Clo gets Wicked

I remember when I first said I was reading Wicked, someone in the office said, "Oh, is that like "The True Story of The Three Little Pigs?" I had almost forgotten about that book! Not that I'm making a literary comparison, I mean, that's a children's story (Which I have a copy of now. ;o) ) But, it reminded me how even as a tyke, we were given the other point of view as a option, although not usually believed and not widely accepted as fact.

When I read Wicked, I found it interesting. But, it definitely would take multiple readings to get through everything. As Lizzy knows, I have problems with Fantasy books for the most part. I love Sci-Fi and fantasy on television because it's visually stimulating, but when I am steered away from "fact," I have a problem. I had it with Harry (Oh dear, sweet, Harry, you seem like such a nice boy, but keep the unicorns and cerebruses in Greece and Rome where they belong. ;o) ), and I had a little bit of a problem with Wicked.

However, I LOVED the portrayal of Elphaba. I thought she was a fascinating character. Throughout her tale, you wonder how much of her "evil" was nature, nuture, or just all and all misunderstanding. Gregory Macguire really achieved something fascinating, he took public commentaries, views, etc, and was able to express them in a character whom everyone conceived as evil since the first cackle on the big screen, or the first turn of the page.

So, long in short, I didn't like Wicked, but I didn't dislike it. It's an interesting dichotomy I don't find myself in often.

But, I love the soundtrack.

Welcome to Oz

OK, so it's not Australia, but the land of Oz is definitely fascinating during any visit.

In case you've forgotten, this week we post about Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

I've probably read this novel three times already and each time I find something else I didn't think about when I read it the first time.

That being said, I'd love to know what the "first-read" folks have to say about Elphaba, Nessarose and Galinda and their story as it's told here.

When I read this for the first time, I drew more than a few parallels with today's political climate in the USA. I still do, but I also draw more than a few parallels with history. Of course, the critics outright said they had, too!

Anyway, this post is mostly to open the floor and also to prove I'm capable of remembering which week is which. This time.