Can anyone tell me what the book “Wicked” by Gregory Maguire is about?
Wicked is a re-telling of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West. It shows her childhood, how she came to inherit the castle, the political atmosphere of Oz prior to Dorothy’s visit, etc, etc. The story starts off before she was born, focusing on her parents. Gregory M. uses this to set up a few critical comments on Cristianity, thinly disguised as “Unionism” in the novel. Overall, the quality of the book is somewhat lacking. Although the premise is good and draws the reader in initially, Wicked is bogged down by its slow pace and meandering plot. Symbols are, for the most part unclear, and the events are muddy. The conclusion to the novel *Spoiler Alert* is also sub-par, as it insinuates that the entire murder of the Wicked witch was a terrible accident. *End Spoiler* It is just not a very interesting book. There are too many minor characters and too many *very* obvious political commentaries. Overall, not very entertaining.
