tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post305031288194158740..comments2023-10-09T09:17:20.761-06:00Comments on Angela's Anxious Life: Wicked by Gregory Maguire - Classics RetoldAngela's Anxious Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-5414781228793271222013-09-22T12:50:31.359-06:002013-09-22T12:50:31.359-06:00I love the novel, although it's been too long ...I love the novel, although it's been too long since I read it for me to mount an effective defense of it.<br /><br />From what I remember, the political stuff worked just fine for me. I think that what makes it work -- if you think it does, which most of the commenters here clearly do not -- is the idea of that element of the book being an outgrowth of the original L. Frank Baum book. In other words, the idea is that if the original is mostly a fairy-tale type of metaphorical/allegorical storytelling, "Wicked" represents the more literal, real-world side of things. I thought the politics more or less made sense. But I say that now, not being able to actually remember the specifics; so I might have a different opinion on rereading the novel.<br /><br />I did read the sequel, "Son of a Witch," and I was mostly bored by it. I tried the third in the series, "A Lion Among Men," but couldn't get into it at all and gave up after 50 pages or so. Maybe I'll try it again at some point.Bryant Burnettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01189356171455609865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-77282719555685929962013-09-22T05:20:22.944-06:002013-09-22T05:20:22.944-06:00I really liked Wicked, although it took me a while...I really liked Wicked, although it took me a while to do so. I read the first half of the book really slowly and just couldn't get that into it, so I left it alone for a few months. When I went back to it, I tore through the second half and really enjoyed it. I can easily see why it's not a book people love (the musical is better!).<br /><br />SarahGirl!Reporterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12396148243207091507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-75844880935857947662013-09-21T11:00:38.930-06:002013-09-21T11:00:38.930-06:00I love Wicked the Musical and I tried hard to like...I love Wicked the Musical and I tried hard to like the book. Tried and failed.Trish @ Between My Lineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517849083417759188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-89756782789118091042013-09-20T00:26:02.660-06:002013-09-20T00:26:02.660-06:00Oh I hadn't heard about that in the second boo...Oh I hadn't heard about that in the second book. good spin on the series then. If I remember there was something in there about dating an animal too (because they were intelligent and could talk). What it stood for wasn't bestiality but that people should be able to love who they love. Black/white person. Asian/black person for example. But you know I could be wrong it's been a while since I read Wicked. Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-46415102399660162072013-09-20T00:23:43.321-06:002013-09-20T00:23:43.321-06:00The musical is really really really good. It is t...The musical is really really really good. It is the parts of the book I loved. I have been to the musical twice now and just blown away each time!Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-58642043844095818422013-09-19T21:51:33.186-06:002013-09-19T21:51:33.186-06:00I haven't read any of these books, for whateve...I haven't read any of these books, for whatever reason I've never been interested in it. I have thought about reading the second book because what I've heard is the main character, or a main character is gay.<br />Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17786139533776263328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-21362117749012197632013-09-19T20:49:55.097-06:002013-09-19T20:49:55.097-06:00Hi Angela,
I'm in the same boat as you - I re...Hi Angela,<br /><br />I'm in the same boat as you - I really wanted to like this book, but a really didn't. I found the parallels interesting, but for the most part I was bored by all of the politics. I've been told that the musical takes the good parts of the book and discards the rest.<br />Susan Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-15220632711813100102013-09-19T17:35:06.191-06:002013-09-19T17:35:06.191-06:00I love the Broadway show. I was going to do a rev...I love the Broadway show. I was going to do a review on it before the month is over too so be on the lookout!Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-59820802541721188002013-09-19T17:34:34.614-06:002013-09-19T17:34:34.614-06:00True... it was clever and it made me feel really b...True... it was clever and it made me feel really bad for Elphada. She was just a girl trying to have a good life with friends and family. Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-1896526528144036752013-09-19T17:33:03.692-06:002013-09-19T17:33:03.692-06:00Sad to say that I will not be continuing on with t...Sad to say that I will not be continuing on with this series. I might try to read one of Maguire's other books though. Like the Ugly Stepsister. I think that's what it's called. That one sounds neat. Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-79674184496256708452013-09-19T17:32:08.628-06:002013-09-19T17:32:08.628-06:00I don't know what it was... just a lot of too ...I don't know what it was... just a lot of too much preaching to me. I was like OK... we get it. I wanted to know all about Elphaba and why she is how she is. Angela's Anxious Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01935144213302758223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-29125198790630301542013-09-19T16:38:42.256-06:002013-09-19T16:38:42.256-06:00I did enjoy this, but the other books in the serie...I did enjoy this, but the other books in the series weren't nearly as good. I guess I could only get through the politics and philosophy because of Elphaba.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-57769174123027410932013-09-19T14:12:48.535-06:002013-09-19T14:12:48.535-06:00My wife read this and she didn't like it eithe...My wife read this and she didn't like it either. She also really wanted to like it but by the end she was not impressed. <br /><br />Do you plan in reading the others still or did this put you off the whole series? Brunner’s Barhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11751279474721788161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-92020180170328842212013-09-19T13:08:00.862-06:002013-09-19T13:08:00.862-06:00You're not alone. I liked it. I didn't l...You're not alone. I liked it. I didn't love it. I liked some of the philosophical discussion, but you're right; there's a lot of it. Worked much better on Broadway.Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11311913845542508413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5507186203094106045.post-24632960119501872742013-09-19T12:33:40.882-06:002013-09-19T12:33:40.882-06:00I found myself in much the same boat with Wicked. ...I found myself in much the same boat with Wicked. I even tried Son of a Witch, but didn't get far at all. I'm done with that series. I give rewrites a chance because some of them are really good, this just wasn't one of the best for me.Laura https://www.blogger.com/profile/06270029958719818764noreply@blogger.com