The release date for the English version of 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by
Gregory Maguire is Jan 2000. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
We only heard Dorothy's side of the story when she defeated the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's beloved fable. But what about the enigmatic Witch, her arch-enemy? From whence did she originate? How did she get to be so evil? Furthermore, what is evil's actual nature?
We will never see Oz in the same way again because of Gregory Maguire's vibrant and complex fantasy universe. In Wicked, the Tin Man falls prey to spousal abuse, Munchkinlanders yearn for the security of middle class, and animals communicate and want to be treated like first-class citizens. There's also Elphaba, the green-skinned child who will grow up to be the notorious Wicked Witch of the West—a perceptive, witty, and misunderstood creature who questions all of our preconceived beliefs about what good and evil really are.
This book retells the narrative of Elphaba, the bad Witch of the West, who turns out not to be that bad after all. It is an amazingly detailed recreation of the kingdom of Oz. Gregory Maguire has the potential to transform the perception of one of the most evil characters in literature by transporting readers beyond the Yellow Brick Road and into a fantastical realm full of symbolism and inventiveness.