Egg & Spoon

by Gregory Maguire

[Beth C.]

I am a *huge* fan of Gregory Maguire's 'Wicked', though I think some of his other books kind of were...not at good. So I was very curious to read this one and to see if it was capable of living up to its promise. In short - yes and no.

I loved the writing overall - it definitely reminded me of an old-fashioned fairy tale. The characters were interesting, including the narrator who pops in every so often to describe his part in the story. Where I think it went wrong was its length - in places, it felt like it was dragging on and on. I think had the editor been a bit more precise in his/her cutting, the book would have read better. Also - Baba Yaga. Loved her. Thought she was fabulous. BUT. I'm not certain how throwing in elements of the future advanced the story. It didn't make much sense at all, and was a bit jarring during the reading.

In all - a good story, but only if you have the patience to wade through its slightly-too-long length and don't mind the "time traveling Baba Yaga" thing.