Wicked
When Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of the West, seemingly she saved the land of Oz. Audience members cheered and were glad that the evil crone had finally been eradicated…except those of us who know the witch's story. Some of us are still grieving for her. Most who have read ‘Wicked’ have come to know, and yes, love the one entitled the ‘wicked witch’ who was brutally murdered by Dorothy Gale in the 1939 movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’. As Gregory Maguire informs the world, the poor witch wasn’t evil at all; she was simply misunderstood. In his 1995 novel ‘Wicked', Maguire tells the tale of the world that Dorothy visits long before the young girl ever arrives. Almost forty years prior to Dorothy’s untimely drop amid the Lollipop Guild in Munchkinland, a strange green baby was born unto a priest and his wife, and was named Elphaba. Immediately feared because she was different, Elphie began her life as a strangeling, and basically stayed that way.
She was not only born green, but she also had sharp, shark-like teeth which she promptly used to bite the finger off of one of the mid-wives that birthed her. They contemplated killing her because they knew she would have a rough life and she scared them, but mercifully they let her live. Elphaba Thropp grew up amid political oppression and tyranny throughout Oz as her father tried to preach away the sins that he thought were upon him, because he thought Elphaba was given to him as a punishment by the Unnamed God.
Elphaba meets Galinda Arduenna at Shiz University, where the two young girls attend college. The girls, forced to room together because they lacked chaperones, were not the best of friends at first. Elphie and Galinda made due, however and soon grew fond of one another and had a gang of close friends that they would often gather with. It must be noted that Oz is made up of a great deal of strange characters, from the dwarfs in Munchkinland, to the Quadlings in the Ovvels of Quadling Country, to the “Winkie’s” from the Vinkus, and of course, animals and Animals. Animals (that’s with a capital ‘A’ to denote those with a spirit,or those who can walk and tall and think like humans), like the Cowardly Lion are vast in Oz, and even keep jobs like humans (and are in some cases smarter). That, however is something that the Wizard is trying to change, or Bann. After a shattering happening with Elphie's professor, Doctor Dillamond (a Goat)because of some extensive research he has done to thwart the evil Wizard, Elphaba takes on the notion to try and change the laws of the land. What follows is upheavals, restrictions on Animals, and strange people (like the large goofy Quadlings), an oppressive dictatorship in Oz, and Emerald City soldiers controlling the acts of nearly every citizen in Oz.
Being a work of fantasy fiction, based loosely on Frank L. Baum’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’, it's filled with whimsical lands and peculiar beings that one could only conjure up in a dream state. Littered with strange, lewd sexual scenes, ‘Wicked’ is an extraordinary work of fiction that makes us question what really happened in Oz. It’s different than any other book that I have ever read, and I couldn't, and did not want to put it down. This story of the unpopular yet adored Elphaba Thropp is a unique work of art that can hold anyone entranced in its spell. When Gregory Maguire penned this gem, one of the most wonderful and beloved character’s of all fiction was born in Elphaba. Wicked truly lives up to it's nameRead full review
