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Unabridged Digital Audiobook
Runtime: 19 hours, 42 minutes
Read by John McDonough
For more than a century, readers and moviegoers alike have gotten caught up in the magic of Dorothy’s trip down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz, battling flying monkeys and wicked witches along the way. But author Gregory Maguire offers a different perspective on the story in the audio edition of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
The story travels to the land of Oz to tell the classic story through the eyes of the Wicked Witch of the West. From birth, Elphaba Thropp was an outcast—the green-skinned daughter of a devout pastor from Munchkinland. It isn’t until she attends Shiz University that she begins to find acceptance and even friendship—and she grows stronger and more confident. But she soon learns that things are changing in Oz—and not for the better—and she sets out to fight for those whose voice has been taken from them.
Though The Wonderful Wizard of Oz may have told a magical tale of good and evil—and the young girl from Kansas who comes along and shakes up the land of Oz—Wicked turns the story on its side, giving a completely different perspective. To the people of Oz, things may have appeared to be black and white, but Elphaba’s story isn’t the story of a wicked witch who lashes out in anger and bitterness. It’s the story of a woman who struggles with her identity and her feelings—who’s seen things that others haven’t and who tries to fight against what she believes is wrong.
If you’ve seen the musical or the movie, however, you’ll most likely be expecting something very different from what you’ll find in this book. The novel has a very different focus—and, at times, it seems as though the characters’ names are the only things they have in common. The story is fascinating, but the pace often drags as the story gets caught up in lengthy explorations of things like Elphaba’s early years, her parents’ beliefs, and their relationships with each other and their foreign house guest. It’s a darker, heavier tale than the one you’ll see on stage or on screen—and if you’re thinking of picking up the book, it might be best to give yourself a little bit of distance from the Hollywood version before tackling its literary inspiration.
Those who love the magic and music and personalities of the award-winning adaptations of Wicked may be tempted to pick up the book in order to stay immersed in the story while they wait for part two of the film. But while the novel offers a dark and captivating twist on the original story of Dorothy’s visit to Oz, the connection between the book and the movie is surprisingly thin.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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