Wicked

I was recently introduced to the musical ""Wicked"", featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.  I was so impressed by its powerful music and moving story that I decided to pick up the book that started it all.  "Wicked", the novel, was wrritten by Gregory Maguire and released in 1995. It was followed by two sequels. 

This novel parallels the story of the 1939 film"The Wizard of Oz," but follows the point of view of the wicked witch of the west, Elphaba.  Starting from her birth, the reader grows with Elphaba and experiences what it was like growing up in a world full of injustices and corruption where you are instantly judged, hated, and feared based upon the color of your skin.  As she grows, Elphaba feels these injustices more keenly than her classmates at dear old Shiz University, including the benevolent Galinda, and involves herself deeply in political intrigue.  The whole story culminates with the appearance of Dorothy and the untimely death of Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, and thusly the wicked witch herself.

"Wicked"is not only an entertaining novel for anyone who is a fan of the original movie, but also for anyone who likes a good story.  On the surface, this is a story about a sad little girl who grows up alone and misunderstood.  Beyond that, "Wicked" deals with much deeper issues like politics, religion, human nature, the root of evil, and what it means to be truly wicked.  The cast includes everyone from power hungry leaders, corrupt school officials, self righteous vigilantes, and everything in between.  The characters are well rounded and everyone who is introduced you become interested in.

Aside from an outstanding cast of characters, "Wicked"also offers the reader a deep and fully developed storyline. Unlike the film, this novel has a much darker undertone and we get to see the many sides of the characters that weren't presented to us before.  "Wicked" also answers some of the questions that you didn't even know you had until you know the answers.   For example, why was the wicked witch so evil? And why did she want those ruby slippers so badly?  As a child watching the movie I never questioned any of these things, the wicked witch was evil because she was a wicked witch, and she wanted to steal Dorothy's slippers because that was the sort of thing wicked witches did.  But as we grow older we expect more from our entertainment and that is where "Wicked"delivers.

My only complaint about the overall experience of reading the book was the ending.  Towards the end it almost feels like the author is stalling right up until the last chapter or two and then the story suddenly comes to an end.  I was so engrossed by the rest of the book that, even though the ending was still good and well written, it almost didn't feel like it was on par with the rest of the book.

Of course, it is pretty widely accepted that there are no real answers to most of the questions presented in this book.  No one can say for sure why or how people become evil, or where evil itself begins, but this book puts forth these thought provoking questions in the hope that we can come up with our own answers and I really like that in my literature.  An enchanting story, memorable characters, and thought provoking philosophy all culminate in this one book to make it one of my personal favorites.  For anyone who hasn't read it, I suggest you start as soon as possible.  I can't say that it will change you for the better, but you will be changed for good.