2 Favor, 3 Dislikes, 1 Undecided, & 2 Abstained
That was the not so final tally for Wicked. It turns out it was either a hard book to get through, and in that case, it went unfinished, or it was a real page turner--which even sent one brunette to the sequel, Son of a Witch (that's 740 pages of Gregory Maguire in one month!). All those that enjoyed the book agreed, it was a strange start and if it was going to hook you it did so about half way through. Those that enjoyed the book seemed to reserve their opinions about it until reaching the half-way mark and then were compelled to finish it not by the looming deadline but by the plot (in spite of knowing that the Wicked Witch of the West dies in the end) !!
The book was seeped with so much to discuss...good, evil, magic, religion, politics, isolation, depression, abandonment, power, failure, social class, activism, sex, even eugenics. It's funny what you can learn about one another from discussing a book...someone had a soft spot for the miserable and failed Elphaba (how compassionate she must be), someone could recognize a parallel to the past and present tyrannies of man (how discerning she must be), and someone else was unsettled and unsatisfied (how tenacious she can be)... I hope the rest of you that couldn't make it Wednesday night, will find an opportunity to share your thoughts about the book. 
Looking to March, The Birth of Venus promises to be an excellent read. Word is trickling in from all corners that it's a good one! Our meeting location is still being determined, but I hope to see and hear you all there. In the mean time, enjoy the new book and get your suggestions for April and May in the hopper. We'll need to decide soon, so that there's plenty of time for busy readers. Also, we still need hosts for April, May and June. Let me know if you're interested!
