Today’s Harrowing Historical is: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Synopsis from the publisher: When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
An astonishingly rich re-creation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn’t so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Wicked just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature.
Scene from the Broadway musical version of Wicked: Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the original Broadway production, performing one of my favorite scenes and songs, Defying Gravity.
I started this book and put it down after the first chapter. I never do that! I have been wanting to pick it back up again, everyone loves it… I must have been in an odd mood at the time.
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Gregory Maguire’s books are a bit odd. I have been trying to get into MIRROR, MIRROR all week and have been experiencing difficulty. The references to Pope Alexander and Lucrezia having sex (incest between father and daughter – ick!) are handled in a very strange way. He’s an author I am trying very hard to like, despite warnings from other historical fiction aficionados about his work. But I love the musical so, so much!
I have only read one book by Maguire and wasn’t all that impressed with it. I own this book and have done for years but haven’t ever read it! I did however love the musical when I went to see it a couple of years ago.
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I love the idea of re-worked fairy tales told in a dark manner, but you’re right, Marg – the books themselves aren’t that impressive! I think Wicked is his best so far, though.
I thought the book started off with such promise and I was eager to read it before attending Wicked. Maguire did a great job of providing a new, interesting backstory to Baum’s work but unfortunately he couldn’t maintain my interest throughout. I wasn’t fond of the sexual references and other parts were downright boring. I’m grateful to Maguire though for writing his novel which in turn inspired the musical!
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His sexual references are just…odd. I don’t know any other way to describe them! And I agree – if it wasn’t for the book, there wouldn’t be the musical, so at least some good came of it.
I loved this book. I have to say that it is a very heavy book – a lot of polictical aspects to the story we all grew up with. I did put it down for several months about halfway through, but I am so glad that I picked it up again. The sequel, Son of a Witch, was not quite as good – and I think that was mostly because it was new characters and not those that we already loved.
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The book and the play were so amazingly different, and yet I loved them both!
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I really liked both the book and the musical of “Wicked,” even though I thought they were so different it hardly seemed like the same story! “Defying Gravity” is one of my favorite scenes too — when Elphaba holds that note at the end, it gives me chills every time!
I so wanted to love this book when it came out — it started well, but something about it lost me along the way. I keep meaning to pick up another one of his novels — he tackles the fairy tales I love — but I always pick up something else instead! Glad to see I’m not the only one who can’t get into him!
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This whole series has been very popular at the library. It is interesting to see a bit more backstory, admittedly from a different author’s perspective, about a story that is so much a part of our culture. There is evil in the world and in most cases it is there for a reason. Interesting to see the reasons for behavior.
I really enjoyed this book. I found Elphaba a wonderful heroine, strong and not afraid to go her own way. I never thought before reading this book that I would ever cry over the fate of the Wicked Witch of the West!
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