I am reading yet another Gregory Maguire book, and once again wish that I had considered the concept that is making him millions: Re-writing well-known tales from a different character's perspective. My God, Wicked even turned into a smash musical! And really, such a simple concept!
But I give him due credit: while the 'stories' aren't necessarily as well-imagined, since he's using the framework of an existing story and building on established characters, he is an excellent writer. His prose is beautiful, and his vocabulary...well, I am pretty word-savvy, and yet I have to stop and look up words sometimes!
What a gold mine!
But it begs the question: how does he feel about it? Does he feel boxed in now? Does he feel (or does his agent feel) that the only style people want to read from him is the twist on the fairy take? Does he pine to write a whodunnit, or a courtroom drama?
What books would you like to see reconsidered from an alternate point of view?
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