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A review by twocents
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I originally read this about 15 years ago, and after seeing the movie, I wanted to reread it. The movie is very fun and 90% unserious, to the point that I've seen multiple posts from people asking "why are people making Wicked political?"
The book is not like that.
Elphaba is born into a world that is turning towards fascism and it deeply affects her, throughout her entire life. And I mean literally born into this; it's a major plot point that a caregiver when she's young had left his home that was being taken over for the government's aims. There's no about-face from The Wizard of Oz in the last ten minutes. In the book, everyone knows who makes the laws (which, like no shit), and everyone is affected, whether it's to their elevation or whether they learn to keep their head down to preserve their life, or any number of choices in between. In the book, the dangers of fascism is literally the point, and what elevates it well beyond the movie for me. The stakes are real and matter and cannot be ignored or missed.
The book is not like that.
Elphaba is born into a world that is turning towards fascism and it deeply affects her, throughout her entire life. And I mean literally born into this; it's a major plot point that a caregiver when she's young had left his home that was being taken over for the government's aims. There's no about-face from The Wizard of Oz in the last ten minutes. In the book, everyone knows who makes the laws (which, like no shit), and everyone is affected, whether it's to their elevation or whether they learn to keep their head down to preserve their life, or any number of choices in between. In the book, the dangers of fascism is literally the point, and what elevates it well beyond the movie for me. The stakes are real and matter and cannot be ignored or missed.