Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

by Gregory Maguire

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Book Overview: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

“Maguire did something truly remarkable with this novel, in managing to inhabit, enlarge, deepen and find new dimensions in a world that had been invented by another writer, and in doing so make something entirely new. It’s an astonishing achievement.” –

A special 25th anniversary hardcover edition of the beloved multi-million-copy-bestselling novel and basis of the Tony Award-winning musical–including a new essay from Gregory Maguire on the nature of fantasy, “The World at Hand, the World Next Door.”

Gregory Maguire’s groundbreaking New York Times bestseller redefines the land of Oz, its inhabitants, its Wizard, and the Emerald City, viewing the world created by L. Frank Baum through a darker and greener lens. Brilliantly inventive, Wicked offers a radical new portrait of one of the most feared and despised villains in all of literature: the universally maligned Wicked Witch of the West who, in Maguire’s imaginative retelling, isn’t nearly as black-hearted as we imagined.

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Editorial Reviews

“Gregory gets the complications and uniqueness of women very well.” — Kristen Chenoweth

“At the heart of this remarkable, unforgettable novel is a wildly original premise– one that only a writer with Gregory Maguire’s intellect and daring could have dreamed up: that the Wicked Witch of the West was a real woman, with an actual name, and her own story to tell. It was radical when Gregory first wrote it, and remains radical. It has the power to reshape one’s view of the world.” — Winnie Holzman, co-writer of Wicked: The Musical

“Long before there was any thought of a musical, I read Wicked. I felt a quiet joy that sisterhood had made its way to the Yellow Brick Road. What happens when a witch, green or otherwise, gets to tell her own story instead of being vilified and misrepresented by dominant cultural authority? We witches know how that turns out!” — Holly Near

“I knew that Gregory Maguire had come up with a genius idea the moment I heard about Wicked. It’s a book that has changed a lot of lives, including mine.” — Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist of Wicked: The Musical

About the Author

Gregory Maguire

Gregory Maguire is a prominent figure in the American literature landscape, celebrated for his flair in reshaping classic children’s stories into complex, fantasy adult novels. Born on June 9, 1954, in Albany, New York, Maguire’s literary pursuit began at the State University of New York, where he earned his BA and later, an MA and Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University. Maguire’s greatest gift is his ability to breathe new life into old tales, artfully blending whimsy with deep philosophical themes resulting in vivid, captivating narratives that transcend the boundaries of age and time.

Maguire gained worldwide recognition with his ingenious novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” This revisionist exploration of L. Frank Baum’s illustrious “The Wizard of Oz” garnered critical and popular acclaim. It was later transformed into a Tony-award winning musical and remains Maguire’s best-known work. In his illustrious career, he has published several other widely recognized novels, including “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister”, a reinterpretation of Cinderella, and “Mirror, Mirror”, a haunting distortion of Snow White, further cementing his reputation for fantastically twisted fairy tales.

In addition to his imaginative novels, Maguire also made his mark in children’s literature, demonstrating his versatile writing prowess. As a co-founder of Children’s Literature New England, a non-profit educational charity established in 1987, he also showcases his dedication towards promoting awareness of the significance of literature in the lives of children. Gregory Maguire’s unique approach, combined with his exceptional writing skills, illustrates his status as a dynamic and significant author, with a legacy that will continue to enrich the world of literature.