Review : The Wizard of Oz (1900)

Format : kindle edition

Rating ;

Blurb 

A tornado brings Dorothy and her dog Toto to the fairyland of Oz. She desires to go home to Kansas. She goes on a journey to the Wizard of Oz to ask for help. She encounters friends who have their own desires that they think the Wizard of Oz can help them with. They have adventures on the way to Oz ,but when they get there the Wizard desires that they deal with the Wicked Witch first before he helps them. The Wicked Witch temporarily gets the upper hand but is defeated. They return to the Wizard expecting him to keep his end of the bargain. The humbug wizard does his best, but Dorothy does not get home to Kansas by his methods. The Good Witch however steps in and assists Dorothy and Toto home.

My thought

A talking scarecrow, a cowardly lion, a good fairy and - through it all - sweet honest Dorothy and her loyal Toto. All set in a kingdom full of tiny kingdoms of surprises (china figurines, munchkins)... with one of the most beautiful capital cities in all children's fiction.

Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz. To get home Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and find the wonderfully mysterious Wizard of Oz. Together with her companions the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion whom she meets on the way, Dorothy embarks on a strange and enchanting adventure.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a classic story of enchantment that is appropriate for all ages. The descriptive text and the pictures within the book make reading a magical experience. At the start of each chapter, the text is enlarged and script-like which makes the reader feel as though they are about to embark on a magical experience. The picture contained black and white sketch drawing while Dorothy is in Kansas but then transitions to colored pictures once she enters Oz which makes the land feel like a magical place. 

Baum has created a very unique world in the land of Oz. In the movie, we only get to know a few of the inhabitants and only superficially at that. Even though the book is fairly short, we actually get to know quite a few of the denizens of Oz and learn that this place is really very unique. The descriptions and adventures really make Oz a very compelling world. Not having read the book, I was a little skeptical that there would be enough material to warrant the ~dozen sequels. But now that I've read this first one and gotten a feel for Baum's style and creativity, I am really quite excited to read some of the other adventures of Oz and see what else he has in store.

Although I have seen the movie countless times this is the first time I have read the book. It was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it.

Quotes

“"I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one." "I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world."”