Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

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? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. "Wicked" is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

"A staggering feat of wordcraft...[Maguire] has created... one of the great heroines in fantasy literature". -- "Los Angeles Times"

"Save a place on the shelf between "Alice" and "The Hobbit" -- that spot is well deserved". -- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Gregory Maguire's shrewdly imagined first novel... is part fantasy thriller, part psychological study, part cautionary tale. It's all fascinating, and it's impossible to deny the magic of Gregory Maguire's prose". -- "New York Newsday"

"Amazing novel". -- John Updike, in "The New Yorker"