I haven't decided yet if i think this book is (a) a really bad satire, written during a time before women's suffrage truely compelled baum, or (b) a really brilliant satire, written during a time when women's suffrage truely compelled baum...

now i will have to read more about the actual person, who l. frank baum was and what he stood for...

some things i am thinking so far:
- certainly not the best writer, not on par with lewis carroll, for example
- but definately a good story teller
- a lot brilliant non-sense from the land of oz (et al)
- definitely analogous to the social commentary of the time (and perhaps timeless???)

OK baum, you've caught my attention. which is cool since my attention is not a terribly easy thing to catch.


Anywho, a couple points regarding the Marvelous Land of Oz:

dorothy is absent from this story, instead a young boy by the name of Tip plays the protagonist. Tip is journeying to Oz because he is running from the 'evil sorceress' Mombi who is planning to turn him into a statue come morning.

The scarecrow is in the midst of dealing with a rebellion in Oz - this rebellion happens to be a band of women armed with knitting needles and a determination to overcome their lot in life.

The tinman joins the party in Oz (don't remeber why)

And we meet a bevy of new characters to join the party as well - jack pumpkin head, the saw horse, jinjur and her army, glinda, ozma, and a magnified bug.

really funny stuff to be had on this particular journey to oz.

(note: this review to be cleaned up at some time.)