After reading Ashley B's review of Wicked, I really had to sit down and write one of my own. Maguire does not claim to follow The Wizard of Oz, and the fact that you find it "dull, boring and hard to follow" lays claim only to the fact that you perhaps have little interest in his premise, which is the political and religious undertones of the Witches' upbringing and whether or not she was born wicked or if wickedness was thrust upon her by others due to the fact that she was born green.
As with any novel (yes darling, I said NOVEL) that is made into a movie or stage musical or play), it is downright obvious that there will be PLENTY of differences between the book and the musical (one wonders if you've ever read a book and seen the movie or play equivalent of said book).
The novel is a fantastic prequel to The Wizard of Oz told in the perspective of Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) and how her life was before Dorothy's flying house landed upon her. Don't expect Wicked to be a bright children's tale (allegory and dark, mysterious magic abound). Maguire also does not explain much, he introduces people, places and ideas without much hoopla, but the way he weaves them into the story explains them completely -- so don't feel left in the dark.
I would reccomend this to someone who has quite a bit of undistracted time. It's important not to take very long breaks in reading this novel, as the details become more important toward the end, when the witch begins looking back upon her life. Its richly detailed characters and interesting plot choices make for a wonderful read that you're surely not soon to forget. Tough it out through the middle (when the content can become a bit flat) so you can finish this great book. This book certainly sets the stage for the far more entertaining and fast-paced "Son of a Witch" and "A Lion Among Men", which are the second and third books in the series by Maguire.
As with any novel (yes darling, I said NOVEL) that is made into a movie or stage musical or play), it is downright obvious that there will be PLENTY of differences between the book and the musical (one wonders if you've ever read a book and seen the movie or play equivalent of said book).
The novel is a fantastic prequel to The Wizard of Oz told in the perspective of Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) and how her life was before Dorothy's flying house landed upon her. Don't expect Wicked to be a bright children's tale (allegory and dark, mysterious magic abound). Maguire also does not explain much, he introduces people, places and ideas without much hoopla, but the way he weaves them into the story explains them completely -- so don't feel left in the dark.
I would reccomend this to someone who has quite a bit of undistracted time. It's important not to take very long breaks in reading this novel, as the details become more important toward the end, when the witch begins looking back upon her life. Its richly detailed characters and interesting plot choices make for a wonderful read that you're surely not soon to forget. Tough it out through the middle (when the content can become a bit flat) so you can finish this great book. This book certainly sets the stage for the far more entertaining and fast-paced "Son of a Witch" and "A Lion Among Men", which are the second and third books in the series by Maguire.
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