Jump to content

Wicked(Maguire novel)

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromNessarose)
This article is about the book. For the musical adaptation, seeWicked (musical).

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
First edition
AuthorGregory Maguire
IllustratorDouglas Smith
Cover artistDouglas Smith
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Wicked Years
GenreFantasy
PublisherReganBooks
Publication date
1995
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages406
ISBN0-06-039144-8
OCLC32746783
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3563.A3535 W5 1995
Followed bySon of a Witch

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the Westis an American novel published in 1995, written byGregory Maguirewith illustrations by Douglas Smith. It is the first inThe Wicked Yearsseries, and was followed bySon of a Witch(published in September 2005),A Lion Among Men(published in October 2008), andOut of Oz(published in November 2011).

Wickedis arevisionistexploration of the characters andsettingof the 1900 novelThe Wonderful Wizard of OzbyL. Frank Baum,its sequels, and the1939 film adaptation.It is presented as abiographyof theWicked Witch of the West,here given the name "Elphaba." The book follows Elphaba from herbirth as the result of rapethrough her radicalization, social ostracism, and finally her death at the hands ofDorothy Gale.Maguire shows the traditionally villainous character in a sympathetic light, using her journey to explore the problem of evil and the "nature versus nurture" debate, as well as themes of terrorism, propaganda, and life purpose.

In 2003, it was adapted as theTony Award-winningBroadway musicalWicked.The musical is in the process of being adapted into a two-part feature film, with thefirst filmscheduled to be released in November 2024 and thesecond filmin November 2025.

Background

[edit]

Maguire began contemplating the nature ofevilwhile living in London in the early 1990s. He noticed that while the problem of evil had been explored from many different perspectives, those perspectives were seldom synthesized together.[1]He wondered whether calling a person evil might be enough to cause aself-fulfilling prophecy.

If everyone was always calling you a bad name, how much of that would you internalize? How much of that would you say, all right, go ahead, I'll be everything that you call me because I have no capacity to change your minds anyway so why bother. By whose standards should I live?[2]

He was also inspired by the 1993murder of James Bulger,in which both victim and perpetrators were young children.

Everyone was asking: how could those boys be so villainous? Were they born evil or were there circumstances that pushed them towards behaving like that? It propelled me back to the question of evil that bedevils anybody raisedCatholic.[3]

Up to that point strictly a children's author, Maguire had difficulty finding an effective way to write about evil, since in his mind, there were no truly evil characters in children's literature. In what he later described as "the one great revelation of my life," Maguire realized that there were in fact villains in children's books; however, they were usually written as one-dimensionalstock charactersin order to provoke a quick emotional reaction from young readers. Wondering whom to write about, he envisioned the Wicked Witch of the West, as played byMargaret Hamiltonin the MGM film, delivering her iconic line, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"[4]Maguire had a lifelong fascination withTheWizard of Oz,both Baum's original novel and the film, which he watched every year during its annual broadcast.[1][5]He decided to tell the Wicked Witch's life story using the same large scale and broad moral messages found in the novels ofCharles Dickens.[3]

Plot

[edit]

In theLand of Oz,a minister's wife, Melena Thropp, gives birth to a daughter, Elphaba. Elphaba has green skin, sharp teeth, a savage demeanor, and a fear of water. The story details Elphaba's difficult childhood beforeflashing forwardto show her at Shiz University with hersocial climbingroommate Galinda, later Glinda.

While at Shiz, the two girls discover that Oz is rife with political tension. Headmistress and Ozianpower brokerMadame Morrible suggests that Elphaba and Glinda work for her from behind the scenes to help stabilize the political situation in Oz. Preferring more direct action, Elphaba and Glinda travel to theEmerald City,where they meet theWizardand plead their case. When the Wizard dismisses their concerns, Elphaba takes matters into her own hands. She goes into hiding and joins an underground terrorist group working out of the Emerald City.

Five years later, Elphaba reconnects with former schoolmate Prince Fiyero, now married with three children, and the two begin an illicit affair. Fiyero is caught in Elphaba's hideout and arrested by the Wizard's secret police force. Blaming herself for his capture, Elphaba takes refuge in aconvent.Seven years later, she visits Fiyero's family at their castle, Kiamo Ko, in hopes of gaining their forgiveness. She brings along a boy named Liir, her son by Fiyero. Fiyero's family allow her to stay as their guest, but his widow Sarima refuses to hear her apology. While there, Elphaba begins to studysorceryand gains a reputation as awitch.

Elphaba's father asks for her help with her sister Nessarose, who has also become a witch and has taken Elphaba's hereditary position as ruler ofMunchkinland.Tired of being used as a pawn in other people's agendas, Elphaba declines her father's request. Nessarose promises to give Elphaba her enchanted silver shoes after she dies. When Elphaba returns to Kiamo Ko, she discovers the Wizard's troops have taken Fiyero's family prisoner.

Seven years later, a storm visits Munchkinland, dropping a farmhouse on Nessarose and killing her. The farmhouse's passengers are a little girl namedDorothy Galeand her dog,Toto.Elphaba and Glinda reunite for the first time in years shortly after Nessarose's death. Upon learning Glinda sent Dorothy off with Nessarose's shoes, for fear of their power igniting a civil war in Munchkinland, Elphaba is furious, as the shoes were rightfully hers.

Elphaba meets with the Wizard to beg for the release of Fiyero and his family. The Wizard explains that he has killed them all except for Fiyero's daughter Nor, whom he keeps as a slave. He explains that he comes from a different world and is not bound by the laws of Oz. After the unsuccessful meeting, Elphaba learns from the Time Dragon Clock that the Wizard is her biological father, making her the child of two different worlds and thus destined never to fit in anywhere.

When Dorothy and her friends arrive at Kiamo Ko, she tells Elphaba that while the Wizard sent her with orders to "kill the Wicked Witch of the West," Dorothy came to apologize for killing Nessarose. Furious that Dorothy is asking for the forgiveness she herself has been denied, Elphaba waves her burning broom in the air and inadvertently sets her skirt on fire. Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her to save her. Instead, the water melts her away.

Dorothy returns to the Wizard with a green bottle, which he recognizes as the potion he used to drug Melena. The Wizard departs the Emerald City mere hours before a coup would have overthrown and killed him. The book ends with political chaos reigning over Oz.

Major characters

[edit]
  • Elphaba Thropp:Theprotagonistof the book, Elphaba is a green-skinned girl who later becomes known as theWicked Witch of the West.Later in the book, it is revealed that she is the daughter of the Wizard. The Wicked Witch of the West is not given a name in Baum's novels; Maguire derived the name Elphaba from Baum's initials, LFB.[3]
  • Galinda Arduenna Upland(later Glinda): Elphaba's roommate at Shiz University, who eventually becomes the Good Witch of the South. She hates Elphaba at first, but they later become close friends.
  • Nessarose Thropp: Elphaba's younger sister, who eventually becomes known as "theWicked Witch of the East."Nessarose was born without arms, but is extremely beautiful, causing Elphaba to resent her.
  • Fiyero Tigelaar: The prince of the Arjiki tribe, in the Vinkus. He meets Elphaba at Shiz and later has an affair with her while she is involved in the resistance movement against the Wizard of Oz.
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:The book's mainantagonist.The Wizard is a human who came to Oz from Earth in a hot air balloon. He was originally seeking the Grimmerie, but discovered he could orchestrate acoup d'étatand take power for himself.
  • Madame Morrible: Headmistress of Shiz University's Crage Hall, which Elphaba and Galinda attend, and a behind-the-scenespower brokerin Ozian politics.
  • Dr. Dillamond: Elphaba's mentor and favorite professor at Shiz. A Goat who is later assassinated as part of the Wizard's campaign against sentient Animals.
  • Melena Thropp: The mother of Elphaba, Nessarose, and their brother Shell.
  • Frexspar: Melena's husband, a traveling minister.

Themes

[edit]

Nature of evil

[edit]

According to author Maguire,Wickedis primarily about identifying with someone who is ostracized.[3]The GazettecalledWicked"a cautionary tale...about what happens when we as a society decide to label anyone who differs from the norm as evil."[6]

Prior to writingWicked,Maguire became interested in examining the nature of evil from the perspective of someone considered evil.[1]He noted that while Baum had deliberately avoided using traditional fairy tale characters in writing the original novel, the Wicked Witch of the West was the sole exception, being depicted as the stereotypical "witch in her castle" figure, with wickedness her single defining character trait.[7]The novel raises the question of whether evil isinborn or acquired.Elphaba is a social outcast despite being of noble birth, which makes her question how much power she truly has over her own life.[8]

Propaganda and terrorism

[edit]

Writing forThe American Experience,Rebecca Onion calledWicked"an extended meditation on power and politics."[9]Maguire has noted the similarities between the words "wicked" and "Hitler,"calling it" no accident "that he chose this title for his book. He recalled reading a newspaper headline in 1991 comparingSaddam HusseintoAdolf Hitlerand feeling firsthand the emotional power of propaganda.[6]Maguire "set out to examine the language and propaganda used to marshal brute force against individuals or minorities that might have been opposed to the war."[10]In the book, one major plank of the Wizard's agenda involves the subjugation of sentient Animals[8]and Madame Morrible promotes this idea using a type of moralistic poem called a "quell." Elphaba instantly sees the propaganda for what it is.[11]

Tornoted thatterrorism,committed both by and against the state, plays a major role in the second half of the book. The Wizard keeps anSS-likesecret police,the Gale Force, which uses violence to carry out his totalitarian agenda. Elphaba similarly uses terrorism to combat them,[9]though she shies away from targeting children.[8]

Life purpose

[edit]

A lifelong Catholic, Maguire remembered the nuns who taught in theCatholic schoolsof his boyhood home ofAlbany, New York.He admired their sense of purpose and dedication to their cause, saying that their integrity and inscrutability made them witches in his mind.[12]Elphaba discovers her own purpose as a student at Shiz University, where the murder of her favorite professor, Dr. Dillamond, inspires her to join the cause of Animal rights.[13]As the story progresses, she deepens her commitment to her cause, becoming a political exile for her beliefs.[8][14]

As revisionist literature

[edit]

Wickedis on its face a revisionistparallel novelforThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.The Independentcompared it toWide Sargasso SeaandWild Woodas part of "a fascinating sub-genre of novels that revisit well-known stories as much in the spirit of criticism as homage."[14]While previous authors had accepted the existing moral framework of the Oz stories,Wickedshowed affection for the originals while simultaneously questioning everything they stood for. Maguire presents a sympathetic view of a villainous character by detailing her life story and helping the reader understand how "an innocent if rather green and biting child" can become "a still moralistic terrorist."[8]He also transformed the Land of Oz itself, changing what he saw as an insular, parochial world into one where different groups and their political agendas intersect and overlap.[9]

Reception

[edit]

Wickedreceived mostly positive reviews.Publishers Weeklycalled it a "fantastical meditation on good and evil, God and free will" which combined "puckish humor and bracing pessimism."[15]Kirkus Reviewscalled it "A captivating, funny, and perceptive look at destiny, personal responsibility, and the not-always-clashing beliefs of faith and magic."Library Journalrecommended the book to "good readers who like satire, and love exceedingly imaginative and clever fantasy." TheLos Angeles Timesfavorably comparedWickedwith other "fantasy novels of ideas" such asGormenghastandDune.[16]

The New York Timeswas a notable outlier, criticizing the novel's strident politics and moral relativism. ReviewerMichiko Kakutaniargued that Maguire "shows little respect for Baum's original story."Wicked,she felt, "turns a wonderfully spontaneous world of fantasy into a lugubrious allegorical realm, in which everything and everyone is labeled with a topical name tag."[13]

Adaptations

[edit]

Musical

[edit]
Main article:Wicked (musical)

In 2003, the novel was adapted as the Broadway musicalWickedby composer/lyricistStephen Schwartzand librettistWinnie Holzman.The musical was produced byUniversal Picturesand directed byJoe Mantello,with musical staging byWayne Cilento.The Broadway production was followed by long-running productions in Chicago, London, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the United States, as well as Germany and Japan. It was nominated for tenTony Awards,winning three, and is the 4th longest-running Broadway show in history, with over 7,400 performances. The original Broadway production starredIdina Menzelas Elphaba andKristin Chenowethas Glinda.[17]

Unproduced television program

[edit]

In a 2009 interview, Maguire stated that he had sold the rights to ABC to make an independent non-musical TV adaptation ofWicked.It would not be based onWinnie Holzman's script.[18]On January 9, 2011,Entertainment Weeklyreported that ABC would be teaming up withSalma Hayekand her production company to create a TV miniseries ofWickedbased solely on Maguire's novel.[19]The miniseries never entered production.

Films

[edit]
Main articles:Wicked (2024 film)andWicked Part Two

In September 2010,Filmshaftdisclosed that Universal Pictures was beginning work on a film adaptation of the stage musical.[20]In December 2012, following the success ofLes Misérables,[21][22]Marc Platt,also a producer of the stage version, announced the film was going ahead,[23]later confirming the film was aiming for a 2016 release.[24]Universal announced in 2016 that the film would be released in theaters on December 22, 2021, withStephen Daldrydirecting.[25]After production was shut down during the 2020Coronavirus pandemic,[26]Daldry left the production due to scheduling conflicts[27]and was replaced byJon M. Chu.[26]Cynthia ErivoandAriana Grandewere cast as Elphaba and Galinda, respectively, with rehearsals set to begin in July 2022.[28]Michelle Yeohwas announced for the Madame Morrible role in December 2022.[29]

In April 2022, it was announced that the film will be released in two parts, with thefirst oneset for a release on November 27, 2024 and thesecond parton November 26, 2025.[30]

Graphic novel

[edit]

In March 2025, William Morrow Paperbacks will publish the first volume of a graphic novel adaptation ofWicked,with illustrations byScott Hampton.[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcJung, Kang-hyun (June 28, 2012)."The story behind 'Wicked's' Gregory Maguire".Korea JoongAng Daily.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2022.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
  2. ^Wilson, Jacque (November 4, 2008)."'Wicked' author Gregory Maguire returns to Oz ".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2021.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
  3. ^abcdWiegand, Chris (September 27, 2021)."'They changed my ending, I felt aghast': how we made Wicked ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on March 19, 2022.RetrievedMarch 19,2022.
  4. ^Rabinowitz, Chloe."BWW Interview: Gregory Maguire Talks 25th Anniversary Edition of the WICKED Novel, Dream Casts the WICKED Movie and More".BroadwayWorld.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-04.Retrieved2022-03-22.
  5. ^DeWitt, Peter (2012-05-31)."A Wicked Good Interview with Gregory Maguire".Education Week.ISSN0277-4232.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-21.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  6. ^abMoore, John (23 October 2021)."The meaning of 'Wicked' won't go away".Colorado Springs Gazette.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  7. ^"Wizard's Wireless: Interviews With Artists Inspired by Oz".www.frodelius.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-24.Retrieved2022-03-19.
  8. ^abcdeNess, Mari (2010-12-16)."Responding to Fairyland: Gregory Maguire's Wicked".Tor.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-21.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  9. ^abcOnion, Rebecca (April 21, 2021)."Why Is the Wizard of Oz So Wonderful?".American Experience.PBS.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2022.RetrievedMarch 22,2022.
  10. ^Usher, Robin (March 1, 2008)."Those Wicked ways".The Age.Retrieved2022-03-22.
  11. ^Maguire, Gregory (1995).Wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the West: a novel(1st ed.). New York: ReganBooks. pp. 83–85.ISBN0-06-039144-8.
  12. ^Rizzo, Frank (October 30, 2014)."The Evolution Of 'Wicked' From 'Oz'".Hartford Courant.Archivedfrom the original on July 13, 2021.RetrievedMarch 21,2022.
  13. ^ab"BOOKS OF THE TIMES;Let's Get This Straight: Glinda Was the Bad One? - The New York Times".The New York Times.2021-02-11. Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2021.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  14. ^ab"Wicked, by Gregory Maguire".The Independent.2006-03-08.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-21.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  15. ^"Fiction Book Review: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Author, Douglas Smith, Illustrator William Morrow & Company $26.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06-039144-7".PublishersWeekly.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-21.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  16. ^BookBrowse."Summary and reviews of Wicked by Gregory Maguire".BookBrowse.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-08.Retrieved2022-03-21.
  17. ^"Wicked – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB".www.ibdb.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-01-27.Retrieved2022-04-07.
  18. ^Milvy, Erika (February 27, 2009)."Gregory Maguire on Wickedness Post-Bush".7x7.7x7 Bay Area, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon January 3, 2010.RetrievedJune 22,2010.
  19. ^Lyons, Margaret (January 9, 2011)."ABC, Salma Hayek developing 'Wicked' miniseries".Entertainment Weekly.Meredith Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 20,2011.
  20. ^Sharp, Jamie (September 6, 2010)."Finally – Wicked: The Movie This Way Comes!".FilmShaft.Archived fromthe originalon January 3, 2011.RetrievedDecember 14,2010.
  21. ^Belloni, Matthew (February 20, 2013)."Universal Chairman Wants 'Fifty Shades' for Summer 2014, More 'Bourne' and 'Van Helsing' Reboot (Q&A)".The Hollywood Reporter.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 21,2013.
  22. ^Cerasaro, Pat (February 21, 2013)."LES MISERABLES Hit Status Leading To WICKED Movie At Universal?".BroadwayWorld.Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 21,2013.
  23. ^"WICKED Film to Enter Development 'Soon'".BroadwayWorld.December 13, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2012.RetrievedDecember 13,2012.
  24. ^Madison, Charles (December 1, 2014)."Wicked movie finally seems to be on course, set for 2016 release".Film Divider.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 14,2016.
  25. ^McClintock, Pamela (June 16, 2016)."Universal's 'Wicked' Movie Adaptation Gets December 2019 Release".The Hollywood Reporter.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.Archivedfrom the original on September 1, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 7,2016.
  26. ^abGaluppo, Mia (February 2, 2021)."Jon M. Chu Set to Direct 'Wicked' Musical".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedApril 23,2022.
  27. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 20, 2020)."'Wicked' Director Stephen Daldry Exits Universal Movie Musical Adaptation ".Deadline Hollywood.Archived fromthe originalon February 2, 2021.RetrievedApril 23,2022.
  28. ^Gibson, Kelsie (March 1, 2022)."Everything to Know About theWickedMovie Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande ".People.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2022.RetrievedMarch 20,2022.
  29. ^Malkin, Marc (2022-12-08)."Michelle Yeoh to Star in 'Wicked' Movies as Madame Morrible (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.Retrieved2022-12-15.
  30. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 26, 2022)."Universal Releasing 'Wicked' Musical In Two Parts".Deadline.RetrievedApril 26,2022.
  31. ^Maguire, Gregory (March 11, 2025)."Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part I".WIlliam Morrow Paperbacks.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wicked_(Maguire_novel)&oldid=1245432002#Major_characters"