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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years)

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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) Paperback – September 29, 2009

by Gregory Maguire (Author)

4.1 8,460 ratings

Book 1 of 4: The Wicked Years

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This is the book that started it all! The basis for the smash hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Gregory Maguire's breathtaking New York Times bestseller Wicked views the land of Oz, its inhabitants, its Wizard, and the Emerald City, through a darker and greener (not rosier) lens. Brilliantly inventive, Wicked offers us a radical new evaluation of one of the most feared and hated characters in all of literature: the much maligned Wicked Witch of the West who, as Maguire tells us, wasn’t nearly as Wicked as we imagined.

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From the Back Cover

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked?

Gregory Maguire has created a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again.

About the Author

Gregory Maguire is the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister; Lost; Mirror Mirror; and the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. Now a beloved classic, Wicked is the basis for a blockbuster Tony Award–winning Broadway musical. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad. He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks; Reissue edition (September 29, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061862312
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061862311
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16+ years, from customers
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.08 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,614,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #14,953 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- #19,340 in Folklore (Books)
- #42,224 in Epic Fantasy (Books)

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4.1 8,460 ratings

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Gregory Maguire

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Gregory Maguire is the bestselling author Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. With its three sequels, Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz, the quartet is known as the Wicked Years. It was followed up by a trilogy called Another Day (The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor), which continues the saga begun in Wicked. These books have have earned him rave reviews and a dedicated following.

The Broadway musical based on Wicked is now the fourth longest running play in Broadway history. The play has inspired a two-film project being released in 2024 and 2025, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Maguire has written ten other adult novels and twenty children's novels. He received his doctorate in English Literature from Tufts University, and has taught at Simmons College and other Boston area colleges.

He has also served as an artist-in-residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Having lived in Dublin and London, Maguire now makes his home in New England and in France with his husband, the painter Andy Newman, and several of their adopted children.

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Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They praise the creative and imaginative ideas and concepts. However, some feel the pacing is slow and difficult to follow. Many readers describe the tone as dark and dull. Opinions differ on the plot, with some finding it perfect and engaging, while others feel certain elements are abstruse or disjointed.

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Readability Entertainment value Creativity Plot Book detail Character development Pacing Dark tone

827 customers mention "Readability"639 positive188 negative

Customers find the book easy to read. They describe it as a well-crafted story with an epic feel and scope. The book is filled with insights of wit, gravity, and paradox. Readers praise the writing as outstanding and consider it one of the best novels they've read in a long time.

"...Wicked is one of the best novels I've read in a long, long time...." Read more

"This book is a great read and I would definitely recommend it to others." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book so much! I saw the play first but realized I should've read the book first...." Read more

"...is pure Broadway, the movie is pure Hollywood, and the book is pure literature, amazing in its own right, but sometimes falling far short of perfect." Read more

145 customers mention "Entertainment value"110 positive35 negative

Customers enjoy the book's entertainment value. They find it an enthralling, emotional experience with a compelling read that holds their attention. The start is imaginative and clever, and the emotional journey is enjoyable. Readers appreciate the new understanding of the Wicked Witch and political maneuverings that demand their attention.

"...To my surprise, this time around it was a completely enthralling, intense emotional experience in a way books rarely are for me anymore..." Read more

"...Where the musical is somewhat lighthearted, with a happy ending, the book is a dark allegory for past and current political actions throughout the..." Read more

"...In my opinion, the musical is pure Broadway, the movie is pure Hollywood, and the book is pure literature, amazing in its own right, but sometimes..." Read more

"...The vocabulary become overwhelming and even annoying when I couldn't identify if I was reading a real English word that I wasn't familiar with, or..." Read more

60 customers mention "Creativity"57 positive3 negative

Customers find the book creative and imaginative. They appreciate the clever concept and unique ideas. The book is described as visually appealing with thoughtful illustrations.

"...Seriously, she is a fantastic protagonist. She's smart, prickly, idealistic, sarcastic, passionate, solitary, complicated, very human and also..." Read more

"...This is a fascinating and hypnotizing look at the nature of evil, commenting on totalitarianism, racism, economic and political thought...all set in..." Read more

"...bits of references we know from the movie into his storyline is extremely clever and well done...." Read more

"...The book is physically beautiful, with occasional thoughtful illustrations throughout it and a well organized structure...." Read more

250 customers mention "Plot"139 positive111 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find it engaging, immersing them in the twisted world and making them believe it could happen. They appreciate the political intrigue, personal struggles, and interesting characters. Others feel certain elements of the plot are abstruse, the narrative feels disjointed, and the story loses hope as it progresses.

"...There's a lot of politics, and religion, and social issues, which in itself makes the world feel more real and tangible...." Read more

"...characters in the novel into a musical, and many of the plot devices were oversimplified, including the love affair between Elphaba and Fiyero...." Read more

"...Where the musical is somewhat lighthearted, with a happy ending, the book is a dark allegory for past and current political actions throughout the..." Read more

"...Ironically, certain elements of the plot are so abstruse, I feel that perhaps Wicked would benefit from its own prequel!..." Read more

105 customers mention "Book detail"54 positive51 negative

Customers have different views on the book's details. Some find the descriptions vivid and evocative, creating a real world. The character descriptions are complex and fresh. However, others feel the book is too detailed and long, with too much development given to some subjects. There are also concerns about unanswered questions and adult-like subject matter.

"...and sympathetic character in Elphaba, but he has also created a world that seems so real that every time I had to put the book down to do something..." Read more

"...It was very adult material And I was looking more of fantasy And it just wasn't...." Read more

"...surprise, this time around it was a completely enthralling, intense emotional experience in a way books rarely are for me anymore..." Read more

"...familiar illustration of the two witches on the cover, there is much mature content that should not be read by people under the age of 16..." Read more

86 customers mention "Character development"51 positive35 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters rich with personality and complex, while others mention flawed choices, pedestrian philosophy, and too many characters to keep track of. The names and terminology used are confusing.

"...Not only has he created a rich and sympathetic character in Elphaba, but he has also created a world that seems so real that every time I had to put..." Read more

"...None of the characters are likeable." Read more

"...about the plot, which I did find compelling, but this is a character-driven book and not especially fast-paced, so I'll cut right to the chase:..." Read more

"...The reason is that the character names and terminology used is confusing...." Read more

80 customers mention "Pacing"18 positive62 negative

Customers find the book has slow parts and adult themes. They describe the plot as average and hard to keep up with. The delivery is tedious and there is not enough action or forward motion.

"...did find compelling, but this is a character-driven book and not especially fast-paced, so I'll cut right to the chase: Elphaba is awesome...." Read more

"...of this bizarre, alternate world, I just found the plot too muddy, dense and inscrutable to comprehend...." Read more

"...And there are so many characters in this book that it's often hard to keep up...." Read more

"...I found the entire book interesting and moving along at a good pace...." Read more

65 customers mention "Dark tone"15 positive50 negative

Customers find the book's tone darker than the play. They describe it as dull and graphic at times. Some readers mention that the pages are crumpled and the new book already looks used.

"...Oz here is a dark, ugly and all-too-familiar place, rather than a magical fantasyland; people suffer, fail at their endeavors, and die; it's almost..." Read more

"...musical is somewhat lighthearted, with a happy ending, the book is a dark allegory for past and current political actions throughout the world...." Read more

"Much darker than the play and the movie and wish they drew out the murder of the wicked witch much longer but overall a very fun read" Read more

"...It puts you in the story, and goes much darker than the musical. I could read this over and over again." Read more

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C. Aleo
You'll never look at blue gingham the same way again
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2015
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I was introduced to the music of the Broadway musical Wicked not that long ago, and was immediately intrigued with the idea of the Wicked Witch of the West not being as evil as she was made out to be in The Wizard of Oz. What if it was the Wizard who was the evil one? The idea of turning such a revered story on its head was too much to resist, and I was pleasantly surprised when my friend starbreiz sent me some items from my Amazon wishlist, including Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

::: There Is Always More to the Story :::

Gregory Maguire's first novel turned one of the most established legends of our time on its ear with its premise: what if the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz wasn't so wicked after all, but was actually viewed that way based only on perception? The story surrounds the life of Elphaba, the daughter of a minister and a woman who wasn't the most faithful minister's wife ever. Her unfortunate tale begins with her birth, when she is born with green skin, teeth so sharp she bites her own skin, and an aversion to water. Her mother turns to herbal drugs, and her missionary father believes that Elphaba's condition is somehow his fault. The only stable figure is really Elphaba's mother's former nanny, who comes to take care of the little green girl.

Elphaba's childhood is defined by her father's missionary work in Quadling country, the poorest section of Oz, and a far cry from the upper class of Munchinland to which her mother was born.

Maguire picks up the story when Elphaba is older, and a new student at Shiz, the university of Oz. The university is divided into all-male and all-female colleges, and Elphaba ends up rooming with the very snobby Galinda, much to Galinda's dismay. Elphaba quickly becomes suspicious of the headmistress, Madame Morrible, and after an Animal (the walking, talking, intelligent versions, much like the Cowardly Lion) professor dies under mysterious circumstances, Elphaba finagles an audience with the Wizard for herself and Galinda, where she quickly realizes that the Wizard is not the paternalistic ruler he was believed to be.

Elphaba sends Galinda back to Shiz and begins a life of resistance, first on behalf of the Animals, then with a life in a convent (or mauntery, as they call it), and finally ends up in the land of the Vinkus, where she creates her famed winged monkeys, begins to dabble in sorcery, and her story intersects with the story of Dorothy that we all grew up with.

::: Politics, Social Classes, Despots... Just Like Real Life :::

Trying to sum up the various plots in Wicked is impossible, and I feel impotent even attempting it. Maguire has created an incredible character and the book will leave you unable to watch the movie the same way again. Not only has he created a rich and sympathetic character in Elphaba, but he has also created a world that seems so real that every time I had to put the book down to do something else I felt as if I was being jolted from one world to another.

While at times it might seem as if Maguire is leaving too much out, jumping as he does from one period in Elphaba's life to another, he has chosen the most significant points to focus on; each set of experiences is one that would have shaped the woman who became known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

The hardest part of reading Wicked is knowing how it is going to end. From the start, you know that Elphaba is doomed; that she will die at Dorothy's hand, and nothing will change that. Still, even knowing this, you find yourself hoping against hope that Maguire will change the story and find a loophole for Elphaba, that she won't truly die, but live on, fighting the corrupt Wizard and everything he has created.

::: This Isn't Broadway :::

For those introduced to the softer side of Elphaba through the Broadway show of the same name, the novel will probably be a huge surprise. "Based on" is the operative phrase in the description of the musical, which has a far simpler plot than the novel. It would have been impossible to condense all the political intrigue and vast cast of characters in the novel into a musical, and many of the plot devices were oversimplified, including the love affair between Elphaba and Fiyero. The Boq of the novel is, in fact, a Munchinlander who had a crush on Galinda/Glinda, but he plays a far more important role in helping Elphaba in her research for Doctor Dillamond, and later, in helping Dorothy. While I love the show, the book has a much greater depth than the musical, and requires more of the reader than the audience member.

Wicked is one of the best novels I've read in a long, long time. I find myself reading it over again, still hoping that Elphaba can be saved, and still getting lost in the world of Oz as Maguire sees it. This is a book not to be missed, and I guarantee that you'll never view blue gingham and ruby slippers the same way again.

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E. Smiley
I think I got hit by a tornado
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2012
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I have a rocky history with this book. Tried to read it as a teen, found it boring, and quit. Then more recently, I saw the musical and loved it! Then I felt like a poser for preferring the lighter and softer version, contrary to my normal tastes, so decided to give the book another try. To my surprise, this time around it was a completely enthralling, intense emotional experience in a way books rarely are for me anymore (and good thing too--I finished more than a week ago and am still recovering).

As the subtitle makes clear, this book tells the backstory of the stock villain from The Wizard of Oz--but (I suspect this has a lot to do with its low rating), it's not much like the original children's tale, nor like its own musical adaptation. Oz here is a dark, ugly and all-too-familiar place, rather than a magical fantasyland; people suffer, fail at their endeavors, and die; it's almost nihilistic, although lightened by some humor and absurdities. Readers should also be prepared for a somewhat unorthodox structure: the book covers almost 40 years, which means some significant time-skips, and we see a large chunk of the story through the eyes of characters who aren't actually important (although they think they are, naturally enough, which may make it jarring for some when they disappear).

I'd talk about the plot, which I did find compelling, but this is a character-driven book and not especially fast-paced, so I'll cut right to the chase: Elphaba is awesome. Seriously, she is a fantastic protagonist. She's smart, prickly, idealistic, sarcastic, passionate, solitary, complicated, very human and also deeply messed up (okay, those last two are redundant). She is not nice, and maybe even becomes wicked, but she's one of the few people in this book who can see past the end of her nose, and does she ever pay for it. She makes her own decisions, based on her own sense of right and wrong, without depending on anyone for help or advice. So basically, I love Elphaba, which made for some painful reading, but says a lot about Maguire's characterization.

Oh, yeah, almost all of the other characters are good too, even if they can't see past the end of their noses most of the time. People are more complicated than they may initially appear, and have complicated relationships, and are anything but black-and-white.

The worldbuilding is also enjoyable; it feels early-20th-century (appropriately enough), which is quite different from your typical fantasy world, and Maguire does a good job of developing the society, especially early in the book. There's a lot of politics, and religion, and social issues, which in itself makes the world feel more real and tangible. In the end, though, Oz is meant to be a reflection of our world, and I found the satire quite well-done and not too heavy-handed. For instance, at first it seemed weird that this is such a brutal world, and yet people either don't notice or don't care.... but wait a minute, that's the point. They're privileged white folks and they don't have to worry about it.

Thematically, much has been made about how this book will "challenge your preconceptions about good and evil"--and it did make me think, although not exactly in the way I expected. After all, if you're old enough to read Wicked, your idea of "evil" is probably not a children's-book villain in a black pointy hat (a white pointy hat would be another story, but that's not a preconception Maguire wants to challenge, and for good reason). And that there are multiple sides to any story shouldn't be challenging either. For me, this book's treatment of good and evil is best summed up by a dinner party scene, where the diners are confronted with a guest who admits to having just murdered an old woman in her bed. They proceed to have a spirited theoretical discussion about the meaning of "evil," and utterly fail to make a moral judgment about the situation at hand, let alone act on it by, say, calling the police. That's the sort of bizarre and, yes, challenging and disturbing material you'll find in this book.

As far as the writing style goes, I've seen it called both great and terrible; I personally found it good in a mostly unremarkable way, but recommend that you sample a couple of chapters before you buy. This will also let you see how you feel about the sometimes grotesque imagery, which seems to be what people are generally referring to when they object to the sex in this book--there are very few actual sex scenes.

So, why am I not giving 5 stars? The dialogue, while mostly good, didn't always quite ring true. There are some elements I find unconvincing and/or lame: the infamous "I don't know if I had a baby"; minor characters claiming late in the book to have manipulated significant parts of the plot; Fiyero's blandness (personality-wise, he totally fails to live up to his role in the plot, which I think is the point, but still). On the positive side, some elements I found lame in the musical (girls fighting over boys, blah) are absent here.

I could keep talking about this book, but you've probably had enough. So here's the condensed version.

Avoid this book if:

- You're looking for something light, uplifting, or appropriate for kids.
- You want lots of action or a fast-paced plot.
- You don't want to see real-world politics, religion or social issues reflected in your fantasy novels.

You might like this book if:

- You're looking for character-driven, adult fantasy.
- You appreciated the darker bits of the musical.
- You like fantasy that can make you think about real-world issues in a different light.

Clearly, it's not for everybody. I'm just glad I finally read it despite all the criticism--even if it did make me cry.

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Bianca Fitzgerald
Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2025
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This book is a great read and I would definitely recommend it to others.

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LisaDM
Not what I expected
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2025
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I'm afraid to say I really didn't like this book very much. It was very adult material And I was looking more of fantasy And it just wasn't. I don't know where The the Playwright got the story for the musical because it certainly wasn't there in the book! The book was so incredibly different from the play or the movie and I can honestly say that this time the book was not as good. He also change the story we know As the wizard of Oz and what happened in it. And his afterword was so long and boring and . This guy really has an ego on him I really kind of wish he didn't have the success that he did with this book cause again I don't know why people think it was so great. This is my opinion and everybody has a right to their own opinion So read it and make your own opinion but I really don't care for it.

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AJ Holmes
I love Elphaba!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2025
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I enjoyed reading this book so much! I saw the play first but realized I should've read the book first. Naturally, the book was more in-depth but having seen the play had its benefits as well.

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Emma
Must-Read for Fans of the Musical & Movie!
Reviewed in Canada on February 16, 2025
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If you're a fan of the Wicked musical or the movie adaptation, this movie tie-in edition is a must-read! It provides an in-depth look at the backstory of Elphaba and Glinda, offering rich details and new perspectives on the world of Oz.

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Rafael de Oliveira
Incrível.
Reviewed in Brazil on April 10, 2023
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Foi recomendação de um amigo. Livro muito bom! Foi entregue em perfeitas condições e no prazo certo.
Vale a leitura!

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Livre
Reviewed in Belgium on January 27, 2025
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La qualité la calligraphie et iconographie top mais attention l emballage lors de l expédition était trop fin et coin du livre abîmé grrrr

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R.B
Una nueva mirada al mundo de Oz
Reviewed in Spain on October 3, 2024
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Wicked, escrito por Gregory Maguire, es una fascinante reinterpretación de la historia clásica de El Mago de Oz, que explora los orígenes y la vida de Elphaba, la icónica Malvada Bruja del Oeste. Este primer libro de The Wicked Years ofrece una narrativa rica y compleja que desafía la tradicional dicotomía entre el bien y el mal. Con un enfoque profundo en los temas de poder, moralidad y prejuicio, Maguire teje una historia cautivadora, llena de personajes matizados y un mundo de Oz mucho más oscuro y político. Ideal para los amantes de la fantasía que buscan una perspectiva más adulta y reflexiva sobre los cuentos clásicos.

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Dan Recoba
Producto 100% recomendado
Reviewed in Mexico on April 16, 2021
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El libro superó por mucho mis expectativas. Es una edición muy impresionante, tiene una cubierta de papel para la tapa dura. El único inconveniente es que no tenía cubierta de plástico y la cubierta estaba levemente maltratada, pero no la gran cosa. A final de cuentas, es un libro 100% recomendable, es increíble.

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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) Paperback – September 29, 2009

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Enjoyable book but came with bent pages

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5.0 out of 5 stars You'll never look at blue gingham the same way again

4.0 out of 5 stars I think I got hit by a tornado

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected

5.0 out of 5 stars I love Elphaba!

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-Read for Fans of the Musical & Movie!

5.0 out of 5 stars Incrível.

5.0 out of 5 stars Livre

5.0 out of 5 stars Una nueva mirada al mundo de Oz

5.0 out of 5 stars Producto 100% recomendado

You'll never look at blue gingham the same way again

I think I got hit by a tornado

Great Read

Not what I expected

I love Elphaba!

Must-Read for Fans of the Musical & Movie!

Incrível.

Livre

Una nueva mirada al mundo de Oz

Producto 100% recomendado