Wicked
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
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Wicked
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Narrated by:
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John McDonough
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By:
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Gregory Maguire
About this listen
Elphaba is born with green skin, a precocious mind, and a talent for magic. An outcast throughout her childhood in Munchkinland, she finally begins to feel as though she fits in when she enters the University in the Emerald City. While she hones her skills, she discovers that Oz isn't the Utopia it seems. She sets out to protect its unwanted creatures, becoming known as the Wicked Witch along the way.
Narrator John McDonough draws you in to Maguire's magical world of witches and talking animals, making it possible to believe in a land somewhere over the rainbow.
©1995 Gregory Maguire (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"McDonough's excellent portrayals of Elphaba's outspoken, gravel-voiced nanny, Glinda's snobbish friends, and the wide-eyed, soft-spoken Dorothy make this excursion to Oz worthwhile." ( Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about Wicked
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claire T.
- 18-07-19
Definitely not for children
Not at all what I expected, but a detailed, shocking story of Oz.
I haven’t seen the musical but I imagine there’s not a lot of this book in a family show.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alex Baines
- 25-09-24
Not as expected - which is a good thing!
Surprisingly darker, different to what the musical shows and makes me want to explore the rest of the series, at least the sequel.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-05-21
Great listen
Puts a totally different light on the original story, just begs the question" who was really Wicked ?????? " it's up to you to decide !!!!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah O' Connor
- 09-01-25
A fascinating insight into Elphaba’s history
Wonderful story, well performed. Creates a better understanding of what makes one wicked. Highly recommend a listen
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mimi
- 01-07-22
Still one of my absolute faves.
I've listened more times than I can remember now and each time I spot something I've missed. the narration is fab. the storyline speaks to my soul. Just brilliant 👏
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JB
- 28-10-24
A beautiful imagination that leaves further intrigue
Such a beautiful retelling, a perspective even, that leaves the listener/reader asking more questions to no answers. I look forward to hearing the rest of the series!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ella
- 22-01-25
Pleasantly Suprised
As a fan of the film and musical, I didn't expect much from Wicked (the book) when I first began reading it, because I had only seen negative reviews, so pretty much just started reading it so I could criticise it.
However, I found that I actually enjoyed the book. There are certain parts in the book that can be very off putting and difficult to listen to but that's the nature of the world the characters live in. The musical is great but it doesn't manage to maintain the tone or messages that the book does. The book is primarily a discussion about what makes a person wicked and if anyone is truly wicked. I think the characters are well developed and I enjoyed the overall plot.
In places it reads like a fanfiction but that's because it is, and I feel like people going into reading it should already be aware of that. I don't necessarily think thats a bad thing though (other than one grammatical error that made it through editing and really bothered me).
The musical also doesn't have the time to go into as much detail as the book (regarding the characters and overall world building), and I feel it is definitely noticeable, whereas the book is paced differently (due to it being a book) and fills in all the gaps the musical has. I feel like despite them being so different, the book and musical go hand in hand and neither would be as good without the other imo.
Overall, I would definitely reccommend Wicked.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-12-24
Wicked wonderful
Great story. I had forgotten how cruel and nasty it is but how exciting and different too. I love it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- laura lydon
- 26-12-24
Fabulous
Having never seen the show or film, I cannot compare.. However this narrated story was entertaining and moving.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-12-24
Perfect narration, mid book
The narration is great if a little slow but the book itself is very mediocre. There is no need to compare it with the musical as the musical is just a really loose adaptation of the book, a fanfiction even. The world is purely built as a vessel for the authors political commentary. It has dark themes and gets really creepy at times. Even though the protagonist is a female character, the author can't seem to be able to write women (nor their relationships) as three dimensional, interesting and complex beings. Fiyero was better written and had more character development than Elphaba.... It's an ok book, nothing groundbreaking. Do not recommend anyone under 14 to read it.
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