Review: Wicked
Title: Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Author: Gregory Maguire
Year of Publication: 1995
Genre: Fantasy/Fiction
Length: 406 pages; small font, large book, not a quick read.
Rating: 4/5 – Worth paying full price.
Review:
The Wizard of Oz is a classic story, whether you saw the film on TV, read the book(s), or both. There are very few people in North America who have never heard of Oz, and most everyone can name at least a half-dozen characters: Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, and The Wicked Witch of the West, to name a few. Even if some of these characters only have titles instead of names, and don’t have much of a character to them, they’re well-known and loved. Or, perhaps, hated, if you were that sort of kid.
In Wicked, Maguire, who is in the business of recreating old childhood stories into books better suited for adults, takes one of the most notable villains from Oz and turns her into something more. She’s given the name Elphaba, which is based on L. Frank Baum’s initials (El ef bee, el fa ba). Elphaba is born looking like a demon child, with green skin and teeth like razors. Her parents are poor people who try to live a simple life, but nothing is simple in Oz. There are great political problems, religious problems, and a scared populace that is quick to attack first and ask questions later.
