The Road to Oz (Forgotten Books)

by L. Frank Baum

book data

972 ratings, 3.91 average rating, 30 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		28%
4		39%
3		27%
2		3%
1		0%

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published

October 15th 2008 by Forgotten Books (first published 1909)

details

Paperback, 146 pages

characters

Dorothy, Ozma

isbn

160680135X (isbn13: 9781606801352)

description

"The Road to Oz is the fifth of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books. It was originally published on July 10, 1909 and documents Dorothy's fourth vis…more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1,333)

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Mar 29, 2009

Kathryn rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: children, classic, fiction, sci-fi-fantasy

I wonder why two of my favorite books in the series were centered around Ozma's birthday parties. This one seemed a little more, hm, childlike? There was more of a pattern here, where every character's introduction played along the lines of, "Who are you?" "I'm the [insert character's name:], where are you going?" "We're going to Ozma's birthday party!" And so on and so on. Still, the story is charming, and a lot of fun. And so very very strange, but that's par for ...more

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Sep 19, 2009

Jason Pettus rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in January, 2010

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally. This review covers all 14 of the Baum Oz books, which is why it's found on all 14 book pages here.)

I think it's fairly safe by now to assume that nearly everyone in Western society is familiar with The Wizard of Oz, most of us because of the classic 1939 movie adaptation; and many realize...more (Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally. This review covers all 14 of the Baum Oz books, which is why it's found on all 14 book pages here.)

I think it's fairly safe by now to assume that nearly everyone in Western society is familiar with The Wizard of Oz, most of us because of the classic 1939 movie adaptation; and many realize as well that author L. Frank Baum ended up penning a whole series of sequels, because of the original book's astounding success back at the turn of the 20th century when it was first published -- 13 sequels altogether, before his death in 1919, which after the movie's success twenty years later became a literal merchandising empire, spawning hundreds more official sequels by various authors and hundreds more unofficial ones once the characters moved into the public domain. And like many others, I've always been interested in what these 14 "canonical" Oz books have to say; and that's why I decided this winter to sit down and read them all in a row for the first time, easy to do because of them being available for free at both Project Gutenberg and the email subscription service DailyLit (which is how I myself read them, and in fact is how I read many of the older books you see reviewed here; I'm a big fan of theirs, and highly recommend them).

But of course, to even approach these books with the right mindset, it's important to understand that like so many other one-hit-wonders, Baum was not only eluded by success in most of his other endeavors but was an active failure at them -- in the 1870s, for example, he unsuccessfully tried his hand at breeding fancy poultry (a national fad at the time), then in the 1880s opened his own theatre and became one of the first-ever Americans to produce modern-style stage musicals, apparently a little too ahead of its time, then in the 1890s moved to the Dakota Territory and opened a dry-goods store that eventually failed, as well as starting a newspaper that folded too. So it was sort of a case of random lightning in a bottle when he decided in the late 1890s to try his hand at children's literature, and ended up with his very first title being the most popular kid's book in America for two years straight, and no surprise that Baum then spent the rest of his life desperately trying to figure out how to bottle that lightning again. Because now that I've read it myself, I can confirm that the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz is astonishingly great, a sort of miraculous combination of traits that makes for an almost perfect children's story; and although most of it follows the same storyline seen in the '39 movie, there are also significant differences, making it worth your while to sit and read the book version if you have the interest. (And by the way, for some really interesting reading, check out the academic analysis that was done of this book in the 1960s, arguing that most of its details symbolically correspond almost exactly to various political and economic issues of the late 1800s, including the yellow brick road representing the much-discussed gold standard of that age, the scarecrow representing the then-hot Populist Party, Toto representing the teetotaler [prohibitionist:] movement, and a lot more.)

But of course, there are a couple of details about this book that have been forgotten over the decades too, which also help explain its record-shattering success -- it was an unusually lavish book for its time, for example, with two-toned illustrations on every page and several full-color plates, and let's also not forget that Baum himself mounted a Broadway-style musical of Oz just two years after the book was published, a huge hit which toured nationally for a decade and that was even more insanely popular than the book itself (including making national stars out of vaudeville performers Fred Stone and David Montgomery, playing the Scarecrow and Tin Man; the stage production left out the Cowardly Lion altogether, which is why he is also barely seen in any of the 13 canonical sequels). And so that's why when Baum attempted starting up other fantasy series in the wake of Oz's success, hoping to turn all of them into lucrative franchises like the original, the audience mostly responded with yawns; and that's why Baum eventually went back to writing more and more Oz books as the 20th century continued, because by now the strength of the brand far outweighed the relative writing skills of Baum when it came to any particular volume.

That's why, at least to adults, it's perhaps actually the introductions to each book that are the most fascinating thing about them; because to be frank, most of the books follow a pretty familiar formula, with a danger-filled quest involving various kooky characters that is usually finished about two-thirds of the way through, followed by a massive parade or party that lets Baum trot out the growing number of main characters added to this universe with each title. (And by the way, prepare yourself for Baum's unending love of the deus-ex-machina plot device; over half the books end along the lines of, "And then our heroes took possession of a super-duper magical device, which they waved in the air and all their troubles went away.") In fact, for those who don't know, that's why the official map of Oz and its surrounding lands eventually grew so large, because Baum still hadn't given up on his dream of having a whole series of kid-lit cash cows out there generating revenue for him, and so would use many of these Oz sequels to introduce entirely new casts of characters who live in entirely new lands, "just over the mountains" or "just past the desert" of Oz itself. By the end of the original 14 books, in fact, Baum had built up a virtual aristocracy of licensable characters, all of whom would have to be dragged out for a cameo at some point in each book to remind the audience of their existence -- not just the cast of the original book and '39 movie but also various other princesses like Ozma and Betsy Bobbin, boy characters like Ojo the Unlucky and Button Bright, adults who help them like the Shaggy Man, Cap'n Bill and Ugu the Shoemaker, and of course a whole litany of quirky fantastical sidekicks, including but not limited to Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Great Jinjin, Billina the Angry Hen, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, and Polychrome the Rainbow Fairy. Whew! And so did the Great Oz Merchandising Experiment keep limping along for two decades, with each sequel selling less and less and getting lazier and lazier (for example, the tenth book in the series, 1916's Rinkitink in Oz, was actually a non-Oz book written a decade previous, published almost unchanged except for a hasty final chapter full of Oz regulars slapped onto the end); and thus did Baum's bad luck in business come back with a vengeance as well, with three more Broadway productions that were all flops, and even the establishment of a film production company in 1914 that eventually went bankrupt.

You can see the progression of all this reflected in Baum's first-person introductions to each book, which like I said is why they might be the most fascinating parts of all for adult readers -- how in the first sequel, for example, he expresses legitimately gleeful surprise and joy at how passionate his fans were, and how thousands of children had literally written to him out of the blue demanding more Oz stories, while with each subsequent sequel his tone becomes more and more snarky, ala "Well, dear and wonderful children, you've yet again demanded another Oz book like the sheep you are, so here it is, you screeching little monsters." In fact, in book six of the series, 1910's The Emerald City of Oz, Baum flat-out states that it's going to be the very last Oz book, and it's no coincidence that many fans actually consider this one to be the best of the original fourteen, because of Baum's extra attention to and enthusiasm for this particular storyline, thinking as he erroneously did that it would be the grand finale of the entire Oz universe; but after his later financial failures forced him back into the Oz business again, the gloves finally come off in his introductions, with most of the rest sounding to today's ears something like, "Well, okay, here again is the sugary teat you all apparently can't get enough of suckling, you infuriating little animals, so open wide and take your medicine." Now, of course, you shouldn't feel too bad for Baum; by the last years of his life, his combined books and plays were generating for him in today's terms roughly a quarter-million dollars a year just in personal royalties.

So all in all, an experience I'm glad I had, reading all fourteen original Oz books in a row, but not something I'd recommend to others; instead, maybe better just to read the first, then skip to the sixth, then skip straight to the 14th, 1920's Glinda of Oz, because of its unusual darkness (probably caused, many scholars agree, by Baum knowing that he was near death). As with many authors I've looked at here at CCLaP, history seems to have correctly adjusted itself in Baum's case, with most of his books now rightfully falling into the obscurity they deserve, even while his one true masterpiece is still rightfully recognized as such. (less)

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May 07, 2008

Runa rated it:

(review of isbn 0345282272)

Read in October, 2008

This is my second favorite of the Oz series, right after Ozma of Oz. I love the new characters, the Shaggy Man and Polly especially. I really like that, while there are some challenges in the book, the main goal is a happy one. They're not on the run from anyone, they're all on their way to Ozma's birthday party, where they meet the greatest assortment of colorful individuals. Unlike some of the other books in the series, this one really stays true to the spirit of Oz, with unique but awesom...more

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May 23, 2009

Joanna Gold rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

I liked the donkey part I really think it was smart to jus build their hose anywher I mean it looks more exciting then straight it's like army soldiers. I think I might make my house anywhere I want i don't know.

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Aug 22, 2009

Bobby rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: reviewed

Read in August, 2009

Perhaps it's an age thing but I found this book too simplistic even trying to judge it as a children's book. IMHO it needs more action/conflict. Still, not a bad read for kids I suppose.

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Jan 20, 2010

Lara rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in January, 2010

Pollychrome is a memorable character, as is the device of the Shaggy Man's love magnet. But otherwise, the book feels like it's just holding space.

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Jan 02, 2010

Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in December, 2009

This was very similar to the other Oz books. But the new characters and story still seemed fresh.

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Apr 24, 2008

Brenna rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: classics

Read in January, 2006

recommended to Brenna by: Myself : )
recommends it for: All ages of readers

When a kind stranger asks Dorothy for directions, she gladly helps him. But then something unexpected changes everything.
Before she knows it, Dorothy is in a strange new land, full of amazing beings- and grave dangers. Can she find her way back to Kansas? First she may have to find her old friends in the wonderful land of Oz...
I read this a bit ago, but what I remember of it is one of the best, funniest books I read when I was younger. You really do fall in love with the character...more

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May 01, 2009

Tommyb added it (review of isbn 0688099971)

bookshelves: 11-21-2007, 5-52

Fiction,Children's fiction

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Sep 18, 2008

Frank rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in April, 2009

This book of Oz had all the characters in it although Dorothy's journey was with new characters and except for escaping from being made into a soup there were no really wicked witches in it. The Shaggy Man and Button Bright were there and I must admit I liked Button Bright. It was a good adventure and a fairly short read. They brought in new things in Oz like the truth pond to get their real heads back! If you have read other Oz books you will like this one as it goes through all the old charact...more

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10 comments

Aug 10, 2008

Felicity rated it:

(review of isbn 0688099971)

bookshelves: childrens-lit, comfort-books, favorites, fiction, reread

Read in January, 1988

This was my favorite Oz book as a child...I particularly loved the grand and lushly illustrated birthday party at the end, and Polychrome, the rainbow's daughter. This edition, like all the Book of Wonder editions, reprints the original in all its illustrations and whimsical typesetting, in the original size. This particular volume, with its rainbow themes, also has pages of different colors as you progress through it. A beautiful edition of a whimsical, adventurous classic.

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Jan 25, 2008

Kiwiria rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: 2008, 3-stars, audiobook, classics, owned, ya

Read in January, 2008

Unfortunately L. Frank Baum's books get more and more repetitive for each book. It's as if he can't really think up more new things for Dorothy to experience, and so continues to fall back on the 'tried and tested' ones. In this one I got the feeling that there was no real plot at all, but just descriptions of more weird characters Baum could think up. I'll read the next, as Baum himself considered that the 'end' of the Oz series, and then leave it at that.

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Oct 23, 2008

Chandra rated it:

(review of isbn 0345334671)

bookshelves: kids-young-adult, wizard-of-oz

This fifth book is considered one of the weaker books in the series. I enjoyed it, but honestly the story doesn't stand out to me other than the fact that I always loved the cover of this book. The lady in the rainbow dress is Polychrome. She is the fairy daughter of the Rainbow. Dorothy meets Polychrome because she fell from the rainbow to earth while dancing to keep warm. And seriously, what little girl wouldn't love a story like that?

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Oct 10, 2008

Fizzgig76 rated it:

(review of isbn 0688099971)

bookshelves: graphic-novels-and-trade-paperbacks

Read in October, 2008

Dorothy, the Shaggy Man, Button Bright, Toto, and Polychrome find themself in a fairyland and try to reach Oz for Ozma's birthday. The Road to Oz is very much like the Wizard of Oz in format and feel. Dorothy meets her companions and travels down the road encountering strange and unusual people along the way. The end of the book is interesting in that Baum included characters from his other non-Oz stories like Santa Claus and Ix.

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Oct 16, 2008

Wils Cain rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in October, 2008

Dorothy meets some new friends and is back on the Road to Oz. A much less violent tale than some previous Oz books - and a special surprise appearance (to me at least) from an icon we all know that comes to Ozma of Oz's birthday party!

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Jun 23, 2008

B. Zedan rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: gutenberg-downloads

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Folks who would like a light reward for reading this far along

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 21, 2008

Karen rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: childrens, fiction

I remember this one as being particularly weird. The Musicker and the Scoodlers make for some freaky illustrations.

Also, this book features a lesson in what to do if attacked by people who can take off their heads and throw them. Good to know.

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Sep 15, 2007

Lori Anderson rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

Read in June, 2009

I collected these right before my son was born (2003) and recently read them all -- so much fun!

We finished this one last night, and enjoyed it -- maybe not as much as the others, but quite a lot! On to the next one tonight!

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Aug 03, 2007

Dereck rated it:

(review of isbn 0486252086)

bookshelves: own

Read in January, 2004

I'd have to say this may have been my least favorite of all the Oz series I've read so far (I've read the first six), but you know, there really is no way to hate any of Baum's books. They're just so lively, fun, and creative.

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Jan 09, 2010

Alice rated it:

(review of isbn 1587260379)

bookshelves: as-a-child, fantasy

Read in December, 1977

I wonder if this series was considered over-exposed at the time it was published? It seems as if these sequels contradict the original. I wonder if I'll ever go back and read them again.

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