OUT OF OZ by Gregory Maguire, reviewed by BL Kennedy

Out of Oz
Gregory Maguire
Harper Collins
New York, NY
568 pgs
$26.99
ISBN: 978-0-06-054894-0





It would take Dorothy Gale and her relatives three days to reach the mountains by train from Kansas, the conductor told them.

No matter what the schoolteacher had said about Galileo, Copernicus, and those other spoilsports, any cockamamie theory that the world was round remained refuted by the geometrical instrument of a rattling train applied to the spare facts of a prairie. Dorothy watched eagles and hawks careening too high to cast shadows, she watched the returning larks and bluebirds, and she wondered what they knew about the shape of the world, and if they would ever tell here.


Gregory Maguire, the New York Times Bestselling author of Wicked is at it again with this final volume in the Wicked years. My prediction is that this book will not only be immensely successful, but also very sought after. Simply put, Maguire's audience will not be disappointed. I’m kinda sad, though; its all gonna be coming to an end with this book. Reading it left me wanting more. Gregory Maguire took his inspiration from America’s first fairy tale, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and created a world that will leave people screaming from the Middle Earth. The Middle Earth is safe compared to the political climate of Oz. This book is about the granddaughter of the Wicked Witch of the West, and her coming to understand abilities that have grown within her. The book, to say the least, is remarkable, extraordinary, delicious, and bewitching. This is a sophisticated fantasy cycle, inspired by work of L. Frank Baum. The first book, Wicked, went from novel to Tony winning Broadway production. Its going to be sad watching it disappear with this novel. This is probably Maguire’s most trans-formative work, a thrilling and compulsively readable saga. Once again, we experienced social unrest in Emerald City, for there is a mounting invasion on Munchkin land. Glenda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law, when who comes knocking at the door? It’s none other than Dorothy, and that’s all that needs to be said. The book is a wonderful read filled with beautiful, imaginative histories and quickly moving chapters that will just seduce the reader, and I promise, you will not be able to put this book down once you start it.

So yeah, I guess what I’m saying is that if you are a fan of the writing of Gregory Maguire and L. Frank Baum, if you are an Ozhead or you just remember the movie with Judy Garland, buy this book. I promise you it is worth every penny and more. Reading Out of Oz is one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had in a while.