The Source of Wicked

When I was stuck in San Fransisco Airport a couple weeks ago and ran out of reading material, I bought the original book and started to read it. I got a little over half way throught it and then I had to put it down because I thought it was so terrible. The prose was so awful, and a lot of the book was really slow and poorly edited. I think how they've redone the story in the musical is a much better version of telling the story
Thoughts? Disagreements? Anyone just feel like venting?

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I think you must be on some sort of hallucinogenic. The book is very well constructed, and the plot has great political undertones. The novel is far more solid than the musical. The musical has plot holes big enough to drive a truck through.

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Thank you.

I thought I was the only one who couldn't get through it.

It is painfully boring.

Then again, everytime I start reading, I get distracted and end up having to start over.

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I am not a fan of the novel, but I would take a writing class with McGuire over Winnie Holzman any day...

It's not the plot I have trouble with - it's the writing style.

So dry.

Everyother sentance had some weird, obscure, made-up object that did nothing for me. Honeybunnyfunny flowers...wtf!?

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Updated On: 2/20/06 at 10:47 PM

I'm with ALWrules and BSoBW3 on this - and I read the novel way before seeing the musical. I was very excited about the premise, which I thought was fascinating, but the execution/writing was disappointing. It was just too dreary and slow in too many places. It definitely had its moments, but not enough for me to favorably recommend the book to friends.

More power to you, greengirl. I was so excited for Son of a Witch as I didn't want Wicked to end after I read it for the first time ten years ago. I just could not get into Son of a Witch. I thought it started strong, but the further it got from Elphaba, the less interesting it became. By the end, my eyes were rolling in the back of my head.

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I first read the book about a year ago, and before I knew anything about the musical. I liked the book OK, but I wasn't crazy about it. Then I started listening to the soundtrack. I saw the show in NYC last month, and I was shocked at the vast number of changes in the story. I liked every change made, the weather talent that Madame Morrible possesses, that Elphaba wasn't afraid of water, the identities of the tin man and the scarecrow, and the ending. Then I went back and read the book again. This time, I loved the book. There is so much there I missed the first time. I read it in a book club, and we discussed many of the themes that appear throughout. One theme that occurs over and over again is the disappearance and reappearance of different characters. Mother Yackel keeps popping up. The witch in the story Sarima tells her children, "Did she ever come out, ... Not yet!" This theme is throughout the book. At one point Sarima says, "So you can disappear but not really be dead." This theme is definitely picked up in the musical, but I didn't notice while watching the musical, nor when I read the book the first time. But having reread the book, it is pretty striking. So I urge fans of the musical to read the book, even if you already read it. Look for the parallels and the differences. It was well worth it for me.

The other issue I had was that I really didn't like Elphaba all that much. She was presented as kind of malicious and wicked, to me defeating much of the purpose of the book. I wasn't very sympathetic for her or rooting for her in the book.

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i read Gregory Maguire's book Lost and I hated it. (turns out it was his worse book). they I heard the cast recording and liked it and then saw the musical and loved the idea of the tinman and scarecrow and the lion and how Elphba was really nice. Then I read the book and I was bored and maybe i should have read it first but i thought it was so sad at the end.

also, i thought it was really weird that Fieyro switched very quickly from Glinda to Elphba. I liked that he switched but it happened to quickly.

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I saw the musical and then bought the book. I was able to get through the book once...and liked it. I tried to read it again, and I just couldn't. I like reading books over, but not this one.

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Yes...it has a shakespearean air to it.

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Basically, the book is a serious novel about a woman whose life is a non-stop parade of disappointment and despair. Those who are wild about the musical's easy message of girly empowerment complete with happy ending are bound to find it disturbing.

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