This assertion is the title of a song from the Broadway adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" (1996). However, it is exactly what Maguire disproves, in both "Wicked" and its new sequel, "Son of a Witch." In "Wicked," Maguire challenged the definition of "wicked" and revealed the complexities of human relationships. In "Son of a Witch," Maguire presents an Oz that mourns the death of the witch very much indeed. In addition, he tells the story of her son, who not only mourns her death, but actually lives out her legacy.
"Son of a Witch" charts the coming of age of Liir, son of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba has just died, as have Liir's friends, and Liir is alone in the world. He is a confused young man who does not know who he is, if he is really Elphaba's son, or what he can do with his life. He embarks on a quest to help other people, find love, understand his past and search for a sense of self. By the end of his journey, he demonstrates more bravery, altruism and resemblance to Elphaba than he had ever thought existed in him.
What makes Maguire's previous books so great is that they challenge fairy tales' common interpretation of "good" and "evil" and portray the complexities that make people intriguing. "Son of a Witch" upholds this challenge but to a smaller degree. This novel is different from Maguire's other books-"Wicked," "Confessions of an the Ugly Stepsister" (2000) and "Mirror Mirror" (2004)-in that it is not a straightforward interpretation of a familiar story. Liir is completely Maguire's invention. This story of Oz is of his own creation; it is not on a traditional fairy tale. "Son of a Witch" is more its own story than Maguire's earlier works. It continues to examine wickedness, power, strife and love, while also telling its own story, rather than trying to prove itself a valid interpretation of something that already exists.
"Son of a Witch" is engaging overall, but it drags in some places. Whereas "Wicked" and Maguire's other books were a lot like "Harry Potter" for grown-ups (of course, not that "Harry Potter" is just for kids), "Son of a Witch" is a tale about coming of age. Maguire's tone is one of brutal honesty mixed with a poetic lyricism, the latter employed sparingly enough to keep the book from becoming pedantic.
Maguire's storytelling method isn't chronological; it bounces back and forth between different people and different times. For the most part, this makes the book interesting, but after a while it becomes difficult to follow. Many parts feel either too drawn out or too short, which is jarring. However, the overall flow of the book is circular and holistic, which remains largely engaging.
The character of Liir is a masterpiece. We watch him grow and observe how his personality is woven together artfully from the threads of details found all over the book. What is remarkable is that we don't merely watch him evolve from young and timid to manly and wise: We are thrust right into his psyche, thinking what he is thinking and feeling what he is feeling. The most powerful parts, though, have us traveling with Liir through the times when he thought that the army was a wonderful enough thing to make him burn the people of an innocent town. Furthermore, we are made to join in his pain and guilt as he realizes what he has done and tries to make reparations and do something good in the world.
It has been said that Maguire ought to venture out of this recreated fairy tale niche soon. This reviewer thinks otherwise; Maguire's interpretations of our most beloved fairy tales are intriguing and even deeply meaningful. Every story is different, other than that they all challenge the one-dimensional fiction perpetuated by old-fashioned fairy tales. In particular, if Maguire is going to branch out and elaborate on the worlds he has recreated-as he does in "Son of a Witch"-he has a good deal more story-weaving in him before his material will get old.
If this book has sufficiently piqued your interest, Maguire's other books are worth perusing. His published works for adults include the aforementioned twists on old, familiar fairy tales, as well as "Lost" (2002) a modern-day ghost story. Should that not satisfy your burgeoning craving for such fare, you might want to check out books by Brian Jacques and Gail Carson Levine. Do start with Maguire, though-he's the master.