Sunday, November 13, 2011

Ate Oh Clock? Reading!

And here I am, inside of my head blank as an eggshell.

Let's see, I recently read the remaining three books in Gregory Maguire's "The Wicked Years." Yes, there are sequels to Wicked, continuing his revisionist history of Oz. (Son Of A Witch, A Lion Among Men and Out Of Oz.)

Eminently readable books, though if you were looking for clear-cut heroes and villains and acts of unalloyed evil or goodness, better look elsewhere. If the original Oz books are read as a history for children, a history written as the 19th Century ticked over to the 20th with all the cultural and sociopolitical baggage that entails, then Maguire's books should be understood as a recently-written history for grown-ups. Events unfold with the complexity and ambiguity of real history, neatly fitted around L. Frank Baum's original work.

While the books are liable to do a little overwriting of your childhood memories of magical visits to Oz, I recommend them.

3 comments:

  1. Enjoyed Wicked. Son of a Witch not so much.

    Of course, I never read the Oz books as a kid, and didn't really enjoy The Wizard Of Oz when it made it's annual appearance on our TV, either.

    WV: sespin. One orbit out from Bespin.

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  2. SoaW was a bit of a slog -- but I wanted to read the Cowardly Lion's story, so I pressed on. It was worth it.

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  3. I absolutely adored Wicked, but same as Drang, was not so fond of Son Of A Witch. Loved tik-tokism, and the stuff about animals and Animals. Quite clever. Will check out the new one. :)

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