I just finished Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. It has taken me a loooong time to get through this dang book because I really just did not enjoy it. I have been meaning to read it since I saw the musical the first time, which I LOVE, and finally bought the book on Kenny's recommendation.Now I am not the most critical reader and usually have good things to say about most books, but this was a hard one for me to see the good in. I won't harp on all the things that got to me, but I will delve into a few.
My biggest complaint is the development of the characters. When I read a novel, I love to love the characters and be able to root for the hero/heroine, which I couldn't do in this book. I really wanted to love Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West), but nothing ever happened to endear her to me. She is a passionate and strong woman, but goes about all her endeavors the wrong way with the wrong motives. The novel spans her entire life and never once did I find any reason worth rooting for her.
Even Glinda, who is a naturally more loveable character, didn't give me any reason to really like her. Her role just fizzled out halfway through the story and I was never left with any kind of closure on her character, even though she was one of the main characters.
Speaking of closure, there wasn't much closure of any kind on many of the characters and plotlines introduced (the traveling time clock, why she is green, why she can't touch water, the real role of Wizard).
The themes of the novel deal with the nature of evil and the power of forgiveness, and there are some good discussion topics there (I really found Elphaba's unfulfilled need for forgiveness from her lover's wife as it related to Dorothy's need for forgiveness from Elphaba for killing her sister interesting....)
But by the last fourth of the book, I felt there were unanswered questions and I was still wondering what the point of the whole thing was. I was hoping for a catharsis, a cleansing, healing moment for Elphaba or any of the characters at some point, but it never came.
Basically, aside from all the technicalities of what makes a good novel good (which I am by no means a literary expert on), I just didn't enjoy the book. I did make myself finish it, which can't be said of all books I don't like (ahem, the stupid FOUNTAINHEAD), but I won't read it again and I don't recommend it to anyone.
Seriously, just see the musical. The writers for the Broadway show did much more with the characters and plotlines of Gregory Maguire's idea than he could. :)
2 comments:
i still stand by my defense of this book. i read it a half decade ago to be sure but i remember it being incredible.
I agree with a lot of the points you made, Kristin. I think I enjoyed "Wicked" a little more than you due to my appreciation of Maguire's innovation of the classic story. Also, I felt the sequel, "Son of a Witch," was much better.
The thing is, "Wicked" is dark and gloomy. The musical is not.
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