Wicked

So far I have really enjoyed reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I think Maguire has done a very good job relating the two stories together, the movie, The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked Witch's side of the story. I like how Maguire gives an explanation for everything and relates Wicked to the film. For example in class today when we discussed Glinda's dress. That comes directly from the film, Glinda is first seen wearing a humongous pink and poofy dress. I think Maguire is also doing a great job developing Elphaba's character. So far I feel he has given a thorough explanation of how and why Elphaba becomes the character she is portrayed to be in the film. I also like Maguire's portrayal of the Wizard, in the movie the Wizard is kind and wants to help Dorothy. In Wicked he is one of the bad guys, and Elphaba is one of the good guys, or at least the character you are rooting for. I feel that Maguire has done an excellent job erasing his readers previous thoughts and feelings of the Wicked Witch of the West, and he makes her human and easy to see as the protagonist. I have enjoyed Wicked very much and would like to read his other novels particularly the sequel, Son of a Witch.

The Moonstone

I enjoyed reading The Moonstone. What I liked most about The Moonstone was the way Wilkie Collins developed the involvement of each character in the theft of the stone, specifically Godfrey Ablewhite. While reading The Moonstone I did begin to become suspicious of Godfrey, but I didn't expect his reasons for the theft to be as detailed as they were. I initially thought that Godfrey was the thief, because he seemed to escape the the investigation, he wasn't really questioned. Also there was so much focus on Rosanna, Rachel and Franklin, yet Godfrey's role in the novel still seemed to be important.
Although I knew Godfrey was somehow involved, I was surprised when I found out the specific details of his involvement and the double life he led. I assumed Godfrey was a gold digger because he wanted to marry Rachel so badly, and also because his engagement to another heiress had been broken. I didn't expect him to be living off the trustfund of a boy whom he was the guardian of. In the end of the novel I liked how Godfrey was discovered wearing a disguise, but I was upset that Godfrey died, even though he was the villain, I guess I would have liked to have seen some sort of trial for his crime.