The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

Wicked

As reviewed by [Chimes]



Ah, Wicked, the novel-come-musical by Gregory Maguire. Let me ask you a question, did you ever wonder how it all began? What happened before Dorothy came along? Why the Witch was green? Why she was 'wicked'? I know I did and Wicked (the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West) tells you just that.

Though, it is effectively money-making fanfiction Wicked is worth the read - even more so than The Wizard of Oz, in my opinion. It's a novel that explores many issues, not just those you would expect from a tale housed in Oz. Now, I would be lying if I said that this review wasn't going to be amazingly biased, it is. Wicked is one of my favourite books, of all time, and definitely my favourite musical so if you don't want to read a bucket load of praise, this isn't the place for you. I'm what could be called a squealing fan-girl for this novel.

Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, more commonly known as The Wicked Witch of the West, beginning with her birth and exploring how she became 'wicked'. There are twists and turns around every corner and, though some sections may seem longer than they need to be, you're never left bored. It's enthralling - my page edges are also green, which is a plus in my book; I may or may not have judged this book by its cover.

If you didn't like The Wizard of Oz, don't worry. You'll probably like this. Though it does share qualities with the original story, in my opinion Wicked is very different. But then again, I always did prefer the witch to poor ol' Dorothy and I'm extremely biased.

Those of you who have seen the musical know the story; the musical pretty much hits the nail on the head. Of course, many parts of the story had to be omitted and some had to be changed to suit the stage but you'd be amazed at how similar the two are. It definitely does it justice.

Unlike the book it takes a less serious attitude, which is fine, it suits the adaptation. Glinda sounds exactly as you would expect her to, high-pitched and 'pink', while Elphaba remains her strange, green self but slightly less cynical than she is in the novel. Fiyero, the Winkie prince, is as pompous as ever but remains the throb of hearts; so the triangle is complete.

I couldn't pick a favourite between the novel and the musical; I am about as obsessed with one as I am with the other. They both rate five stars, let's face it it's not a bestselling novel and one of London's top-selling musicals for nothing. 



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