Wicked

An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn't so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Gregory Maguire just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.

Gregory Maguire

'Gregory Maguire's Wicked falls into a fascinating sub-genre of novels that revisit well-known stories as much in the spirit of criticism as homage. Maguire...makes sense of Baum's whims, creating a credible Oz for grown-ups, with religion, politics, racial tensions, an economy, mythology, humour and sex... As moving and tragic as it is refreshing and scurrilous... This outstanding novel.' -- The Independent