Lost

I think a lot of people missed the point with this book. I think the style of the book was intended to throw you off base a little bit, and I think that can be a little too much for some people who are too used to formulas and writing styles. In fact, this is one of my favorite books because it is so different, and makes you think. If your in the mood for some "mind candy" type reading, stick to "Wicked", or "Mirror, Mirror" because you'll like those better. But if you happen to be in the mood for a little mind bending one day, give "Lost" a chance. Just don't expect it to be like other books you've read.

(SPOILERS BELOW) I'm really taken aback by intense negative opinions people have of this book. This is the third book by Maguire I have read and while I thoroughly enjoyed the others (Wicked, Confessions) I thought Lost was by far his best work. He continues his theme of fiction being a result of real life stories that are distorted by artists, but in Lost Maguire expresses this theme in a new and unique way. It's true that this book is not an easy read. For the first 250 or so pages, it is not clear where the story is going (or if it is going to go anywhere at all). But then Maguire begins revealing pieces of the puzzle until it all falls gloriously into place. It's also true that the main character is hard to connect to emotionally. Maguire has chosen to make the center of his novel a character who is cut off emotionally (not only to those around her, but even to herself). She has buried her feelings as completely and deeply as the haunted shroud is buried in her family home. But it is NOT true that Maguire gives us no reason to care about her. The revelation that she is bearing the guilt over her role in the death of an innocent is what connects her to the ghost of the shroud and the ghost of her ancestor (and ultimately to the world at large). After I finished this book, I immediately went back and re-read the opening section. At first read, this section did not seem to fit in at all with the rest of the novel, the story of the car crash and the meeting of potential adoptive parents appeared to be out of place. When I re-read it, I realized how Maguire sets up all the themes and motifs of the novel in these opening pages. In short, if you are looking for another Wicked, you won't find it in this book. Lost is to rest of Maguire's work what Sunday in the Park with George is to Sondheim's work, or Mullholland Drive is to David Lynch's work. A mystery that is solved not through plot, but through revelations of character.

A lot of people seem to have read _Wicked_, tried _Lost_ and been terribly disappointed. I found the book actually MORE satisfying than _Wicked_. I hope that you will give me a chance to sell you on _Lost_, because I think that you will enjoy it if you give it an honest chance. I read the book in the space of a two day business trip, and purposely begged off of social stuff and went to the airport four hours early so I could sit uninterrupted and read it. I think one of the benefits of _Wicked_ that made others prefer it, is that _Wicked_ takes place in a world we are all familiar with. We have a world already in our heads, a world that Maguire then manipulates and redraws in novel and jarring ways. In _Lost_, however, we are presented with a ghost story of sorts in the present day, and the world is not there for us at the start. It is the real world, but viewed through a unique and interesting lens. Maguire presents us with just as complex and ambivalent a heroine here as in _Wicked_. There are two narrative voices -- that of Winnie, and that of Winnie's character, Wendy, in the novel that Winnie is trying to write. As we all know, all characters in all works of fiction are in some way distillations of the author and friends and life. Plot points and locations are often taken from real life and manipulated to fit the story, and we learn most important information about Winnie's real life and real wounds through her attempt at a novel. It is a very simple but very effective technique, especially because Maguire's book is also a meditation on the way we construct narratives from our lives, both about ourselves and our place in the world, and about ghosts and the nature of haunting in our lives. We journey with Winnie from contemplating the usual canned ideas of ghosts-- that ghosts with unfinished business are haunting the world, unable to move on to the next world, lost in this one. And we move to a much deeper understanding of ghosts, and of Winnie. In _Lost_, there is unfinished business, there is haunting. And not just by ghosts. I found _Lost_ to be wonderful reading and highly recommend it.

As many other reviewers indicated, I too read Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I didn't expect this book to follow the same sort of format, offering alternate views of fantasy and fairy tale. Still, I enjoy Gregory Maguire's writing so much that it didn't matter, nor do I think it SHOULD have been the same as his first two books. It contained his great imagination, his impressive imagery, and his capacity for creating interesting characters. I agree with one reviewer that at FIRST I found Winnie's character to be completely unsympathetic. I had no idea why I should care about her, but as the story unfolded it became more clear why she seemed cold and uncaring towards everyone, including herself. The references to Dickens clearly echoed through the story, since the theme had to do with being haunted by the "ghosts" of one's life. Although it went in a different direction than his first two books, I was still hooked by Gregory Maguire's incredible writing style.

Fans of "Wicked" and "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," beware: Gregory Maguire's newest offering, "Lost," departs from his charming device of retelling fairy tales from the villain's perspective. Indeed, it departs from fairy tales altogether. But, please don't despair!What Maguire offers instead is a compelling tale of isolation, desperation, family ghosts and medieval spectres -- all in present-day London. The story follows the winding path of Winifred Rudge, an author seeking to write a ghost story but who instead finds herself becoming possessed -- or, perhaps, crazy. Which is it? As she seeks to learn the truth, Winifred is plagued by the disconcerting. And if you're brave enough to read into the wee hours of the morning... well, be prepared for much creepiness. It's an effectively chilling bit of writing!Granted, at times the book does ramble, and the multiple threads can be maddeningly difficult to keep track of. Yet the challenge only makes it that more rewarding to read. Highly recommended! I hope Maguire keeps 'em coming.