"Are People Born Wicked?" Wicked Book 1 Review and Summary | Deep Themes and Deep Thoughts

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Today we begin our coverage of the Wicked 5-book universe by Gregory Maguire. We’re diving into political fantasy like we never have before, just in time to watch Wicked for Good with all of you!

Check out our latest Tuesday full length episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Z1NeJej2k all about why books and reading are inherently political, why it’s not only important to acknowledge this, but to read our favorite books through this lens, and how Maguire uses the fantastical to expertly critique issues like authoritarianism, colonialism, and racism. We also provide a bit of context by discussing what political happenings were taking place when Wicked was written, and what influences the Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum may have had on this more current work.

In this episode we dive into book one: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West in which we experience the hostile takeover of Oz by the Wizard, a fascist dictator, through the eyes of Elphaba, the flawed and ultimately the unfortunate martyr to the resistance. Who were our favorite and least favorite characters and plot points? Do we think these books can be separated from politics just because they’re fantasy? What philosophical questions are posed? And what literary devices does Maguire use to critique government structures and the ensuing “isms?”

Fantasy tales can be so much more than surface level storytelling, and often are. We’re here to discover why! Listen on for our reviews of book one, our deep dive reactions, and fun facts about the book that started the Wicked phenomena!

WICKED Movie 1 VS Book? | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqvJvfaD61A

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Check out these author interviews? ⬇️

Penn Cole talks with us about Strong Female Characters, Feminist Themes, and her debut bestselling Spark of the Everflame Series! https://youtu.be/7ukNImyoObw?si=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKb

We interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here!

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Chapters

1. Spoiler Free Intro (00:00:00)

2. Wicked Book Review (00:13:48)

3. 5 Sentence Wicked Summary (00:18:00)

4. Fav and Least Favorite Things in Wicked (00:24:05)

5. [Ad] The Podcast Inside Your House (00:26:28)

6. (Cont.) Fav and Least Favorite Things in Wicked (00:27:16)

7. [Ad] You've Got to Be Critting Me (00:35:09)

8. (Cont.) Fav and Least Favorite Things in Wicked (00:35:48)

9. Philosophical Questions in Wicked (00:52:46)

10. Political Problems and Themes in Wicked (01:08:05)

11. Are You Excited for Son of a Witch? (01:22:54)

12. Wicked Book Quotes (01:26:25)

13. Bonus Questions - Is Wicked Ok for Kids to Read? (01:31:25)

14. Wicked Fun Fact! (01:37:25)

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