Wicked

by Gregory Maguire
Wow. I read this after seeing the musical it inspired, and that was definitely the way to go. This is a fascinating retelling of The Wizard of Oz and although I found it ultimately unsatisfying because of its anticlimactic ending, I was drawn into the amazing world Maguire created. He peopled it with fascinating characters, especially Elphaba (better known as the Wicked Witch of the West). She was wonderful, and I enjoyed reading about her.
One of the discussion questions in the back asks whether Elphaba’s life is ultimately a failure or a success and it is a difficult question to answer.
(book 24 in 2005)