Committed to Finishing

I have committed myself now to finishing Wicked, in part because I believe that Gregory Maguire used literary devices in his book that I simply didn't understand before, and in part because the story has actually managed to capture my interest. Something is happening, the story is moving, and all in all I feel better being a part of it all.

The problem is that this is one of those books that you can't "speed read." You really do need to take your time and read through the novel slowly enough that you catch everything that the author is trying to tell you, because some bits and pieces from early in the book are becoming important now, a little bit more than halfway through the novel.

The problem that is continually leaving me frustrated is the fact that this book is a very slow read. I can manage about 10 pages at a time before I begin to become frustrated by my overall lack of progress (and the fact that it certainly seems as though Maguire is taking a lot of time to say very little).

This is the kind of book that I have to read in small chunks, and which ultimately destroys my overall love of reading and learning, since it is easier to abandon myself to the Young Adult genre (which is fine, I might add) than to continue to explore literature.

I'd be lying if I said that understanding Wicked is making me love the book: I don't love it, and I an honestly say that as much as it is probably a 4/5 star book, it just isn't for me. This makes me incredibly sad.

I'm committed to finishing though, and I suppose that's what matters.

I would love to hear what other people think about Wicked.