tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18996311.post4319212284881036768..comments2024-03-26T15:10:55.199-05:00Comments on The Royal Blog of Oz: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the WestJayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03766446206846532440noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18996311.post-76687202660265288642013-09-20T18:22:55.117-05:002013-09-20T18:22:55.117-05:00Gelphie forever! XD
Seriously, I don't know ...Gelphie forever! XD<br /><br />Seriously, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say I love Wicked, but I have to respect it at least. Or maybe I'm just easily impressed by a lot of ten dollar words. It's not just that, however- I do find Maguire's reimagining a fascinating read. <br /><br />Though there's no question which version of Oz I'd prefer to live in, as I've gotten older and more cynical, my brain rebels the thought of a land as illogical and innocent as the one Baum created. Then again, Maguire's Oz doesn't seem quite solid to me either, and I don't mean because it has magic and dragons, etc. Rather, something about the language he uses keeps the place feeling somewhat aloof and esoteric. I've never been able to adequately articulate my feelings about it, but that's the best way I can think to say it. Maybe this is part of what I'm talking about: when it gets to the chapter where Princess Nastoya reveals herself to be an Elephant, it took me a few paragraphs to realize she was a literal Elephant and that Maguire wasn't just being poetic. <br /><br />The basic idea behind Wicked reminds me of the book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, but that was a little kid's picture book whereas Wicked is obviously aimed at a way more sophisticated audience. If you told most authors to imagine a story about the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda going to school, I doubt there are many who would treat the subject as Serious Literature the way Maguire did. <br /><br />Anyway, I'm open minded enough that I can definitely appreciate Wicked and its sequels, in much the same way that I can appreciate other reinterpretations of classic stories, such as the comic book Fables or the TV show Once Upon a Time. Or BBC's Sherlock and CBS's Elementary. Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, I'm also a bit of a Sherlockian, but I didn't get bent out of shape that Michael Caine portrayed the character as a bumbling idiot in Without a Clue; I really like that movie, in fact.<br /><br />I suppose there are cases in which I have balked at darker and/or twisted versions of beloved properties, but I think Maguire molds Oz to his own devices with enough intelligence that I'm not personally offended by his take on the subject matter.rocketdavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00574717380856957685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18996311.post-28020783803754757402013-09-17T16:40:45.391-05:002013-09-17T16:40:45.391-05:00How does it ruin Baum's Oz if it makes you rea...How does it ruin Baum's Oz if it makes you realize how much you love that one?Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03766446206846532440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18996311.post-90378605524815660352013-09-17T03:10:40.668-05:002013-09-17T03:10:40.668-05:00I'm with Sam on this one. I do not like Wicked...I'm with Sam on this one. I do not like Wicked or any of the sequels at all. I listened to them as books-on-cd and was not impressed. I've met Maguire and he seems like a nice fellow, but his "Adultification" of Oz offends me. I'll stick with writing stories my grandkids can read.James C. Wallace IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09373678955007426557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18996311.post-10168989086117419502013-09-16T18:17:58.859-05:002013-09-16T18:17:58.859-05:00I read the book well after I was 18 and certainly ...I read the book well after I was 18 and certainly disdain it . . . I did find the musical more enjoyable . . . <br /><br />but I have an absolute hard and difficult time accepting this (*trash*)! I find it hard to believe that Gregory Maguire actually likes Oz and would write something like THIS at the same time! And I hate that it's so obviously more MGM than the Books, despite/even with the Silver Shoes, but even worse is that people keep doing a pretty WWW on DeviantArt or fusing this and Baum together!!<br /><br />Reading the book as an adult was bad enough and I don't know if I will ever reread it again. Let alone read the remaining "Years" ... !<br />Even with your second opinion, I don't like this take!<br /><br />So, in my opinion, either Maguire should have (a) made new names in an entirely new environment (b) done a more RESPECTABLE (re)write of Oz or (c) NOT WRITE IT AT ALL!! One of those would have made me happy, because then he wouldn't have RUINED something so good as Baum's Oz!Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397876293747859812noreply@blogger.com