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A review by looseleafellie
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
dark
tense
After watching the Wicked movie in December, I decided to read the book -- and I’m pleased to report that I really liked it, though for different reasons than the musical/movie.
The book follows Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, from her birth all the way to her death at the hands of Dorothy. The tale is told through other people’s eyes for about half of the book before Elphaba finally gets to tell her own story.
Elphaba is the closest thing the book has to a hero, and though she isn’t fully good, she’s perhaps the most morally consistent character. A dark cynicism underpins most of the narrative, which is intentionally frustrating at times, but it paints a chilling picture of a world that has lost hope and descended into tyrrany because of it.
Compared to the movie/musical, the story deals more heavily with philosophy, religion, and politics, and takes place over a longer time period. It was intriguing to see the cultural forces at play in the world of Oz, and how Elphaba struggled against a world that both shunned her and offended her sense of justice.
Overall, if you like the idea of a dark, twisted fantasy novel that riffs on a familiar story to create something both brutal and contemplative, you might love the Wicked novel. But if you want something that won’t leave you feeling like someone has thrown a bucket of water on you and stomped on your chest with an enchanted shoe, watch the musical instead.
The book follows Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West, from her birth all the way to her death at the hands of Dorothy. The tale is told through other people’s eyes for about half of the book before Elphaba finally gets to tell her own story.
Elphaba is the closest thing the book has to a hero, and though she isn’t fully good, she’s perhaps the most morally consistent character. A dark cynicism underpins most of the narrative, which is intentionally frustrating at times, but it paints a chilling picture of a world that has lost hope and descended into tyrrany because of it.
Compared to the movie/musical, the story deals more heavily with philosophy, religion, and politics, and takes place over a longer time period. It was intriguing to see the cultural forces at play in the world of Oz, and how Elphaba struggled against a world that both shunned her and offended her sense of justice.
Overall, if you like the idea of a dark, twisted fantasy novel that riffs on a familiar story to create something both brutal and contemplative, you might love the Wicked novel. But if you want something that won’t leave you feeling like someone has thrown a bucket of water on you and stomped on your chest with an enchanted shoe, watch the musical instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Rape, Slavery, Suicide
Content warnings for the Wicked novel: Child abuse, murder, violence, ableism, racism, fascism, religious bigotry, animal cruelty, bullying, classism, adultery, substance abuse, prejudice against intersex people, and mentions of r-pe, g-nocide, suicide, and slavery.
Sexual content level: graphic, including a scene hinting at, uh, cross-species activity with a sentient animal.