Gregory Maguire
1995
ISBN 0 06 098710 3
Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz, and the part of the Wicked Witch of the West. While this book recounts that part, it also traces the Witch through her life, painting a picture of a political activist and guilt-ridden lover.
Elphaba, the Witch, seems a strange choice of hero, but as the Wizard reshapes Oz, ordering pogroms and condemning intelligent Animals to the lives of ordinary animals, it becomes clear where the real evil lies. As Elphaba moves away from her schoolfriends and into the shadowy world of terrorism, some of her reasoning becomes harder to follow, but once the political intentions of the wizard - and of Elphaba's sister, the Witch of the East - become clear, the original story of her crusade against Dorothy, and her eventual death, become tragic instead of the traditional good-winning-against-evil.
This was an enjoyable book. Like a behind-the-scenes sneak peek, it will make you rethink the original story.
Date Finished: 31/10/07
Year Total: 36
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