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| Author: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy Used: $3.69
You Save: $12.31 (77%)
New (9) Used (17) from $3.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  1522 reviews
Sales Rank: 85745
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3
ASIN: B0006V3Q8Q
Publication Date: March 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Don't be confused that the book is like the musical! October 24, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
The book is raunchy and crude and not like the musical. I bought it for my 11 year old daughter as a preview to the musical and was informed by one of her teachers that it was inappropriate. I assumed it was like the musical and wish I had known before hand that it was not.
Oddly Disjointed October 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read this book twice before reviewing, allowing about a year between readings. The first time I had just seen Wicked and thought I was just disillusioned at how little the musical resembles this book. But the second time I truly realized - I just don't like this book!
The primary reason is that the narrative feels so disjointed. This book feels more as if it is a collection of short stories about one character, rather than a novel. In each chapter we are just coming to be interested in a supporting character or characters, when BAM! the story jumps forward x years and the nearly interesting characters are never seen or heard from again, or show up in such limited and uninteresting capacity that it makes little difference. After the second time of this happening I realized that this book was more a little series of vignettes about Elphaba, rather than a cohesive whole.
I also felt like I never truly understood the protagonist. There were a few times when her motivations were clear, but overall I had little concept of what she was really thinking and feeling about the world. I needed to be able to better identify with her in order to sympathize with her. Her characterization also feels uneven - her eventual behavior at the conclusion of the novel seems completely random.
I understand that there are a lot of "morals to the story" in this book and that it wants to study issues of prejudice and morality... but for me, there also needs to be a good strong STORY to back that up. I just didn't find that here. I need to be able to get invested in the characters, particularly the main character. But the supporting characters were constantly being whisked away, and the main character never seemed full realized.
I did love GM's other book "Confessions of a Wicked Stepsister"
A painful read October 22, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As an avid reader of fiction, I have to say that this book was a painful exercise in perseverance. I read it because it was this month's read for a book club that I wanted to join. I have enjoyed a lot of science fiction and fantasy but found this book to refer to too many imagined things to understand what was being described. I skimmed over entire pages of these descriptions because after the first few times of asking myself "What is the author talking about?" and "Is this really adding to the story or is it gibberish?" I decided that it was just boring.
Each night I would pick up the book and tell my husband "Only 200 pages left", or whatever the number and he would ask me "Are you STILL reading that book?" How can there be no character development in so many pages? I cared not at all for any of the characters and when I would get the slightest interest in one, he or she was killed, kidnapped or just never mentioned again.
I can't wait until the book club meeting to find out if anyone in the group liked it. Don't waste your time.
Tedious beyond belief October 22, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
My sister gave this to me because it was a best-seller and she assumed that meant the author knew how to tell a story in such a way as to keep the attention of the reader. She was unaware that the best-seller lists are infested with the works of authors who simply cannot tell a story well. She shouldn't have bothered. I slogged through the first half of the book more out of a sense of obligation to my sister, then I threw it to the "later" pile.
It was crass and dull and utterly without joy or wonder.
 Novel will change your perspective of "OZ" October 21, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I became enthralled by the characters Elphaba, Glinda, Nessa and many others throughout the novel. Many issues are brought to light including Animal cruelty, spirituality, inter-racial relationships, good vs. evil and political themes.
This story is a detailed (very long) yet interesting novel and one that will change my perspective of "OZ" forever.
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