Just Simply Jen

I've been reading the book Wicked:The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and I have to say I am disappointed. I have the musical soundtrack and we've all seen the Wizard of Oz so I was expecting something a little along the lines of those two but it couldn't be more opposite. It is very dark and, in a lot of places, crude. I understand the need for some of the darkness. It explains how she became to be known as wicked. I just feel like there are a lot of things that could be done better or be done with out. One of my first peeves was the use of the word f**k. Now, in general, I don't care for the word. That is not my issue with it. It was totally out of place. This is a book about a far off land that is so very different from our own and that is the best he could do for an expletive? Give me a break. Show a little imagination. There are a lot of parts in the book that feel that way. Overall, it's just disappointing. I will finish the book just to see how he ends it, but I don't plan on buying any of his other books any time soon. I will admit that it makes me want to read the the book by L. Frank Baum that started it all.
Yesterday I did go through an interesting pictorial book on Oahu's North Shore. My husband bought me one that was more just images of the North Shore and one that is a History of the North Shore. It has a lot of photographs that are much older and is really well written with the history of the area we are so near to. I'm excited to finish it tonight as it isn't very long.
So far, my reading goals are off to a good start.