Geeky link: An animated GIF showing the evolution of our alphabet. Snazzy!

I was aware of the cheesy broadway musical, but what I was not aware of was that Wicked was first a novel by Gregory Maguire. The novel follows the life from birth to death of the Wicked Witch of the West from the land of Oz. Maguire turns the cheery black-and-white (that is, clear-cut) depiction of Oz popularized by the 1939 movie on its head. In Maguire's Oz, the Wizard is a cruel despot, employing a clandestine secret police and oppressing the rights of sentient Animals. The nature of what is good and what is evil is the center of what is in excellently written fantasy novel with well-defined characters. I picked this book up two weeks ago and burned through the 406 pages in about a week and a half. I've leant it to Angela now; first in a long line of people who wish to borrow it. But I'd encourage anyone (especially lovers of fantasy) to pick up a copy for themselves, you won't regret it.