Title: Wicked
Author: Gregory Maguire
Genre: Fiction
Quotation: “Evil is always more easily imagined than good, somehow.”
Would recommend to: anyone who understands that there are two sides to every story.
Throughout my high school career, I spent a lot of time in the backs of prop closets. I was the typical theater nerd, made even worse by the fact that I preferred to be behind the scenes working on the technical crew rather than center stage.
Because of my love for stage-life, I knew quite a bit about plays, including “Wicked”.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a handful of teenage girls that don’t know about the popular play that originally starred Kristen Chenoweth as Galinda and Idina Menzel as Elphaba. But few know that the play was based off of the novel by Maguire.
When I saw the green book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, my drama heart sang out to me. And it was not disappointed.
“Wicked” is a novel chock-full of dynamic characters and twisted backstories. Personally, I loved the play and fell even more in love when I got a backstage tour, but I really enjoyed reading the book.
The book went into the themes and character’s lives much more deeply than the play ever could. Between comparing good vs. evil, balancing the lines between friends and families, and questioning the worthiness of life, “Wicked” covers it all.
Maguire really makes you think about things in life that we all take for granted. (I actually strongly considered becoming a vegetarian again after reading it.)
“Wicked” also incorporates extremely strong female leads, which I have to admit I am normally drawn to. Elphaba is an unusually strong character though, with a unique approach to living life.
Overall this novel did not disappoint. It was easy to compare it to the play, but it also stands on it’s own as an incredibly strong and moving novel. On the surface, it’s an easy, entertaining read that gets “Defying Gravity” stuck in your head on occasion, but look deeper and there’s a whole other story to tell you.
Happy reading,
Kimberly