I’m currently reading Gregory Maguire’s WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (PHP 765.00 Powerbooks). It is a fictional work of art that describes the evolution of evil, psycho-social motivations of people, and does an entertaining parody of Oz which is quite frankly more alive and vivid than Technicolor. The tone of the book is very mature, and paints a very different picture of the world of Oz in a way that I’ve never seen it to be. Maguire is also author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Son of a Witch and Mirror Mirror. WICKED is over 10 years old.
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
More popular than the book was the Broadway musical based on the same title. Surprising too, since I saw this new WICKED blogspot layout.
As an aside, I’ve rediscovered my virtual media library with Delicious Library. After upgrading to a MacBook with built in iSight, I’ve been scanning, with a growing penchant, the bar codes of my books automatically adding the titles to my library.
7 replies on “Book Recommendations June 6 2007”
Trish wanted a new layout, and her blog title gave me the idea to use the poster of the musical. =)
I’ve been wanting to read that book for the longest time but I haven’t found a copy here in Riyadh. I guess I’ll just get one when I go to Manila in a few weeks.
What I can’t wait to read would be the construction of the Filipina Villain (B**ch! Hehhe! Sure, I would love to read it when I get the time.
I’m looking through your posts but I can’t find the entry that talked about a book that features blogging??? I know I saw it here somewhere. I’m thinking of buying that first because I’m actually pondering on whether I should mention how blogs actually subtlely construct or contribute to the active construction of Filipino masculinity and femininity.
Thanks.
I love the soundtrack of WICKED the Musical. I didn’t know that it was based from a book. Hahahah 🙂 I’m hoping that it would be staged here though seniors from our school presented this already.
you should hear “defying gravity” from the WICKED soundtrack. i think it’s one of the most challenging songs ever. and idina menzel, who btw portrayed maureen johnson in the musical RENT, did justice to it.
I just finished that book =)
A weird allusion to our sweet old Land of Oz. Have you checked “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister”? I think it’s better than “Wicked” though I really love “Wicked’s” soundtrack…very amusing!
I thought that that book was the musical. 🙂
[…] in 2007 and found a bonanza of Gregory Maguire titles sitting at the front best seller display. In fact, I wrote about it! This was one of the first books I digitally catalogued in my Delicious Library barcode […]