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laurenbastian 's review for:
Wicked
by Gregory Maguire
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.25 because I probably wouldn't read it again and it dragged a little around the halfway point, but otherwise I kinda loved it.
This book surprised me in many ways and to its credit. The book revels in the ambiguity of it's characters, especially Elphaba, and is, in my eyes, the epitome of 90s post-modern fiction.
Interestingly, we don't spend very much time in Elphaba's own thoughts. Instead, we almost always see her from the perspective of those around her, her friends, family, lovers, and others who pass through her life. The effect is that the omniscient narrator, Maguire himself, becomes the biographer of Elphaba's life based on biased, personal accounts. This initially put me off (why don't I "get" Elphaba??) but when I recognized the pattern I found it an ingenious technique, that plays off of the idea that Baum himself was a "historian of Oz." This technique also ensures that Maguire's story and added characters don't technically conflict with Baum's original canon: they are two histories of the same event and world.
Another surprise was the intersection of politics and religion, particularly the Maguire chose to set the book in a time where three religions are at a major crossroads with each other and against a modernising world. This would seem like too much for a book to handle, especially while trying to flesh out so many characters, but I think it's really well done. Maguire makes religion a focal point for Elphaba who was raised by a minister but is a self professed atheist and profusely processes to lack a soul. That conviction is central to both her wickedness and her goodness (although this binary is itself debated within the book.) Maguire uses Oz as a springboard to craft an entire fantasy world. The worldbuilding was of the same caliber as any other high fantasy book.
In my opinion, the criticisms I heard going into this book about beastiality, sex, and violence are really just content warnings. There is one infamous scene that people will use to discredit the entire book, saying it is "nasty" or "disturbing". Having read the book, that scene is intended to disturb not glamorize it's contents. That said, pay attention to the content warnings. I wouldn't recommend this book for immature audiences. There are far more graphic, disturbing, and fetishized sex scenes in popular romance books. As far as the actually romantic sex scenes in this book, they are well done, fairly minimal, and often "fade to black." Again, I didn't find the book to be very graphic, but still for mature audiences.
This book surprised me in many ways and to its credit. The book revels in the ambiguity of it's characters, especially Elphaba, and is, in my eyes, the epitome of 90s post-modern fiction.
Interestingly, we don't spend very much time in Elphaba's own thoughts. Instead, we almost always see her from the perspective of those around her, her friends, family, lovers, and others who pass through her life. The effect is that the omniscient narrator, Maguire himself, becomes the biographer of Elphaba's life based on biased, personal accounts. This initially put me off (why don't I "get" Elphaba??) but when I recognized the pattern I found it an ingenious technique, that plays off of the idea that Baum himself was a "historian of Oz." This technique also ensures that Maguire's story and added characters don't technically conflict with Baum's original canon: they are two histories of the same event and world.
Another surprise was the intersection of politics and religion, particularly the Maguire chose to set the book in a time where three religions are at a major crossroads with each other and against a modernising world. This would seem like too much for a book to handle, especially while trying to flesh out so many characters, but I think it's really well done. Maguire makes religion a focal point for Elphaba who was raised by a minister but is a self professed atheist and profusely processes to lack a soul. That conviction is central to both her wickedness and her goodness (although this binary is itself debated within the book.) Maguire uses Oz as a springboard to craft an entire fantasy world. The worldbuilding was of the same caliber as any other high fantasy book.
In my opinion, the criticisms I heard going into this book about beastiality, sex, and violence are really just content warnings. There is one infamous scene that people will use to discredit the entire book, saying it is "nasty" or "disturbing". Having read the book, that scene is intended to disturb not glamorize it's contents. That said, pay attention to the content warnings. I wouldn't recommend this book for immature audiences. There are far more graphic, disturbing, and fetishized sex scenes in popular romance books. As far as the actually romantic sex scenes in this book, they are well done, fairly minimal, and often "fade to black." Again, I didn't find the book to be very graphic, but still for mature audiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Classism