Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – Gregory Maguire

How strange that someone read this book and thought to make a musical of it of all stories.

Synopsis

The Wizard of Oz told from the witch’s perspective, including the strange tale of her birth and parentage and her university years when she shared a dorm room with Glinda.

Conclusion

I found it incredibly dark. While there were pieces of humour and satire that poked through, they were smothered by the over-arching existentialism and blatant issue wrestling (animal rights, religious extremism and race relations stood at the centre, the characters merely painted puppets acting out the issues).

It was an angsty read with no satisfying resolution, though bewitching in its own way.

I can’t say I couldn’t put it down. I did. Many times. But I kept coming back to it so I guess that’s something.

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