Wicked (novel)/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation:
  • Prepare to have your conceptions of every character turned on its head.
  • The musical has alternate interpretations of the book characters
• Big Lipped Alligator Moment: To this day, Gregory Maguire's message board is filled with people trying to understand just what the hell was up with the philosophy club scene.
• Canon Defilement/Better Than Canon:
  • Nearly everyone is Out of Character, and the timeline is tied in knots-- but those who never cared for the original books consider this in a improvement. In the end, Your Mileage May Vary.
  • The books should be considered be considered an Alternate Universe to both the source books and the 'main' movie. Likewise with the musical is AU to those materials plus the Wicked book.
  • Deconstruction Fic of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
• Complete Monster: The Wizard. And how!
• Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy: A serious risk with reading this book.
• Fan Dumb: Some people actually consider Wicked canon with the original Oz books/movie.
• Les Yay: Fairly prevalent in the book, particularly on Galinda's side. Note the part where she catches her breath as she realises how beautiful Elphaba is, and that their relationship seems to have been the most meaningful one in Galinda's life. Arguable interpretation. Although she does dwell on how nervous Elphie makes her feel, and remembers sharing a bed with her. It should be noted that the only thing Glinda could remember about the Emerald City trip was that they shared a bed.
  • Plus they have that incredibly emotional goodbye at the train station where they actually DO kiss - twice! - and where Elphaba's parting words to Glinda are "Hold out my sweet...Hold out if you can." And that part in the epilogue where Glinda literally feels Elphaba's death (despite not knowing exactly why she is suddenly so upset).
  • And let's not forget the understated sequence where Glinda literally swoons into Elphaba's arms and Glinda thinks that Elphaba being so close makes her want to purr (seriously). At which point Elphaba tells her to resist followed by "Not here," and "I love you too much." Is that even subtext anymore, or have we hit text?
  • The Les Yay carries over into Son of a Witch, when Glinda flips out when she sees Liir has Elphaba's cape and refers to her as 'My Elphie.'
  • Elphaba's granddaughter gets in on it too, when her semi-romantic interest Tip is revealed to be Ozma Tipperarius.
• Nightmare Fuel - The people having their faces scrapped off...
• What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?: The book is much saucier than the musical. In Gregory Maguire's world, everybody is bisexual until proven otherwise.
  • To say nothing of the violence, occultism, and Elphaba being a domestic terrorist.