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'Wicked's New Prequel Gives Elphaba's Relationship With the Flying Monkeys an Even More Tragic Meaning
Gregory Maguire's new Wicked prequel book Elphie expands on Elphaba's tragic relationship with the flying monkeys.
Wicked truly took the box office by storm when it debuted last November. After more than 20 years in development, the movie musical was not only a massive hit financially, but received glowing praise from audiences and critics. As movie-goers anxiously await the second part, Wicked: For Good, the Wicked universe has continued to expand with the release of author Gregory Maguire’s new prequel book, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood. While Maguire’s original novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, inspired the hit Broadway musical that has subsequently been the basis of both Wicked films, Maguire has never left behind his version of the Land of Oz, creating backstories for several Wizard of Oz characters with the likes of Son of a Witch, Lion Among Men and more. But with Elphie, the author has brought the saga home by giving readers a look at Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) childhood, and consequently has made one of her most famous attributes even more heartbreaking by giving a deeper backstory to the infamous flying monkeys.
