Book Review - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Category Book Review
OK... probably not the type of book I'd pick up with no external influence. But on the cruise, one of the shows had a snippet from a musical called Wicked. I found out a little about what it was based on, and then saw the paperback by the same name... Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. As I was running out of reading material, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. It was better than I expected, and was a unique perspective on the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.
The story revolves around the life of Elphaba, a green child born to parents living in the land of Oz. Through her childhood and school years, you watch her deal with the problems of being different than everyone else, as well as having a family that is less than functional. Her college years link her up with others who have the same subversive thoughts and purposes, and it leads her to a life committed to overturning the evil rule of the Wizard. The book ends at the same place as the movie, with the death of the witch at the hands of Dorothy. But what you find is that Elphaba's quest for the ruby slippers was really nothing more than an attempt to reclaim a family heirloom, and that she really just wanted to be left alone to live out her life in peace.
I think the reason I enjoyed this as much as I did was the perspective twist. Rather than looking at Oz as a happy little land with dwarfs running around, you find that it was really a political hotbed of intrigue and repressive actions. The good guys are actually trying to maintain their royal positions, while the bad guys are the activists who are trying to effect change in society. And when you finish the book, your entire mental framework of Oz is forever altered.
If I were a Wizard of Oz fan (unbelievably, I've never watched it all the way through), I might have enjoyed it even more. But even a passing knowledge of the story is enough to make for a few hours of entertainment.
OK... probably not the type of book I'd pick up with no external influence. But on the cruise, one of the shows had a snippet from a musical called Wicked. I found out a little about what it was based on, and then saw the paperback by the same name... Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. As I was running out of reading material, I decided to pick it up and give it a try. It was better than I expected, and was a unique perspective on the classic movie The Wizard of Oz.
The story revolves around the life of Elphaba, a green child born to parents living in the land of Oz. Through her childhood and school years, you watch her deal with the problems of being different than everyone else, as well as having a family that is less than functional. Her college years link her up with others who have the same subversive thoughts and purposes, and it leads her to a life committed to overturning the evil rule of the Wizard. The book ends at the same place as the movie, with the death of the witch at the hands of Dorothy. But what you find is that Elphaba's quest for the ruby slippers was really nothing more than an attempt to reclaim a family heirloom, and that she really just wanted to be left alone to live out her life in peace.
I think the reason I enjoyed this as much as I did was the perspective twist. Rather than looking at Oz as a happy little land with dwarfs running around, you find that it was really a political hotbed of intrigue and repressive actions. The good guys are actually trying to maintain their royal positions, while the bad guys are the activists who are trying to effect change in society. And when you finish the book, your entire mental framework of Oz is forever altered.
If I were a Wizard of Oz fan (unbelievably, I've never watched it all the way through), I might have enjoyed it even more. But even a passing knowledge of the story is enough to make for a few hours of entertainment.
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