The Story Behind The Wicked Witch Of The West By lynnemg on Aug 21, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Wicked, written by Gregory Maguire tells the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. He does a wonderful job of exploring and explaining her life to the point where the reader can actually begin to sympathize with the witch and even understand her wicked ways.

The Wicked Witch of the West, as most of us know her is no more than an evil witch who seeks power and contril. Gregory Maguire describes her as a highly misunderstood and very lonely woman who turned mean and evil only after being shunned by everyone in her life.

When Elphabe, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West, was born she was definately different. She was born with green skin, and soon after she was born, she had sharp teeth. She seemed not enjoy being touched as most babies do, and she actually wiggled away from a person's touch. Because of her strangeness, her own parents wanted little to do with her.

As she grew up, she had no friends and everyone seemed to fear her. As a result, Elphaba grew cold and bitter. This is how Elphaba became known as The Wicked Witch of the West.

I would definately recommend this novel to all.