“Wicked” and “Son of a Witch” by Gregory Maguire

What is scary right now is how cold my coffee is, but, in honor of Halloween, I’ll tell you about something else interesting and scary.

Gregory Maguire’s books, “Wicked,” and its sequel, “Son of A Witch.” (Isn’t that just the best name for a sequel?) Luckily, the name is wonderful because the first book is by far the best. However, anyone who remembers watching, “The Wizard of Oz” every single time it came on TV will enjoy these books. In sooth. many of Gregory Maguire’s books are great.*

“Wicked” is the story of the wicked witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp. Maguire gives us a truly magical and enigmatic look at her real life. Beyond the story we all know. She is born green. Wonderfully, horrifyingly green with a visceral dislike of water.

She is from a good family gone awry. She has siblings and powerful friends. Nessarose becomes the Witch of the East. Her roommate at boarding school, Galinda, is a narcissistic bottle blonde with a penchant for the Munchkins. Who do you think she becomes?

Elphaba becomes many things. A hurt child, a popular figure, a cult hero, a scapegoat, and finally, a bitter rebel. She is good and she is evil. She is delicious. It is with amazement that we are presented with the story we already knew. Dorothy, who is a pain, the monkeys, the lion and so many more.

I’ll leave the rest as surprises.

Beyond the wildly creative aspersions cast about, the book is a savy, political commentary and, concurrently, very amusing. The lion wakes up with the,” distinct feeling [he’s] not in Oz anymore.”

The strife in Oz goes beyond the predictable. Unrest and racism abounds. Both animals and Animals (those who speak) are under fire. Munchkins and Trolls, Ozmas and the wizard all are loaded with controversy. The fact that the characters are familiar adds layer upon layer of entendre.

The landscape is reflective of all of this, as in, “A fern could unfurl with a snap that knocked you six steps toward a sanitorium.”

Maguire’s fairy tale grows prosaically calignostic, but we aren’t so afraid of this darkness as entranced by it. “Halcyon is never so sweet as memory makes it,” … maybe we never really understood Oz. The world of Oz is so real, so well- described as to be tangible.

“Son of a Witch” is the story of Elphaba’s son Liir. It is less familiar and consequently, slightly less magical, but still good. The political upheaval grows more sepulchral and the underground world we visit is brilliantly creepy. Sadly, as the story grows, so does our discontentment. We feel at odds with and separated from the story we knew. Maguire gets bogged down in the world he has fashioned and we long for the magic of “Wicked.”

I am currently reading (and quoting here) the third book, “A Lion Among Men,” which appears, so far, not to have achieved the original captivating dexterity of the first. Start with “Wicked.” Gregory Maguire is absolutely a writer worth exploring. Read “Wicked” whilst eating the candy you have pilfered from your child’s Halloween bag while they were sleeping. You’ll feel better.

* “Mirror Mirror” and “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister” are as good as “Wicked.” “What-the-Dickens”, “Tales of a Rogue Tooth Fairy,” and “Lost” are not as good. How’s that for diplomacy? Look for me as, “Equal Opportunity Reviewer of the Year,” whilst VOTING on Tuesday.