, when Liir left the castle with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man.
We follow Liir as he seperates from his companions and lives a solitary life, for the most part. He joins the military and much happens to him there that shapes the remainder of his life. We see glimpses of other characters we met in Wicked.
It is easy to see Liir as human, and making of human mistakes, some grave, but still a decent man who wants good. He desperately wants to be Elphaba's son, despite his insistance otherwise, even to himself.
I believe that Son of a Witch, despite an ending that leaves some things hanging, is the more thought out of the two books. It seems to have a clear path, telling the story of this boy who later becomes a man. I found it a very quick, and satisfing read and I hope to read any future books in this series that Maguire releases.
Son of a Witch- what a great book!! November 2, 2008
A great book all around. Dragons, wizards, witches- Oh My! Love it, love it, love it! Waiting for the musical version....
Worth the Trudge October 11, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I started to listen to this audiobook without many expectations. I'd enjoyed Wicked, but had no idea what Son of a Witch would turn out to be.
Well, to be honest, at first I was very disappointed. The story dragged, and I only trudged through it out of sheer force of will. I think I even stopped paying attention a couple of times, and quickly lost track of what was happening in the immediate scenes.
Maguire reads the audiobook with great enthusiasm for the most part (at other parts he sounds about as bored as I was), creating original voices to distinguish the characters. As an audiobook-lover, I have to say that some professional actors fail to read novels as well as Maguire. The writing itself is lush with beautiful descriptions and narrative that easily capture the imagination and let the reader 'see' Oz in a way that is somehow both real and magical. Maguire has a style that is so uniquely HIS, and it's intriguing and pleasing after reading so many cookie-cutter type authors. It was these things that contributed to my will to see the story on to its end.
And I'm so glad that I did! Somewhere around the middle of this novel, the drudgery is gone and the land of Oz becomes fascinating again! Liir becomes understandable and realistic, and I found myself completely emerged in what was happening to him. The very end of the book, which I won't spoil, absolutely solidified my enjoyment. Maguire concludes the novel suddenly, but so satisfactorily. I think I might have actually gasped at the sudden understanding and surprise I felt when two particular plotlines were cleared up. They seemed so clear once Maguire briefly pulled back the curtain to show readers what had been there all along.
In short, the pay off is worth it! Trudge through the earlier chapters, and you'll be glad that you did!
|
