This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in the classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we heard only one side of the story. But what of her arch-nemisis, the mysterious witch? Long before Dorothy drops in, a girl is born in Oz with emerald-green skin. Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous witch, is a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived ideas about the nature of good and evil. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world. Gregory Maguire's novel is a rich and triumphant feat of imagination and allegory. It is an acclaimed New York Times bestseller and the inspiration for a hit Broadway musical, and has sold over two million copies.
The book I've been looking forward to reading for ages is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I first heard of this story when the stage production came to the West End in Britain.I thought the concept was brilliant - I don't usually enjoy reading books that have taken someone else's work and added to it but, for some reason, the idea of seeing it from the perspective of 'the bad guy' sounded really appealing. (As does Gregory Maguire's other novel, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.)
For a very long time I avoided buying it because my TBR pile never seems to shrink. I promised myself that I'd buy it as a reward for getting through my pile. A few weeks ago, however, after yet another failed job interview I wandered into Borders and decided to cheer myself up. I bought a copy and it's on top of my TBR, ready to read.
The reason I didn't read it straight away when I bought it? My "to review" books from The Book Bag were taking a priority, and now I'm waiting until I've attempted to finish my Classics Challenge. Once that's done, Wicked'll be next.I really hope I enjoy this. I mean, I don't really read too much fantasy (though I have been getting into it a lot lately) and considering how long I've been waiting to get my hands on this book, I think I deserve a good reading session - Especially as Gregory Maguire's other books sound just as awesome.
Have you read this? What did you think?
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15 comments:
ooohhh, I'm in love with fantasy lately. But never heard about Wicked. But sounds great. I'll add it to my wishlist. I loved Wizard of Oz, so I'm sure I'll love this book too.
Hope you enjoy this too Ceri.
I haven't read this, nor have I read the original Oz books. After seeing the movie so many times as a kid, I'm not sure I'd want to...I'd like to see your review! That always helps to encourage and motivate me.
I'm one of the few (if the only one) who hates The Wizard of Oz. But I LOVED this book. I'm all about cheering for the Wicked Witch of the West, but it definitely gets you thinking about what it means to be misunderstood by everyone. The soundtrack to the musical is FABULOUS! I haven't had the chance to see it on stage yet, but the soundtrack really captures the feelings behind the book. I know that you will enjoy it!
Violet - Yeah, I'm wondering whether to read the first Oz books first because I've only seen the film. If you like fantasy apparently this is a great one to give a go :-D
Amanda - Awww, that's so nice. I'll definitely be putting a review up for it once I've read it. :-)
Michelle - I *love* books told from the point of view of the 'bad guy.' I haven't heard the soundtrack yet but have always wanted to see the musical. If I like this book I'll definiteyl be wanting to get tickets. :-D
I read this for a book club about two years ago and was really surprised at how much I liked it and it generated some really good group discussions over Vegetarian cuisine (which had to do with the capital 'A' animals in the book). I'll watch for your review.
I read Wicked earlier this year, and I'm sorry to say I didn't care for it. It was a great concept, but it just didn't work for me. Here's a link to my review:
http://wellmanneredfrivolity.blogspot.com/2009/01/wicked-life-and-times-of-wicked-witch.html
These look really good. I'll check them out :D
I haven't read this but I've heard it's good! Can't wait to read your review on it!
I loved Wicked so much more than the other Maguire books, I have a hard time believing they are written by the same person. Not that I hated Lost, Mirror, Mirror, or the others, I just fell so hard for Wicked it ruined me for the other books. :)
My Geeks is here: http://eclectcentric.blogspot.com/2009/08/weekly-geeks-its-about-time.html
I'd like to read Wicked too, but haven't - so many books, so little time
Kerri - That's pretty cool. :-) Did you write a review on your blog for it?
Susan - I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I'll definitely give your review a read when I've read the book. :-)
Faye - That's cool. They do look good. I'd like to see you review it too. :-D
Mel - Thank you. :-D
Trisha - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can't wait to read his others too. :-D
Kristen - Too right. My TBR list has had about 60-70 books on it for the last two years. It never seems to get smaller.
Too much hype has put me off this book!
Weekly Geeks: Why haven't I read it yet?
Gautami - Yeah, I know how that can be. So many books I don't want to read because of the hype but curiosity always gets the better of me.
I bought two of Maguires books one day. I read one and wasn't all that impressed and so haven't read the second one yet, which was Wicked. I nearly gave it a go after seeing the musical last year, but haven't managed to do so yet.
Marg - Which one weren't you fussed on? :)
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