Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire was published in 1995. It was awarded the Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners Award in 2009.
BANNED in ‘22-23 and ‘23-24 in 8 Florida Counties: Clay, St. Johns, Martin, Indian River, Polk, Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Orange
The Oscar-winning movie Wicked (2024) is based on the popular Broadway musical by the same name. Both are adapted from Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
A 2024 objection argues for the removal of the book, saying, “The book may mislead some who think that the book is similar to the Broadway musical ‘Wicked’… they would be mistaken – this book is sick and twisted from the start.”
Maguire’s novel is written for a more mature audience than the movie or the play. It features sex, drugs, rape, and other mature subjects. The novel Wicked is generally recommended for high school-age students. Maguire says, “My novel is a tragedy and the play is bittersweet drama.”
Wicked explores the fascism of Oz, where the talking animals are oppressed. The green witch Elphaba, the protagonist, battles Oz’s dictator, the Wizard of Oz.
Maguire was inspired by the beginning of the Gulf War and Saddam Hussein’s reign. Instead of writing about real-world fascists, Maguire tells his story of resistance in a fairytale. Wicked’s themes of corruption, prejudice, and good and evil make its story relevant to all high school readers.
“People who claim that they’re evil are usually no worse than the rest of us. It’s people who claim that they’re good, or any way better than the rest of us, that you have to be wary of.”