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Saturday, May 29, 2004
Wicked
For the first time in well.. a long time I've done some recreational reading. It's not that I don't do a lot of reading in my daily life; my involvement on the boards shows how much reading I actually do, if nothing else, but it's very rare these days that come across a physical book that I want to read.
So, I was as surprised as anyone when I came across "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. My psuedo-boyfriend friend Ryan had been reading it, even though I had heard of the book before I didn't know an awful lot about what it entailed.
This is more than the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" from the Witch's point of view, it's a biography of a largely unexplored character, complete with interesting bits and facets about Oz. A lot of information is given about the political, social and relgious aspects of the place -- having grown up on the Oz books I find this part incredibly entertaining.
Elpheba (the Witch's real name) grows as a normal child in Munchkinland. Not unlike most children she has a Father, a Mother, and even a caring Nanny to watch over her. Because of her abnormal skin color her parents fear her from the day she is born, making her an outcast in her own household. Her only refuge is her brilliant mind, and she buries herself in fine works of Ozian literature.
As a result, when Elpheba comes of age she is able to attend Shiz University, the most prestigious of the all-female campuses in Oz. There she thrives on the knowledge of her instructors, even though the student population shows and unbelievable ammount of fear and distrust towards her. Even her own roommate Galinda (the correct Gillikinese pronunciation of "Glinda") hates her intitially. Over time the two spark a semblance of a friendship, but certain events force Elpheba away from Shiz and into a life of hiding.
"Wicked" was published over ten years ago, but seems incredibly topical today in our "age of terror." The Wizard of Oz is an incompetent ruler who ignores the problems of his citizens, and focuses on military efforts that will lead to increasing his personal wealth. He uses an army of secret police to keep his country obedient so they will never discover their leader is a cornfed hick from Kansas.
Reading the original L. Frank Baum Oz books is not neccessary to enjoy this novel, but it does help. Little jokes and tidbits can't really be understood if you don't know much about Oz, but not understanding them won't detract from the amazing story that Maguire is telling.
Just recently a Broadway musical version of "Wicked" opened to great reviews. I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop for the past couple of weeks; and it's still really entertaining. "Wicked" was nominated for 10 Tony awards, which was more than any other Broadway show this season. So I guess that's pretty cool if you're into Broadway and all of that stuff.
Anyway, this book receives Shy's Seal of Approval. This should be required reading for all of members of the Shy Fan Club.
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