Gregory Maguire- Mirror Mirror

Has anyone read this- fantasy of Snow White with Lucretia Borgia in 1502 Tuscany. My Book Club picked it and I am facilitating. Ugh! Can't get in to it and who cares anyway.

However, ALL the reviews are *****. I'm thinking it is because anyone who would select this fantasy to read would know that they would like it and everyone else wouldn't read it to begin with.

Maguire also wrote Wicked (about Oz) and Ugly Stepsister (about Cinderella)

Has ANYBODY read these, especially Mirror Mirror?

Re-read parts of it when the Broadway show starting touring, as a comparison of the two.

What would you like to know about it?

I was hoping that someone had read M.M. and would just cheer me on and tell me it is just the greatest book ever and that I will eventually discover that my life will not be complete without knowing how Snow White and Lucretia Borgia fit into 1500 Tuscany. I could care less, have spent a week trying to get through the first 30 pages, yet have to read it and lead the discussion. I told my group this was NOT the book for me, but it was my 'turn' and no one else would take it.

Since you were kind enough to reply and have read Wicked, did you like his style of writing which I imagine is very similar in all 3 books? Did you enjoy reading the book?

and thought that I would pursue reading his others--I probably still will. My desire to read it at the time was because of my interest in the play/show.

I'll be honest that the language he uses, or his writing 'style' was awkward to me. It's a rather stilted voice and takes some getting used to. It took me a bit of time to get past that and just get into the story.

I also felt that his story didn't 'flow' well. There was a tendency to jump around, which I also found awkward and didn't really serve the overall story well. This may be part of the reason that I haven't been eager to start his others. LOL!

I wish I could offer more positive feedback on this book. Again, I liked it, but I had to be honest about the issues I had with it.

For the sake of comparison, a book that I know some describe as awkward based on the language was Color Purple by Alice Walker, which is written completely in dialect. It took a bit of getting used to, but once I did (a few pages to a chapter in) I LOVED it! The story really flowed. The combination of the way it was written with the language and story--was just so beautiful to me.

Throughout Wicked, I never felt that way--just awkward and what is he talking about now. Does that make sense?

If you poke around some on the internet, you may be able to find some 'cheats' about the book. I'm sorry to suggest such a thing, but just for the sake of leading your group, and since you realy have no desire to read it...just a thought. Maybe something that covers the themes, etc.?

except for this one which I did not know about. So thank you and I will read it later. Meanwhile you might want to read the reviews on this page as they may give you just what you are looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060988657/102-8315814-0164144?v=glance&n=283155

Good luck and keep on reading!

Did you read Wicked? How did you like it? It's so rare (it seems at times) to find people that actually made it through Wicked. Not sure why that is. I've met some that say they started it, but got bored and didn't finish it. What were your thoughts...

I loved Wicked. And I will probably even read it again someday. Now I lived for many years with an "Oz" fan, had every Baum book and all sorts of Oz "stuff", so I found the book very enjoyable and loved thinking about all the players in this sort of different light. I could relate to Elphaba, being a bit Green myself and I loved all the political insights in it as well. "Horrors" indeed. Then "Son of a Witch" I liked a little less, thought it dragged on a bit, but still enjoyed reading it.

I read "Confessions...." first and liked it well enough to keep me interested in Maguire. But "Lost" sort of lost me. That one was very unmemorable. And I would swear I read another, so that must have been "Mirror", but again, very unmemorable. I am always reading something so the less remarkable ones fade away pretty fast.

Which one would you recommend to someone interested in reading more of his work? Confessions?

Highly rated. Not nearly as complex, IMO, as Wicked, but very interesting.

After what Yellowdog said, I guess I haven't read Mirror. I would have remembered that. So it's on my soon to be read list. Keep in touch. And keep reading!

Signed,
Your librarian

I read had read Wicked and the sequel. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister seemed to have the most interesting synopsis of his other books so I picked it up. I am not sure if I will get around to reading his other books. I had picked up several cheap books at Barnes and Noble when I picked up Confessions so I have a lot of reading to do.

Lucrezia Borgia is the "Wicked Stepmother"character, obviously.

I felt as if the dwarves were in some sort of alternate world, perhaps even a sort of netherworld; not quite alive, not quite dead. The more they interacted with Bianca, the more human like they became.

The mirror was a gateway of sorts.

I found that it moved faster than Wicked, but it may have just been my frame of mind at the time.

You mean some book actually moved slower than Mirror???? I can't believe it! LOL.

Of course I am only kidding and thank you all for answering my post. I am now 1/3 of the way through and still am ready to throw it in the circular file and I have never ever tossed a book. It's me- I realize that and no reflection on any one who enjoys and recommends GM's books. Unfortunately I have to facilitate this at my Book Club and I will try very hard to not bring all my personal aversion to the book and the style into my discussion.

I just want to get finished so I can get back to Jane Austen!

if you don't have issues abt living in a visual society then don't read these books

if you don't have issues abt living in a visual society please tell us who are you, what are you, HOW????

fuck greg maguire, if this has no meaning for you, you are UNIQUE!

I liked his take on the story, and that things are seldom black and
white but more often shades of grey.

But I did feel that there were questions unanswered, most particularly
on the nature of evil - he posed the question, tossed around a few
possibilities, but failed to explore the issue as I would have liked.
It's a very complex question, and deserved a bit more time spent on it.

I've also read "Confessions" - took a bit longer to get into it, but
in the end I thought that it was an interesting alternative view to
the old story.

My library has Son of a Witch on order, and I've reserved it. Perhaps
it will answer some of the remaining questions from Wicked.