Wicked, the Musical
About two months ago, I went with a couple of friends to the West End to go see Wicked, an excellent musical that I’d recommend to anybody. This musical is inspired by a novel, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. This novel is Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, written by Gregory Maguire.
As the title suggests, the novel focuses on the notorious villain from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Maguire does an excellent job of expanding on the beloved universe of Oz, making it richer and darker than ever before.
The novel deals heavily with the concept of evil, and challenges the reader to question their views on wickedness, religion and politics. This is a pleasant surprise from what was originally quite a thin world. The novel is definitely much deeper and more complex than its musical counterparts.
The characters, particularly Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West), have a great sense of depth, and it is hard not to fall in love with them despite their faults. Elphaba’s character is particularly complex, which is an important thing when portraying a villain in a different light. She is tragic and completely endearing; despite her inhuman nature, you cannot help but sympathise with her.
The plot is engaging, filled with political intrigue and conspiracy. Exactly who does what is open to interpretation, and it
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
is likely that different readers will have highly contrasting opinions. It is especially enjoyable when the novel catches up with Dorothy’s story as it is interesting and refreshing to see the familiar plot from an entirely different perspective. A small smile at the clever spins Maguire gives each classic event is impossible to avoid.
Overall, Wicked is a novel that leaves the reader with a lot to think about and discuss. It is very different to the original novel and the musicals, both the film and the Broadway/West End show, but this doesn’t make one better than the others. They are all highly entertaining. If you were to read this book, which I most definitely recommend, watching The Wizard of Oz becomes an entirely different experience.
Character: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Style: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Judy Garland as Dorothy in the 1939 film
