Books - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Page 2

Areida · 03-16-2004, 04:36 PM

I just read this book, and though I liked, it, there seems to be so many loose ends left hanging there at the end. Did anyone else find it this way? It's a good book, and it made me think, but not one of my favorites.

MissShannon · 03-17-2004, 01:24 AM

I've heard of this and it sounds interesting, especially since there's a show right now and me being an actor and all...

plus, I read about the first 7 wizard of Oz books, so I feel that I know the world fairly well. I'm really curious about this book, though.

I wonder how much of Baum's books this guy read though, after reading all your comments.

Dommie · 03-17-2004, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MissShannon:
<STRONG> plus, I read about the first 7 wizard of Oz books, so I feel that I know the world fairly well. I'm really curious about this book, though.

I wonder how much of Baum's books this guy read though, after reading all your comments.</STRONG>

this would be really interesting to know? how closely did the movie stay to Baum's book?

Areida, ITA....SO MANY LOOSE ENDS!!!!

[ 03-17-2004: Message edited Dommie ]

~*Johanna*~ · 03-17-2004, 10:44 AM

I saw this book in a magazine, sounds interesting. [img]smilies/look.gif[/img]

MissShannon · 03-17-2004, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dommie:
<STRONG>

this would be really interesting to know? how closely did the movie stay to Baum's book?

Areida, ITA....SO MANY LOOSE ENDS!!!!

[ 03-17-2004: Message edited Dommie ]</STRONG>

oh, it was alot different. I mean, I love the musical, but it's alot different. In the book, the shoes are silver. (I believe the change is do to technicolor) the favorite color of the munchkins was blue and all the munchkins wore blue. there were two good witches, Glinda the Good of the South, and the Good Witch of the North. the witch of the North was the one who helped dorothy in the munchkin country, and Glinda protected her more near the end and was much more powerful. There were four countries with people like the munchkins, and each had a favorite color. such as the winkies, where the wicked witch of the west reigned, liked yellow. In the books, the witch didn't own the flying monkeys, they had to obey her because of a spell put on them, that whoever wore this golden cap and called for them could command them three times. The emerald city wasn't really all green, but it was made out of alot of precious stones, and the wizard, in order to sustain the illusion of green, made everyone who came into the city wear green tinted glasses, "to protect their eyes from the city's brilliance"

Oh, also in the book it seems more like it's real. For instance, in the end of the movie, you see dorothy waking up and people around her. It seems more like it might have been a dream. In the book, there is every indication that her adventure was real. She comes walking across the field and walks back up to the farmhouse.

there are alot of little things, too. but those are just a few I thought of. They're really lovely books though.

This wicked book would be quite interesting though. I might have to pick it up.

Dommie · 03-18-2004, 07:25 AM

Well then i think Gregory Maguire tried to..except the color thing and the monkey thing. Elphie found one monkey in Wicked..and saved him from being eaten...and because of her student days in the University...she did some experiements on monkeys. However the ruling or protecting of parts of the country and that there were four distinct people..they mention the winkies and of course munckinlanders.

Dorothy's adventure is real..but she is this sweet, naive child that we really don't meet until the end, she is eluded to ..and Elphie spies on her, she gets a personal account from an old friend on Dorothy's personality from a munchkinlander, but she only talks once.

You may find it more enjoyable then expected.

JillyHalliwell · 03-20-2004, 04:54 AM

Anyone who hasn't read this book, I'd say yes read it [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] This is definetly an author to read, but Wicked in my opinion is to date his best. Nothing new to say about it really but still..
-Pammie

platelet · 03-20-2004, 12:39 PM

Yay, a Wicked thread!

I was inspired to pick up this book after seeing the Broadway musical, which I loved.

I just finished reading the book this week and I must say it might be one of my favorite books. I highly, highly, highly recommend it to everybody.

I also recommend seeing the musical, whether you see it on tour next year or on Broadway (the cast right now is amazing, with Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda, and Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero). It's extremely different than the book. Part of it is just that the book goes into much further detail, of course, but there were a lot of character changes, as well. Fiyero, for instance, is basically nothing like he is in the book: he's more like Avaric. Boq is less likeable. There's also a romance in the musical between Boq and Nessarose, and Fiyero and Galinda are involved at the beginning. Glinda plays a much greater role in the musical, and is pretty much considered one of two lead characters. The musical is really about the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, while the book is, well, not. The ending to the musical is completely changed.

The book is also much darker, while the musical is more family friendly. Some of you might be disappointed with the musical after reading the book, but it's best to look at them as separate entities than to compare them because they're that different.

[ 03-20-2004: Message edited platelet ]

Dommie · 03-21-2004, 01:59 PM

Thanks Platelet...i wanted to hear how the musical was condensed from the book. It seems like it would have been a HUGE challenge.

I thought that the book tried to show us Galinda(Glinda) and Elphie's friendship..and the break down of such. Due to the political overtones, Mr Maguire had to show where the line in the sand was drawn. Those shoes..those overly magnificent and coveted shoes. MissShannon..the shoes are iridescent in this book..sometimes they showed silver, then a hue of blood red..and blue i think was mentioned.

[ 03-21-2004: Message edited Dommie ]

platelet · 03-21-2004, 05:20 PM

Oh, yeah, I agree that the Galinda/Elphie relationship plays a big part in the book, but ultimately Elphaba just comes out of everything alone. In the musical, however, the friendship between the two of them is the main focus, and they are able to forgive each other for everything in the end.

Dommie · 05-11-2004, 09:53 AM

Broadway Gets 'Wicked'

NEW YORK, May 10, 2004

Tony Award Nominations

Isabel Keating portrays Judy Garland and Hugh Jackman is Peter Allen in 'The Boy From Oz.' Both are nominated for Tonys. (Photo: AP)

Hugh Jackman's presence is considered so important to "The Boy From Oz" that the show closes when he takes time off.

Idena Menzel as Elphaba, the wicked witch, 'flies' with her broom over pursuers in 'Wicked' (Photo: AP)

(CBS/AP) "Wicked," a lavish musical prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," picked up 10 Tony Award nominations Monday.

"Assassins," the controversial Stephen Sondheim musical, followed with seven and four shows tied with six nominations apiece: "Caroline, or Change," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Avenue Q" and the Lincoln Center revival of "Henry IV."

Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who will host the Tony ceremony on June 6, was among the nominees for outstanding actor in a musical for his portrayal of flamboyant entertainer Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz." Kevin Kline and Christopher Plummer picked up nominations for best actor in a play.

Jackman's movie "Van Helsing," a monster-hunting adventure, opened at No. 1 with $54.2 million in ticket sales this weekend. His presence is considered so important to "Oz" that the show closes when he takes time off.

"Anna and Tropics," last year's Pulitzer winner; "Frozen," the chilling tale of a young girl's disappearance; "I Am My Own Wife," winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for drama; and "The Retreat From Moscow," got nods for best play.

Besides "Wicked," "Avenue Q" and "Caroline, or Change," the other best musical nominee was "The Boy From Oz."

Jackman will compete with Hunter Foster, "Little Shop of Horrors"; Alfred Molina, "Fiddler on the Roof," Euan Morton, "Taboo" and John Tartaglia, "Avenue Q."

Competing for best actress in a musical were Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel for "Wicked," Donna Murphy for "Wonderful Town," Tonya Pinkins for "Caroline, or Change" and Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who sings the part of a puppet in "Avenue Q."

Kline and Plummer were nominated for their roles in two Shakespeare productions, "Henry IV" and "King Lear," respectively. They face Simon Russell Beale, "Jumpers"; Frank Langella, "Match"; and Jefferson Mays, "I Am My Own Wife."

Nominated for best performance by an actress in a play were: Eileen Atkins, "The Retreat From Moscow"; Tovah Feldshuh, "Golda's Balcony"; Anne Heche, "Twentieth Century"; Swoosie Kurtz, "Frozen" and Phylicia Rashad, "A Raisin in the Sun."

"Wicked," which tells the story of the witches in "The Wizard of Oz" before Dorothy arrived, was one of the season's most expensive musicals, costing $14 million. Despite some mixed reviews, it has been a consistent sellout, grossing more than $1 million each week.

Besides best musical and leading actresses in a musical, it garnered nominations for score, direction, choreography, orchestrations, sets, costumes and lighting.

i just had to put this footnote on a book that had some really interesting things...and i wish ..just wish i could see the Musical.

**AliasUnknown** · 05-27-2004, 01:25 PM

I really love this book, although it does have a lot of loose ends, and sometimes it can be hard to understand. I love what Gregory Maguire does to his books. I can't wait to read Mirror, Mirror and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.

dorksrock · 08-19-2004, 07:29 PM

I'm around page 200 of this book and so far it's interesting. It's at the part where Fiyero finds Elphie again after she didn't return to Shiz. I really like the character Boq for some reason. I know this thread hadn't been posted in in awhile, but is anyone else currently reading this book too?

tinydancer821 · 08-25-2004, 07:42 PM

I was disappointed with the book, I didn't expect it to be so dark.

denise* · 08-31-2004, 03:54 AM

For my English ISU this year I compared Wicked and the original Wizard of Oz text, and I had a lot of fun writing the essay. This was the second time I had read Wicked, and I have to tell you I enjoyed it SO much more the second time, maybe because I read it over a much shorter period of time than I did the first time so the details stayed fresh in my mind.

I didn't know the musical was going to be on tour, hopefully it'll come to Toronto/somewhere in Canada, I'd love to see it