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The Wicked Years #4
Out of Oz
Oz is knotted with social The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law, and Dorothy is back. Amid chaos and war, Elphaba’s green granddaughter born at the end of "Son of a Witch", comes of age. Rain will take up her broom, and bring the series to a close.
Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
About the author
Gregory Maguire
109 books9,415 followersGregory Maguire is an American author, whose novels are revisionist retellings of children's stories (such as L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Wicked). He received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England (a non-profit educational charity).
Maguire has served as artist-in-residence at the Blue Mountain Center, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Hambidge Center. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,944 reviews
September 9, 2011
After the third book, I did not have high hopes for the end of the series. The previous books had left too much unfinished - too many characters had dropped off the map, too many unexplained occurrences, too much dull backstory (*cough* book three)
This book, however, was fantastic. The writing was fantastic, the plot moved along at a good clip, and storylines and characters were wrapped up in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed the callbacks to the previous books, musical, and movie - though I'm sure some will find those to be cheap distractions. It absolutely exceeded my expectations, as I feared there was just too much there for Maguire to work with. I should not have worried!
I felt this was excellent way to end the series. If you enjoyed books 1 & 2 (even if you weren't a huge fan of book 3, like me), you're really going to enjoy this final volume.
This book, however, was fantastic. The writing was fantastic, the plot moved along at a good clip, and storylines and characters were wrapped up in a very satisfying way. I enjoyed the callbacks to the previous books, musical, and movie - though I'm sure some will find those to be cheap distractions. It absolutely exceeded my expectations, as I feared there was just too much there for Maguire to work with. I should not have worried!
I felt this was excellent way to end the series. If you enjoyed books 1 & 2 (even if you weren't a huge fan of book 3, like me), you're really going to enjoy this final volume.
November 11, 2011
Wicked is one of my favorite books of all time. Not only is Gregory Maguire's writing one of the great joys of modern literature, but the expertise with which he created Oz within the boundaries put out by L. Frank Baum before him was enchanting. However, when he decided to write Son of a Witch a decade later and then A Lion Among Men, some of the magic was lost. Maguire's writing was still top-notch and kept me enthralled throughout reading those novels, but I couldn't help noticing it seemed as though he wasn't entirely sure where to take his story after killing off the Wicked Witch of the West. The groundwork of where he wanted to take his story was there, but they, in my opinion, didn't really come to fruition due to - possibly - the short length of those two novels.
Out of Oz is a monster. Clocking in at 563 pages, it's even longer than Wicked and tackles concepts much more grand. Oz is in complete disarray, with Munchkinland at war with the Emerald City, Glinda is under house arrest, Dorothy has returned and is being charged with the murders of both Wicked Witches, etc. To say the least, the land of Oz is not the one to which you were introduced in the 1939 film.
To be frank, the first two hundred (or even three hundred?) pages of this novel are long and tedious. Even painfully so. Without giving too much away, it involves a lot of walking through landscapes and visiting different places of Oz that have little importance except for the fact that certain characters are hiding out from the persecution of the army. If you've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I think you have a sense of what I'm talking about. However, as tedious as they may be, these scenes seem to offer a final farewell to places throughout the Oz landscape that have been visited in previous novels in the series, so they were for the most part forgivable. It's just the getting through it that's hard.
Once you pass those sections, however, it becomes much easier to appreciate the work as a whole. Maguire finally shows his vast talent at winding different, convoluted plotlines around each other, with twists that are both completely unexpected but make perfect sense. The characters introduced throughout this series that never really had a chance to be developed properly (Brr, Glinda, Candle, Nor, Trism, and of course, Rain and Liir) are all illustrated in this novel with great skill and care, making each character interesting.
Needless to say, Out of Oz is the best Maguire novel since Wicked. In equal parts heartbreaking, funny, melancholic, and rewarding, it gave the series a conclusion that is fully deserved and left just enough unanswered questions to keep the reader guessing at to what truly happened within its pages. Elphaba would be proud.
Out of Oz is a monster. Clocking in at 563 pages, it's even longer than Wicked and tackles concepts much more grand. Oz is in complete disarray, with Munchkinland at war with the Emerald City, Glinda is under house arrest, Dorothy has returned and is being charged with the murders of both Wicked Witches, etc. To say the least, the land of Oz is not the one to which you were introduced in the 1939 film.
To be frank, the first two hundred (or even three hundred?) pages of this novel are long and tedious. Even painfully so. Without giving too much away, it involves a lot of walking through landscapes and visiting different places of Oz that have little importance except for the fact that certain characters are hiding out from the persecution of the army. If you've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I think you have a sense of what I'm talking about. However, as tedious as they may be, these scenes seem to offer a final farewell to places throughout the Oz landscape that have been visited in previous novels in the series, so they were for the most part forgivable. It's just the getting through it that's hard.
Once you pass those sections, however, it becomes much easier to appreciate the work as a whole. Maguire finally shows his vast talent at winding different, convoluted plotlines around each other, with twists that are both completely unexpected but make perfect sense. The characters introduced throughout this series that never really had a chance to be developed properly (Brr, Glinda, Candle, Nor, Trism, and of course, Rain and Liir) are all illustrated in this novel with great skill and care, making each character interesting.
Needless to say, Out of Oz is the best Maguire novel since Wicked. In equal parts heartbreaking, funny, melancholic, and rewarding, it gave the series a conclusion that is fully deserved and left just enough unanswered questions to keep the reader guessing at to what truly happened within its pages. Elphaba would be proud.
November 23, 2011
My question to all is - do you honestly love these books or do you love reading about the beloved characters and OZ? I read Wicked (before the musical) because I was entrigued by the question "are we born wicked or is wicked thrust upon us?". I loved the OZ books as a child and was exited to revisit them as an adult with adult themes. I continued through the series and have just finished Out of Oz. That is a whole lot of book for no more story than there is. Sorry Mr. Maguire, I wanted to love the whole series but I just don't. The sequels just don't compare to Wicked.
December 5, 2011
So this was the end? It seemed like it was leading off into a new series, involving the sea or waterlife that was referenced by the shell, the Chancel of Ladyfish, the lakes, Dorothy's story of the ocean and deserts of Oz, the beavers dam and implication of an ocean, plus a mention of water below Kiamo Ko and of course the water that killed Elphaba. The Atlantis quote at the end also led me to wonder whether he would be writing something to connect Atlantis or some other lost underwater world to Oz. But as usual, nothing is fully explained.
I'm not a fan of tying everything up in neat bow at the end all the time, but there was a little too much left unfinished to me. What happened to Dorothy (though that I understand, this isn't her story, still I'd like to know..)? What happened to Brrr when he was free to leave Oz again, he can't follow the Time Clock, he's lost Nor, so now what? Liir, Candle and Trism all disappear, but they've been relatively boring throughout, so I only partially wondered where they ended up. And Glinda...I assume I know who opened her door, but then what?
Mainly I wanted to know what was happening with Tip...he found Rain previously and we assume could do so again. But what was taking so long, does he not want to find her again with the change in, um, circumstances? I was a little disappointed that in the ending, getting rid of the Grimmerie seems to be Rain's big step...I'd hoped she was looking for Elphaba, or discovering other countries beyond Oz, doing something big. Instead it seems the Grimmerie represents all that was bad for the family, instead of it being something that none of them past Elphaba bothered to try to use it or to learn about it. In theory you can be a good witch or a bad witch, right? Perhaps power does corrupt, but I'm not sure that we could tell that since it was hardly used. And with the loss of the Time Clock and the Grimmerie, it seems Rain only helped with the destruction of magic in Oz. Sure they say she should live life without 'grasping for magic', which I guess is supposed to be admirable, but I must have missed the part where she was much affected by magic. It seems a waste and almost a loss of her heritage.
I liked that this book had Glinda, Dorothy and I liked Mr Boss and Little Daffy. The other characters tend toward so much melancholy that it's hard to feel affectionate towards them...even Brr...I want to like him, but he annoys me so much of the time! When I first read Wicked, I liked it but was the only one of the bookclub to get past the first three chapters, everyone else found it boring. I did wonder how it got to be so popular and inspired a musical, because it's interesting but not particularly fun to read. I read the rest of the series even though you feel like there's not a plot, just rambling through Oz, even when significant events are occuring. They'll mention a year has passed since the last sentence, and apparently nothing interesting enough to share happened. If the writing wasn't so well done, the characters and the plot might not have been enough to keep me reading. And that was how it wrapped up as well. Mild curiousity as to what happened to everyone, but no real sense of urgency to find out.
I'm not a fan of tying everything up in neat bow at the end all the time, but there was a little too much left unfinished to me. What happened to Dorothy (though that I understand, this isn't her story, still I'd like to know..)? What happened to Brrr when he was free to leave Oz again, he can't follow the Time Clock, he's lost Nor, so now what? Liir, Candle and Trism all disappear, but they've been relatively boring throughout, so I only partially wondered where they ended up. And Glinda...I assume I know who opened her door, but then what?
Mainly I wanted to know what was happening with Tip...he found Rain previously and we assume could do so again. But what was taking so long, does he not want to find her again with the change in, um, circumstances? I was a little disappointed that in the ending, getting rid of the Grimmerie seems to be Rain's big step...I'd hoped she was looking for Elphaba, or discovering other countries beyond Oz, doing something big. Instead it seems the Grimmerie represents all that was bad for the family, instead of it being something that none of them past Elphaba bothered to try to use it or to learn about it. In theory you can be a good witch or a bad witch, right? Perhaps power does corrupt, but I'm not sure that we could tell that since it was hardly used. And with the loss of the Time Clock and the Grimmerie, it seems Rain only helped with the destruction of magic in Oz. Sure they say she should live life without 'grasping for magic', which I guess is supposed to be admirable, but I must have missed the part where she was much affected by magic. It seems a waste and almost a loss of her heritage.
I liked that this book had Glinda, Dorothy and I liked Mr Boss and Little Daffy. The other characters tend toward so much melancholy that it's hard to feel affectionate towards them...even Brr...I want to like him, but he annoys me so much of the time! When I first read Wicked, I liked it but was the only one of the bookclub to get past the first three chapters, everyone else found it boring. I did wonder how it got to be so popular and inspired a musical, because it's interesting but not particularly fun to read. I read the rest of the series even though you feel like there's not a plot, just rambling through Oz, even when significant events are occuring. They'll mention a year has passed since the last sentence, and apparently nothing interesting enough to share happened. If the writing wasn't so well done, the characters and the plot might not have been enough to keep me reading. And that was how it wrapped up as well. Mild curiousity as to what happened to everyone, but no real sense of urgency to find out.
March 16, 2012
If it were possible to give a book 0 stars I would have done so. Wicked was a wonderful story. The other books in the series dragged on, but I always assumed that there was a point to the story. I read every single page of the books..... and I wish that Maguire was going to bring us to a fun and exciting conclusion. However, it wasnt meant to be. I dont think the problem with the story was Rain, other people didnt care about the character. I think the problem was that the story felt like an incoherent collection of unrelated stories. It truly seems to have been written as a collection of stories, instead of as a novel. There are even a few times in the book where there is a passage of time, where the author says, then a few months have gone by..... really???? Nothing happens in a few months? By the time something interesting happens, there are only 50 pages left, and then there is no conclusion. I get it, I understand the end, but it isnt an end, it isnt noteworthy, it is just like the end of every other chapter in the book, blah, boring and meaningless.
March 11, 2012
The only thing I have against Out of Oz is that it's not Wicked.
Elphaba kicked ass. She was such an amazing character, the kind of female character we almost never see in fiction, and in fantasy fiction even more rarely. She was an uncompromising, sharp-tongued, idealistic, ugly, morally flawed, brilliant, shy, political, complicated character.
Maguire's other Oz books have been good, even excellent, but how could they live up to Elphaba?
So it is with Out of Oz. Maguire competently and beautifully wraps up the main storylines into a pretty bow; he presents us with complicated, interesting characters facing complicated, difficult situations. It's just not Wicked.
But to pan Out of Oz by this comparison would be unjust. Compare it to the general run of fantasy literature and it comes out looking very well indeed: look, most of them still have knights or soldiers on noble quests to rescue maidens from dragons/monsters/dungeons and rightfully assume the crown of the novel's generic Middle Earth knock-off. Alternatively, it may be a lowly servant, stableboy or schoolboy who learns he is the Chosen One and who, through cunning use of his wits, rescues the maiden from the dragon/dungeon/monster and rightfully assumes the crown of the novel's generic Middle Earth knock-off. Any female characters run the same range: the saucy barmaid, the frizzy-haired cackling witch, the dark-haired evil sorceress, the hapless and possibly obnoxious princess, etc.
Compared to Raymond Feist, David Eddings, Piers Anthony, et al, Out of Oz is a work of genius. There are fully-realized, well-rounded, complicated female characters, good and bad parents, characters whose motivations and intentions you are never quite sure of, a very unusual and original romance (for fantasy--Yann Martel broke that ground in Self, so far as I know), an intriguing and well-paced plot ... just no Elphaba.
Elphaba kicked ass. She was such an amazing character, the kind of female character we almost never see in fiction, and in fantasy fiction even more rarely. She was an uncompromising, sharp-tongued, idealistic, ugly, morally flawed, brilliant, shy, political, complicated character.
Maguire's other Oz books have been good, even excellent, but how could they live up to Elphaba?
So it is with Out of Oz. Maguire competently and beautifully wraps up the main storylines into a pretty bow; he presents us with complicated, interesting characters facing complicated, difficult situations. It's just not Wicked.
But to pan Out of Oz by this comparison would be unjust. Compare it to the general run of fantasy literature and it comes out looking very well indeed: look, most of them still have knights or soldiers on noble quests to rescue maidens from dragons/monsters/dungeons and rightfully assume the crown of the novel's generic Middle Earth knock-off. Alternatively, it may be a lowly servant, stableboy or schoolboy who learns he is the Chosen One and who, through cunning use of his wits, rescues the maiden from the dragon/dungeon/monster and rightfully assumes the crown of the novel's generic Middle Earth knock-off. Any female characters run the same range: the saucy barmaid, the frizzy-haired cackling witch, the dark-haired evil sorceress, the hapless and possibly obnoxious princess, etc.
Compared to Raymond Feist, David Eddings, Piers Anthony, et al, Out of Oz is a work of genius. There are fully-realized, well-rounded, complicated female characters, good and bad parents, characters whose motivations and intentions you are never quite sure of, a very unusual and original romance (for fantasy--Yann Martel broke that ground in Self, so far as I know), an intriguing and well-paced plot ... just no Elphaba.
July 23, 2012
My thoughts: boring, tedious, made me wish I was illiterate (insert another negative adjective here). Giving this book one star pained me. Gregory Maguire clearly had little direction or focus in this book. I found myself wondering what main plot was. It was clear that Maguire was using Rain as character who behaved as a second Elphaba. But he failed miserably. Rain as a character got on my nerves more than she did endear me to the story. And I hate to sound immature, but I found the sex scene between Rain and Tip to be more than disturbing because they were only twelve years old. I was able to handle alot of "wierdness" in this series but that was a little too much for me. Nor's sudden death was the worst part of the book. It was as if Maguire knew he needed a conclusion to Nor's story but couldn't think of a propper one and thus decided to kill her off. Brr's choice as the new emperor of Oz also seemed premature and ill planned. Why Brr was chosen was never explained nor impacted. Candle and Liir's divorce was also an ending that I thought was inexplicable. Yet again it seemed as though instead of coming up with a meaningful and understandable conclusion to their story, he decided to just end it with no explanation. The book was such a disappointment largely because Wicked was so good. It is obvious to me that Maguire should have left Wicked as a stand alone novel and not burdened the reading world with the bores that were books number 2,3 and now 4.
December 30, 2011
"Out of Oz" is Maguire's fourth and final installment of the Wicked Years Series. Of course, I was thrilled to be sent a copy of this book to review on behalf of HarperCollins publishers, as I've been closely following these books over the past decade or so. Before reviewing the actual book, I'd like to give a brief synopsis of my thoughts on the first three books.
"Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". This is by-and-large one of my most favorite books ever written. In my humble opinion, it's as near to perfection status as any novel can attain. This magnificent story sweeps a plethora of topics (philosophy, romance, infidelity, revenge, friendship, betrayal, racism (speciesism?), xenophobia, terrorism, love, courage, wisdom, etc, etc.) into an unforgettable saga that keeps the reader thinking long after the last page has been read. The discussion on the nature of evil could be pulled out the novel and published separately it is so thought-provoking. With that, I had high expectations for the following books.
"Son of a Witch". Unfortunately, not as captivating, witty or philosophical as "Wicked" but it was a great story, with a doozy of an ending that left you wanting more.
"A Lion Among Men". Frankly, I found this one a bit boring. Probably because it focused so much on Brr (the Lion) and didn't have Maguire's trademark multiple threads weaving their way throughout the novel. It was readable, just not as engrossing. While it gave a good backstory and filled in the gaps of Brr's activities after Elphaba dies in the first novel, a reader could take-it-or-leave-it without significant knowledge gaps coming into the final book.
And now, "Out of Oz". Great story! Not as amazing as "Wicked" but a realistic synthesis of events and their ultimate conclusion. The war between the Emerald City and Munchkinland finally comes to a head. Rain, Liir and Candle's daughter (Elphaba's granddaughter), makes her initial appearance as a young servant in Glinda's household before Glinda's P.O.W. status forces Rain to flee. After finding her parents, she is sent to a boarding school in order to get an education, but mostly to hide her from the eyes of both the Munchkinlanders and the new Emperor, Shell (Elphaba's brother and Rain's great-uncle) who has fashioned himself a deity. Dorothy makes her way back to Oz, only to face trial for the "murders" of sisters Nessarose and Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witches of the East and West. Events culminate with Rain and Dorothy confronting Shell, nearly destroying the Emerald City and rediscovering the long-lost Goddess of Oz, Ozma. Of course, this is a uber simplification of an over 550 page novel. Along the way, Liir, Candle, Brr, Nor, Granny, the Tick Tock Clock, General Cherrystone, Iskinaary and Toto all make their reappearances, too. Parts of the story proceeded at a much slower pace than I would have liked, but on the whole the story flowed effortlessly between storylines and moved quicker as the climax approached. The end wasn't really an end, but then, life rarely has cookie-cutter endings.
"Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West". This is by-and-large one of my most favorite books ever written. In my humble opinion, it's as near to perfection status as any novel can attain. This magnificent story sweeps a plethora of topics (philosophy, romance, infidelity, revenge, friendship, betrayal, racism (speciesism?), xenophobia, terrorism, love, courage, wisdom, etc, etc.) into an unforgettable saga that keeps the reader thinking long after the last page has been read. The discussion on the nature of evil could be pulled out the novel and published separately it is so thought-provoking. With that, I had high expectations for the following books.
"Son of a Witch". Unfortunately, not as captivating, witty or philosophical as "Wicked" but it was a great story, with a doozy of an ending that left you wanting more.
"A Lion Among Men". Frankly, I found this one a bit boring. Probably because it focused so much on Brr (the Lion) and didn't have Maguire's trademark multiple threads weaving their way throughout the novel. It was readable, just not as engrossing. While it gave a good backstory and filled in the gaps of Brr's activities after Elphaba dies in the first novel, a reader could take-it-or-leave-it without significant knowledge gaps coming into the final book.
And now, "Out of Oz". Great story! Not as amazing as "Wicked" but a realistic synthesis of events and their ultimate conclusion. The war between the Emerald City and Munchkinland finally comes to a head. Rain, Liir and Candle's daughter (Elphaba's granddaughter), makes her initial appearance as a young servant in Glinda's household before Glinda's P.O.W. status forces Rain to flee. After finding her parents, she is sent to a boarding school in order to get an education, but mostly to hide her from the eyes of both the Munchkinlanders and the new Emperor, Shell (Elphaba's brother and Rain's great-uncle) who has fashioned himself a deity. Dorothy makes her way back to Oz, only to face trial for the "murders" of sisters Nessarose and Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witches of the East and West. Events culminate with Rain and Dorothy confronting Shell, nearly destroying the Emerald City and rediscovering the long-lost Goddess of Oz, Ozma. Of course, this is a uber simplification of an over 550 page novel. Along the way, Liir, Candle, Brr, Nor, Granny, the Tick Tock Clock, General Cherrystone, Iskinaary and Toto all make their reappearances, too. Parts of the story proceeded at a much slower pace than I would have liked, but on the whole the story flowed effortlessly between storylines and moved quicker as the climax approached. The end wasn't really an end, but then, life rarely has cookie-cutter endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2011
Well, I was wholeheartedly applauding this last installment (Book #4) of the Wicked Years until about 3/4 of the way through. It was exciting and had all the shrewd, insightful remarks and general observations of life that I've come to expect from Maguire. If I was a more organized person, I would follow that statement with some of those great quotes. Unfortunately, I'm not.
This book has appearances from almost all the most-loved characters of the series, including Glinda, Liir (who is Elphaba's (the wicked witch's) son), Candle, Nor, the Lion, the Clock of the Time Dragon and many others. It also really focuses on the strained political situation in Oz, especially the annexation of Munchkinland from Loyal Oz and the subsequent war. However, the book really seems to go off on a tangent for a few hundred pages and I didn't feel like it was an especially pertinent storyline to require so much time spent on it. But, on the other hand I can understand why Maguire beleived it did.
I love that Maguire has taken a classic and created another timeless tale set in Oz. He took Baum's children's stories and turned them into books entirely for adults. None of Maguire's books in this series are happy go lucky, they are very real life. Do not expect an altogether happy ending to this edition either. I did love that this series allowed me to experience the same feeling I had when first watching The Wizard of Oz as a child all over again as an adult.
I highly recommend picking up Book #1, Wicked, and giving it a try.
This book has appearances from almost all the most-loved characters of the series, including Glinda, Liir (who is Elphaba's (the wicked witch's) son), Candle, Nor, the Lion, the Clock of the Time Dragon and many others. It also really focuses on the strained political situation in Oz, especially the annexation of Munchkinland from Loyal Oz and the subsequent war. However, the book really seems to go off on a tangent for a few hundred pages and I didn't feel like it was an especially pertinent storyline to require so much time spent on it. But, on the other hand I can understand why Maguire beleived it did.
I love that Maguire has taken a classic and created another timeless tale set in Oz. He took Baum's children's stories and turned them into books entirely for adults. None of Maguire's books in this series are happy go lucky, they are very real life. Do not expect an altogether happy ending to this edition either. I did love that this series allowed me to experience the same feeling I had when first watching The Wizard of Oz as a child all over again as an adult.
I highly recommend picking up Book #1, Wicked, and giving it a try.
January 16, 2012
Hmmmph.I was worried about this book as I felt the Oz Chronicles had gone on too long and become increasingly hard to read. Imagine my surprise when shortly into this book I found myself completely pulled in and immersed. I was particularly impressed by the way all of these random characters and story lines were finally coming together to move forward in one narrative arc. Then halfway through the book it fell apart for me. The momentum of the narrative got lost and I felt the author kept meandering us through years and parts of Oz. Had he too lost his way, like so many of the characters in the book? Or was he just avoiding saying good bye to Oz? Either way, for me this book and series ended for me in a sadly unsatisfying way. I will avoid spoilers but the final resolution seemed to really avoid resolution for many of our main characters. It makes me wonder if this wasn't a set-up for a new series of post-Oz books. For those who have journeyed through the first books, keep on. But if you have only read Wicked, you may just want to stop there.
October 29, 2011
I have no words for how gorgeous this book is. Every word this man writes is perfect. You can't even quote him because you'd just end up reading the whole thing. It's the kind of prose you have to read out loud because it just sounds so GORGEOUS. Several times I squealed with happiness or shock, cheered loudly enough to embarrass myself in public, or had to put the book down until I stopped giggling. I cried twice. This is one of those few novels where there's no real "bad guys," just very human people (even when they're not human) making very real mistakes, but in a very magical setting.
Really, honestly, I am so sad to see the end of this series. But if you HAVEN'T read it yet, you need to get on that. Like, yesterday.
Really, honestly, I am so sad to see the end of this series. But if you HAVEN'T read it yet, you need to get on that. Like, yesterday.
July 31, 2026
It's probably a bit too long, but 5 stars for the sheer scale of the achievement. In truth, the first book in the series, Wicked, is the only one that is essential reading. Books 2 and 3 were a bit of a chore, but Out Of Oz brings it to a satisfying conclusion, filled with epic fantasy and humour. It helps that this book returns to some of the familiar characters from Wicked - Glinda, Dorothy, the Lion - and these characters help to guide us through the politics of Oz, which don't overwhelm the personal story as much as in the previous books. Taken as a whole, the series is a monumental achievement.
May 4, 2012
I have just finished reading the final volume of the Wicked series and have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the finale of the saga. Mr Maguire really out did himself with the last installment by writing rich narratives, fascinating chareacters and even nodding towards updates of characters from the previous three volumes.
War has transcended on Oz and everyone is torn between the two camps which lives are lost and destruction is rife. Rain, Glinda, Liir, Candle, Brr (The Cowardly Lion) and Dorothy must figure out their destination and sort out their roles to play in the scheme of things.
The descriptions of all the characters are richly written though at times, it does sometimes feel to be overwritten but this is more down to Maquire's style than anything. The author's ability to interweve the mythos of Oz from Braum and spin it on its head while remaining true to the origins is admirable feat which is done extremely well.
It should be warned that this is not a stand alone book and each of the volumes should be read in order. Wicked is brilliant, Son of the Witch suffers from (in my opinion) not a very likeable character and the emptiness of it but does serve a purpose in the series. Lion Amongst Men another interesting book that is another lead to book.
It is also important to note that whilst reading Out of Oz, Lion Amongst Men and Son of the Witch become more clear and more important to the saga.
The ending of the book is satisfying but as in life, there are no easy solutions and not everything is tied up with a fancy bow. Overall, this is a fantastic end to a truly wonderful saga of Oz. Highly recommended.
War has transcended on Oz and everyone is torn between the two camps which lives are lost and destruction is rife. Rain, Glinda, Liir, Candle, Brr (The Cowardly Lion) and Dorothy must figure out their destination and sort out their roles to play in the scheme of things.
The descriptions of all the characters are richly written though at times, it does sometimes feel to be overwritten but this is more down to Maquire's style than anything. The author's ability to interweve the mythos of Oz from Braum and spin it on its head while remaining true to the origins is admirable feat which is done extremely well.
It should be warned that this is not a stand alone book and each of the volumes should be read in order. Wicked is brilliant, Son of the Witch suffers from (in my opinion) not a very likeable character and the emptiness of it but does serve a purpose in the series. Lion Amongst Men another interesting book that is another lead to book.
It is also important to note that whilst reading Out of Oz, Lion Amongst Men and Son of the Witch become more clear and more important to the saga.
The ending of the book is satisfying but as in life, there are no easy solutions and not everything is tied up with a fancy bow. Overall, this is a fantastic end to a truly wonderful saga of Oz. Highly recommended.
March 9, 2012
This book felt like it took forever to get through. While parts of it were very creative, at times I felt hit over the head with the authors message. And it could have been at least 200 pages shorter! I thought the inclusion of maps in the endpapers meant he wouldn't have to describe in every detail the fields and topography of Oz! It was great to catch up with Glinda, Liir, Candle and the other characters we've grown to love, and Maguire is very creative and at times quite funny. The story picks up a little at the end, but also gets a litte preachy and out there too. And if this wasn't subtitled, 'The Final Volume of the Wicked Years', I wouldn't think it was the end (and maybe it's not?). There are still a lot of loose ends and possibilities out there.
So, it's creative and at times funny, but not worthwhile if you haven't read the rest of the series. Also, if you do plan to read the series, it probably makes sense to read all four in a row - that would have helped me, as it was a number of years between books for me and that didn't help with the continuity here.
So, it's creative and at times funny, but not worthwhile if you haven't read the rest of the series. Also, if you do plan to read the series, it probably makes sense to read all four in a row - that would have helped me, as it was a number of years between books for me and that didn't help with the continuity here.
March 17, 2012
I read "Wicked" fairly quickly after getting used to the strangeness of having a favorite story warped and perverted: The different take on "Wizard of Oz" was fascinating and the writing was fresh. "Son of a Witch" continued to hold my attention as I found Liir fascinating and complex. "A Lion Among Men" piqued my curiosity, but I found finishing the book rather challenging. This fourth installment"Out of OZ" is so dark and convoluted and confusing, I had to make myself read its pages. Perhaps too long of a time has elapsed since reading the third in the series. Perhaps few of my favorite characters remain. Perhaps I do not know where the story is going and find it difficult to care....
December 17, 2011
Here is my review, posted on goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
"The marvelous land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes, that Dorothy."
At long last...Gregory Maguire has completed his magical series based on L. Frank Baum's immortal OZ books. Taking on the task of continuing so legendary a series, not to mention, characters that have become part of the World lexicon due to a CLASSIC 1939 film that continues to win new generations of devotees is no easy job. Gregory Maguire has indeed shown that he is up to so monumental a task. The three previous books, starting with Wicked, have all been imaginative and fascinating takes on the OZ legend. Out of Oz is the perfect conclusion to a four book series that will long be considered a major achievement.
Gregory Maguire's style of writing is far more ...pun intended..wicked than Baum. His portrayal of characters are more Roald Dahl and Terry Pratchett than L. Frank Baum. Once the reader accepts this, they are in for a truly wonderful, thrilling and magical journey- in, and now OUT OF OZ.
So many of the plot lines that were so well done in the previous books are nicely tied up here. Glinda, who is certainly no Billie Burke (Who so wonderfully portrayed the "good witch" in the film)is far more worldly and wily. The Cowardly Lion is satiric in the best sense of the word, his efforts to avoid capture are hilarious and the rest of the characters, those we all know, and those special to this series, all have their turn in OUT OF OZ bidding farewell to the reader.
This is bittersweet. We are sad to see this most imaginative series end, yet so happy that Gregory Maguire has perfectly chosen the correct manner in which to conclude. While there is little need to go into specific plot descriptions, I feel comfortable in saying that OUT OF OZ leaves the reader more than satisfied. There are no loose ends left dangling. Most importantly, those who are great fans of the Baum books (as I am) will not feel as if these books are attempting to overshadow their predecessors. Rather, Gregory Maguire has used his considerable wit and writing skills to update characters so beloved, and in doing so, has provided the ultimate tribute to L. Frank Baum and the world of OZ he created well over a Century ago.
AN OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
"The marvelous land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes, that Dorothy."
At long last...Gregory Maguire has completed his magical series based on L. Frank Baum's immortal OZ books. Taking on the task of continuing so legendary a series, not to mention, characters that have become part of the World lexicon due to a CLASSIC 1939 film that continues to win new generations of devotees is no easy job. Gregory Maguire has indeed shown that he is up to so monumental a task. The three previous books, starting with Wicked, have all been imaginative and fascinating takes on the OZ legend. Out of Oz is the perfect conclusion to a four book series that will long be considered a major achievement.
Gregory Maguire's style of writing is far more ...pun intended..wicked than Baum. His portrayal of characters are more Roald Dahl and Terry Pratchett than L. Frank Baum. Once the reader accepts this, they are in for a truly wonderful, thrilling and magical journey- in, and now OUT OF OZ.
So many of the plot lines that were so well done in the previous books are nicely tied up here. Glinda, who is certainly no Billie Burke (Who so wonderfully portrayed the "good witch" in the film)is far more worldly and wily. The Cowardly Lion is satiric in the best sense of the word, his efforts to avoid capture are hilarious and the rest of the characters, those we all know, and those special to this series, all have their turn in OUT OF OZ bidding farewell to the reader.
This is bittersweet. We are sad to see this most imaginative series end, yet so happy that Gregory Maguire has perfectly chosen the correct manner in which to conclude. While there is little need to go into specific plot descriptions, I feel comfortable in saying that OUT OF OZ leaves the reader more than satisfied. There are no loose ends left dangling. Most importantly, those who are great fans of the Baum books (as I am) will not feel as if these books are attempting to overshadow their predecessors. Rather, Gregory Maguire has used his considerable wit and writing skills to update characters so beloved, and in doing so, has provided the ultimate tribute to L. Frank Baum and the world of OZ he created well over a Century ago.
AN OFFICIAL JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
August 2, 2011
Review for the Library Journal:
In the midst of Ozian civil war, Rain, granddaughter of the infamous Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, is coming of age with the aid of a ramshackle band of friends. To add to the chaos Dorothy is back, destructive and irritatingly chipper as always and events spiral into an ever-changing web of betrayals, friendships, secrets and unexpected returns. Maguire excels at creating multi-dimensional characters that rise above their many flaws to take their place in Ozian history. Readers will delight in the lyrical writing and many thinly veiled references to other Ozian works (Wicked the musical, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz etc.) found throughout this gritty conclusion to the popular Wicked Years series. The provided map, summaries of previous books, family trees and timelines prove helpful in recalling characters and situations introduced earlier in the series.
VERDICT: An engrossing, complex conclusion to the Wicked series which continues to flip the world of Oz on its head while answering new and old questions about Oz and its denizens. Highly recommended for libraries where Maguire’s series is popular.
In the midst of Ozian civil war, Rain, granddaughter of the infamous Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, is coming of age with the aid of a ramshackle band of friends. To add to the chaos Dorothy is back, destructive and irritatingly chipper as always and events spiral into an ever-changing web of betrayals, friendships, secrets and unexpected returns. Maguire excels at creating multi-dimensional characters that rise above their many flaws to take their place in Ozian history. Readers will delight in the lyrical writing and many thinly veiled references to other Ozian works (Wicked the musical, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz etc.) found throughout this gritty conclusion to the popular Wicked Years series. The provided map, summaries of previous books, family trees and timelines prove helpful in recalling characters and situations introduced earlier in the series.
VERDICT: An engrossing, complex conclusion to the Wicked series which continues to flip the world of Oz on its head while answering new and old questions about Oz and its denizens. Highly recommended for libraries where Maguire’s series is popular.
June 16, 2025
I really loved the first book in this series. The second and third were still written in a way that had me fascinated with the world, but their plots were underwhelming. This last installment was better than the previous two. However, these last three all had me feeling a bit bemused, with things not hitting for me the way the author apparently intended. They will reference things that happened previously in a way that implies those scenes were meant to be hilarious or terrifying, which was not at all how I had experienced them. Which I think is maybe how some readers who didn't enjoy Wicked felt while reading the first book. But this one does a pretty nice job of wrapping up several loose ends.
February 4, 2025
An almost perfect ending to a fabulous series
February 2, 2013
I was a little disappointed in "Out of Oz", but then it's difficult to write an ending and juggle so many characters' lives at once. Perhaps my greatest issue was that there wasn't closure, which I guess is realistic (and Maguire's Oz books are kind of the gritty reboot of Baum's Oz books) but a little unsatisfying for the reader. The ending left an opening for another book, which was an odd decision because this is supposed to be the final book in the Oz years. Storylines, instead of being resolved, were practically scrapped. For example, Candle and Liir should have tried to work past their problems at the end instead of breaking up. I know people say that about most divorces, but it felt in this instance like an extremely convenient excuse to make one more broken situation in a book already riddled with them.
Character development was shoddy at best, especially when it came to Rain. In the beginning of the book she's practically autistic, and after a few weeks at school she's a brilliant and verbal child who makes friends out of the kindness of her heart? Sure, it was convenient to the narrative, but in my opinion the best books are driven by character choices instead of things happening at people. Again, not realistic, but much more engaging.
I'm not sure what the theme was supposed to be, though it might have been that isolation is not a good thing and we should all expand our horizons. There's definitely a parallel between Rain's step into the larger world and her escape from Oz at the end. But how does that apply to anyone else? It felt like the plot stumbled from scene to scene because it had to, meandering without direction. It did not feel tight, planned, or well-done in any way. I skipped most of the section where the Lion and pals go to save Dorothy, understanding that it was important from a narrative perspective but at the same time really not caring what was happening.
The only saving grace was the style, but even that was a little overwrought after a while. The descriptions were spotty - I got the gist of things, but I could have used more insight into what the characters actually felt. Maguire goes on ad nauseum about the damn Time Clock and then leaves us to imagine why the Lion said something to Nor? That's just a strange choice to make.
Final gripe: Just show us Elphaba talking to Rain. I don't know why that was withheld when it was implied throughout the whole book that Elphaba is coming back to Oz. It was a strange choice to not show her, especially when that was what the readers were probably looking forward to most.
If you like Maguire's style, you might like this. I personally think "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" was a much more coherent novel, as was the original "Wicked."
Character development was shoddy at best, especially when it came to Rain. In the beginning of the book she's practically autistic, and after a few weeks at school she's a brilliant and verbal child who makes friends out of the kindness of her heart? Sure, it was convenient to the narrative, but in my opinion the best books are driven by character choices instead of things happening at people. Again, not realistic, but much more engaging.
I'm not sure what the theme was supposed to be, though it might have been that isolation is not a good thing and we should all expand our horizons. There's definitely a parallel between Rain's step into the larger world and her escape from Oz at the end. But how does that apply to anyone else? It felt like the plot stumbled from scene to scene because it had to, meandering without direction. It did not feel tight, planned, or well-done in any way. I skipped most of the section where the Lion and pals go to save Dorothy, understanding that it was important from a narrative perspective but at the same time really not caring what was happening.
The only saving grace was the style, but even that was a little overwrought after a while. The descriptions were spotty - I got the gist of things, but I could have used more insight into what the characters actually felt. Maguire goes on ad nauseum about the damn Time Clock and then leaves us to imagine why the Lion said something to Nor? That's just a strange choice to make.
Final gripe: Just show us Elphaba talking to Rain. I don't know why that was withheld when it was implied throughout the whole book that Elphaba is coming back to Oz. It was a strange choice to not show her, especially when that was what the readers were probably looking forward to most.
If you like Maguire's style, you might like this. I personally think "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" was a much more coherent novel, as was the original "Wicked."
July 5, 2025
Who woulda thought I’d actually read all 4 wicked books?? This was by far the best book of the three sequels even though it was over 600 pages long. I felt satisfied with all the loose ends being tied up here. I was even impressed by how they tied up some of the loose ends from the first book. Loved Rain (Elphaba’s granddaughter) as a character. She was the perfect mix of flawed and powerful, angsty teen, and independent woman.
I felt a bit tired of Wicked after A Lion Among Men, but this book being so good I may read the sequel series soon.
I felt a bit tired of Wicked after A Lion Among Men, but this book being so good I may read the sequel series soon.
February 22, 2025
This was a really satisfying end to the series and tied everything up thankfully!
December 21, 2011
Here's what I think happened: Gregory Maguire wrote Wicked. Not a great book by my standards... but certainly a good one, and it offered a unique spin on a series of books beloved the world over. Wicked is a hit, but moreover the book is turned into a Broadway musical. The musical is (again, my opinion) FAR more successful than the book, both commercially and artistically.
Maguire decides to write more books taking place in Oz, but he's already told the best story so we get three meandering follow-up novels, varying in quality. I actually enjoyed Son of a Witch, but the law of diminishing returns was in full effect with the final two Oz books. Out of Oz goes on FOREVER and with no enjoyable focus. Maguire revisits all of his Oz characters, but none of them are very compelling. He brings back Dorothy for another visit to Oz, but she doesn't do anything or accomplish much besides being an annoying parody.
There are things I enjoyed about the book. As a fan of the original Oz books, Maguire lays in all sorts of references to the stories from which he drew inspiration (I especially liked Tip's reference to Bunnytown). I continue to admire Liir, the protagonist from Son of a Witch. Maguire presents a bisexual protagonist without making his sexual orientation a motivating factor for his actions and I've always thought that was rather cool.
Those compliments aside, this thing was interminable and I'm glad to be done.
Maguire decides to write more books taking place in Oz, but he's already told the best story so we get three meandering follow-up novels, varying in quality. I actually enjoyed Son of a Witch, but the law of diminishing returns was in full effect with the final two Oz books. Out of Oz goes on FOREVER and with no enjoyable focus. Maguire revisits all of his Oz characters, but none of them are very compelling. He brings back Dorothy for another visit to Oz, but she doesn't do anything or accomplish much besides being an annoying parody.
There are things I enjoyed about the book. As a fan of the original Oz books, Maguire lays in all sorts of references to the stories from which he drew inspiration (I especially liked Tip's reference to Bunnytown). I continue to admire Liir, the protagonist from Son of a Witch. Maguire presents a bisexual protagonist without making his sexual orientation a motivating factor for his actions and I've always thought that was rather cool.
Those compliments aside, this thing was interminable and I'm glad to be done.
October 30, 2012
First and foremost let me say when I initially started this series I was so amped because the author gave me a different perspective on everything that had to do with OZ instead of the supposed wicked witch of the west just being wicked she was actually misunderstood made me see her in a whole different light. Fast forward to the last of the 4 books in the series I think with this book the Author wanted to wrap everything up and clear up loose ends and blah blah blah. It was way too long, it was flat, and it was lifeless. I know every book won't get a happy ending and I prefer the ones that have realistic endings to them but what he did with liir and candles daughter rain I just didn't prefer it. He literally tosses her into the wind at the end of the story and she is doomed forever to wander lovelorn and friendless and alone. For a child that grew up that way in this story you would have thought that maybe he would have given her a bit of peace or something to hope for but he didn't. I just think in trying to wrap the series up he sucked all the life out of the final book it could have been epic and awe inspiring instead it was as dry as firewood kindling. If you want to know what happens to the host of characters even Dorthy then read the book but don't have any kind of high hopes for it. It reads like stereo instructions but that is just my opinion.
May 13, 2025
“I may not know how to fly but I know how to read, and that's almost the same thing.”
Okay, okay, I liked this a lot better than the previous book in this series. In Out of Oz we meet Rain, who is Elphaba's granddaughter. They have something in common: they are both green. I absolutely adored Rain and couldn't wait to see what chaos she was going to create. Was she going to be just like Elphaba? Or the complete opposite? I needed to know!
It is safe to assume that Rain has a lot on her shoulders. With all this pressure surrounding her, it was nice to see her struggling with it all. It made her relatable and the challenges (a bit) realistic. I also enjoyed the romance between her and Tip. Everything felt genuine between the two and I couldn't help but ship them together.
As for the ending, well, I could say it all wrapped up nicely into a little bow. Yet, I still feel like some of it was left open-ended. Or maybe that's not the right word... but something was missing is what I mean. It is just how I feel at the moment but maybe in a few days I will think otherwise.
Still good though and I really did enjoy this series.
August 16, 2019
Poorly written. I did not finish this book, it’s too boring. 79 pages in, and all I got was Glinda in a lot of boring conversations. 79 pages of Glinda talking to her servants about nonsense and Glinda talking to General Cherrystone about nonsense. Personally I didn’t find Glinda very interesting. I was more interested in Liir and Rain and Candle, and I would have appreciated the book more if the story had opened with how Glinda had taken Rain under her wing and protected her at her parent’s request, and not been so focused on her house arrest for 80 or more pages. I’m closing this book, life is too short.
December 3, 2015
I have never been so happy to finish a book as I was this one. It was long winded, boring, and pointless. There was no reason for anything. The author should have stopped after the lions book. It was said to be about Dorothy's return but there may be two or three chapters at most about Dorothy and then you never do find out what happens to her at the end. The ending was a non ending. It just kind of died off because it seems me the author finally ran out of words.
August 9, 2018
“Every child makes its peace with abandonment. That's called growing up.”
A different vibe to the other 3 books, and wraps up the whole story nicely. It takes place a few years after the first book. and from memory, its been a while since I read it, if follows the story of one of Elphabas decedents. I will get round to reading it again. Long Live Elphaba...4🌟
A different vibe to the other 3 books, and wraps up the whole story nicely. It takes place a few years after the first book. and from memory, its been a while since I read it, if follows the story of one of Elphabas decedents. I will get round to reading it again. Long Live Elphaba...4🌟
January 2, 2012
Out of Oz is the last book in the Wicked series on which the incredibly successful musical was based. I began it with a strange mixture of excitement and reluctance, for a few reasons. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was absolutely mind-blowing, as was the sequel, Son of a Witch. They were the kind of books you read, thinking 'this is OK I guess' and then by the time you turn the final page you think 'that was the best thing I ever read.' The way that Maguire so cleverly worked with L. Frank Baum's tale of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was intensely satisfying, putting such a realistic and adult spin on an incredibly light-hearted and fanciful tale. The life of Elphaba and in the following book, Liir, was extremely captivating, especially when viewed in contrast to what we thought we knew about them from Baum's works.
Book three, A Lion Among Men was not so successful for me. I felt the series started to lose it's way here and any kind of point to it all became extremely vague. Not to mention that the Lion, Sir Brrr, which the book follows is incredibly boring and un-noteworthy. The best part of Son of a Witch was the legacy of Elphaba and this was kind of side boarded. So while I really enjoyed the overall story and Maguire's unique writing style, I was a little worried Out of Oz would be further a let down a trip into further obscurity.
To start with I want to talk about Maguire's writing style, which is by far the most outstanding thing about these books, and in fact most of his others. Even though he writes fantasy, Maguire does away with any and all notions of theatrics or romanticism, instead simply delivering the cold hard reality. In fiction and even non-fiction this is extremely rare. There are no miracles, no bizarre twists of fate, no demonstrations of incredible talent or power, no emotional reunions, no loves so deep you cannot swim to the bottom and in fact very little use of any kind of archetypal character. The characters make stupid decisions sometimes, they fail, they piss and they die without a fanfare of emotions and dramatic writing. It is really the closest writing to true reality that I have come across.
This has its pros and cons. It is immensely gratifying to read something so raw and true which is also incredibly subtle and gives a huge amount of credit to the intelligence of the reader. But then again, sometimes, especially when reading fantasy, we all want a bit of drama and a bit of magic! Key moments that were walked through as if they were any other were sometimes a little dissatisfying ... but in this book I don't think I would have had it any other way.
At times I found the story itself a little winding and laborious, but in hindsight it is easy to see how even the more dull parts are included for their authenticity, to bring back down to Earth the fanciful romantics of previous tales of Oz. This book after all dwarfs all of its predecessors.
The best thing about Out of Oz was the enormity of the history and the legacy. For most of the time we follow Elphaba's son Liir, his wife Candle and their daughter, Elphaba's granddaughter, Rain - who was also born green. Coupled with the omnipresent tension of Elphaba's mysterious death/disappearance and the family's struggle to reconcile with their place in history and to continue Elphaba's legacy (or not), this gave an incredible depth the the world and characters that transcended any previous Oz literature and most other fantasies I have read. I think this was helped along by my incredible love of the Broadway musical and my attachment to Elphaba both in the musical and in the story. This is where Out of Oz succeeded for me where A Lion Among Men did not. Her life was really such a non-event and a tragedy from beginning to end, yet the repercussions of her actions and her life left a mark like none other. It's incredibly beautiful and touching.
I loved how this book worked through the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' sequel, Return to Oz and featured Mombey and the return of Dorothy Gale.
Rain was a real highlight for me. As a child with an incredible legacy and potential to change the events of Oz, she is presented as any other without any remarkable qualities or traits - incredibly refreshing after all the child prodigies out there these days. She struggles to grasp the enormity of the world and events unfolding around her and things such as her unenthusiastic yet realistic reunion with her family were appreciated when another author may have made it all about hugs and tears and the formation of an instant bond. None of this codswallop for Maguire thank you very much.
The relationship of Rain and Tip was handled exquisitely, especially at the end when events take a bizarre turn. It's no story book romance where they instantly fall in love and cannot be parted. It's a gradual and unproclaimed love of fresh adults, which is told almost obliquely and beautiful to experience. It is during this period where we finally see Rain start to become a young adult and begin to interact with the world around her too.
The ending is a little unresolved but could we really expect anything else? It's not as if Elphaba was going to suddenly reappear, or Rain was going to make some final flight over the Emerald City on her grandmother's broom - that would be far too romantic. The final pages however were a little too obscure for me and I did question some of the final moments and decisions of the author.
For anyone that is frustrated by the blase nature of this narrative, I would suggest that you are putting expectations on it that don't belong there. Don't start reading Maguire thinking it's going to be a happy endings fantasy story like any other. I feel that when you start to appreciate the honesty the story gives and the overwhelming faith it has in its readers, you will appreciate the beauty in it.
Book three, A Lion Among Men was not so successful for me. I felt the series started to lose it's way here and any kind of point to it all became extremely vague. Not to mention that the Lion, Sir Brrr, which the book follows is incredibly boring and un-noteworthy. The best part of Son of a Witch was the legacy of Elphaba and this was kind of side boarded. So while I really enjoyed the overall story and Maguire's unique writing style, I was a little worried Out of Oz would be further a let down a trip into further obscurity.
To start with I want to talk about Maguire's writing style, which is by far the most outstanding thing about these books, and in fact most of his others. Even though he writes fantasy, Maguire does away with any and all notions of theatrics or romanticism, instead simply delivering the cold hard reality. In fiction and even non-fiction this is extremely rare. There are no miracles, no bizarre twists of fate, no demonstrations of incredible talent or power, no emotional reunions, no loves so deep you cannot swim to the bottom and in fact very little use of any kind of archetypal character. The characters make stupid decisions sometimes, they fail, they piss and they die without a fanfare of emotions and dramatic writing. It is really the closest writing to true reality that I have come across.
This has its pros and cons. It is immensely gratifying to read something so raw and true which is also incredibly subtle and gives a huge amount of credit to the intelligence of the reader. But then again, sometimes, especially when reading fantasy, we all want a bit of drama and a bit of magic! Key moments that were walked through as if they were any other were sometimes a little dissatisfying ... but in this book I don't think I would have had it any other way.
At times I found the story itself a little winding and laborious, but in hindsight it is easy to see how even the more dull parts are included for their authenticity, to bring back down to Earth the fanciful romantics of previous tales of Oz. This book after all dwarfs all of its predecessors.
The best thing about Out of Oz was the enormity of the history and the legacy. For most of the time we follow Elphaba's son Liir, his wife Candle and their daughter, Elphaba's granddaughter, Rain - who was also born green. Coupled with the omnipresent tension of Elphaba's mysterious death/disappearance and the family's struggle to reconcile with their place in history and to continue Elphaba's legacy (or not), this gave an incredible depth the the world and characters that transcended any previous Oz literature and most other fantasies I have read. I think this was helped along by my incredible love of the Broadway musical and my attachment to Elphaba both in the musical and in the story. This is where Out of Oz succeeded for me where A Lion Among Men did not. Her life was really such a non-event and a tragedy from beginning to end, yet the repercussions of her actions and her life left a mark like none other. It's incredibly beautiful and touching.
I loved how this book worked through the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' sequel, Return to Oz and featured Mombey and the return of Dorothy Gale.
Rain was a real highlight for me. As a child with an incredible legacy and potential to change the events of Oz, she is presented as any other without any remarkable qualities or traits - incredibly refreshing after all the child prodigies out there these days. She struggles to grasp the enormity of the world and events unfolding around her and things such as her unenthusiastic yet realistic reunion with her family were appreciated when another author may have made it all about hugs and tears and the formation of an instant bond. None of this codswallop for Maguire thank you very much.
The relationship of Rain and Tip was handled exquisitely, especially at the end when events take a bizarre turn. It's no story book romance where they instantly fall in love and cannot be parted. It's a gradual and unproclaimed love of fresh adults, which is told almost obliquely and beautiful to experience. It is during this period where we finally see Rain start to become a young adult and begin to interact with the world around her too.
The ending is a little unresolved but could we really expect anything else? It's not as if Elphaba was going to suddenly reappear, or Rain was going to make some final flight over the Emerald City on her grandmother's broom - that would be far too romantic. The final pages however were a little too obscure for me and I did question some of the final moments and decisions of the author.
For anyone that is frustrated by the blase nature of this narrative, I would suggest that you are putting expectations on it that don't belong there. Don't start reading Maguire thinking it's going to be a happy endings fantasy story like any other. I feel that when you start to appreciate the honesty the story gives and the overwhelming faith it has in its readers, you will appreciate the beauty in it.
February 28, 2021
Well it took me over like half a decade to read this and it was...fine? I just feel like bringing back Dorothy wasn't necessary, there was a sexual scene between two adolescents that I don't think was necessary, and all of the characters were flat. They were essentially mouthpieces for these big thoughts that the author had and wanted to convey. I thought plot was it flowed better than the previous book which is why I'm giving it 3 stars but overall this series isn't the series for me anymore. And that's fine.
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