Of course I ended up buying the book out of curiosity. Have been reading while I recover from a long stretch of dental work completed late this afternoon.

[As an aside, my veneers look stunning. Worth every penny. Ah, vanity]

So far, Elphaba seems to be rather antisocial and unconventional, but also intelligent and bookish. Apart from her curious emerald-green skin (the cause of much fear and ostracism growing up), she has shiny black hair and sharp features. The book itself is clever, but not terribly complicated or challenging to read.

I gather that my colleague's comment has little to do with Elphaba's physical traits (ex. the long black hair) and much more to do with her strange personality and love of books.

Which isn't entirely a compliment, but not mean either.