The Wicked Truth is the thinking person's guide to the wildly successful Broadway musical Wicked. Using political, social, and historical examples, it explores the ways in which modern society is not so different than the mythical Land of Oz. The Wicked Truth challenges the very framework of our culture, our understanding of Good and Evil, as well as our sense of right and wrong. Whether you've seen the show or not, discovering The Wicked Truth's broad application, to everything from personal relationships to how our society is governed, will leave you spellbound.
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It is a rare privilege as an artist to have one's work explored in such a profound way. The Wicked Truth is a fascinating and valuable study of the ways we all wrestle with the wickedness within and without us and how we can combat it. --Stephen Schwartz, Composer/Lyricist, Wicked
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ross' vision of WICKED is exciting and frightening,
This review is from: The Wicked Truth (Paperback)
When I first heard about Suzanne Ross' book THE WICKED TRUTH: WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO BAD THINGS, I had to purchase it immediately. As both a huge fan of WICKED and someone who is sociologically minded, I wanted to read this book as soon as possible. I must admit that this book is both fascinating and chilling - and it's a good read.
Relying heavily on Rene Girard's work on violence, Ross examines the musical WICKED in a socio-political context. Her interpretation of the dangers of society creating a scapegoat (as seen in the treatment - or mistreatment - of Elphaba in WICKED) and focusing attention on Myth rather than Truth is indeed compelling. The book is organized based on the scenes/songs of the musical, and thus follows the musical from beginning to end. This allows the reader to "experience" the show while learning deep lessons about events that happen throughout the show. Please note that this book contains spoilers, so if you don't want certain surprises exposed, wait until you've seen the show before reading! THE WICKED TRUTH reveals the Truth hidden in the story of WICKED. The lessons learned in this book can be applied to other works of fiction and, frighteningly enough, real life events. If you love WICKED and want to understand some of the implications of its story, by all means read this brilliant book. You will not be disappointed!
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Connection between Rene Girard and Broadway,
By Missouri girl "BOOKWOMAN" (Kansas City, Missouri) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Wicked Truth (Paperback)
Rene Girard's theoretical writings are difficult but tell us great truth about the cultures we create by what is known as "scapegoating violence". For a long time I have believed that we could all become a peaceful people if we could understand what Girard has to say. Well, "The Wicked Truth" does just that as it analyzes the beautiful musical -"Wicked" with depth, spirit and humor. Suzanne Ross has captured who we are - and who we can be and tells us the tale using the musical "Wicked". Can't recommend this book highly enough!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wickedly Fun Book,
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This review is from: The Wicked Truth (Paperback)
This book was a fun way to go through the entire musical Wicked from a sociological point of view. The book was fun and was a quick read. Really love Wicked the Musical, and this accompanied it well. It did remind me how mean people are in high school and how easily people are drawn to the popular ones and swayed into being less than nice to people who may be different than you. I would recommend this book to any sociologist ( like me) who also saw Wicked the Musical. I cannot imagine someone who hasnt seen the musical would enjoy or even begin to understand this book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked1 opens with the celebration of a death. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sacrificial system, good violence, sacrificial mechanism, bad violence, wonderful wizard, scapegoat mechanism, sorcery class, wickedest witch, good conquering evil Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Emerald City, Good News, Wicked Witch, Madame Morrible, She's Dead, Mythological Rules, Rene Girard, United States, Governor of Munchkinland, Making Good, Saddam Hussein, Gregory Maguire, Glinda the Good, World War, Tin Man, Frank Baum, Arun Gandhi, Act Two, Department of Defense, Act One, World Through Green Colored Glasses, Creed of Self-Worship, Grey Road Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked1 opens with the celebration of a death. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sacrificial system, good violence, sacrificial mechanism, bad violence, wonderful wizard, scapegoat mechanism, sorcery class, wickedest witch, good conquering evil Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Emerald City, Good News, Wicked Witch, Madame Morrible, She's Dead, Mythological Rules, Rene Girard, United States, Governor of Munchkinland, Making Good, Saddam Hussein, Gregory Maguire, Glinda the Good, World War, Tin Man, Frank Baum, Arun Gandhi, Act Two, Department of Defense, Act One, World Through Green Colored Glasses, Creed of Self-Worship, Grey Road Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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