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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz #1)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 115,285 ratings · 3,896 reviews

Join Dorothy Gale, Toto, and all of her friends as they explore the incredible land of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is American's most enduring fairy tale. From the moment Dorothy puts on the silver slippers (changed to ruby slippers by MGM to take advantage of their new advance in movie making: color) until the moment she clicks her heels and returns home to Kansas you...more

Paperback, Penguin Popular Classics, 156 pages

Published 1995 by Penguin (first published 1899)

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Jan 23, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once upon a time there lived a Golden Age gay icon, who whiled away her pre-waxing years sitting atop a split-rail fence in some dour, nondescript American Midwest landscape. Her dreams of a more outrageously fierce existence in the big city (wearing roller skates and one-foot-diameter afro wigs and dancing to Army of Lovers in between lines of blow) were hemmed in on all sides by rusted farm equipment, NAPA Auto Parts Stores, and a lone, dejected Applebee’s out on the turnpike. Kansas didn’t ev...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-lit, re-reads, readagainable, reviewed, kindle-freebies

This is a book I read as a child, even before I saw the musical, and enjoyed a lot. However, my memory of it was overshadowed by the film. So it was a good experience to read it again as an adult.

The book is worth reading, not least because it differs in some major ways from the film adaptation. The biggest difference is that the whole dream sequence scenario, in which people from Kansas are transmogrified into figures of fantasy, is entirely absent. Dorothy wears Silver Shoes, not Ruby Slippers...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Chandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Oz enthusiasts

Shelves: wizard-of-oz, literary-criticism, 2010_reads, classics-kids, art-photography

As lovely as this is it is not the edition I would recommend as a reading copy. For that I recommend either an old beat up paper back (my personal favorite) or one of the lovely Books of Wonder reissues. This edition, however, is for the truly obsessed Oz enthusiast. The information in this book goes above and beyond that which might be interesting to the casual reader.

Contained within this volume you will find:

-An almost 100 page introduction which includes a biography of L. Frank Baum and the...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Cary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, favorite, 2011

I was able to finish this book in one day, thanks to the poor service of NBI that I have to read this book while waiting in line to entertain myself, only to find out that my name has a hit because of my service obligation to the country as a DOST scholar so my twelve hours of waiting in line to process my clearance application resulted to waiting in vain. I had mixed-emotions while reading this one because Im starting to feel irritated because of the long hours of standing and waiting, and the...more

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May 16, 2007 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

I had not only watched the well known Wizard of Oz movie with Judy Garland first, but I'd also read the Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, as well as seen the Broadway musical of Wicked, before getting a chance to read this classic. Well, that's not entirely true, when I was young, my grandfather had started to read the book to me and my brother, but unfortunately we never finished it before my brother and I grew too old to be patient while someone read to us. At any ra...more

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Apr 03, 2007 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrensbooks

Unfortunately I couldn't find the edition I have. This is due in large part to the fact that many of my books were once my parents and grandparents (I have the entire Nancy Drew collection from the 50's).

The Wizard of Oz series changed my life immensley. In second grade I was Dorothy for Halloween. However, everyone was confused by my silver shoes. Way to be, MGM! In sixth grade I dressed up as Ozma of Oz in a giant green ballgown and poppies in my hair. Everyone thought I was Frida Kahlo. Weak....more

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Jun 06, 2013 Shereen Mohamed reda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

بسيطة أوي
تعبق بجو الكراتين القديمة زي "سنووايت","بوكاهنتاس"..حيث السَحَرة وحيوانات بتتكلم
كل شئ مُحتفظ بنقاوته
لسة بسولفانته
حيث أنت تفعل الخير وجميل في الشكل فأنت طيب
أنت تؤذي الاخرين وقبيح فأنت شرير
لا وجود للدوافع والظروف و الازدواج
كل شئ مُسطّح سهل..
ممكن تاخدها كحدوتة لطيفة وناعمة اوي
ممكن تاخدها كقصة بتُلقي ظلال علي حاجات صعبة وخشنة اوي
مُفرادتها مش جديدة
لها جو
"Charlie and the chocolate factory"..
مش بطالة :)

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Jun 11, 2013 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://angelasanxiouslife.blogspot.co...

This is my first time reading The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. Shocking! I am so glad I read it. It really is a wonderful tale. Full of great characters and plots. Baum creates a wonderful world. I will for sure be carrying onto the other novels in the series.

I am glad too that in the book Oz is not a dream. I can't stand when books/movies do that. You go the whole way only to find out it was all fake! The silver shoes in the book/red shoes in the movie has alw...more

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May 12, 2013 Jason Koivu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wonderful tale for its time. Although I usually prefer the book original over its movie version, I have to hand it to the film this time. The book meanders and includes some completely unnecessary encounters, which if the writing were better could've been overlooked. Baum was trying something new here and his tentative steps show it. The writing improves in future volumes I'm happy to say!

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Nov 18, 2012 jzhunagev rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to jzhunagev by: the "Voice"

Shelves: adventure, childrens-or-middle-grade-books, classics, dark-chest-of-wonders, fantasy, from-book-to-film, 2012-reads, picture-books

On the Yellow Brick Road Adventure is a Few Steps Away
(A Book Review of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz)

Growing up, I was never the kind of kid who is fond of reading books. It was only later in my elementary life and well in my freshman year in high school that the love for reading blossomed to its full promise. Different preoccupations and interests during the time — besides the absence of a reliable person to serve as my guide in the literary world, which was foreign territory to me then —...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Children's fantasy peeps

Recommended to Jason by: Eddie & Susannah Dean/Jake Chambers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Howdy. Let me say right off the bat that this review will discuss both the movie and the book. The movie is such an integral part of that section of my brain that deals with fantasy that I can't put the book in there as well and expect them to remain completely separate. Besides, I think a comparison will be fun.

The movie seems to have a nodding acquaintance with the book, and this is pretty clear from the first chapter. They resemble each other in the way that humans resemble each other by all...more Howdy. Let me say right off the bat that this review will discuss both the movie and the book. The movie is such an integral part of that section of my brain that deals with fantasy that I can't put the book in there as well and expect them to remain completely separate. Besides, I think a comparison will be fun.

The movie seems to have a nodding acquaintance with the book, and this is pretty clear from the first chapter. They resemble each other in the way that humans resemble each other by all of them (barring some physical malady) are bipedal, stand erect, and one skeleton pretty much looks like another. But there, the similarities end when you start adding flesh, skin, features, hair, etc... In this way the book and movie are as similar as Madonna and al-Gaddafi. I was quite surprised to discover this.

There is a cyclone which blows the house to Oz, the house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy takes her shoes, the Munchkins tell Dorothy and Toto to go to Oz who may be able to send her home, she follows a yellow brick road to get there, collects the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on the way, Oz tells them to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, they go there and do so, return to Oz, discover he's a fraud, he gets in a balloon which Dorothy misses, she clicks her heels to get home.

Now, I know you're saying "Well, that's basically the story, isn't it?" Yes, but just basically. The devil is in the details. Dorothy is about 6 years old, playing in the yard when a cyclone comes. Uncle Henry runs after the livestock, Auntie Em gets into the trapdoor inside the house in time, but when Dorothy gets to it the house is blown away into the sky. Completely absent are the three farm hands Hunk, Hank, and Zeke, Almira Gulch, and Professor Marvel. Absent also is Dorothy's runaway scene. Without that, the entire "looking-for-greener-pastures-and-finding-spinach" moral of the story at the end of the movie is made moot. Due to those things not being there, we almost have a completely different story from the cerebral aspect.

We meet 3 Munchkins at the house, and perhaps half a dozen more on the road at farms (they all wear blue hats, and that's it for their exuberant colors), and the Witch of the North is munchkin size herself. The shoes Dorothy gets are silver, not ruby. The scarecrow is quite smart throughout the entire story, but convinced he's stupid. The Tin Woodman possesses much love, but is convinced he's heartless. He was building a cottage for the love of his life, actually. Then we have some violence that surprised me. The Tinman was actually a man. For some reason the Witch of the East was mad at him, and caused his axe to cut off his leg. He went to a tinsmith and had a new leg made. The Witch was still mad, so we repeat this process with his other leg, then an arm, then the other arm, then his head, then his torso, and finally he's all tin, but there's no heart in him. The Cowardly Lion is anything but; he's quite brave and ferocious, but is convinced he's a coward because he's scared when he does his courageous deeds. By the time they all get to the Emerald City, the Tinman's kill count is 3. He seems to think nothing of beheading a wildcat with his axe as it rushes by chasing a mouse, but becomes completely unglued when he almost steps on a beetle.

At the Emerald City, the doorbell not only works just fine, but even causes the door to open up for them. There is no horse of a different color, but everything in the city is green, or at least looks that way, because everyone is forced to wear green spectacles. The wizard tells all of them, one at a time on separate days, that he will grant their requests if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West, so they set off to do just that, and go into the ONLY chapter that has the Witch in it. That's right; the driving antagonist force in the movie gets one chapter. Not only that, but the crew marches up to her castle like the frocking Fellowship of the Ring, killing or frightening off her minions along the way. The Tin Woodman kills more than Gimli manages in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (he kills 40 wolves, and an unspecified number of bees and wasps). The Scarecrow himself breaks the necks of 40 crows. Dorothy kills the witch with a bucket of water, and the Winkies love her for it.

The winged monkeys were responsible for getting Dorothy and the Lion to the Witch's castle, but it wasn't because they obey her just to be doing it; she controls them with a cap which enables the wearer to be granted three favors from the monkeys. Her first use was to help take over the land of the Winkies, the second to drive the Wizard out of her realm, and the third to get Dorothy after all her other minions died in the attempt. They also ripped apart the scarecrow, and dented the hell out of the tinman.

They return to Oz where they discover he's a humbug, yet they still insist on getting the gifts they already have. This causes the wizard to reflect that he loves Oz because the people there are so stupid that they think they need him. So, to get them to shut up, he stuffs the Scarecrow's head with a pin cushion, puts a heart pillow in the Tinman, and make the Lion drink something he just found in a bottle somewhere and called it courage. He then builds the balloon, and floats away. Afterward, someone tells them that maybe Glinda, the good witch of the south (yes, a completely different character who answers the question "is there a witch in the South?)," can probably help them. So they go to see her.

They encounter trees that hold them out of the woods. Since the woodman has no trouble axing sentient beings, he goes right on ahead and chops them up. Inside all the beasts of the woods are upset about one of Shelob/Aragog/It/Mordred's siblings creating a ruckus. The Lion beheads the Acromantula while it's sleeping. They cross a china doll land, and break a church all to pieces in the bargain. They come across the Hammerheads, who are armless dudes whose heads spring out of their torsos and retract, and they use these heads to beat our protagonists back. (One assumes that this was the point in writing where Baum was doing the most opium). Dorothy uses the Winged Monkey cap for the third time to get them over the Hammerheads to Glinda. Glinda gets the cap, and uses her three monkey uses to send the Lion back to the acromantula forest to rule over the beasts, the Tin Woodman back to the West's castle to rule over the Winkies, and the Scarecrow to the Emerald City to rule over the denizens there. She then tells Dorothy how the silver shoes work. Just click the heels thrice, say where you want to go, and there you will be. Dorothy's reaction to this news is along the lines of "Well, fuck a duck! I coulda done that when I landed in Munchkinland!" Needless to say her three companions are glad she didn't, or else they wouldn't have gotten their brain, heart, or courage.

She does the deed, gets back to Kansas, discovers Uncle Henry has built a new house to replace the one that blew away, sees Aunt Em, gives her a hug, and that's the end of that. Turns out the adventure is, no doubt about it, real in the book and not a dream at all. Hopefully the sequel book doesn't start with Dorothy getting electroshock therapy for believing in Oz like the sequel movie. I don't know if I'll ever find out, though. I might read the sequels one day (and will probably hit the two that relate to the second movie at least), but I have too much other stuff on my to-read list right now to tackle more Oz any time soon.

As much as I love the movie, and all the glamor and music that goes with it, I must say I kind of like the story as presented in the book better. Several things that are glossed over in the movie are explained, and I don't come away from the book thinking of Glinda as a such a bitch for not telling Dorothy how to get home from the git-go. Course, that wouldn't be much of a movie. Movie and book are apples and oranges. Both are delicious, and it's not fair to compare the flavors as both of them have their own charms.

I highly suggest reading this book if you're into children's fantasy. If you're reading it just to find out what happens to Miss Gulch and if she's still after Toto after Dorothy awakens, don't waste your time; she doesn't exist in book form.(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fantasy, ya

I don't know why I never read this book growing up. It's exactly the kind of book I would have loved then. As is pointed out in L. Baum's introduction, he's trying to write a modern (for 1900 at least) fairy tale since the darker aspects of ones like The Brothers Grimm aren't as necessary to instil morality since it was taught in different ways now. He's definitely succeeded.

I listened to Audible's recording of this book as narrated by Anne Hathaway. She does a fantastic job bringing the story t...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Jackson Burnett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, coming-of-age

Just as E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is stranger than the ballet of similar title, Baum's Wizard of Oz is stranger than the movie. Baum's book should really be classified as American folk art.

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Jan 17, 2013 Emma W. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just recently started the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I am at the part of the book when Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow and The Tin Man are walking through the scary forest and none of them want to admit it but they are all scared to death. I thought that it was sort-of creepy when the tin man told his story of how he had been enchanted with a spell to keep him from marrying the one he loved and the way hat the wicked witch of the west did that was every time he would go out to chop wood or...more

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Mar 27, 2009 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 501, childrens

This is a timeless classic! I saw the movie when I was already an adult but I've been hearing the music since I was a kid. Seeing the movie for the first time was very engaging and it made me interested to read the book. The narration was straightforward and there are many lessons that kids and adults alike can learn from it. I will keep this book so that my daughter and her kids can also read them someday.

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Nov 14, 2011 Dania rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to read this book to see how different it is from the film version (a staple of every American childhood). It is very different, but then again, I expected Hollywood to take a piece (or in this case, several pieces) of literature and manipulate it into something completely different and commercial, but commercial in a good way. I love the film. I like the book. Some surprises (spoiler alert): Dorothy was actually a small child in the book. The slippers were not made from rubies. The Tin...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read and watched the Wizard of Oz a bunch of times. A classic for sure. However, I have not read it quite like Mr. Baum wrote it. What I mean is in this book, the shoes that Dorothy gains from eliminating the Wicked Witch of the East are “silver”. Yes, you heard me the original shoes were silver and not “ruby”.

So, I checked it out to see why the change and the reason is:
In the original 1900 book edition of 'The Wizard of Oz', the slippers of the Wicked Witch of the East were silver in co...more

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Sep 24, 2010 rhea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uno

Another book for school and it was fun once again to read. I learned a little time period stuff in this section of the class, but since I had just reread this last summer for fun, I hadn't really forgotten anything from the book.

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Jun 05, 2011 Mel Vincent rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It certainly is one of the greatest fairly tales ever written. Very fun to read, the movie adaptation didn't really follow the entirety of the book but still it was very enjoyable and it reminds you of your childhood.

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Feb 09, 2013 Mohamed Ateaa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

الممتع في د احمد انه لما بيلخص كتاب انه مبيخلش بيه
بيخليك عايش جوا الترجمة كأنها جزء من النص الاصلي
صراحة من اكتر الناس اللي استمتعت بترجمتهم كان هو
الرواية ديه مكتوبة من 113 سنة
باسلوب د احمد حسيت انها معاصرة شوية حتى في الخيال
سحرة الجهات الاربعة الشرق و الغرب الشريرتان
والجنوب و الشمال الطيبتان
و اوز الساحر في المنتصف
ودوروثي الطفلة التي تنتقل بالاعصار من كنساس الي ارض اوز
تقتل الساحرة الشريرة الاولي
وتصاحب خيال الظل القش و الحداد الصفيح و الاسد الجبان
ومعها كلبها توتو :)
يذهبون لاوز و يكشفون سره يطلب...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Inés Muñoz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, libros-en-papel

Me ha gustado muchísimo. Nunca lo había leído, pero me he propuesto leer los grandes clásicos de la literatura infantil y entre ellos no podía faltar "El Mago de Oz".

Todo el país de Oz me resulta fascinante - me refiero no únicamente a la Ciudad Esmeralda, sino también a la Tierra de los Quadlings, de los Winkies y de los Munchkins -, es un lugar verdaderamente único. He adorado a la pequeña Dorothy - personaje al creo que no es posible no adorar si has visto a la preciosa Judy Garland en "El M...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved finally reading this book, free on my Kindle. (I also love that so many classics are free!)

Things I did not know about The Wizard of Oz (TWOO):

-the ruby red slippers were actually silver shoes
-the Emerald City only appears green because the Wizard makes everyone wear green-tinted glasses
-Glinda was an old lady with a wrinkled face
-Toto fell out of the house while it was in the twister, but because of the air pressure, Dorothy was able to rescue him.

Things related to Gregory Maguire's Wic...more

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May 02, 2011 Mimi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve seen the movie more times than I could ever count. I’ve read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch (not A Lion Among Men yet, although it is on my list) and I’ve seen the Broadway production of Wicked twice. Heck, I’ve even experienced the bizarre synchronicity of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz! (if you’ve never seen this, check it out on YouTube starting here -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw9sS... – coinci...more I’ve seen the movie more times than I could ever count. I’ve read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch (not A Lion Among Men yet, although it is on my list) and I’ve seen the Broadway production of Wicked twice. Heck, I’ve even experienced the bizarre synchronicity of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz! (if you’ve never seen this, check it out on YouTube starting here -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw9sS... – coincidence?? ;)) …yet, incredibly, I have never read the L. Frank Baum’s books! So after getting a free collection of all these books for my Kindle, I finally decided to begin reading these classics.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the first of 14 Land of Oz books written by L. Frank Baum (not to mention the 18 written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, three by John R. Neill, two by Jack Snow, one by Rachel S. Cosgrove, and one by Eloise Jarvis McGraw & Lauren Lynn McGraw.) With the movie, play adaptations, spoofs, and variations that have been written about this one, I hardly find a need to summarize the plot. I once again loved traveling along the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion as they headed to the Emerald City to seek their heart’s desire. I did find some of the plot differences between the movie and the book interesting, the biggest one being that in the book, Dorothy’s journeys in Oz are not ascribed to a dream at the end. I like this because it leaves the conclusion up to the reader’s imagination – the reader gets to decide whether the Land of Oz really exists. Also, in terms of characters, we don’t meet the Wicked Witch of the West until the Wizard sends the trio to kill her…and we don’t meet Glinda, who is the Good Witch of the South in the book, until the end of the story (it’s the unnamed Good Witch of the North that Dorothy first meets after her crash landing in Munchkinland.) There’s also some additional characters, like the kingdom of mice who rescue the Lion from the poppy field and the people made of china…and the real story behind those flying monkeys that scared the heck out of me as a child (they’re not as scary in the book…capable of scary stuff, but also capable of good).

In addition to the story itself, some other things really interest me here. First of all, the whole censorship issue…I found it hard to believe that this tale, that is such an integral part of our imagination and popular culture, has actually been challenged to the extent that it has. Back in the day, when the books were published, some ministers and educators were opposed to the stories, claiming they promoted witchcraft and were too fanciful. There were some who even said that the books were “ungodly” in their depiction of strong-willed & powerful female characters, an idea that was amazingly supported by many librarians. The 20th century also saw its share of anti-Oz sentiments. In 1928, the Chicago Public Library refused to put the book on its shelves, stating that the books were “not literature, but somehow evil for children.” Living in Florida, I find this embarrassing, but in the 1950s, Florida’s state librarian, Dorothy Dodd, sent out a memo to all the librarians in the state denouncing the Oz series, saying that they were “unwholesome for children in your community.” She took this a step further when she declared that the Oz books were “not to be purchased, not to be accepted as gifts, not to be processed and not to be circulated.” …and wait…there’s more - even more recently, in 1986, fundamentalist parents in Hawkins County, TN challenged the books used in local public schools, claiming that they promoted witchcraft and secular humanism. To further explain this assertion, the lead plaintiff, Vicki Frost, explained that the stories depicted some witches as good, while of course they are always bad. Yikes! (“A federal court handed Frost a limited victory by holding that the public school system would have to allow parents who objected to "opt out" of lessons featuring the offending literature. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in 1987, and the U.S. Supreme Court later refused to hear the case. That action led Religious Right attorney Michael Farris, who represented Frost, to call on "every born-again Christian to get their children out of public schools." http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi...). …and the list goes on…

I also always like reading about the possible underlying political symbolism in The Wizard of Oz. This is something that I learned in a college history course and that my daughter is learning in her AP American History class right now. Before I get into it, I always kind of wondered about this. L. Frank Baum undoubtedly wrote these stories for children as an alternative to some of the stories that were told to him during his childhood…but he also wrote for children of all ages, stating, "My books are intended for all those whose hearts are young, no matter what their ages may be" (http://www.literarytraveler.com/liter...). So I think it is totally possible that Baum added a little something else that would get the grownups thinking…take a look at some of this symbolism, which comes from the article Lions, and Tigers, and Political Symbols, Oh My!:

• Dorothy: Dorothy is thought to represent the American people or values. She proves herself to be determined, resourceful, and loyal. Another speculation is that she represents Theodore Roosevelt, the United States president. Some people believe this theory more than the other because of the similarities in the names. (Think: Dor-o-thy and The-o-dore).
• Toto: Small and seemingly going unnoticed, Toto is the one who reveals the Wizard for the fraud he is. He is thought to be another representation of the average American people.
• Uncle Henry: In the late 1800's, there was a famous farmer who was the editor of a leading farm magazine. His name was Henry Cantwell Wallace, and everyone called him Uncle Henry.
• Cyclone: The tornado is thought to represent political upheaval, or the free silver movement. During the time period in which this story was written, farmers were suffering from federal deflation; they were receiving less money for their goods, and their debt was getting larger. They wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both silver and gold. Some politicians were behind this movement while others were not.
• Munchkins: The munchkins were little people who represented the common folk. They were ordinary citizens of the United States. And in the same breath, the Lollipop Guild is said to represent child labor.
• Silver Slippers: In the book, the slippers that appear on Dorothy's feet are silver, rather than ruby. Silver relates to the monetary political issues. Farmers wanted the value of a dollar to have a fixed ratio of both gold and silver. Some have also speculated that the silver slippers represent the power to vote.
• Yellow Brick Road: This represents the gold standard, such as a brick of gold. The road of gold leads to power.
• Oz: Oz is an abbreviation for gold, which was a hot political topic with people rallying for a fixed ratio of silver and gold.
• Tin Woodman: The Tin Woodman has a more obvious meaning. He represented the industrial workers who were often dehumanized. He was rusted an immobile, which is a feeling that many factory workers when businesses began shutting down because of a nation-wide depression. After losing their jobs, they felt helpless.
• Scarecrow: The scarecrow is thought to represent the western farmers. While his complaint was that he didn't have a brain, he ended up being the most clever problem solver of the four travelers.
• Cowardly Lion: There was a politician named William Jennings Bryan in the late 1800's who supported the free silver movement. The Cowardly Lion is said to represent Bryan, who was seen has having a loud roar, but no bite, or no power.

Now I plan to read Baum’s other 13 books!(less)

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Nov 15, 2010 Melisa Mariani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, children, buntelan-hadiah, fantasy

Kisah fantasi anak-anak yg sarat imajinasi dan petualangan. Setiap kali Dorothy dan kawan-kawan datang ke suatu tempat, selalu saja ada yg baru, entah itu kawanan Kera Bersayap atau perkampungan yang seluruh penduduk dan bangunannya terbuat dari porselen Cina yang gampang pecah.

Dari cerita ini kita juga dapat belajar dari kebersamaan dan kesetiakawanan Dorothy dengan Scarecrow, Tin Woodman dan Singa Penakut bahkan ketika mereka masing-masing telah menemukan tempat paling nyaman bagi mereka, mere...more

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May 20, 2009 ஐ Briansgirl (Book Sale Queen)ஐ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, own

A Populist Parable: When I opened my old used copy of this book, an aged newspaper clipping fell out of the back of it. As best as I can tell its from an old Sarpy County (Omaha World Herald?) Nebraska newspaper, and it was written by Peter Dreier. Here's what he said:

Whether they are fans of Judy Garland and "Over the Rainbow" or prefer the current $20million black film with Diana Ross and "No Bad News," almost all Americans know the characters from "The Wizard of Oz." But few are aware that t...more A Populist Parable: When I opened my old used copy of this book, an aged newspaper clipping fell out of the back of it. As best as I can tell its from an old Sarpy County (Omaha World Herald?) Nebraska newspaper, and it was written by Peter Dreier. Here's what he said:

Whether they are fans of Judy Garland and "Over the Rainbow" or prefer the current $20million black film with Diana Ross and "No Bad News," almost all Americans know the characters from "The Wizard of Oz." But few are aware that the story was originally written as a political allegory.
It may seem harder to believe than the Emerald City, but the Tin Woodsman is the industrial worker, the Scarecrow the struggling farmer, and the Wizard is the president, who is powerful only as long as he succeeds in deceiving the people.
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, during the collapse of the Populist movement. Through the Populist Party, Midwestern farmers, in alliance with some urban workers, had challenged the banks, railroads and other economic interests that squeezed interests that squeezed farmers through low prices, high freight rates and continued indebtedness.
In the 1894 congressional elections, the Populist Party got almost 40 percent of the vote. It looked forward to winning the presidency, and the silver standard, in 1896.
But in that election, which revolved around the issue of gold vs. silver, Populist Democrat William Jennings Bryan lost to Republican William McKinley by 95 electoral votes. Bryan, a congressman from Nebraska and a gifted orator, ran again in 1900, but the Populist strength was gone.
Baun viewed these events in both rural South Dakota, where he edited a local weekly, and urban Chicago, where he wrote Oz. He mourned the destruction of the fragile alliance between the Midwestern Farmers (the Scarecrow) and the urban industrial workers (the Tin Man).
Along with Bryan (the Cowardly Lion with a roar but little else), they had been taken down the Yellow Brick Road (the gold standard) that led nowhere. Each journeyed to Emerald City seeking favors from the Wizard of Oz (the president). Dorothy, the symbol of Everyman, went along with them, innocent enough to see the truth before the others.
Along the way they meet the Wicked Witch of teh West who, Baum tells us, had kept the little Munchkin people "in bondage for years, making them slave for her night and day."
She had also put a spell on the Tin Woodsman, once an independent and hard working man, so that each time he swung his ax, it chopped off a different part of his body. Lacking another trade, he "worked harder than ever," becoming like a machine, incapable of love, yearning for a heart.
The Wicked Witch clearly symbolizes the large industrial corporations.
Like Coxey's Army marching on Washington, the small group heads toward Emerald City, where the Wizard rules from behind a papier-mache facade. Ox, by the way, is the abbreviation for ounce, the standard mesaure for gold.
Like all good politicians, the Wizard can be all things to all people. Dorothy sees him as an enormous head. The Scarecrow sees a gossamer fairy. The Woodsman sees an awful beast, the Cowardly Lion "a ball of fire, so fierce and glowing he could scarcely bear to gaze upon it."
Later, however, when they confront the Wizard directly, they see he is nothing more than "a little man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face."
"I have been making believe," the Wizard confesses. "I'm just a common man." But the Scarecrow adds, "You're more than that...you're a humbug."
"It was a great mistake my ever letting you into the Throne Room," admits the Wizard, a former ventriloquist and circus ballonist from Omaha.
This was Baum's ultimate Populist message. The powers that be survive by deception. Only people's ignorance allows the powerful to manipulate and control them.
Dorothy returns to Kansas with the magical help of her Silver Shoes (the silver issue), but when she gets to Kansas she realizes her shoes "had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert." Still, she is safe at home with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, simple farmers.
Baum realized perhaps that the silver issue had been lost, but that silver was not the crucial issue anyway. The Populists had been led astray; the real question was that of power.
With the Wizard of Oz dethroned, the Scarecrow (farmers) rules Emerald City, the Tin Woodsman (industrial workers) rules in the West, and the Lion (Bryan) protects smaller beasts in "a small old forest." In Baum's vision, farm interests gain political power, industry moves west, and Bryan, perhaps, returns to Congress.
Baum's characters resonated with American popular culture at the turn of the century. He even displayed an early sympathy for native Americans of the plains, symbolized in the story by the Winged Monkeys in the West, whose leader tells Dorothy, "Once... we were a free people, living happily in the great forest...This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land."
The story remains intact in both film versions, but the message has disappeared. Ironically, the first film was made in 1939, during the Depression, when business was once again challenged by farmers, industrial workers and progressive politicians.
In 1977, ALjean Hermetz detailed the history of the 1939 film in a book, "The Making of the 'Wizard of Oz'." He credited Baum but did not mention the story was a political parable. The first full explanation of the book as a parable appeared in an essay by Henry M. Littlefield in the 1964 American Quarterly.(less)

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Dec 30, 2008 Wendi rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic read! I read this book during my first week of Christmas vacation while I sick and puking from stomach flu. Dorothy is so smart. I love that L. Frank Baum didn't make her some doofy little girl (like Stephanie Meyers did with Bella in Twilight - Steph, read Wizard of Oz and smarten up your girls!). Such a good book. I love how strong and capable all the characters were and yet they let little things make them self-concious. But then when needed their powers came out. The Tin Woo...more

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Apr 06, 2007 Lynne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had never read the actual book of The Wizard of Oz, but I had the Annotated Oz sitting around from when I got it from the Quality Paperbook Book Club a few years ago (Along with the Annotated Alice). So in a way I read 2 books. hah. Anyway, AMAZING book. I started becoming interested in the original Oz stories after reading Wicked at the end of last year. This book has about 100 pages of introductory material, follwed by the story with annotations, and then followed by an appendix with works b...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Hermione-Leia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical-world, audiobook, classic

It was good. Very good. I listened to it by audiobook and I can't seem to find an audiobook version that has this same cover, so I chose this edition instead. The author made up a lot of good characters, and the story was planned out perfectly and was a good read. I listened to this (audiobook) a few times, and I'll listen to it again soon. I like the story, and the movie. They left out a few things in the movie, but it was still good.

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Mar 28, 2013 April Knapp rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, children-s-chapter, classic-fiction

I really don't like these books. I know, I know-they are classics. It makes me wonder what kind of sad literature choices were available for kids back in the day. It also makes me wonder how it made the top 100 list, but I am guessing the nostalgia factor played a huge role. It's hard for me to find frosting and sprinkles, but I will say, the story and world are good ideas (which is why the movie and spin offs like Wicked are so popular). However, they are not executed very well. Which brings me...more

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Feb 12, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I'm reading this because I'm teaching it in my Literature and Film course, in which we are reading novels and watching the corresponding films, and discussing adaptation. The theme of the course is: Journeys and Transformations. Thought this book, coupled with the film, would be a good place to begin discussion about archetypes of journeys and home.

The other books/films we are doing are listed here:

http://beingandwriting.blogspot.com/2...

And I've since added "Slumdog Millionaire."

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About L. Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum was an American author, actor, and independent filmmaker best known as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American children's literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known today as simply The Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and a plethora of other works (55 novels in total, 82 short stor...more

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