Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

I just finished reading this novel by Gregory Maguire. It started off very interesting because of all the references to our favorite Oz characters. I think that is where most of the appeal lies throughout the book: we all wonder how we can see the events that unfold through a different point of view. We get excited as each characetr is introduced in the novel and see how their relationships turn out. Yes, there is Dorothy, Glinda, The Wizard, and the Wicked Witch of the East, all connected in intriguing and surprising ways to our "heroine".

However, I will say that if this novel wasn't so closely related to the Baum books or the movie, then the appeal would not be there. The novel is about political strife, the nature of good and evil, the absurdity or necessity of religion, and other themes of similar depth and magnitude. But it left me feeling very dissatisfied with the conclusion of events, and the story moved along very slowly. If I wasn't so interested in connecting its ending to its inspirtations, I wouldn't have finished the book (learning my lesson from a really bad book I wasted my time finishing).

While I found the book interesting, I wouldn't put it on the shelf of literary classics. And certainly not recommended for those who are easily offended by crude sexual language/situations, homoerotic situations, or events intended primarily for shock value (in my opinion). Plus, many of the characters and events were placed merely to finish what the author started, and not because there was a lot of sense or forthought put into the chain of events (such as the dwark and the Yackle). A lot is never truly explained, and it isn't done in a way that left me feeling thoughtful, but rather in a way that makes me say, "Now where the heck did that come from?"