Wicked 鈥� Reader Q&A

Questions About Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1)

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Answered Questions (26)

I wish I had read the reviews before I purchased this book for my daughter after seeing the musical. Very glad I read it before she had looked at it. Hated it. Never before have I ever said I hated a book. Hated it. Completely?

Mercey No it's not a kids book. It's also not the exact same as the Musical either. Perhaps if you'd read the book before seeing the musical you'd have liked鈥辞谤别No it's not a kids book. It's also not the exact same as the Musical either. Perhaps if you'd read the book before seeing the musical you'd have liked it better (both of them). I dont' think it's fair to bash the book though just because you expected it to be a kids book and it's not. (less)

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what is the age appropriateness of Wicked, the book?

Citrine Adult , there is quite a bit of open discussion of sex , puppets , a mother and daughter w the same man , adultery , drug use . . .

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So, why does everyone hate this book? I think it is amazing so far and I am prepared to read the other 3 books on the quartet. So, what, it is nearly nothing like the musical we know and love. But that does not make this book bad.

Alexandria My distaste has nothing to do with the musical, as I have never seen it. The pacing is painfully slow, even for a book of this size and as the first b鈥辞谤别My distaste has nothing to do with the musical, as I have never seen it. The pacing is painfully slow, even for a book of this size and as the first book in a quartet. The characters are boring with too heavy a reliance placed on our understanding of where they end up. The author's focus on the genitals of baby Elphie, the drug-induced sex in the Philosophy Club, and the references to children pinching their mother's nipples "affectionately" or forcing one another to expose their genitals were just too much for me. I read and write erotica, so sexual references towards adults isn't a problem for me. But focusing on childrens' sexual organs is disturbing and certainly nothing I want to read. Essentially I find nothing redeemable in this book other than the author's decent world building.(less)

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I don't know how to describe what I felt about the characters. Like the females either liked to sleep around or followed a stereotype of good/bad/spoiled and males just stood there and were stupid/unquestioning or immoral. When a nice character with some plot behind them was introduced, BAM time skip or they die. Does anyone think this was on purpose to keep the main character so isolated in hate/misunderstandings?

Christine I think it was because the book as a whole is an exploration of who 'the Wicked Witch of the West' was, an exploration meant to mimic how history is d鈥辞谤别I think it was because the book as a whole is an exploration of who 'the Wicked Witch of the West' was, an exploration meant to mimic how history is done/created/agreed upon today. The subject of investigation is dead and cannot speak for him/herself, there's no such thing as an absolute truth of who they were, there's only what other people remember of them and pass on to posterity. The very premise of the book as an alternative telling of the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the same theme on another level - there are objective facts which happened, but what they leave behind is a subjective memory, a tinted narrative. Each section of the book is told through a different person's 3rd person limited point of view, and you as the reader have the benefit of all five, in addition to the WWO story, but even counting those six, your end understanding is just a seventh narrative to throw into the pot. While I think the book presents a sympathetic portrayal of Elphaba (unsurprisingly), I don't think that means we have to (or should) take her as a role model or protagonist. It's not a happy story, in a lot of ways it's pretty unsatisfying. People are complicated. I agree that it definitely leaves a lot of questions and scenes-I-wish-had-been, but I think they were left out intentionally.(less)

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Does this book clarify why Ozians wanted the animals to be caged? Haven't been able to find an answer anywhere else.

David I thought it was rather plain, myself. The Animals are different, and their existence denies the Ozian ideal of the Faceless God and/or Lurline making鈥辞谤别I thought it was rather plain, myself. The Animals are different, and their existence denies the Ozian ideal of the Faceless God and/or Lurline making the humans the most special/beloved creations. Further, the Wizard incites this "us versus them" mentality, encouraging it, strengthening it, which keeps their attention away from him and from thinking too hard about what he's doing.(less)

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