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Hello, Readers!
We are all familiar with the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum, aren't we? Or maybe the classic 1939 movie featuring Judy Garland as Dorothy? Well, that series introduced us to the fairytale land of Oz. And if you're familiar with it, then you would surely remember the Wicked Witch of the West? Who wouldn't? The first time I read the story, I was intrigued by her. She must have had a childhood, and a family. And what made her so unquestionably evil? "Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire tells you just that.
It gives our Witch a name: Elphaba Thropp. And she isn't even born in the West of Oz. She's born in Munchkinland, the easternmost quadrant of Oz. The book begins by giving us an insight into her parents- Melena, the granddaughter of the Eminent Thropp (which technically makes Elphaba part of the ruling family of Munchkinland) and her husband Frexspar, a religious minister. On the day Elphaba is due to be born, Frexspar goes on a mission to prevent the Munchkins of his village from taking up the pleasure faith propagated by a prophetic clock known as the Clock of the Time Dragon. I won't tell you about what happened on the mission (that would be a spoiler), but what I can tell you is this; when Elphaba is born, she inexplicably comes out green, and she's allergic to water. The book discusses Elphaba's childhood. It also mentions a certain Quadling glassblower named Turtle Heart, lover to both Frexspar and Melena.
We then skip directly to Elphaba's years at Shiz University, where she is forced to share a room with the snobbish and popular Galinda Arduenna Upland, the future Good Witch of the North. We also meet a host of other characters like the Munchkin, Boq and the Winkie prince, Fiyero Tigelaar.
The rest of the book focuses on Elphaba's life story and ties into the original story of "The Wizard of Oz", both the books and the movie, by the time we reach the last section. This introduction to the series spawned the immensely popular Broadway musical, that celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 31, 2018.
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"Son of a Witch", the second book, focuses on the life story of Elphaba's son, Liir. We first see him when he's almost dying on the street, and is rescued and taken to a mauntery. This just happens to be the same place that provided Elphaba sanctuary for some years in the first book. Most of this book is in the form of flashbacks, but it also advances the plot, and ends with the birth of Liir's daughter.
"A Lion Among Men" is the third book in the series. It features the Cowardly Lion, and talks about his life and the books so far from his point of view.
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The final book, "Out of Oz", centers on Liir's daughter, Rain, and her life story. The series comes to an end with this book, almost in a full circle with its ending paralleling the very beginning of the first book.
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The series gives us a new insight into the Land of Oz as a place filled with politics, bigotry and intrigue, much like Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy. From Elphaba to Rain, all the female characters are stunningly badass and inspiring. It even has little "Easter Eggs" to both Baum's books as well as the 1939 movie. But I feel that, once you've read "Wicked", you don't really feel like reading the rest of the series.
It's simple, really, none of the protagonists in the subsequent books are as scarily human or badass as Elphaba. At first, I wasn't sure if the books were right for me. But I've come to realise that, somehow, the books are a hundred times more layered and make it easier for us to empathise with the characters. In fact, I know now, that the book version of Elphaba Thropp is a lot more like me than the musical version.
I was introduced to Wicked through Frozen. Or more accurately, through the German soundtrack. Willemijn Verkaik's voice captivated me back then in 2015. Our teacher had used her pronunciation as a guide for us in the context of how even non-native speakers could get the perfect accent. Well, that's irrelevant.
The point is, I decided to look her up and found clips of her singing as Elphaba in the musical. I still haven't seen the show live, but I wish I could some day. She's my first Elphaba, and I see a brown-eyed version of her as the character whenever I read the book. My love for her, for the musical and the book has increased over time, and the icing on the cake was when I finally got my own print copy of the Wicked novel.
Well, goodbye till next time!
Wicked fans on Wattpad, keep writing and keep defying gravity, for everyone deserves a chance to fly!
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We hope you enjoyed learning more about Wicked! Thanks to @elphiegranger2508 for sharing her fandom. You can follow her link to read all of her stories.
