Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Wicked

  • The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
  • By: Gregory Maguire
  • Narrated by: John McDonough
  • Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (348 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Wicked

By: Gregory Maguire
Narrated by: John McDonough
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £30.99

Buy Now for £30.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Heralded as an instant classic of fantasy literature, Maguire has written a wonderfully imaginative retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.

Elphaba is born with green skin, a precocious mind, and a talent for magic. An outcast throughout her childhood in Munchkinland, she finally begins to feel as though she fits in when she enters the University in the Emerald City. While she hones her skills, she discovers that Oz isn't the Utopia it seems. She sets out to protect its unwanted creatures, becoming known as the Wicked Witch along the way.

Narrator John McDonough draws you in to Maguire's magical world of witches and talking animals, making it possible to believe in a land somewhere over the rainbow.

©1995 Gregory Maguire (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
activate_samplebutton_t1

Listeners also enjoyed...

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story cover art
Silver Birch, Blood Moon cover art
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories cover art
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz Bundle (Annotated) cover art
The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection cover art
The Sandman cover art
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them cover art
Bridget Jones's Diary cover art
Six of Crows cover art
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cover art
Elantris (Dramatized Adaptation) cover art
The Cycle of Arawn cover art
Hope Against Hope cover art
New Spring cover art
Dorothy Must Die Stories cover art
The Time Traveler's Wife cover art

Critic reviews

"A staggering feat of wordcraft." ( Los Angeles Times)
"McDonough's excellent portrayals of Elphaba's outspoken, gravel-voiced nanny, Glinda's snobbish friends, and the wide-eyed, soft-spoken Dorothy make this excursion to Oz worthwhile." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Wicked

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    176
  • 4 Stars
    81
  • 3 Stars
    41
  • 2 Stars
    24
  • 1 Stars
    26
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    156
  • 4 Stars
    65
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    13
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    149
  • 4 Stars
    62
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    23
  • 1 Stars
    20

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Still one of my absolute faves.

I've listened more times than I can remember now and each time I spot something I've missed. the narration is fab. the storyline speaks to my soul. Just brilliant 👏

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Weird & indulgent

I stuck with this, thinking it might improve. Alas, no… it was so self indulgent at times and pompous. Certain elements were obscure and disjointed and so difficult to follow the narrative. Also it was almost impossible to feel any connection with the characters. I think it may have helped to have been narrated by a female voice rather than the ponderous way this was delivered.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story

much darker than the musical but it was extremely enjoyable and i would recommend it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Disregard what others say about the narration

John McDonough does a fantastic job of not only the narration but also the depth and variances of each character. Galinda/Glinda sounds vastly different to Elphaba. Boq and Fieyero are easy to tell apart etc.

The book itself is of course brilliantly written. If you enjoy the show, you’ll love the book although be warned there are plenty of differences and is a lot darker (I’d recommend doing research on potential triggers if you’re so affected) but if you’re prepared for a darker story with so much depth and lore into the “wonderful” world of Oz, then pick this title up.

I would recommend this book to anybody interested in fantasy although I would also venture to say that anybody interested in politics, semantics, philosophy or even religious arguments would enjoy this title as it has very interesting views on matters that can easily be translated into our own, slightly less magical, lives

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So slow. So long

Having seen the musical multiple times I decided to read the source text. At first it was fascinating the differences and extension to the story universe. But after getting ⅓ of the way through it still feels like the story is yet to start. It’s verbose and the narration is a drudge. Such a shame. It’s a book I want to have read, not one I want to read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Definitely not for children

Not at all what I expected, but a detailed, shocking story of Oz.
I haven’t seen the musical but I imagine there’s not a lot of this book in a family show.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

Puts a totally different light on the original story, just begs the question" who was really Wicked ?????? " it's up to you to decide !!!!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not as expected - which is a good thing!

Surprisingly darker, different to what the musical shows and makes me want to explore the rest of the series, at least the sequel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Overall it’s a good story

It’s a good story. However it is a little slow in places. The narrative is good. It’s interesting to hear the story behind the musical.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Relly good writing and carachter development

Bizarre gaps, the protagonists last chapter sudden derangement (ummm like Game of Thrones). Without spoiling, iMagine the witch descending on her broom to confront Dorothy then...She is waking from a hangover. Sorry thats a cheap cheat. The final ending results in the witches encounter with the film version bucket of water. but only after acting like a complete lunatic...this from the most rational carachter in the story. I was hoping for a better finish, the book is exceptional otherwise, truly so.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!