Wicked the life and times book review

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

Subtitled "The life and times of the wicked witch of the west", Gregory Maguire's Wicked falls into a fascinating sub-genre of novels that revisit well-known stories as much in the spirit of criticism as homage. He draws on elements from the sequels Baum wrote to his original, but also tells a story that reads just as well for people who only know Oz through the Judy Garland film. Baum, writing a fairy tale for children, sketched his Oz leaving blanks to be filled, populating his fantasy world with talking animals, Munchkins, witches, flying monkeys and whatever else came to mind. Maguire, a century later, makes sense of Baum's whims, creating a credible Oz for grown-ups, with religion, politics, racial tensions, an economy, mythology, humour and sex. Often, Baum's lax plotting spins off into affecting stretches of story. Like Rhys and Needle, Maguire takes the point of view of an apparent villain.