Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
New York, N.Y. : Harper, 2009, c2008.
Description
In this third novel of the "New York Times"-bestselling series, civil war looms in Oz, and an ancient oracle named Yackle prepares for death. But before she can die, the Cowardly Lion arrives seeking knowledge about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West--the woman who had defended him when he was a cub.
User reviews
LibraryThing member pstotts
“The time came for her to die, and she would not die; so perhaps she might waste away, they thought, and she did waste, but not away…”—A Lion Among Men”
Some stories tell of great adventures with heroes that sweep in and save the damsel in distress. Some stories tell of frightening
Instead, “A Lion Among Men” is essentially the memoirs of Brrr the Cowardly Lion. Dispatched by the Emerald City, he is set a task: to find the Grimmerie, the famed source of Elphaba’s powers, which was last seen in her possession. This assignment soon leads him to a crazy old woman who’s dubbed herself Yackle. It’s said that she had once been an Oracle and that she also may have had a connection at one time to Elphaba. But what Brr does find when he finally tracks Yackle down is not some high and mighty Oracle, but an old, decrepit, blind, cranky rotting corpse of a woman. Even though Yackle is barely clinging to life like bad Saran-Wrap, she just can’t seem to die. In fact, she’s been trying to walk through death’s door for over a year, but to no avail. Finally locating her, Brr becomes one step closer to completing his assignment for the Emerald City.
That said, I have now just summed up more or less the entire plot of this “A Lion Among Men,” which as you can see only took 132 words, 9 lines and one paragraph. The other three hundred and eight pages of the book, less one paragraph, were unfortunately about as exciting as what the quote above described. The book would just not die, even though it was way past its time. So maybe it would waste away leaving behind a good story. Ultimately, it did waste away, just not into a good story.
The rest of “A Lion Among Men”, a supposed accounting of the Cowardly Lion’s life, consisted of Brrr (not the most creative of names and Maguire doesn’t even give a great explanation for it) wandering through the woods trying to find Yackle, or some goal along those lines. Now for anyone who has ever read a book that was comprised of the main characters walking endlessly through the woods, you know it can be a potential disaster, or even worse, an exercise in extreme boredom. Well, “A Lion Among Men” was no different than every other novel that has crashed and burned at the roots of the boredom tree. A tree that the characters, I wish, had tripped over, for it would have been more exciting than what was going on in the plot line. (Note to authors: characters walking through the woods for the entirety of the story is fictional suicide. So spare all your devoted readers and think of something with a pulse!)
Aside from the wandering-in-the-woods syndrome “A Lion Among Men” seems to suffer from, it’s also plagued with a myriad of other issues. What little plot line there is in the novel is entwined with a sickening amount of flourish, producing garish prose that says nothing at all. Any part of the story that could be deciphered was often buried in painful dialogue that accomplished absolutely nothing and was incomprehensible to those of us who live in the real world and not Munchkinland.
“A Lion Among Men” can’t even claim to have the same vulgar and appalling nature that ran rampant through Maguire’s other two books in the series, “Wicked” and “Son of a Witch.” It was immensely disappointing that the novel didn’t even have these less than kosher aspects to possibly enliven it. At least the inclusion of these adult qualities may have provided a reprieve to a storyline that ended up being less exciting than even watching paint dry.
Last word:
“A Lion Among Men” is reputed to be the story of Brrr the Cowardly Lion’s life. So based on the novel then, Brr must have lived an incredibly mind-numbing and dull life. By the time I finished trudging my way through this snooze-fest, I could not find any redeeming qualities to the novel. If only I could get those hours of my life back…
Some stories tell of great adventures with heroes that sweep in and save the damsel in distress. Some stories tell of frightening
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mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end. And some stories tell of great romances that transcend time and space. “A Lion Among Men” by Gregory Maguire is none of these.Instead, “A Lion Among Men” is essentially the memoirs of Brrr the Cowardly Lion. Dispatched by the Emerald City, he is set a task: to find the Grimmerie, the famed source of Elphaba’s powers, which was last seen in her possession. This assignment soon leads him to a crazy old woman who’s dubbed herself Yackle. It’s said that she had once been an Oracle and that she also may have had a connection at one time to Elphaba. But what Brr does find when he finally tracks Yackle down is not some high and mighty Oracle, but an old, decrepit, blind, cranky rotting corpse of a woman. Even though Yackle is barely clinging to life like bad Saran-Wrap, she just can’t seem to die. In fact, she’s been trying to walk through death’s door for over a year, but to no avail. Finally locating her, Brr becomes one step closer to completing his assignment for the Emerald City.
That said, I have now just summed up more or less the entire plot of this “A Lion Among Men,” which as you can see only took 132 words, 9 lines and one paragraph. The other three hundred and eight pages of the book, less one paragraph, were unfortunately about as exciting as what the quote above described. The book would just not die, even though it was way past its time. So maybe it would waste away leaving behind a good story. Ultimately, it did waste away, just not into a good story.
The rest of “A Lion Among Men”, a supposed accounting of the Cowardly Lion’s life, consisted of Brrr (not the most creative of names and Maguire doesn’t even give a great explanation for it) wandering through the woods trying to find Yackle, or some goal along those lines. Now for anyone who has ever read a book that was comprised of the main characters walking endlessly through the woods, you know it can be a potential disaster, or even worse, an exercise in extreme boredom. Well, “A Lion Among Men” was no different than every other novel that has crashed and burned at the roots of the boredom tree. A tree that the characters, I wish, had tripped over, for it would have been more exciting than what was going on in the plot line. (Note to authors: characters walking through the woods for the entirety of the story is fictional suicide. So spare all your devoted readers and think of something with a pulse!)
Aside from the wandering-in-the-woods syndrome “A Lion Among Men” seems to suffer from, it’s also plagued with a myriad of other issues. What little plot line there is in the novel is entwined with a sickening amount of flourish, producing garish prose that says nothing at all. Any part of the story that could be deciphered was often buried in painful dialogue that accomplished absolutely nothing and was incomprehensible to those of us who live in the real world and not Munchkinland.
“A Lion Among Men” can’t even claim to have the same vulgar and appalling nature that ran rampant through Maguire’s other two books in the series, “Wicked” and “Son of a Witch.” It was immensely disappointing that the novel didn’t even have these less than kosher aspects to possibly enliven it. At least the inclusion of these adult qualities may have provided a reprieve to a storyline that ended up being less exciting than even watching paint dry.
Last word:
“A Lion Among Men” is reputed to be the story of Brrr the Cowardly Lion’s life. So based on the novel then, Brr must have lived an incredibly mind-numbing and dull life. By the time I finished trudging my way through this snooze-fest, I could not find any redeeming qualities to the novel. If only I could get those hours of my life back…
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LibraryThing member lithicbee
My affection for this series dims with each volume. In this third book in The Wicked Years, we learn about the lives of the Cowardly Lion and Yackle, and the fate of Nor. Yes, some questions are answered, but I do not see a satisfying ending to this series in sight. If you continue to love this
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twisted version of Oz and the political and religious power struggles therein, this should appeal. Without characters I care for at all, such as Elphaba, or even Liir, I was left flat by this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member leducjm
A am not usually a fantasy reader, but Gregory Maguire is amazing. His Wicked series is a must read for all who love to read. I can't wait to read his latest, Out of Oz.
LibraryThing member andsoitgoes
This story had great promise in the beginning. It kept me turning the pages to ultimately get to the climax at the end. Unfortunately, it left me with no resolutions except for Yackle. I wish the author had thrown a couple of bones in regards to the stories on Liir and Candle but he was definitely
On the other hand, it was very well written and I enjoyed the background on the Cowardly Lion. It also increased my vocabulary as I needed to look up quite a few words!
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setting the reader up for the 4th book in this series. I will not be reading it. I was so disappointed with this ending and didn't care for the 2nd book "Son of a Witch" that I am done with this Maguire's series.On the other hand, it was very well written and I enjoyed the background on the Cowardly Lion. It also increased my vocabulary as I needed to look up quite a few words!
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LibraryThing member jshrop
Much to my dissapointment, I had mixed feelings about the third installment in Gregory Maguire's "Wicked Years" saga. A Lion Among Men, as the title hits you over the head with, mostly surrounds the "Cowardly" Lion introduced in Wicked as the cub subjected to experimentation at Shiz University, and
Most of A Lion Among Men is told in flashback which becomes repetitious and annoying, and the language used seems to draw on, rather than bring you into this "enchanted" world as the prose of the first two books do. The revelation near the end of a wayward character from a previous novel was predictable, I won't spoil it with any names, but you can see it coming 100 miles away. I thought the most interesting piece of this work was the more in depth look at the Time Clock, and the mystery surrounding its presence and the secrets it holds.
As a character, the Lion is very unlikable, but it was difficult for me to tell if this was on purpose, or if you were supposed to feel bad over his continued sob story. This is a novel which could have been told as a short story and been more satisfying. I thought that this was supposed to be the final book, but Maguire left it wide open for a new novel, searching out Liir to join up with his story.
The one moral that I think anyone should take away from this is not to do, wear, say things because they're what you think other people will like, or like you for. As corny as it sounds, the most important thing, that the Lion doesn't learn till the very last paragraph, is do what you want, for yourself. If you want to help someone out and will feel good to do it, then go for it. If you want to help someone so that others can see you helping them, don't bother. We have too many conspicuous consumers in our world today, so be true to yourself.
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set free by Elphaba. I am a huge fan of the first novel, and was saddened at the direction that they took it for the stage, trying to neatly tie up ends between the Wizard of Oz movie and the Wicked novel, instead of staying true to the book. This almost seems to be another afterthought to tie up a few more ends, and not a continuation of the excellent work in Wicked and Son of a Witch. Most of A Lion Among Men is told in flashback which becomes repetitious and annoying, and the language used seems to draw on, rather than bring you into this "enchanted" world as the prose of the first two books do. The revelation near the end of a wayward character from a previous novel was predictable, I won't spoil it with any names, but you can see it coming 100 miles away. I thought the most interesting piece of this work was the more in depth look at the Time Clock, and the mystery surrounding its presence and the secrets it holds.
As a character, the Lion is very unlikable, but it was difficult for me to tell if this was on purpose, or if you were supposed to feel bad over his continued sob story. This is a novel which could have been told as a short story and been more satisfying. I thought that this was supposed to be the final book, but Maguire left it wide open for a new novel, searching out Liir to join up with his story.
The one moral that I think anyone should take away from this is not to do, wear, say things because they're what you think other people will like, or like you for. As corny as it sounds, the most important thing, that the Lion doesn't learn till the very last paragraph, is do what you want, for yourself. If you want to help someone out and will feel good to do it, then go for it. If you want to help someone so that others can see you helping them, don't bother. We have too many conspicuous consumers in our world today, so be true to yourself.
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LibraryThing member xicanti
Brr, the Cowardly Lion, finds himself trading stories and reminiscences with an old maunt who may hold the key to the Thropp family's destiny.
This is, in many ways, a story about stories; a story about memory and its impact on the present; a story about the connections between people and the need
It's beautifully done. My favourite thing about all Maguire's books is the way he takes these flat, stock characters and situations and gives them substance. Brrr isn't perfect. He is rather a coward. But Maguire takes us inside his cowardice and shows us what makes him tick. We come to see that it's not a clear-cut case; Brr is a person, (er, Lion), with the same complex motivations and fears that drive us all. He's a product of his past: his forcible removal from his mother, his awkward socialization, his life under the Wizard's anti-Animal regime. Maguire does a brilliant job of showing us why Brrr is the way he is. Like Elphaba and Liir, he's not an entirely likeable character; he messes up, often with disastrous results. But at the end of the day, it's hard not to feel for him.
Oz itself continues to expand beneath Maguire's pen. (Or keyboard, as the case may be). Brrr finally gives us a first-hand look at what Animals go through. We see how they integrate - or fail to integrate - into society, how they were pushed out, what options were open to them in the wake of the Wizard's departure. It's fascinating stuff.
And we get some answers, at long last! Maguire excels at finding and illuminating the connections between his characters, their situations, and the state of the nation, and he uses these connections to drive the story forward. He shows us everything we might need to know and lets us piece it all together for ourselves. The answers found here are more in the line of confirmations, really; many readers will already have guessed portions of the outcome, but it can be nice to hear someone actually come out and say what you already know. And like all the best confirmations, these ones raise a whole host of new questions.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first two books. I wish I'd bought it instead of borrowing it from the library. I realized, midway through, that I've never purchased a new copy of any of Maguire's books. He's given me so many hours of reading enjoyment over the past five years that he most definitely deserves some of my royalties. You can bet I'll be buying the next book, which can't come out quickly enough.
(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
This is, in many ways, a story about stories; a story about memory and its impact on the present; a story about the connections between people and the need
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to view each person as an individual, above all else. Brrr, like Elphaba before him, is more than his public persona. Maguire takes us inside his story and lets us see what really went down.It's beautifully done. My favourite thing about all Maguire's books is the way he takes these flat, stock characters and situations and gives them substance. Brrr isn't perfect. He is rather a coward. But Maguire takes us inside his cowardice and shows us what makes him tick. We come to see that it's not a clear-cut case; Brr is a person, (er, Lion), with the same complex motivations and fears that drive us all. He's a product of his past: his forcible removal from his mother, his awkward socialization, his life under the Wizard's anti-Animal regime. Maguire does a brilliant job of showing us why Brrr is the way he is. Like Elphaba and Liir, he's not an entirely likeable character; he messes up, often with disastrous results. But at the end of the day, it's hard not to feel for him.
Oz itself continues to expand beneath Maguire's pen. (Or keyboard, as the case may be). Brrr finally gives us a first-hand look at what Animals go through. We see how they integrate - or fail to integrate - into society, how they were pushed out, what options were open to them in the wake of the Wizard's departure. It's fascinating stuff.
And we get some answers, at long last! Maguire excels at finding and illuminating the connections between his characters, their situations, and the state of the nation, and he uses these connections to drive the story forward. He shows us everything we might need to know and lets us piece it all together for ourselves. The answers found here are more in the line of confirmations, really; many readers will already have guessed portions of the outcome, but it can be nice to hear someone actually come out and say what you already know. And like all the best confirmations, these ones raise a whole host of new questions.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first two books. I wish I'd bought it instead of borrowing it from the library. I realized, midway through, that I've never purchased a new copy of any of Maguire's books. He's given me so many hours of reading enjoyment over the past five years that he most definitely deserves some of my royalties. You can bet I'll be buying the next book, which can't come out quickly enough.
(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina).
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LibraryThing member Finxy
Review from Badelynge
I'm a big admirer of Gregory Maguire's first Wicked book. It rightly deserves all the literary and popular acclaim it has so far garnered. I was fascinated by the life story and character of Elphaba Thropp aka The Wicked Witch of the West. The second book, Son of a Witch, was
Who else but the most rabid of fan could would put up with two such unlikable characters as The Lion (sorry Brrr) and Yackle for over 400 pages? The cowardly lion sits in one room and interviews Yackle for most of the book. Though being such a poor excuse for an interviewer, the Lion tells more about his own experiences than he receives from Yackle. We hear all about his aimless meandering. Of course he has to meet some lions, oh and some tigers and unfortunately some bears...oh my. There is also an attempt by the author to shoehorn a theme about the morality of war into the mix but this only serves to compound the already rampant cynicism of the the main characters.
I'm a big admirer of Gregory Maguire's first Wicked book. It rightly deserves all the literary and popular acclaim it has so far garnered. I was fascinated by the life story and character of Elphaba Thropp aka The Wicked Witch of the West. The second book, Son of a Witch, was
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disappointing, mediocre but sort of readable. It suffered most because of the need to compare it to its predecessor. This third book, A lion Among Men, is much worse. It hardly seems like a book at all, more like a DVD commentary for a tv series/first two books, where cast and crew tell anecdotes about the filming. Only unable to get either the lead actor, writer or director the commentary features actors who played minor characters and forces them to go through a question and answer session formulated by a group of fans. The Lion and Yackle fit into that role, with a mystery guest contributor on the last episode.Who else but the most rabid of fan could would put up with two such unlikable characters as The Lion (sorry Brrr) and Yackle for over 400 pages? The cowardly lion sits in one room and interviews Yackle for most of the book. Though being such a poor excuse for an interviewer, the Lion tells more about his own experiences than he receives from Yackle. We hear all about his aimless meandering. Of course he has to meet some lions, oh and some tigers and unfortunately some bears...oh my. There is also an attempt by the author to shoehorn a theme about the morality of war into the mix but this only serves to compound the already rampant cynicism of the the main characters.
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LibraryThing member LDVoorberg
Couldn't finish it. Actually, I could barely start it. I cared nothing for the chcaracters and couldn't remember much of anything I was apparently supposed to make sense of this one. Not worth my time.
LibraryThing member echaika
The final book of Gregory Maguire's trilogy loses none of the magic and bite of Wicked and flows more easily than Son of a Witch, perhaps because it doesn't get lost in the dungeons of Emerald City as that one did. Maguire's prose is itself often magical. We see starry nights as amazing as Van
The satires on society and politics continue, and, to them, is added religion. He makes an interesting--and clever case for the impossibility of their being music in heaven, centered on the fact that music is time-based and heaven is not. (If I understood him, or rather the character who said it, correctly.)
There is one brilliantly erotic scene between Animals of different species. The paragraphs on food are mouthwatering, although one can hardly reproduce the meals this side of Oz.
It's strange that I loved these books as, even as a child, I never read fairy tales, or the Oz books. I did read reality based kids' series like The Bobbsey Twins, Heidi, and all of Louisa May Alcott. I also read all the adult novels in my parents' library since I was blessedly unattended most of the time.
The only book I did read that treated animals as people was a curiosity in my parents' library called, Lightfoot the Leaping Goat, which, along with Heidi and the Alcott books, I read and reread at least fifty times each. I can't explain that aberration. Nor can I explain the aberration of The Wicked Years. I don't like fantasy. Nor do I like science fiction. Do you ever wonder why you like the books you do? It's not only their artistic worth, although Maguire's prose is very fine, very vivid, wickedly satiric, but never with a bludgeon.
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Gogh's, hear music from oak string trees, and see characters morfing as in an Anime film or even a cartoon. The amazing assortment of characters continue: dwarfs, Munchkins, Animals, animals, winged women, but, with no Elphaba, no green ones.The satires on society and politics continue, and, to them, is added religion. He makes an interesting--and clever case for the impossibility of their being music in heaven, centered on the fact that music is time-based and heaven is not. (If I understood him, or rather the character who said it, correctly.)
There is one brilliantly erotic scene between Animals of different species. The paragraphs on food are mouthwatering, although one can hardly reproduce the meals this side of Oz.
It's strange that I loved these books as, even as a child, I never read fairy tales, or the Oz books. I did read reality based kids' series like The Bobbsey Twins, Heidi, and all of Louisa May Alcott. I also read all the adult novels in my parents' library since I was blessedly unattended most of the time.
The only book I did read that treated animals as people was a curiosity in my parents' library called, Lightfoot the Leaping Goat, which, along with Heidi and the Alcott books, I read and reread at least fifty times each. I can't explain that aberration. Nor can I explain the aberration of The Wicked Years. I don't like fantasy. Nor do I like science fiction. Do you ever wonder why you like the books you do? It's not only their artistic worth, although Maguire's prose is very fine, very vivid, wickedly satiric, but never with a bludgeon.
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LibraryThing member trinibaby9
This was the weakest book in the series by far. There was very little development or excitement. Much of the book felt as if it was a real strain for Maguire. It seems like he is trying to draw the series out but has a lack of material or things to say. This didn't advance the story line very much
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at all, or add alot of depth. It's not horrible by any means it just lacks the excitement of the first books. I'm hoping the series hasn't fizzled out and am going to assume this is just a transition type of book. In the end the book had very little to say, but the incorporation of the lion is a good idea. Show Less
LibraryThing member eggsnhm
I loved _Wicked_ for humanizing the Wicked Witch of the West. After reading it, I came away thinking "If you were the only green girl in *your* family, and you were allergic to water, you might wind up a little cranky too." However, neither Son of a Witch, nor A Lion Among Men have lived up to the
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level of insight and engagement provided by the first book in the series. For years, I've loved Maguire's way of recrafting fairy tales. However, the further he drifts into Oz, the less interested I am. As for _Lion_ the most interesting character is Yackle, who, on the one hand, is central to the novel, and yet, on the other, is absent from most of the telling. Everything we learn about the lion himself seems a pointless digression. Show Less
LibraryThing member DevourerOfBooks
I have this tendency, if I like the first book I read from an author, to keep trying his or her work over and over again, even if I don’t like ANY of the subsequent books I read by said author. I may need to stop doing that.
In this case, I really, really liked “Wicked” when I read it. I know
It took me awhile, but I finally got around to “A Lion Among Men,” borrowing the audiobook from the library. It tells the story both of Brrr, the Cowardly Lion, and Yackle, the witch who figured prominently in Elphaba’s life in “Wicked.” On one hand, I did want to know more about both figures and how Maguire saw them fitting into Elphaba’s story. On the other hand, I was about as interested in this book as I was in Maguire’s non-Oz books, even with my desire to piece together the story, which means that I probably actually liked the book itself LESS than his others.
No more Maguire for me, I think, other than possible re-reads of “Wicked.”
If you have liked Maguire’s other work and want to continue his Oz story, read this by all means. The problem isn’t poor writing, it is just that, other than “Wicked,” something about these books rubs me the wrong way. If you’re not crazy about Maguire, learn my lesson and don’t bother.
In this case, I really, really liked “Wicked” when I read it. I know
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that some people find it slow, but it really clicked for me, I loved the politics of it. I then tried some of Maguire’s other fairy tale books, “Mirror, Mirror” and “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.” I found both of them pretty ‘bleh’. They weren’t bad per se, but I didn’t enjoy them in the least. Even so, I decided to read “Son of a Witch” sometime back because, even if I didn’t like his other work, I wanted to continue in Maguire’s version of Oz. I did enjoy “Son of a Witch” more than the non-Oz books, but really didn’t love it. Regardless, when I heard about “A Lion Among Men,” I knew I wanted to read it.It took me awhile, but I finally got around to “A Lion Among Men,” borrowing the audiobook from the library. It tells the story both of Brrr, the Cowardly Lion, and Yackle, the witch who figured prominently in Elphaba’s life in “Wicked.” On one hand, I did want to know more about both figures and how Maguire saw them fitting into Elphaba’s story. On the other hand, I was about as interested in this book as I was in Maguire’s non-Oz books, even with my desire to piece together the story, which means that I probably actually liked the book itself LESS than his others.
No more Maguire for me, I think, other than possible re-reads of “Wicked.”
If you have liked Maguire’s other work and want to continue his Oz story, read this by all means. The problem isn’t poor writing, it is just that, other than “Wicked,” something about these books rubs me the wrong way. If you’re not crazy about Maguire, learn my lesson and don’t bother.
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LibraryThing member Foxen
This is the third in the Wicked Years series and follows the lives of Brrr, the Cowardly Lion, and Yackle, a mysterious crone lurking in the shadows, emerging only to nudge events into the line of fate in the previous books. I liked this one much more than Son of a Witch. The Lion offers Maguire
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more of an opportunity to explore the socio-political world he has created; the Animal rights stuff was some of the most interesting in Wicked, and is explored in more detail here. I especially liked, however, (and was completely surprised by) getting to know Yackle more. If asked ahead of time, I would have thought knowing more about her would kind of ruin her effect, based as it is on her mysteriousness. That Maguire can give us her entire story and just make her more of a mystery is impressive and demonstrates his excellent story-telling. It's not the best book I've every read, but any faith I lost in Maguire based on Son of a Witch has been definitely regained, and then some. Show Less
LibraryThing member glitrbug
Wicked was wonderful, Son of a Witch was good, A Lion Amoung Men was a sad waste of money. I like the way Maguire plays with words. I enjoy his references to other writers, but this book just seemed like a rehash of the first two with very little added to the story. Nothing much to be learned about
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Brr or Yackle that wasn't inferred from the earlier books. I wish I could get a refund of funds and time spent. Show Less
LibraryThing member madamejeanie
This is the highly entertaining third installment in Maguire's "Wicked Years" series, and it is concentrated on the Cowardly Lion named Brrr. This is his story, from his murky beginnings as a cub alone in the great woods, through his life, making his way as an Animal with sentience and a
This novel was a very good revisit to the Oz created in Maguire's imagination, a place where evil isn't necessarily what it first appears to be and trustworthiness is truly in the eye of the beholder. Unlike the first two volumes in this series, this story really cannot stand on its own, and I thought the story dragged a bit in several places, including a couple of threads in Brrr's life that seemed to serve no purpose at all in furthering the saga of Oz and weren't really that interesting. I still think it's worth reading, though, and that this is one of the best fiction series in the fantasy realm today. I wish Maguire would concentrate a bit more on it and come out with further volumes without waiting years and years between them!
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conscience. Brrr's life brushes that of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West of Oz, twice -- once as a tiny cub and again at her spectacular end. But his is a story of shame and ridicule, a life spent on the edge of humanity and civilization, always misunderstood, always persecuted, almost always alone. It is only as a middle aged washed up has-been that he is sent off by the Emperor of Oz to search for traces of Liir, the reputed son of Elphaba, and he finds himself in the tower of a mauntery interviewing an anceient crone who cannot seem to die named Yackle, and square in the cross-hairs of two opposing armies as Oz is about to explode into civil war all around him.This novel was a very good revisit to the Oz created in Maguire's imagination, a place where evil isn't necessarily what it first appears to be and trustworthiness is truly in the eye of the beholder. Unlike the first two volumes in this series, this story really cannot stand on its own, and I thought the story dragged a bit in several places, including a couple of threads in Brrr's life that seemed to serve no purpose at all in furthering the saga of Oz and weren't really that interesting. I still think it's worth reading, though, and that this is one of the best fiction series in the fantasy realm today. I wish Maguire would concentrate a bit more on it and come out with further volumes without waiting years and years between them!
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LibraryThing member jedimarri
"A Lion Among Men" is the third book in his series "The Wicked Years" that started with prize winning book, "Wicked." The first book, Wicked, told the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The second book, "Son of a Witch," told the story of Liir, Elphaba's son (we think). In this book we
I actually didn't like the story of the Cowardly Lion that much. I'm not sure if that's just because Maguire did a good job of portraying him as cowardly, or if it was something else, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last two. I did enjoy learning more about Yackle and her origins though!
Throughout the first two books Yackle is a mysterious character who hovers on the edges of the story. She shows up in some of the oddest places, and you always wonder why she's involved with the story. In this book we finally learn why!
From looking on-line, there are no more books written yet in this series. I'm curious to see where he's going to take the Oz story next, and I'm hoping I like book 4 better than I did book 3!
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learn the story of the Cowardly Lion and the oracle Yackle. I actually didn't like the story of the Cowardly Lion that much. I'm not sure if that's just because Maguire did a good job of portraying him as cowardly, or if it was something else, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last two. I did enjoy learning more about Yackle and her origins though!
Throughout the first two books Yackle is a mysterious character who hovers on the edges of the story. She shows up in some of the oddest places, and you always wonder why she's involved with the story. In this book we finally learn why!
From looking on-line, there are no more books written yet in this series. I'm curious to see where he's going to take the Oz story next, and I'm hoping I like book 4 better than I did book 3!
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LibraryThing member bibliojim
This is the fourth adult novel by Maguire I've read. It's the first I didn't especially like. The primary characters are Yackle and Brrr the Cowardly Lion. The two of them banter endlessly in an antagonistic fashion and that grew a little tiresome. There are many details about the life of Brrr
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which serve to illustrate his character. By the end of the book I began to feel I understood how his actions were consistent with his character, and that made the ending really quite perfect - he began to understand himself well enough to finally do something not fitting to his character, and so begin anew. And that is the meaningful message - none of us ever reaches a point where we can no longer bring ourselves a better future. The ending really was wonderful, but I didn't think the long road there was worth it. I nevertheless eagerly await the author's next book, having totally loved other novels he's written. Show Less
LibraryThing member bribre01
My least favorite of the three Oz books I've read so far. The lion's history was pretty depressing, and this book was a little weirder than the previous books in the Wicked series. A little bit too much politics for me, also. But I'm still looking forward to reading Out of Oz.
LibraryThing member pastorjeffmyers
ast night I finished reading A Lion Among Men. It's the third book in Gregory Maguire's Wicked Years series. I enjoyed it. I only write about it because this book received so many disappointing reviews. Many thought that it was a waste of time and that it didn't advance the overall storyline at
I will say this about Maguire's books. Inevitably there's a good-sized chunk in the middle that I find myself skimming instead of reading. If he has any writing flaws, one of them is to overdevelop a story a bit.
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all. I completely disagree. I felt it tied up several loose ends, increased the depth of the story, and left me with a strong sense of direction as to where Maguire would take the story next. This book centers around the story of the Cowardly Lion. If you're looking for a fictional escape, this one's not bad.I will say this about Maguire's books. Inevitably there's a good-sized chunk in the middle that I find myself skimming instead of reading. If he has any writing flaws, one of them is to overdevelop a story a bit.
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LibraryThing member heinous-eli
Wicked was interesting in that it fleshed out a story known to most Western readers: The Wizard of Oz. Son of a Witch was only interesting i its connections to the Wizard of Oz and Wicked. This book is even further removed from The Wizard of Oz and Wicked and suffers from a severe lack of
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interesting and engaging content. Yackle and the Lion, as portrayed in this book, are characters worth only a footnote, not an entire book. The book half explains things in the series and then goes on about other things in very choppy fashion. A disappointing and confusing conclusion to the Oz series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rhinoa
The third trip back to Gregory Maguire's reinterpretation of Oz. The cowardly lion named Brrarrives at the Mauntary where Sister Yackle has been interred. He has been charged with finding out more about Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and Yackle's name has come up in her story a number if times as an
While learning more about Yackle, we also find out Brr's story. Yackle will only give him information in exchange for some back from him. We travel back to when Brr was a young lion growing up in the jungle. He learns to talk and tries to join the human world with mixed success. As described in Wicked there were anti Animal laws passed so the Lion in the city becomes someone of an oddity. Cast adrift, he doesn't really fit in with Animals or humans and lands himself in a whole heap of trouble.
I know many people aren't too keen on this series past the first book, but I think they are excellent. There were some great insights into some of the main characters as well as an unexpected one. I am also really interested in the time dragon clock and I really liked the parts were it was involved. The final moments with Yackle were worth it all.
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Oracle. Civil war is fast approaching and Brr is working for the city, trying to get Yackle's tale before the soldiers arrive. He is also trying to find out the wereabouts of Liir, Elphaba's possible son.While learning more about Yackle, we also find out Brr's story. Yackle will only give him information in exchange for some back from him. We travel back to when Brr was a young lion growing up in the jungle. He learns to talk and tries to join the human world with mixed success. As described in Wicked there were anti Animal laws passed so the Lion in the city becomes someone of an oddity. Cast adrift, he doesn't really fit in with Animals or humans and lands himself in a whole heap of trouble.
I know many people aren't too keen on this series past the first book, but I think they are excellent. There were some great insights into some of the main characters as well as an unexpected one. I am also really interested in the time dragon clock and I really liked the parts were it was involved. The final moments with Yackle were worth it all.
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LibraryThing member jasmyn9
The story of the cowardly lion is a very interesting one. The third book walks us through his childhood, how he met Dorothy, and the part he is to play in the future of Oz.
The lion, Brrr, has quite an eventful past, and the way he received the name "cowardly" is very entertaining, and yet very sad.
We are introduced once again to the strange character of Yackle, the old woman who has followed the story of Oz through all three books so far. We also get a glimpse into her history and why she seems to be so eternal. We meet the Clock of the Time Dragan and it helps us to tie many of the loose ends together. Although the series still seems to lack a true conclusion, most of what has been on my mind was cleared up throughout this book.
4/5
The lion, Brrr, has quite an eventful past, and the way he received the name "cowardly" is very entertaining, and yet very sad.
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Brrr's entire life has been trying to fit in, somewhere, anywhere, and the fear that he never truly will haunts him.We are introduced once again to the strange character of Yackle, the old woman who has followed the story of Oz through all three books so far. We also get a glimpse into her history and why she seems to be so eternal. We meet the Clock of the Time Dragan and it helps us to tie many of the loose ends together. Although the series still seems to lack a true conclusion, most of what has been on my mind was cleared up throughout this book.
4/5
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LibraryThing member EmScape
A Lion Among Men is mostly backstory on the Cowardly Lion. A very different past than one would imagine him to have, but interesting to read about. The action in the present is less entertaining, but a halfway decent excuse for the Lion to relate his past to us.
After reading other reviews I
After reading other reviews I
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expected a less entertaining book than this was. Not to say that it was good or anything, but it was better than suspected. Some long-wondered-about questions were answered about the life of Elphaba and other major players in Wicked, and some other questions were raised. Hopefully there will be an omega to this series and hopefully it will equal or even surpass the excellence of Wicked. Show Less
LibraryThing member devenish
The third of 'The Wicked Years' books which began with 'Wicked',and continues with 'Son of a Witch' and 'A Lion Among Men'. In the present volume we follow the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Cowardly Lion (otherwise known as Brrr). He appears early in the story searching for news about the
A fascinating and complicated journey for both the Lion and the reader. Well worth making however.
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Wicked Witch of the West and her son Liir. This tale mainly concerns the Lion's own odyssey however and charts his remarkable journey and adventures before the Wicked Years (presumably) continue.A fascinating and complicated journey for both the Lion and the reader. Well worth making however.
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LibraryThing member t1bnotown
I just keep waiting for a happy ending and not getting one. This story was full of disappointments. I want a main character who I like and empathize with, and I want a story that turns out well. What I wanted most when I started reading this book was to know that Liir was happy. I wanted him back
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with Shell, raising their daughter together. I didn't want to hear about a lion who fails to do more than find transitory happiness. Maybe he'll find meaning eventually- the book seemed to go that way, but not yet, and I want to see it. I want to know that the characters are okay. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2008-10-14
Physical description
324 p.; 23 inches
ISBN
0060859725 / 9780060859725
Other editions
A lion among men by Gregory Maguire (Paper Book)