As we jump into the next chapter, a few developments have taken place.
Eventually, he introduced himself as Turtle Heart, who was from a town in Quadling Country: Ovvels (see above). In this series, the Quadling Country is not the home of Glinda the Good Witch; but is instead the home of many swamp denizens as well as some native Ozians. Additionally, there are only two major cities of note in this country: Ovvels (where Turtle Heart is from) and Qhoyre (pronounced like choir), which is discussed in more detailed in the second book. Also, his skin is described as a “dusty rose color”, which does make you wonder if all Quadlings are like this and does diversity exists in Quadling Country? There is much more exploration about this in Book 4 when Rain visits the Quadling Country. From Melena, we learn some regional attitudes toward Quadlings that they are liars and sneaks. Turtle Heart tells her about his life in Ovvells such as the houses are rotting into the land, types of Quadling food, Quadling customs of communal living and ancestral worship. Also, they speak briefly about the idea of spirits and ghosts surrounding Oz in the “Other Land”, which feels like a reference to the Borderlands of Oz and surrounding areas. It could also be a reference to the spiritual realm as that is a continuous reference used multiple times in the books. At the end of this chapter, we get to see Turtle Heart’s glassblowing skills put to the test and he makes a mirror that can actually see into the present (see artwork above). He said it was intended to “talk to the ancestors” and eventually gave it to Elphaba.
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Greetings all and welcome back to another month of Wicked reflections and celebrations. So, as the chapter opens, Elphaba is now a baby and Melena has called in for reinforcements to help her with raising Elphaba. She has called upon the nanny at her family home in Colwen Grounds, where she has been staying all these years later even after Melena left to marry Frex. Melena's family history is detailed in this chapter; but you can find a synopsis here. There is also a family tree that was created in the third and fourth book, as seen below. So, Nanny comes to stay with Melena and Frex and you can believe that Frex has something to say about his "unnatural" looking daughter. Elphaba name in this world comes from Saint Aelphaba of the Waterfall, which you can read more about in the book, Tales Told in Oz (cover below). You can purchase the book online or find it at a local library. Its filled with lots of good stories that are referenced in the books. As the chapter continues, we see more and more of how careless Melena and Frex are toward the baby and how helpful Nanny is in trying to make Elphaba more comfortable, even though she tries to bite her own hands off. Nanny is the first person to ever show true admiration, love, and compassion to Elphaba. It really makes you wonder why was it so hard for Frex and Melena to do this for their own daughter? Unfortunately, Frex does not take well to his daughter being green and does quite a bit to reverse the process like gather ingredients to perform an exorcism because he believes that Elphaba came from hell; however, unknown to Frex, there is a deeper truth that Nanny is determined to find out. So, while Frex is gathering the ingredients, Nanny confronts Melena and asks if she slept with someone other than Frex because she knows the kind of person she is. She even thinks that Melena had sex with an elf. Eventually, Melena admitted to having an affair under the influence of drugs with “a tinker with a funny accent, who gave [her] a draft of some heady brew from a green bottle” (pg. 29). Might this be this wizard? The play shows the affair happen and I found it in Sims form. Check it out. So, Frex did the exorcism, which did not work, and Nanny bathed Elphaba in cow's milk, which also did not work. This chapter is also where we learn about her negative reaction to water. At the end of the chapter, Nanny decides to stay at the Stonespar End Inn instead of staying at the Thropp household and had also managed to take the green bottle out of their house that Melena had talked about before. Unfortunately, we are left with a bunch of questions:
Well, however it ends out, we will hopefully get our answers throughout the book. In the meantime, check out this wonderful green elixir bottle you can purchase online. Unfortunately, it is sold out at the US Wicked store; but you can always check out other venues, distributors, or manufacturers elsewhere. I do know that it is currently available at the UK Wicked: The Musical store but does cost a bit for shipping if you are willing to pay it. Do you have a green bottle in your collection? Share in the comments and until next month, when we will find out what happens next in Elphaba's story, I’ll be seeing you somewhere in the Oz-verse.
In this chapter, we see Frex walking into Rush Margins. He was trying to warn them about the clock approaching the town but was of no luck because as he was doing it, the clock rolled into town. We also meet the mayor of Rush Margin, known as Bfee (Bah-fee), which just looks like a rearrangement of the word beef. Another thing we learn right away about the clock is that it is always one minute to midnight as a reference to the belief that “each instant is always a minute short of judgment” (pg. 16) Once the Clock makes it to Rush Margins, the citizens sop and watch as a puppet show unfolds regarding a notable family. You know, it always makes me laugh because it feels perfectly Oz with the silliness, double entendre, and hyperbole. It feels just fun to watch. I mean, it has puppets for goodness sakes, why be so serious with it (even if the message is meant to be taken seriously)? Anyways, as the story of a publicly pious man who has skeletons in his closet comes to a close, someone in the crowd believes it to be about Frex and begins hurting him, which leads to others trying to do the same, even though he was just trying to do his job. Are there no police in this village? What a dark twist! But, thankfully, someone helped Frex out of the crowd and pulled him to safety. Even though the crowd had now been riled up and had turned their attention towards Frex, they are unable to find him after he was whisked away. The crowds headed toward Frex's lodge to find him, but instead found Melena, who is still pregnant. The crowd turned away to hunt down Frex somewhere else while some of Melena's neighbors insisted on helping out with the birthing process. The two women, a fish-wife and a crone, have now arrived at the lodge and whisk her away to the Clock of the Time Dragon. The Clock of the Time Dragon, which was located in the Rush Margin's cemetery, was put aside for safe-keeping while the crowd was frenzied. The three women made their way into the clock and we now get to experience the birth of Elphaba, who came out green at birth. Also, she has incredibly sharp teeth and bit the finger off the fish-wife before drinking the mother’s milk, which only made Melena bleed. Notably, a poem mentioned in an earlier chapter told about a child that is born at night and how it only brings “woe without warning”. What type of life will this child and/or their family have? Also, how did she end up green? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
This chapter introduces a new entity in the Land of Oz: The Clock of the Time Dragon. It is a structure that moves from place-to-place predicting citizens outcomes while also revealing some truths that may not be desirable for others to know. It is even the section image as seen in the previous post. So, when we left off in the last chapter, Frex had left to be on his own, and in this chapter, he is sitting by a tree and reading letters from his cousin warning him about this "evil" contraption. Here is the first letter from his cousin. The letter goes in much detail about how it is looks. This letter was used as inspiration for how the dragon that encompasses the stage looks. Check out the video below for more. What do you think it might look like for the movie? Let me know in the comments. The second letter (as seen below) tells how the Clock is moving toward Frex's hometown, Rush Margins. It also tells a weirdly specific story about a baby that is about to be and the importance of this child. My goodness! Let me know your thoughts on these letters in the comments below. After this letter, the chapter ends with Frex festering in his thoughts as he walks back home. This dragon clock is a key figure in the entire Wicked saga as it makes its appearance frequently.
Moving into the first section, there are few things of note. First, there is the name of the first section: Munchkinlanders. This area is not referred to as Munchkin Country as it is in the original book. It is called Munchkinland as it is in the MGM movie; and, as the series progresses, it eventually is called the "Free State of Munchkinland". Then, from the map, we learn so much about the geography of the Munchkin Country right off the bat such as the name of the town where Dorothy actually landed (Center Munch) as well as the place where Elphaba was born (Rush Margins). Additionally, there are many towns that exist in this region as opposed to the other areas of Oz. As the first section begins, the first chapter is called, “The Root of Evil”, which is highly appropriate for a book about the Wicked Witch; however, it really makes you wonder what that root cause is. Who or what is the root of evil? So, we are introduced to two characters: Frex and Melena Thropp. They live in Rush Margins (the town) within the county of Wend Hardings. In my opinion, they are both just so selfish, which shows the type of parents Elphaba had. Currently, Melena is pregnant with Elphaba and is about to give birth any day now. Notably, Frex says it should be born on his schedule and not anyone else's, including hers. Frex struggles with his companionship to Melena so much so that he accuses her of being unfaithful and that the child is not his. Might he be right? We'll have to see. Another notable character that we are introduced to in the story is Nanny. In this chapter, we do not know much except that she was Melena’s nanny and she used to sing nursery rhymes to her. One of which is seen at the end of this post. In the musical, Nanny appears as an antelope midwife; but is not an antelope in the books. Nanny, eventually revealed to be named Cattury Spunge, is a character that continually pops up in the story. Since Melena passes away during Elphaba's lifetime, Nanny is a more prevalent character in her story. I discuss the poetry of this and other poems in the Wicked stories in my Poetry in Oz post from a couple years back. The rest of the chapter showcases the dynamic between Frex and Melena, which is incredibly uncomfortable since they are just cruel to each other. What is your take on their dynamic? Do you expect this in the Land of Oz? Anyways, until next time when we jump into the next chapter that introduces that mechanical marvel, The Clock of the Time Dragon.
So, as we move forward toward the release of the Wicked movie in 2024, I would like to take a step backwards into the book that started it all. In these yearlong posts, I will focus more on the book than the musical; but casually inserting elements from the musical. Additionally, I will also be adding different pieces of trivia called “Did You Know?” They will be general facts about the Wicked series and the Land of Oz. So, without further ado, let us dive into Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. But, first, let's see why the author wrote the book in the first place. So, the story tells how the Wicked Witch became who she was and why she was the way she was. She is based on MGM version with the green skin and not the character illustrated in the original book. Currently, there is only the musical that has been adapted from the book, but there are a lot of things missing from the book. This is where this blog comes in, I am going to reflect on various parts of the book as represented in various media outlets to give a solid more interactive picture of the book. As the book opens up, we are first and foremost given a map of Oz (see above). Each book in the saga offers up their own version of the map, but for now, we are only focusing on the first book. Additionally, the map projected onto the curtain/scrim in the musical is notably different but tries to share the same layout (see below). For the most part of the Wicked book, we will be referencing this book map to understand the journey that Elphaba takes as she visits all five regions in the mainland of Oz. After the map, we get a prologue chapter entitled, "On the Yellow Brick Road". Here, Elphaba is flying back to her castle, most likely over Munchkinland; since it is entitled “On the Yellow Brick Road” and on the map of Oz, that is the only place we see a yellow brick road. This does insinuate that Elphaba must have been in Munchkinland for something, but what? Was she visiting her sister? Anyways, Elphaba as perched herself into a black willow tree and listened to what Dorothy and her friends said about her; and let me tell you, if you are not ready for this adult language in Oz, get ready because it is perverted. Wow! That just feels so judgy! I am just shocked and astounded at the way that these supposedly fun and jolly characters were talking because it felt as if they were just tainted and it made you wonder, how did they all get so jaded? I mean, even Dorothy, as young as she is, is incredibly judgmental and arrogant. Definitely not the soft-spoken heroine that we are used to in Baum’s books. Now, it is worth noting that this prologue does set the tone for the book because this is not the first time, you will cringe at the offensive comments in the book (I did for sure, and I like gritty). Furthermore, this book is already a different type of writing than Baum in the language and various other factors; however, in the descriptions, it is still feels the same, in my opinion. But it definitely has captured my attention as it feels like we are watching a darker media adaptation of the story and it's from Elphaba's perspective. But, let me know what your first impressions of the book were in the comments below? So, as I go through the next year with our countdown to the Wicked movie, I will be leaving you with little resources and activities here and there that focus on Wicked the book and the musical. It should be noted that if you are looking for a book club experience, be sure to check out the podcast above. They have begun their season 4, where they are discussing on the Wicked book. These posts are not book-club oriented but are meant to offer a more interactive approach to the book. So, grab your copy of Wicked and let's travel down the yellow brick as we jump into the first of five sections in the Wicked book (outline below); and until next time, I'll be seeing you somewhere into the Oz-verse.
Greetings all! Welcome back to our celebration of A Lion Among Men. In our final reflection post, we will showcase some familiar characters that make a return in this book. This post will be a quick one since it is a few very well-known characters. Dorothy makes a return in this book as it retells how Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion met and what he was doing before they came across each other in Munchkinland Forest, known in this saga as Wend Fallows. Dorothy was first introduced in the first book; but makes her return in this book again. Check out this page for information on Dorothy in Maguire's Oz. Along with Dorothy, the Tin Man also returns for this book. The Tin Man does not seem to like the Cowardly Lion as first and vice versa, he does not like the Tin Man either. However, they end up having some respect for each other in the end. In the musical, Boq becomes the Tin Man after giving up his broken heart. Among the previous two, the Scarecrow rounds out the fabulous four as he is also present here as the Lion joins the trio. There is no illustration from the book; however, in the musical, Fiyero, who becomes the Scarecrow after Elphaba turns him into one, is hung in the Corn Basket (see above). In the Wicked books, the connection between Fiyero and the Scarecrow is a mere quote in the book that says: "Nothing had yet suggested to her that the Scarecrow wasn't a man in disguise. She would not need forgiveness if Fiyero had not died!". (Maguire, 1995). So, that's all; nothing big at all. Well, that closes out another Wicked celebration for this year. What was your favorite part of this year's festivities? Let me know in the comment below.
15 Years later and this book is still amazing. I listened to an audiobook version of this book earlier this year and it was just so enjoyable as the person who read it brought the lion and Yackle to life in such a true way. With that in mind, our celebration continues as we continue to highlight different places of this book that make a comeback in this book. Moving through the story and before meeting the Ghullim tribe and Mahlama H'aekeem, we get to visit an old stomping ground from the first book. Brrr stops in the university town of Shiz, where he stays just South of the campus in an apartment complex called Ampleton Quarters. He stays here for a little over a year or two where he lived the socialite life. Also, as I mentioned in the last post, it is where he ran into Avaric. What do you think of Brrr's living situation in Ampleton Quarters? Let me know in the comments below. Another place that we get to visit is the Cloister of St. Glinda, which we have seen twice before in the previous two books. Once when Elphaba stops there before going to Kiamo Ko and then again when Liir ends up there after being attacked by dragons. In this book, Brrr is doing some investigative journalism for Emperor Shell regarding Elphaba's connection to Madame Morrible. In searching through Morrible's records, the name Yackle was found, which is why Brrr ends up here. He spends most of the book reflecting on his past along with Yackle doing the same. Speaking of Yackle and her past, we learn quite a big secret from her past. Much of the book details out what Yackle had been doing in the background of Elphaba's story like what she was doing in Shiz and the Emerald City all while Elphaba was there too. An even bigger reveal is that we find out, in this book, that she is the spirit of the Grimmerie and when she comes to an epiphany at the end of the book, she ends up going back into the Grimmerie. After this reveal, it makes you wonder, was Elphaba the one who released her to someone else? Guess you will have to read the book to find out!
As we continue through our 15-year anniversary celebration of A Lion Among Men, we look at different elements that made their initial (or return) appearance in this novel. In this post, we are looking at the return of some obscure characters from previous books. First up, we see the return of Elphaba's cat, Grimalkin or "Malky" for short. In the original novel, he had a very Eureka vibe; however, when he returns in this novel, he gives very Bungle vibes. He even gets a new name, Shadowpuppet, which was adopted by Brrr. Other characters that make a return in this book are Mister Boss, a dwarf who runs the Clock of the Time Dragon. He first appeared very briefly in the first book when he was standing next to Yackle outside of the Philosophy Club. Additionally, one of Liir's half-sister makes a return appearance. At the end of the second book, it is never revealed as to where Nor ended up as Liar is still on a quest to find her; however, in this book, we discover that Nor has ended up as one of the crew on this mechanical and magical prediction device. Another character that makes his return is Margreaves Avaric Tenmeadows. He was first introduced as one of Boq's dormitory friends. He was part of the "charmed circle" of Elphaba's friends. In this book, he runs into Brrr near Shiz University, incredibly drunk I might add. When Avaric runs into Brrr, he recognizes him as the little cub from Professor Nikidik's class. It is revealed in more detail in this book that Brrr was taken by Dr. Nikkidik from Gillikin Forest after his mom was killed by hunters (as seen below). Well, that will do it for this week. Until next time, when we showcase more unique attributes of A Lion Among Men in our 15-year anniversary celebration.
Greetings all! Here we are again this week ready to discuss three more elements that are introduced in this enjoyable book. Once you get into the book, you are given a more detailed and biographical explanation of the mystery character, Yackle. Even though this character is introduced in Maguire's first book casually; we do not get the detail of why she is part of Elphaba's story like we do in this book. In the third book, we get more of her story like how she was born, what she has been doing since the first book, how she is relevant to Elphaba's story, and what happens at the end of her story. Above is a representation of Yackle as she was born into Oz from A Lion Among Men. In one of Brrr's memories, he makes his way to a region called the Glikkus. Notably, this region is where the Emeralds are mined for the Emerald City. Here, Brrr ended up in the middle of the feud between the Glikkuns and the Trolls, two groups of Ozians that apparently were at odds (just like everyone else in Oz). As to be expected, it did not fare well for Brrr; however, what I find notable is the way that each group is described. They sound very similar to what Baum might have called the Nomes in his story. Even though this region is connected to Oz unlike the Nome's Kingdom, they mine the Emeralds and other gemstones, which is what the Nomes did too. They also are very bulky and look rigid like rock edges. Whether that was the intent, I do find the parallels quite fascinating. Let me know what you think about this obscure group of people that live in this area between Munchkinland and Gillikin. After Brrr left the Glikkus, he went south along the Madeleines and ended up at the Camp of the Ghullim's (see map below). Here, he meets another notable character, who is introduced in this book as the ivory, striped tiger, Muhlama H'aekeem. This princess of of the Ghullim tribe shares a couple similarities with the Hungry Tiger. Aside from it being a tiger, it bonds with the Cowardly Lion while he stays in the tribe's camp, as did the Hungry Tiger in Baum's stories. It also shares a connection with the Kalidah in that it is a hybrid of a tiger and spice leopard and their camp is in the Munchkin Country forest, which is where the protagonists in Baum's story ran into the amalgamated beasts. That closes out another week of celebratory reflections. Come back next week when we discuss and learn about three more unique elements to this book. Until next time, I'll be seeing you somewhere in the Oz-verse.
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