Wicked

I decided that it was time for me to read something written within the last decade or two (instead of centuries...) so I bought the book Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I bought this one because it had been recommended to me from a few different people, and with all the buzz about the play I though, why not read it?
As with most super popular contemporary novels, I have a hard time getting over the actual writing of the author. He uses the word 'but' too much. Starts sentences with it too often. Doesn't even use it correctly half of the time. I'm not that big of a stickler though. You can start a sentence with 'but.' And it probably has a lot to do with his style of writing. He still uses it way too much.
Other than that tiny picky detail, I have a few more qualms with the book. One being that it starts out like a dirty romance novel. Two being the dialogue sucks until a good fifty pages into the book. Three, I feel like he is trying so hard to make it a social allegory but it just isn't working.
What I mean by that is, when an author writes about a made up world (especially one with similar social structure, ie class) he is generally making some type of comment on the actual world that we live in. First, I though Maguire was making a comment on religion. He actually takes it in that direction for a bit. But then it just turns out to be a bunch of made up theologies to hold the plot together in a somewhat confusing way. Then I thought, maybe politics? But it all just turns out too cheesy for an actual allegory.
Do New York Times bestsellers ever contain allegories? Are books only a form of entertainment now, instead of thought provoking, inspiring or educating?

I'm being too harsh.
The book is entertaining.... once I get over my English major's qualms with the quality of writing.
But really, sometimes I feel like so many books now are just written versions of movies. And there is really nothing wrong with that. I've actually read non-canonical literature from the Victorian era, and it is so similar to the trashy romance novels only in a more conservative way.
I'm not questioning whether these books hold any immediate value, I am questioning what will be put into the cannon from our time period? Will there even be anything?

On another note, Nana is coming along slowly. I have felt the urge to read my mindless novel more often. It is somehow soothing. Relaxing. It helps me sleep to read about a sad little green girl.
Weird dreams though.