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

episode

Besties and the Books Podcast not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

More from Besties and the Books Podcast

Ep 126 The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause and The Importance of Historical Romantasy | Book Review + Deep Dive 1h 21m · 08 Sep 2026

All episodes from Besties and the Books Podcast →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded24 Oct 2025

Publisherfeeds.buzzsprout.com

Handlerec:10876285

Show notes

Send us a textToday 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 Don't be shy, subscribe! New Podcasts every Tuesday!! (And sometimes Friday!…)Shop our Merch line | https://besties-and-the-books-shop.fourthwall.comCheck 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=7C3Y9kOUMN4hfcKbWe interviewed Callie Hart all about her NYT Bestseller Quicksilver! Watch it here! https://youtu.be/CED5s7qDBdQ?si=8xtIRO1IzX6Rsld4Check the official Author Interview with Lindsay Straube of Split or Swallow! Now a Barnes & Noble & Amazon best seller titled: Kiss of the Basilisk! https://youtu.be/fknhocSNIKM____Shop bookish apparel worn in this episode!Ashley and Liz are both wearing Wicked The Musical Tees from Broadway | https://wickedthemusicalstore.com/collections/apparelAny link with an * is an affiliate link through the service Magic Links and is eligible for a commission to us with no extra cost to you. Thank you for helpinSupport the showYouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Podcast Platforms@BestiesandtheBooksPodcast Besties and the Book Club on Fable!https://fable.co/bestiesandthebookclub-474863489358Liz Instagram | TikTok@TheRealLifeVeganWife AshleyInstagram | TikTok@AshleyEllix

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.