The release of the film Wicked is a timely reminder that the book is much darker than you think

MAJOR SPOILERS for Gregory Maguire’s Wicked lie ahead!

With the Evil film that will be released soon, it is important to remember that the original book has several dark and disturbing elements that may upset many readers. In 1995, author Gregory Maguire released the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the Westwhich reimagined the story and characters of The Wizard of Oz from the villain’s perspective. After winning the Nebula Award for Best Novel and gaining a passionate fan base, the book was adapted into the Tony-winning Broadway musical in 2003, premiering at the Gershwin Theatre.

Conversations for one Evil the film began in 2004 and will finally come to fruition after two decades. Since the film and tie-in marketing targets all ages, it’s easy to assume that the original book is suitable for children, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The novel should be approached with caution by adults sensitive to dark content, and parents may want to keep the book out of the reach of children and teenagers. Between the rampant misogyny and graphic sexual depictions, the Evil The book is much darker than it seems at first glance.

Wicked Book’s Racism, Transphobia, and Misogyny Are Hard to Read

The world of Wicked has the same problems as real life

However Evil is a fantasy book set in a different world, the problems the Ozians face are extremely similar to what people experience in the real world. Gregory Maguire Evil makes racism and misogyny clear in the first chapters and does not give up at any point. The prejudice and discrimination in Oz become more apparent as readers progress through the book.

Women, the Vinkus people and sentient animals are segregated and treated in an abominable way, with fewer rights. Other Ozians despise the Quadling and Vinkus people. Furthermore, the comments made about Elphaba in the Prologue – especially those made by Evil version of Tin Man – have transphobic and queerphobic connotations that are uncomfortable to read. The midwives and her parents echoed these sentiments again after Elphaba’s birth.

Unfortunately, these problems are not limited to the characters in the book. The writing style, character choices, and development all present some problematic elements that are difficult to read. The way the writer characterizes the Quadling and Vinkus people can be seen as stereotypical and racist. Turtle Heart specifically appears as a caricature of an indigenous person.

Furthermore, as a Storygraph the reviewer pointed out, all the women in the book are one-dimensional and characterized in a negative way. None of these characters are remotely likable. However, the men in the book receive much better treatment. Ultimately, each reader will have to decide for themselves how they feel about the book.

The explicit sex scenes and treatment of animals are a far cry from the film and musical

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire, has several scenes of explicit sex and bestiality

When it comes to Evil musical, there are only very brief and implicit references to any kind of sex in the songs “No One Mourns The Wicked” and “As Long As You’re Mine”. The musical doesn’t include anything remotely explicit. The characters kiss a few times, but nothing that justifies more than a PG rating. Although the 2024 film adaptation has not yet been released, the MPAA rating description confirms that the film only includes “brief suggestive material.”

However, readers should be aware when reading Gregory Maguire’s book, that the text includes graphic descriptions of sex, orgies, and bestiality that may be uncomfortable to read. The Time Dragon Clock is known for its steamy shows, including mother and daughter having sex with the dragon. Boq and his friends also frequent a combined strip and sex club called the Philosophy Club, where creatures of all kinds engage in BDSM sex. This leads to a deeply uncomfortable situation involving humans and a tiger. These are just a few examples of the adult content spread across the pages.

The story of Elphaba’s traumatic conception is unnecessarily disturbing

Elphaba’s biological father raped Melena

From the beginning Evil by Gregory Maguire, there is obvious animosity that Melena and Frexbar have towards the fetus growing inside her. The feelings only intensify after she is born, and the reason begins to emerge in conversations between Melena and Nanny. Melena reveals that she doesn’t remember conceiving Elphaba because a man drugged her with a green elixir before raping her, which is the real reason why Elphaba’s skin is green in Evil. At the end of the book, Elphaba finally discovers what happened in the Time Dragon Clock, which depicts the entire incident in a crude manner.

Furthermore, the scene descriptions are disturbing. Villagers cut each other into pieces and eat their partners’ sexual organs. Then, Melena can’t even stand after receiving the potion, being described as “stupefied”, adding to the knowledge that she was drugged and non-consenting. The paragraph then describes the stranger, who turns out to be the Wizard, attacking her and leaving.

Unfortunately, there is no payoff in the horrific nature of the conception story. The only takeaways – Elphaba’s skin color and the Wizard being a terrible person – could have been conveyed in a way that didn’t involve rape. In truth, Evil already establishes the Wizard as a bigoted, cruel, power-hungry egomaniac before his identity as an outsider is revealed, so the only element that comes from the rape story is skin color.

Melena’s murder fantasies regarding baby Elphaba may disturb readers

Melena thinks about murdering her baby in the bad book

When it comes to parent-child relationships, the idealistic hope is that parents love their children. However, many stories show dysfunctional relationships where there can be hostility, resentment and abuse. Evil takes this type of relationship to another level. Melena’s hatred for her own baby results in multiple thoughts of murdering baby Elphaba and eventual neglect and abuse.

When discussing newborn Elphaba with the nanny, she suggests that they simply drown the baby and start over. A year and a half later, she still talks about murdering her son in the water. She suggests they walk by the lake where Elphaba might drown. Then she says they could get into a boat and tip it over to kill her daughter. One thought would be uncomfortable enough, but his repetitive and casual mentions of his daughter’s murder could upset many readers.

Why book readers shouldn’t care about the movie Wicked

Wicked is rated PG for “some frightening action, thematic material and brief suggestive material.”

Despite the book’s dark, graphic, and disturbing content, readers needn’t worry about watching the 2024 and 2025 films. The film adaptation has the potential to build on the source material, but both films Perverse adaptation is based on the Broadway musical, which is a much more positive, hopeful, sanitized version of the book.

The musical’s official website recommends an age of 8 and over, but allows children as young as 5 to watch Evil. Parts of the story, such as the tragic fate of Dr. Dillamond, are sad or might be scary for young children, but there is nothing graphic or inappropriate. Furthermore, the film adaptation of Evil is rated PG, which means it will not include any of the controversial parts of Evil by Gregory Maguire, as it is aimed at children and adults.