Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) by Gregory Maguire is a richly imaginative reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, told from the perspective of Elphaba, the misunderstood “Wicked Witch of the West.” Set in the fantastical land of Oz, the novel explores themes of tyranny, discrimination, and the nature of evil through Elphaba’s life—from her emerald-green birth and troubled youth to her radicalization against the corrupt Wizard’s regime. Maguire’s darkly philosophical prose transforms a fairy-tale villain into a complex antiheroine, blending political allegory, moral ambiguity, and subversive wit. This groundbreaking novel inspired the hit Broadway musical Wicked, though the book delves deeper into satire and social commentary.
For Fans of Reimagined Fairy Tales & Dark Fantasy:
- Circe (Madeline Miller) – Mythological retelling with a vilified heroine.
- The Once and Future Witches (Alix E. Harrow) – Sisters and witchcraft in a suffragette-era tale.
- Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke) – Alternate-history magic with moral shadows.
