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.
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