Does anyone have an opinion on if you would recommend reading the book Wicked? The reviews are mixed and the reviews among my Goodreads friends are not good. Is it worth the read as a companion to the new movie and the broadway show? Or is it better left behind? - ThreadSky

jess-mccoy.bsky.social • 101 days ago

Does anyone have an opinion on if you would recommend reading the book Wicked? The reviews are mixed and the reviews among my Goodreads friends are not good. Is it worth the read as a companion to the new movie and the broadway show? Or is it better left behind?

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dashoff.bsky.social•101 days ago

I read it over 20 years ago and enjoyed it but the vibes are very different from the musical. I started a reread a few days ago and it’s even weirder than I remembered. So I guess it depends? It gets a lot deeper into the political scene in Oz and the animals vs. Animals stuff. But it’s def weird.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•101 days ago

This is what I’m suspecting, thank you! I might give it a few page try since we already own it apparently.

jennyjennijenne.bsky.social•100 days ago

I personally read and enjoyed it, way back in the early 2000s when u was a baby youth. What I don’t know is if I would still like a book written by a man about women as a grumpy middle aged lady who has watched human rights crumble for two decades? He might piss me off?

jennyjennijenne.bsky.social•100 days ago

Also I remember that it took a long time to get into before it took off? it and I remember there being some weird shit.

districtcholla.bsky.social•100 days ago

That is a good point. I read it when it came out & did at least 1 re-read, but it's been awhile.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

I am intrigued. Because you said you’ve reread it. In my unscientific, I haven’t found many people who read it recently and loved it, most who’ve liked it read it a long time ago. I think I will at least start reading it, for research purposes at least.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

Yeah, this is a good perspective to consider, I have way less patience for male bullshit.

jennyjennijenne.bsky.social•100 days ago

Realizing there is a u instead of an I up there 😂
But yeah I enjoyed it but would I enjoy it NOW? I kinda feel like no?

antiangie.bsky.social•100 days ago

I think it’s good but it’s very dark compared to the musical. His other books are not great IMO.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

Ha! That was another one of my questions I planned to google about: I’ve never heard of this guy except for this book, so maybe author-ly he didn’t do much except plant the seeds for the next great story.

antiangie.bsky.social•100 days ago

He has a sequel to Wicked and another book that is a retelling of…Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty? One of those. They are not good.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

He does not sound like a compelling author. I hope he got paid well for whatever story rights because it’s sounds like that may be his one success.

wendryn.bsky.social•100 days ago

Also, please don’t read Lost. It’s basically an entire book about writer’s block pretending to be a book with a plot.

antiangie.bsky.social•100 days ago

Oh yeah. That one also sucked!

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

How dreadful.

melissamctastic.bsky.social•101 days ago

But now that I say that I think I loved it the first time and was meh the second time.

melissamctastic.bsky.social•101 days ago

I really loved the book myself, I’ve read it twice.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•101 days ago

Ok, thank you!

districtcholla.bsky.social•100 days ago

I loved the book! I thought it was great, and I felt the musical was an excellent adaptation of the story. Thumbs up all around.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

Interesting! How long ago did you read the book?

ebetania.bsky.social•101 days ago

I personally hated it when I read it many years ago. It was very slow to get through and there is an “interspecies orgy” that was… not wholly consensual and disturbed me far more than I was prepared for. No idea if I would feel differently about the pacing/story now but I have no desire to find out

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•101 days ago

Wow. That’s a lot.

kakaty.bsky.social•100 days ago

I saw a tiktok where they did family trees from the book and that solidified my “nope” stance. It seems like the books are pretty unhinged

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

😬 yikes

fairlyoddmother.bsky.social•100 days ago

I didn't enjoy the book and spent a lot of it like 😲 but I may reread it now that I'm prepared. I was expecting it to be like the musical.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

It sounds like the playwright/musical writer did more publicly palatable with the story than the author of the book. Now that I’ve heard from a lot of people I think I’ll at least give it a try.

mlb419.bsky.social•101 days ago

I’ve heard no to the book. Not worth it. I’ve seen the show and movie.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•101 days ago

Thank you! This seems to be what my Goodreads friends have said in their reviews.

agirlandaboy.bsky.social•100 days ago

I haven’t read it, but my husband has spent decades talking about why it was a disappointment.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

Haaaa it definitely seems to inspire strong opinions.

dashbdash.bsky.social•100 days ago

I started reading the book but didn’t really like it and quit when I got to a part with an animal strip club. Based on how much I did not like the book, I have never been interested in the musical.

betttina.bsky.social•100 days ago

Saaaaaame. I’m so glad other people love it but I haaaated the book.

melissamctastic.bsky.social•99 days ago

The animal strip show was what I was afraid was gonna be in the movie. Good thing it was not.

antiangie.bsky.social•99 days ago

The musical is really only very loosely tied to the book plotwise. They are very different.

melissamctastic.bsky.social•99 days ago

I feel like I’ve seen the musical on stage and I was really fuzzy on if it was included.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•99 days ago

🤣

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

An animal strip club! 💀 I have no previous interest but have now seen the movie and it was very good. I probably wouldn’t have been interested except that I’m seeing the broadway show next week, but it sounds like the movie (and musical) did better with the story material than the author did.

meganandwendy.bsky.social•100 days ago

I liked it. It’s darker and more political than the musical by a large margin but 20 years ago I thought it was a good read.

jess-mccoy.bsky.social•100 days ago

Thank you! It’s interesting to hear that people who read it ages ago seem to have liked it, I’m curious how it holds up.

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