Is beauty an affliction? Does it get in the way of the development of the soul? Why do humans equate beauty with good and ugliness with evil so readily? These are all questions that "Confessions" explores, with a deft and subtle hand. Beautifully written, and a wonderful jumping off point for many areas of discussion. "Wicked" is good fun, but "Confessions" is, in my humble opinion, Gregory Maguire's masterpiece.