OK "Wicked" fans

"Son of a Witch" is now in print. Anybody got it yet? I'm really interested in hearing what those who loved "Wicked" think about this one, and of course, no spoilers please.

No I don't have it yet!

Thanks for the heads up.

:-(

It will have to stay on my "future reading" list for now.

It usually takes a while for new books to come in, but if you're on the list, you'll get 1st (or at least early) dibs on it.

the book is ready to pick up.

I just signed up for that ability this week.

They will even email me when my books are due and send me a list of what I have checked out!
:woohoo:

does anyone else have a library that does that?

Wow, that's low of them.

Our taxes pay for libraries. On the other hand, if your library's budget was gutted then maybe it's the only way they can remain viable. How sad.

On a happier note, my library already has 6 copies of "Son of.." and of course they are all checked out and there is even a waiting list. Which I'm on. Can't wait. Hear it's even more political than "Wicked".

Unless the books are late the library should not charge anyone for a book no matter what it is.

There's always one in circulation that's free, so you're only paying if you don't want to wait for that 1st copy.

http://www.zooba.com

Sort of like Netflix in that you make a list of the books you want, but you get to keep them. $9.95/mo and 9.95 per book. For the monthly fee you get the top book on your list. Any others you want to buy immediately are $9.95. Hardbacks, and all categories, big list.

With NO shipping charge. On any of them.

She owns a bookstore and often passes those on to me. I can't wait to read it - I'm saving it for my long flight on Wednesday. :)

I am pleasantly surprised, its quite a page turner. I knew about the broadway play first, so I had my doubts about a book that could spawn a broadway play. It is a pretty good book, very original, not one you can predict where the story is going. It took me a few pages to figure out who Galinda is. She is the evil bitch, not Elphaba.


AValdoux

*somewhat of a spoiler, nothing specific though*










I don't think that anything Galinda (later Glinda) does is done out of malice or a desire to do evil; quite the contrary. She thinks that she is doing the good and right thing, and if it's helping her rise in Ozian society, so much the better. It's the mindset displayed by all-too-many people in our own country. Call it not a lack of morals or a lack of ethics, or even a lack of a sense of right and wrong. Call it instead, a lack of critical thinking skills, of being able to discern the truth beneath all the lies.

The true "bad guys" in the book are the Wizard and Madame Morrible.

but I think selfishness is evil. She is what I call a "center of the universe" person, everything revolves around them. That is someone who subconciously unable to consider anyone else but themselves. I have a sister-in-law who always gives gifts likes she would want. I think she is incapable of imaging what someone else would want.

They are still roommates in school and the Elphaba's sister hasn't arrived yet, but she has been mentioned. Madame Morrible hasn't done anything overt yet but I can see it coming. Haven't met the wizard.

That's what I'm loving about this book. It brings up good questions that make you think about issues in ways you might not have looked at before.


AValdoux

It's gonna take you places you can't even start to imagine. :wow: Tomorrow I start "Son of a Witch". The title choice, I adore. And I'll let you know what I think, if anybody cares. I do see we have a few Maguire fans here tho. :grouphug:

seeing as babs is such a huge witch/bitch - (no disrespect to wiccan members)

I had to set the book down and let my mind wrap itself around that concept. Fantastic. I just finished it on Thursday, and I think I am going to watch the movie tonight while it is all still fresh.

I think that its a cool book so far and plan to get more Gregory Maguire books including the sequel in the near future.

150 pages in. The first line of "Wicked" being such a puller for some of us, right? "Horrors"

I read that book in 2001 Horrors, indeed. Sucked me right in. So how could Maguire start a 2nd book? WARNING: I will now tell you the first line of Son of a Witch, which reading has got me into some heated discussions in public places. Someone says, what are you reading there, and I say, son of a witch. And if they have never heard of it, they get sort of put out, if you know what I mean.

Here it is then: "So the talk of random brutality...". Yikes, sounds just like my neighborhood!

When I read "Wicked" I was very impressed with Maguire's take on someone's elses story. Had read, and enjoyed some of his other books. But, I totally fell in love with "Wicked". For one reason, ok, maybe it's a girl book, but I have given this book to several men, and they found it quite enjoyable, too.

So now "SOAW" is a guy's tale. Little Liir. And oh my, just said that out loud. Liir, Lear?

Discuss.

Signed, I love book discussions!

nicely.

Heard an interview w/the author re: the sequel and it sounds quite good

I thought that it was pretty good. After reading it, I wondered if he will write another sequel.

how could there not be a sequel? Wow. :applause:

I thought about picking it up, and then something else caught my eye.

I think that I'll pick it up this weekend. I'm in the mood for his style of writing.

I've really enjoyed reading it. And you can enjoy it as a "fantasy story" or ponder the intriguing metaphors (or are those allegories?). Either way, it's a good read.

I love creative subversive retakes on popular characters of lore. Here's a short list of what the characters represent in this book:

Elphaba: freethinking albeit cynical radical driven to helping the cause of the Animals (intelligent animals that can speak). Very complex character, but definitely not "wicked".

Wizard: prototypical neoconnish corporate-driven totalitarian

Madam Morrible: more evil and calculating than Karl Rove

Elphaba's sister: "God"-soaked evangelist

Glinda: Daddy lil's girl who comes off as a spoilt naive diva, but progresses with age.

Lion: won't say much here, but if you're careful...you can determine his origin

Plenty of other characters not found in Wizard of Oz movie, but still intriguing in their own right.

And all of the characters are from his imagination, not Maguire's. Maguire does a much better job with them though, imho. "Son Of A Witch" was not nearly as complex but still very, very enjoyable.

and loved it.

I checked with my library and found that Son of a Witch is on order (we're a bit behind the US),
so I've placed a reserve on it.

Thanks for the heads-up.

except I've started second semester, which I can tell is going to be reading-heavy (in one class alone, we have to read five complete books in addition to the text). I'm also in the middle of two books I'm reading for pleasure. Also, everywhere I've checked only offers it in hardback. Since I'm in school at a small town (with no half-decent library), I think I'm going to wait until I'm back in the city for the summer. Hopefully, by that point, I'll have time to read and it'll be in paperback, or I'll be able to check it out from the library.

Loved it.

There obviously has to be a sequel - I can hardly wait.

if any DUers had read it - of COURSE they had.

I don't read SF or Fantasy, so this was a really nice change. McGuire makes a world that's bleak but deeply absorbing. And you really don't know what's coming around the curve - Liir's love relationships, the person who ends up as Emperor, and of course, the great ending sentence - definitely smacks of sequel. The loose ends are tied up much better in "Son of a Witch" than in "Wicked" -- the number of loose ends was my main complaint at the end of "Wicked".

One thing that confused me - it was a tiny point not key to the plot, but they explained who Mother Yackle was, and I didn't really follow. Could be because I finished the book at 12:30 last night after a big dinner and 2 glasses of wine...

Didn't even know it existed until I had a surprise flight up north.

The tragedy of Elphaba rings a real chord in me. IMO, her curse is that she, like the Clock of the Time Dragon, is walking around with evidence of the wickedness in the world (she IS evidence, even), and is so et up by it that she can't be effective in countering it.

i was not greatly entertained, to be honest i was disappointed