When a Book Ruins the Magic: My Wicked Regret

A Classic Turned Inside Out — And Not In A Good Way

Years ago, my daughter gave me a copy of Wicked by Gregory Maguire and encouraged me to read it. I did, and I kinda regret it.

That book tainted everything that came after: Wicked the musical, the movie, all of it.

Now, to be fair, I haven’t seen the musical in its entirety.

Nor have I seen the film.

However, I’ve watched most of the big musical numbers on network television and on YouTube.

From the clips I’ve seen, the movie looks spectacular. The costume design, sets, makeup, and CGI are top-tier, and the casting seems spot-on.

I’ve Got an Issue With This Broadway Success

So, I know Wicked ran on Broadway for nearly 20 years.

Geez, it is even the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth got rave reviews. I’m a massive fan of these artists and would likely have loved to see them in the show.

If only I hadn’t read the book first.

It gave me the icks.

I won’t go into spoilers, but for me, the book, Wicked was too dark, too twisted, too determined to force a gritty, grim reality into a world that was meant to be filled with wonder and whimsy.

Oh my, and then there is the parentage thing in the book that just left me cold.

Why Mess with the Magic?

I loved the movie The Wizard of Oz throughout my childhood, and I suppose I took the book Wicked a little personally.

Who would turn such a bright, imaginative story into something so bleak?

Heck, this is L. Frank Baum’s legacy.

Did we really need to know this dark, tragic backstory?

Maybe I’m a purist. Perhaps I like my fantasy worlds to stay a little magical.

I never picked up the other Wicked books and probably never will.

I get that Maguire wrote for an adult audience.

Yet, this adult feels Wicked strayed too far from the heart of Oz.

After reading the book, I couldn’t bring myself to watch the classic movie starring Judy Garland for years.

Honest to goodness, if something makes you lose interest in that movie, something has gone wrong in a major fashion.

‘Twas An Era of Dark Reimaginings

For years, it’s felt as though we’re living in the age of literary reinvention. Everywhere, someone’s reimagining a beloved classic, twisting familiar stories into something edgier or grittier.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Nope. Just let the original characters be. Jane Austen doesn’t deserve that!

Have we run out of original ideas? Or are we just too tempted by the easy money that comes with piggybacking off an established work?

Refresh But Leave the Heart

I don’t mind readjustments when they’re done with care. Sometimes, classic stories need a refresh to stay relevant.

But when you twist something beyond recognition and strip out the magic that made it beloved in the first place, I have to wonder, why?

Now, this is my opinion, and I don’t imagine it’ll be popular with some folks.

That’s okay with me.

So go ahead, creative folks, and defy some gravity. Let your imagination roam.

You could create an original work with real heart. Something that doesn’t chase trends but creates its own unique magic.

Something that remains beloved for far longer than one short day.