Paperback, 406 pages
English language
Published October 1996 by ReganBooks.
Wicked is a revisionist exploration of the characters and setting of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, its sequels, and the 1939 film adaptation. It is presented as a biography of the Wicked Witch of the West, here given the name "Elphaba." The book follows Elphaba from her birth as the result of a rape through her radicalization, social ostracism, and finally her death at the hands of Dorothy Gale. Maguire shows the traditionally villainous character in a sympathetic light, using her journey to explore the problem of evil and the "nature versus nurture" debate, as well as themes of terrorism, propaganda, and life purpose.
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s so different from the movie, but that’s part of what made it so interesting. The darkness of Oz and the Wizard permeated the story, and I liked getting to know the Wicked Witch of the West as a sympathetic quasi-freedom fighter.
The writing can get almost cloying at times, but that didn’t really dampen my enjoyment of the book.
