Comments on: Book review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

By: jemma

jemma — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:29:31 +0000

It was suggested we read this book for our book group as one of the group had already read it and thought it amazing, in particular to the ‘nature or nurture’ debate. I found it terrible, terible, absolutely terrible.
Thank God I am not the only one. Its a shame this is where Maguire chooses to expand his talent.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:40:21 +0000

Joel,

I’d love to read a good take on Oz, and Geoff Ryman’s a terrific writer. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!

By: Joel Bass

Joel Bass — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:32:24 +0000

Yes! I completely agree. I actually enjoyed the middle part, with the politics of the talking-animal world. Interesting idea. But as with most things in the book, it doesn’t seem to go anywhere, and I thought the beginning and end were both dismal, for all the reasons you mentioned. Glad someone could take this and make it into a fun musical, I guess.

I know Maguire’s book has probably put you off all Oz-related fiction, but I do highly recommend Geoff Ryman’s “Was”, which sticks to the “real world,” but tells the story of the fantasy world of Oz weaving its way through several real people’s lives. Beautiful, moving, all the things “Wicked” was not.

By: Ralph Williams

Ralph Williams — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:46:54 +0000

Good for you! I got about 2 pages into it and couldn’t take it any longer.

By: Edward Willett

Edward Willett — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:51:46 +0000

Glad to know we weren’t the only ones to feel that way.

I wonder if some of the rapturousness that greeted the book in some circles is because those reviewers never sully their minds with good fantasy that’s actually published as such? I can think of any number of lowly genre fantasists who could have done something spectacularly better with the same concept.

By: Diane Walton

Diane Walton — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:34:32 +0000

Thanks, Ed! I thought I was alone in my utter disdain for that book. I bought it in good faith, figuring with all the hype, that it might actually be a good read. But it was such a chore, that I will not be buying any of the sequels.