Unrest for the Wicked

[spectralbovine]

Since the musical is coming to San Francisco, I thought it was a good time to finally read Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. As everyone knows, it's the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the book assumes familiarity with the basic story of The [Wonderful] Wizard of Oz, if not all the details. I've never read the book, but I want to now to see

Comments

[spectralbovine]

I've heard "Defying Gravity" exactly once because someone made a Firefly vid, but that's it. I don't want to listen to the soundtrack, though; I'll wait till I see the show to hear the songs.

[kibarika]

I met the girl who made that vid. She is young and cute and lives in the county where I teach!

[wee_warrior]

I loved the first three parts or so, but I think it really comes undone in the end, when she's starting to live in the tower. I had less problems with the philosophical (political? Ideological?) rhetoric, but I fear I know people who actually talk like that. It is an odd ingredient for a fantasy novel, to be sure.

What really surprised me was the rather healthy dose of sex, because I was going into it honestly believing it would be kid's lit.

[spectralbovine]

I loved the first three parts or so, but I think it really comes undone in the end, when she's starting to live in the tower.
That's exactly where it started to lose me too. It just becomes so static.

What really surprised me was the rather healthy dose of sex, because I was going into it honestly believing it would be kid's lit.
Heh. It was a little surprising, yeah. I didn't expect it to be kidlit, but I wasn't totally expecting it to be that adult.

[cerulgalactus]

"...admired rather than enjoyed."

Oh my god, yes. That is EXACTLY the phrase that both Jess and I were hunting for after we read the book. Like you said, I give Maguire props for fleshing out an existing universe in ways that worked in his head, but for me (and I suspect, you too) the writing style tended to pull a me out of the world on a regular basis.

[spectralbovine]

Ha ha, and here I was afraid fans of the book were going to jump all over me for not looooooooving it. Who knew so many people felt exactly like I did? It wasn't the writing style that pulled me out; like I said, I liked the writing. But the general tone of the book can be a little overbearing at times.

[jenepel]

I have to piggyback here and agree about the "admired rather than enjoyed" line. I read this a few years ago because one of my mom's friends (who used to be my HS English teacher!) was waxing lyrical about it. I just couldn't get into it in the same way. There were large sections I really liked, but then he would get mired in a political diatribe or something and I would get turned off again. And yet, I could see her point about how it was a good book. So I don't know.

What was funny was how disappointed I was the first time I saw the show. I felt totally cheated about how watered down it was! I've since come to grips wtih that, and seen it a few more times with various visitors. It really is a gread musical, I think you just have to divorce it from the book.

[spectralbovine]

I've heard that the musical is different (and there are pictures from the stage show in my book, so I can already see some of the differences), so I'm going to try to divorce them. And I won't be seeing it for a couple months at least, so the book won't be as fresh in my mind. But I might like it more if it's less political and more focused on Elphaba's emotional journey, as I'd expect a musical to be.

[outforawalk]

I am betting on you liking the musical.

First of all, you like most things. I think you are probably least likely to hate something of anyone on my flist. Also, I have vague recollections of it being more about her and less on the politics.

Did you know the third book is out and is currently a BN bestseller? It focuses on the cowardly lion.

[spectralbovine]

Yeah, I've seen it around. Haven't heard whether it's any good.

First of all, you like most things. I think you are probably least likely to hate something of anyone on my flist.
Hee. That's true. I'm also less likely to post about something if I hated it. I never did make that post about Cache, for instance, and then my rage eventually faded, and it wouldn't have been cathartic and fun to warn people away from it.

[spectralbovine]

Ha ha ha. I did not hate the book, and I think it ties plots together pretty damn well, myself. And as far as the actual source material, it's clear Maguire's using the book, not the movie, given the slippers.

I'm looking forward to the musical!