Wicked!
I just finished reading the book Wicked today. Excellent story.
It tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. There are wonderful ruminations on the nature of evil, on the existence of the soul, and on equal rights for the oppressed. What I love about it is the idea of taking a very familiar if underdeveloped character in literature and telling the story from her point of view. Elphaba, in the hands of Gregory Maguire, is one of the more interesting characters in modern literature. There is something very liberating about characters who exist in a world different from our own for the setting can give those characters an universality to which anyone can relate. When the character comes from the New York boroughs, for instance, it can limit our empathy unless the reader happens to come from the New York boroughs as well. All readers start at the same point in a brand new world and that's the advantage. I think this may be one of the reasons I have always enjoyed fantasy novels.
For my part, I am a huge fan of the Oz books, not just the movie. I read them all when I was a kid. There are fourteen, I believe, and almost all were absolutely entrancing. My favorites were the Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. I need to re-read them and I think I'll start that soon. Incidentally, other authors wrote Oz books as well, but only the ones by L. Frank Baum himself are worth reading.
posted by Matt @ 3:30 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
So, do you think this would make a good "community reads" book? It's probably too long -- we're looking at around 250 pages as the ideal -- but it did come up on one person's list of initial suggestions. It (along with Gregory Maguire's others) has also been on my personal "to-read" list for a while, and I've glanced through it at the bookstore, but at first glance it seemed like it might be a little too dense for a program that is supposed to have widespread appeal while also prompting discussions.
Interesting idea on the fantasy books leveling the playing field, although considering that they face such widespread resistance to getting people to read them, I'm not sure if that's true.
In one of my book groups, which people joined to stretch their reading habits, I practically had to twist their arms off to get them to agree to read an Ursula K. LeGuin novel in the upcoming months, even though someone else was the first to remark that we hadn't read any science fiction and should do so. (I've also been wanting to read "The Left Hand of Darkness.") I had to promise that it's "soft" science fiction and not "hard" - which might make you think that fantasy would have more appeal, but the reluctance seems to be that either one is perceived as harder to grasp than a more mainstream novel.
Also, precisely *because* writers of this type of work tend to create an entire series of work based around their creation, the very-mainstream readers in my book group seem to be intimidated: the perception is that you have to become completely immersed in a world to understand a single work within its setting.
(too long; next post)
--Jo
Oh man, Matt! You know my affinity for musical theatre (over 250 cast recording in my collection) and I keep up with all the new musicals and I love them and so, of course, I know Wicked!
I have read the book, I know the musical...I would assume you know there's a hit musical on Broadway based off this book...the book is FANTASTIC! Loved it, love the musical.
It makes me happy to see that you found this book and read it!
If you don't know the musical, let me know, and I can familiarize you with it. They changed the story quite a bit to make it into a musical...very interesting
...which, in some ways, can be true, given the obsession with arcana that is widespread among fans of science fiction/fantasy creations: witness the Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons and Star Wars phenomena, to name a few.
I suspect you are able to discourse on the mechanical differences between X-Wing and TIE fighters, as well as on the societal structure of Wookie habitat. For someone just coming in to the Star Wars universe, being confronted with that sort of thing *can* be intimidating...
...and yet such delving deep into the canonical information of a created world can be fun and can actually increase the meaning and the insight for those who have the interest and the inclination to follow along.
You see this in fan fiction which, in the good ones, addresses the Big Issues in as meaningful a way as any other literature, while simultaneously providing entertainment.
And this was another of my reactions to Maguire's work. I flipped through the book, and was struck by the thought: this is fan fiction. It uses characters and settings created by another author, with whom the reader has familiarity, to explore the themes the author wants to explore. I am guessing your familiarity with the Oz series added deeper resonance to this work for you -- and, potentially provided moments of fun "aha!" recognition when something appeared which was clearly from this context.
Oh, and by the way, I have "The Emerald City of Oz" and "The Road to Oz" if you want to borrow them. (A couple others I think are still at my parents' house.) I credit this series with giving me a visual to accompany the phrase "growing like Topsy."
Also have "The Sea Fairies", a stand-alone by L. Frank Baum which is kind of fun although not in the Oz universe -- it is somewhat less creepy than Charles Kingsley's "Water Babies" of the same era.
--Jo (done rambling for the night)
Jo, I think precisely because EVERYONE is familiar with the movie that it would be a good "fantasy" book for your group if they're not really into that sort of thing. Once they get going, they'll be hooked.
That's really interesting - the idea that the book is fan fiction. You're absolutely right - that's exactly what it is. I'd love to borrow those Oz books. Thanks!
I've been thinking for a long time that it'd be fun to take a well known story and turn it on its head - maybe a children's fable like Hansel and Gretel, for instance.
And Lars, I am familiar with the musical and want to see it. I downloaded some of the songs today and was impressed. I think my wife and I would really like it. Unfortunately, a cursory look for tickets online finds the ones at a Chicago theater to be extremely expensive. I wonder if it's coming to Des Moines anytime soon.
I have a (totally illegal) way for you and your wife and kids to see Wicked in the comfort of your living room, but you have to promise to give it back to me (you're welcome to copy it if you can figure out how.)
I'll put it out in the mail for you one of these days if you want it.
Ali
I have a couple different illegal ways for you to watch it also...what date(s) do you have Ali?
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