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A Wonderful Welcome to Oz: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, & The Emerald City of Oz
For more than a century, L. Frank Baum's kingdom of Oz and its delightful denizens have enchanted readers of all ages. In this illustrated Modern Library edition, the bestselling novelist and children's book writer Gregory Maguire takes readers on a guided tour of Oz, gathering and introducing us to three of Baum's beloved stories:
The Marvelous Land of Oz, the sequel to The Wizard of Oz, is the adventure-packed tale of a Gillikin boy named Tip who flees Old Mombi the witch in search of the Emerald City.
Ozma of Oz, set mainly in the strange land of Ev, features the clever and beautiful new ruler of the Emerald City, as well as Dorothy of Kansas, the mechanical marvel Tik-Tok, and the dreaded Nome King.
The Emerald City of Oz recounts Dorothy's trip to Oz with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and the Nome King's terrible plot against the kingdom.
The Marvelous Land of Oz, the sequel to The Wizard of Oz, is the adventure-packed tale of a Gillikin boy named Tip who flees Old Mombi the witch in search of the Emerald City.
Ozma of Oz, set mainly in the strange land of Ev, features the clever and beautiful new ruler of the Emerald City, as well as Dorothy of Kansas, the mechanical marvel Tik-Tok, and the dreaded Nome King.
The Emerald City of Oz recounts Dorothy's trip to Oz with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and the Nome King's terrible plot against the kingdom.
596 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2006
About the author
L. Frank Baum
3,297 books2,807 followersalso wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 9, 2016
I read some of this when I was a child visiting my Grandmother. The family's children's books were under an upholstered built in bench and we could reach under the bench's skirt and pull out treasure in the form of the books my father and his siblings had grown up reading. This paperback edition is a direct copy of the original versions and includes the illustrations, essential to enjoying these books. The only problem is that this paperback is a reduced size so some of the details of the drawings are lost. Otherwise, it is an opportunity to step back in my life and the stories stand up remarkably well.
Baum addresses his readers at the beginning of each book, encouraging them to take part in the fantasy to the extent of being willing to receive suggestions for further stories. He is quite open about the fact that he is creating fairy tales, but he also encourages readers to enter the Land of Oz and believe in it. The suspension of disbelief is a very complex matter, but I doubt that any readers had difficulty with splitting their reality awareness.
I don't suppose that readers had problems with the lack of proper continuity through the books, either. Did the Scarecrow stay in the Emerald City after Ozma was revealed or did he go to live with the Tin Woodman right away? Did the Tin Woodman become the Emperor of the Winkies or not? Both of these vary from one book to the next. It doesn't matter, it really doesn't.
One of the greatest pleasures is the John R. Neill illustrations, which were definitely the source for the decorations and characters in the 1939 film (1939!). There is a lovely fluidity to the drawings and a consistency to the portrayal of the characters. Those drawings have stuck with me all my life.
Reading these three stories as an older adult it is interesting to see how Baum saw society. He likes people to have a say in their government, even when that government is an absolute monarchy. Ozma calls in the people she respects when situations are worrying and she seriously considers their advice. Even Ozma acknowledges a higher authority, that of Glinda the Good, the sorceress of Oz, who is able through her magic to change situations. It is difficult to tell exactly what role Glinda ultimately fulfills because she can't change people. She can create things like the walled city of Bunnybury because "she was very fond of rabbits" and the city of the Cuttenclips so that Miss Cuttenclip could make her paper dolls, but it all blurs when you look at the other cities like that of the Flutterbudgets and the Rigmaroles. These two cities are described as cities of defense where people who worry excessively about things that may not ever happen and people who talk on and on without ever answering the original question can be isolated from those who just want to get on with life as it is.
Oz is an hereditary absolute monarchy, as is Ev, a neighbouring country, but there is no money in Oz, people work at whatever pleases them and the produce of their work is available to anyone wanting it. Food is distributed on the basis of need. Any objects made in excess of immediate demand are stored against later need or desire. The Wogglebug became the head of the Academy of Arts and Athletic Perfection, an institution created to deal with those young men who weren't interested in working. They were given pills to give them knowledge of Math, Science, and so on so that they could spend their time perfecting football, baseball, cricket, tennis, and other forms of athletic skill. I somehow think that Baum was not fond of activities he saw at the colleges and universities of his time.
New York City has a children's book store called Books of Wonder, which has a special section devoted to all things Oz. The store is behind the republishing of the Oz books and their website at www.booksofwonder.com shows what is currently available.
As you may imagine, reading this anthology was a great deal of pleasure.
Baum addresses his readers at the beginning of each book, encouraging them to take part in the fantasy to the extent of being willing to receive suggestions for further stories. He is quite open about the fact that he is creating fairy tales, but he also encourages readers to enter the Land of Oz and believe in it. The suspension of disbelief is a very complex matter, but I doubt that any readers had difficulty with splitting their reality awareness.
I don't suppose that readers had problems with the lack of proper continuity through the books, either. Did the Scarecrow stay in the Emerald City after Ozma was revealed or did he go to live with the Tin Woodman right away? Did the Tin Woodman become the Emperor of the Winkies or not? Both of these vary from one book to the next. It doesn't matter, it really doesn't.
One of the greatest pleasures is the John R. Neill illustrations, which were definitely the source for the decorations and characters in the 1939 film (1939!). There is a lovely fluidity to the drawings and a consistency to the portrayal of the characters. Those drawings have stuck with me all my life.
Reading these three stories as an older adult it is interesting to see how Baum saw society. He likes people to have a say in their government, even when that government is an absolute monarchy. Ozma calls in the people she respects when situations are worrying and she seriously considers their advice. Even Ozma acknowledges a higher authority, that of Glinda the Good, the sorceress of Oz, who is able through her magic to change situations. It is difficult to tell exactly what role Glinda ultimately fulfills because she can't change people. She can create things like the walled city of Bunnybury because "she was very fond of rabbits" and the city of the Cuttenclips so that Miss Cuttenclip could make her paper dolls, but it all blurs when you look at the other cities like that of the Flutterbudgets and the Rigmaroles. These two cities are described as cities of defense where people who worry excessively about things that may not ever happen and people who talk on and on without ever answering the original question can be isolated from those who just want to get on with life as it is.
Oz is an hereditary absolute monarchy, as is Ev, a neighbouring country, but there is no money in Oz, people work at whatever pleases them and the produce of their work is available to anyone wanting it. Food is distributed on the basis of need. Any objects made in excess of immediate demand are stored against later need or desire. The Wogglebug became the head of the Academy of Arts and Athletic Perfection, an institution created to deal with those young men who weren't interested in working. They were given pills to give them knowledge of Math, Science, and so on so that they could spend their time perfecting football, baseball, cricket, tennis, and other forms of athletic skill. I somehow think that Baum was not fond of activities he saw at the colleges and universities of his time.
New York City has a children's book store called Books of Wonder, which has a special section devoted to all things Oz. The store is behind the republishing of the Oz books and their website at www.booksofwonder.com shows what is currently available.
As you may imagine, reading this anthology was a great deal of pleasure.
July 2, 2020
Check out my reviews on the main versions of each book.
neglected_deprived_and_languishing
February 23, 2013The Marvelous Land of Oz
Date I read this book: September 24th, 2011
★
Tip lives with the wicked witch Mombi. Though she's not technically allowed to call herself a witch, she is truly wicked. Tip has been with her as long as he remembers. Basically a glorified slave or indentured servant, Tip takes every opportunity to get one over on Mombi. So one day when she heads over to a neighboring warlock's house to swap secrets, Tip laboriously creates Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack is a tall scarecrow like creation with a face carved out of a pumpkin with a maniacal grin. Tip even gives Jack working joints. Tip places Jack where he's sure he will startle Mombi on her return. Mombi is a hard one to scare, so instead she sees in Jack the perfect experiment. She has just gotten some "Powder of Life" and decides to test one of her precious three doses on Jack. It works marvelously. Jack is brought to life. What's more, Jack will be a far better servant than Tip, who has to eat and sleep, so Tip is thrown out. As revenge Tip steals the "Powder of Life" and Jack and heads south in order to find a new life in the Emerald City of Oz.
Soon it become apparent that Jack isn't as well made as Tip thought he was. He might rot or his joints might break from all the walking. Tip decides that Jack needs a stead, and makes a saw horse come to life as a real horse. The three continue on their way to the Emerald City but are soon separated and set upon by an approaching army. General Jinjur and her comely all-girl army of revolt are on their way to the Emerald City to depose the Scarecrow and claim the city and all it's jewels for themselves, armed only with their indignation that they have to do all the household work and knitting needles. Jinjer is successful in becoming queen, but she soon looses her Scarecrow captive who, with the help of Tip and his unlikely allies, rescues the Scarecrow and heads off to the Tin Man's Empire, where dear old Nick Chopper is a benevolent leader to the Winkie's, unlike the Wicked Witch before him. Soon the motley crew is planning on reclaiming the thrown, but things never go to plan... and it soon falls to Glinda to straighten things out and bring back the rightful ruler of Oz, Ozma, who has been missing these many years.
This book sets out to establish more of a history to Oz, with it's hidden princess and the evils the Wizard of Oz wrought, some with Mombi's assistance. The fault though lies in the fact there is no Dorothy. Dorothy was our access into the world, because she, like us, is an outsider. We have no literary conduit, instead we have a rag-tag group of self centered and self impressed asses. Each character spends almost the entire time saying how they are better that the others. The Scarecrow has the best brains, but Nick assures him, that without a great heart like his, he's nothing. How are these people friends? They never converse, they only shout monologues out into the air and occasionally they offend someone and use their superiority as an excuse. They grate on the readers nerves. But the egocentric character flaws are nothing compared to General Jinjer.
General Jinjer and her very attractive army are my problem! They are all "very attractive" and no longer want to do "women's work" so with a symbol of their imprisonment they march on the Emerald City, knitting needles in hand. Why do they really want the throne? For the jewels of course! For Baum, who was supposedly a big supporter of the Suffragettes, his depiction of these soldiers is rather sexist. They just want to be lazy and pretty, but are easily defeated the first time because some mice scare them. Talk about stereotype! Also, the women of Oz gladly taking back their chores at the end of the book because their husbands where useless, seems... stupid. It says to anyone reading this book that girls are only good for domesticity. Which is odd considering that the power base of Glinda is based on girl power as well... but a far more dangerous sword wielding kind. But Glinda's army is an army to maintain the status quo. But the status is not quo. This book implies that women should stay home and only take up arms if that status is upset. EXCUSE ME! Fight for your right for household chores? Mr. Baum, I think you really need to look to yourself. I think you're a hypocrite and I think this might be the worst Oz novel, if I remember correctly from my previous readings.
Ozma of Oz
Date I read this book: November 6th, 2011
★★★
Dorothy and her Uncle are headed to Australia for his health. The sea voyage turns into a harrowing experience when Dorothy is blown overboard. The plucky little girl from Kansas is resourceful and is able to cling to a chicken coop and ride through the storm, soaking wet, but without fear. This is just the beginning of another adventure. Come morning she is making for landfall in what she takes to be a fairy land. It isn't Oz, because Oz is surrounded by a deadly desert on all sides, but it is most definitely fairy, how else would the chicken Billina be able to talk to her. Animals only talk in fairy worlds. Soon after landing the fact that this world is magical is increased by a tree that grows lunch pails, men called wheelers who have wheels on there hands and feet and a windup man, Tik-Tok, who works through his wonderful engineering.
Once Dorothy gathers a posse, she heads inland to the capital city where the royal family have been enslaved by the evil Nome King and the country is run by a vain relative of the royals, Princess Langwidere, who has a room full of heads that she switches out whenever she wants to be prettier, or in a different frame of mind, that raven haired head sure has a temper. Soon all the denizens of Oz arrive in this land, which, as Dorothy surmised, was close but not Oz. Dorothy is reunited with all her friends and finally meets Ozma, whom she becomes fast friends with. The delegation from Oz has come to rescue the royal family after hearing of their plight. They all set out for the Nome King's domain to find that he is a tricky and conniving man who will twist any situation around to his advantage. Yet, never underestimate a plucky chicken from Kansas!
Back when the Oz books where being re-released and I was starting my journey into reading I totally held this as my favorite Oz book. But looking back I realize it's less because of the book and more because of the movie Return to Oz. When I was little I remember finding a comic book adaptation of the movie in my school library. I remember reading it up to where Dorothy leaves the asylum. Also being extremely traumatized by it. Dorothy going to get electroshock treatment was enough to do permanent psychological damage to me. After I read the comic the first time I was never able to find it in the library again. I cannot account for that, but it made me start to think I had made the whole thing up and that, like Dorothy, Oz, like this comic, wasn't real.
Of course I got a little older and realized that it was a movie, which also traumatized me. Take the wheelers, add in a psycho who keeps heads in glass cases and switches them like we would clothes, and it was the stuff of nightmares. When I finally got to read the books I realized that this movie was an amalgam of The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, more heavily influenced by Ozma. But the movie took the best bits and omitted all the boring stuff. If there's one thing that annoys me about Oz it's that every time we have a reunion of the characters it's unendurably long with lots of crying and kissing and discussing how they are better than everyone else. Because, these characters really think they are awesome. I'm surprised all the egos fit in one room! But despite all the faults, every time I read about the tree with lunch pails growing from it and the wheelers and the castle of the Nome King with people being turned into knickknacks, it takes me back to my childhood. This is a book for nostalgia, the horror and the magic that lives when you are young, and to get that back, even for a few minutes, is magic indeed.
Date I read this book: September 24th, 2011
★
Tip lives with the wicked witch Mombi. Though she's not technically allowed to call herself a witch, she is truly wicked. Tip has been with her as long as he remembers. Basically a glorified slave or indentured servant, Tip takes every opportunity to get one over on Mombi. So one day when she heads over to a neighboring warlock's house to swap secrets, Tip laboriously creates Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack is a tall scarecrow like creation with a face carved out of a pumpkin with a maniacal grin. Tip even gives Jack working joints. Tip places Jack where he's sure he will startle Mombi on her return. Mombi is a hard one to scare, so instead she sees in Jack the perfect experiment. She has just gotten some "Powder of Life" and decides to test one of her precious three doses on Jack. It works marvelously. Jack is brought to life. What's more, Jack will be a far better servant than Tip, who has to eat and sleep, so Tip is thrown out. As revenge Tip steals the "Powder of Life" and Jack and heads south in order to find a new life in the Emerald City of Oz.
Soon it become apparent that Jack isn't as well made as Tip thought he was. He might rot or his joints might break from all the walking. Tip decides that Jack needs a stead, and makes a saw horse come to life as a real horse. The three continue on their way to the Emerald City but are soon separated and set upon by an approaching army. General Jinjur and her comely all-girl army of revolt are on their way to the Emerald City to depose the Scarecrow and claim the city and all it's jewels for themselves, armed only with their indignation that they have to do all the household work and knitting needles. Jinjer is successful in becoming queen, but she soon looses her Scarecrow captive who, with the help of Tip and his unlikely allies, rescues the Scarecrow and heads off to the Tin Man's Empire, where dear old Nick Chopper is a benevolent leader to the Winkie's, unlike the Wicked Witch before him. Soon the motley crew is planning on reclaiming the thrown, but things never go to plan... and it soon falls to Glinda to straighten things out and bring back the rightful ruler of Oz, Ozma, who has been missing these many years.
This book sets out to establish more of a history to Oz, with it's hidden princess and the evils the Wizard of Oz wrought, some with Mombi's assistance. The fault though lies in the fact there is no Dorothy. Dorothy was our access into the world, because she, like us, is an outsider. We have no literary conduit, instead we have a rag-tag group of self centered and self impressed asses. Each character spends almost the entire time saying how they are better that the others. The Scarecrow has the best brains, but Nick assures him, that without a great heart like his, he's nothing. How are these people friends? They never converse, they only shout monologues out into the air and occasionally they offend someone and use their superiority as an excuse. They grate on the readers nerves. But the egocentric character flaws are nothing compared to General Jinjer.
General Jinjer and her very attractive army are my problem! They are all "very attractive" and no longer want to do "women's work" so with a symbol of their imprisonment they march on the Emerald City, knitting needles in hand. Why do they really want the throne? For the jewels of course! For Baum, who was supposedly a big supporter of the Suffragettes, his depiction of these soldiers is rather sexist. They just want to be lazy and pretty, but are easily defeated the first time because some mice scare them. Talk about stereotype! Also, the women of Oz gladly taking back their chores at the end of the book because their husbands where useless, seems... stupid. It says to anyone reading this book that girls are only good for domesticity. Which is odd considering that the power base of Glinda is based on girl power as well... but a far more dangerous sword wielding kind. But Glinda's army is an army to maintain the status quo. But the status is not quo. This book implies that women should stay home and only take up arms if that status is upset. EXCUSE ME! Fight for your right for household chores? Mr. Baum, I think you really need to look to yourself. I think you're a hypocrite and I think this might be the worst Oz novel, if I remember correctly from my previous readings.
Ozma of Oz
Date I read this book: November 6th, 2011
★★★
Dorothy and her Uncle are headed to Australia for his health. The sea voyage turns into a harrowing experience when Dorothy is blown overboard. The plucky little girl from Kansas is resourceful and is able to cling to a chicken coop and ride through the storm, soaking wet, but without fear. This is just the beginning of another adventure. Come morning she is making for landfall in what she takes to be a fairy land. It isn't Oz, because Oz is surrounded by a deadly desert on all sides, but it is most definitely fairy, how else would the chicken Billina be able to talk to her. Animals only talk in fairy worlds. Soon after landing the fact that this world is magical is increased by a tree that grows lunch pails, men called wheelers who have wheels on there hands and feet and a windup man, Tik-Tok, who works through his wonderful engineering.
Once Dorothy gathers a posse, she heads inland to the capital city where the royal family have been enslaved by the evil Nome King and the country is run by a vain relative of the royals, Princess Langwidere, who has a room full of heads that she switches out whenever she wants to be prettier, or in a different frame of mind, that raven haired head sure has a temper. Soon all the denizens of Oz arrive in this land, which, as Dorothy surmised, was close but not Oz. Dorothy is reunited with all her friends and finally meets Ozma, whom she becomes fast friends with. The delegation from Oz has come to rescue the royal family after hearing of their plight. They all set out for the Nome King's domain to find that he is a tricky and conniving man who will twist any situation around to his advantage. Yet, never underestimate a plucky chicken from Kansas!
Back when the Oz books where being re-released and I was starting my journey into reading I totally held this as my favorite Oz book. But looking back I realize it's less because of the book and more because of the movie Return to Oz. When I was little I remember finding a comic book adaptation of the movie in my school library. I remember reading it up to where Dorothy leaves the asylum. Also being extremely traumatized by it. Dorothy going to get electroshock treatment was enough to do permanent psychological damage to me. After I read the comic the first time I was never able to find it in the library again. I cannot account for that, but it made me start to think I had made the whole thing up and that, like Dorothy, Oz, like this comic, wasn't real.
Of course I got a little older and realized that it was a movie, which also traumatized me. Take the wheelers, add in a psycho who keeps heads in glass cases and switches them like we would clothes, and it was the stuff of nightmares. When I finally got to read the books I realized that this movie was an amalgam of The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, more heavily influenced by Ozma. But the movie took the best bits and omitted all the boring stuff. If there's one thing that annoys me about Oz it's that every time we have a reunion of the characters it's unendurably long with lots of crying and kissing and discussing how they are better than everyone else. Because, these characters really think they are awesome. I'm surprised all the egos fit in one room! But despite all the faults, every time I read about the tree with lunch pails growing from it and the wheelers and the castle of the Nome King with people being turned into knickknacks, it takes me back to my childhood. This is a book for nostalgia, the horror and the magic that lives when you are young, and to get that back, even for a few minutes, is magic indeed.
December 6, 2022
All three of these stories were delightful. My favorite was The Emerald City of Oz. Just got the next several in the series from the library
January 28, 2011
L. Frank Baum wanted to write novels without a moral for children. What he wrote instead is surprisingly deep and philosophical. It's a comment on power: Who has it? Privileged or poor, educated or not, good or evil, male or female? What kind of person has the capacity to utilize this power? And what exactly is this power?
Included in A Wonderful Welcome to Oz are three Oz books: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, and The Emerald City of Oz. The Marvelous Land of Oz follows Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead, who escape from the evil witch Mombi before she can transform the boy into stone. On their way, they meet up with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug, Thoroughly Educated, and a female army, determined to take over Oz.
Ozma of Oz returns to Dorothy, who is sailing on a boat to Australia with her Uncle Henry. She is swept away by the waves to the land of Ev along with her chicken companion, Billina. Dorothy is chased by the Wheelers, meets the wind-up automaton Tiktok, and almost has her head cut off by a princess with far too many heads. She is saved by Ozma who immediately takes her back to Oz, where they plan to save the royal family of Ev from the Nome King.
The Emerald City of Oz starts with the Gale family in peril: they're about to lose their farm and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are too old to find new work. Dorothy decides that she will bring them to Oz, as Dorothy still communicates with Ozma. Once they are brought over, Ozma makes them royalty. But Henry and Em find that they grow bored with their new lifestyle. They miss working. Sending them out on a tour of Oz, Ozma decides to try and find work that the two will enjoy. Dorothy and her family are accompanied by the Wizard, who has been training to become a real wizard, and the Shaggy Man. They meet many different creatures who are all obsessed with how they can be useful to society in some way. Meanwhile, the Nome King plots his revenge on Oz, hoping to reclaim his magic belt.
Having read the first Oz book, I knew that these novels were steeped in symbols and philosophy. They appeal to children as well as adults; children will understand the fantasy and the grim danger presented in these books. Adults will latch onto the ideas, as a certain transformation has been discussed for years. Like with Watership Down, as I was analyzing the book, I found that I really loved all the characters. And I think that Watership Down was inspired by one scene in The Emerald City of Oz: "When I was young I lived in a burrow in the forest. I was surrounded by enemies and often had to run for my life . . . I was a real rabbit, as nature had made me-wild and free!-and I even enjoyed listening to the startled throbbing of my own heart."
I wouldn't mind returning to Oz a few more times after this. If they're all as deep, anyway.
Included in A Wonderful Welcome to Oz are three Oz books: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, and The Emerald City of Oz. The Marvelous Land of Oz follows Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead, who escape from the evil witch Mombi before she can transform the boy into stone. On their way, they meet up with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug, Thoroughly Educated, and a female army, determined to take over Oz.
Ozma of Oz returns to Dorothy, who is sailing on a boat to Australia with her Uncle Henry. She is swept away by the waves to the land of Ev along with her chicken companion, Billina. Dorothy is chased by the Wheelers, meets the wind-up automaton Tiktok, and almost has her head cut off by a princess with far too many heads. She is saved by Ozma who immediately takes her back to Oz, where they plan to save the royal family of Ev from the Nome King.
The Emerald City of Oz starts with the Gale family in peril: they're about to lose their farm and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are too old to find new work. Dorothy decides that she will bring them to Oz, as Dorothy still communicates with Ozma. Once they are brought over, Ozma makes them royalty. But Henry and Em find that they grow bored with their new lifestyle. They miss working. Sending them out on a tour of Oz, Ozma decides to try and find work that the two will enjoy. Dorothy and her family are accompanied by the Wizard, who has been training to become a real wizard, and the Shaggy Man. They meet many different creatures who are all obsessed with how they can be useful to society in some way. Meanwhile, the Nome King plots his revenge on Oz, hoping to reclaim his magic belt.
Having read the first Oz book, I knew that these novels were steeped in symbols and philosophy. They appeal to children as well as adults; children will understand the fantasy and the grim danger presented in these books. Adults will latch onto the ideas, as a certain transformation has been discussed for years. Like with Watership Down, as I was analyzing the book, I found that I really loved all the characters. And I think that Watership Down was inspired by one scene in The Emerald City of Oz: "When I was young I lived in a burrow in the forest. I was surrounded by enemies and often had to run for my life . . . I was a real rabbit, as nature had made me-wild and free!-and I even enjoyed listening to the startled throbbing of my own heart."
I wouldn't mind returning to Oz a few more times after this. If they're all as deep, anyway.
June 4, 2010
The Marvelous Land of Oz - A really fine fantasy, with all the twisted and dark bits in the periphery and unrelenting fun in the foreground. Many memorable characters make a unique entrance. I liked Oz without Dorothy.
Ozma of Oz - The fairy tale elements were all there; several parts were quite spooky if you didn't rush through them. I resent a bit the distinction between aristocratic nobility and the commoner in Oz books, and the readiness that even the heroes and heroines accept slavery. I guess this plays a part in fairy tales, as well though.
Ozma of Oz - The fairy tale elements were all there; several parts were quite spooky if you didn't rush through them. I resent a bit the distinction between aristocratic nobility and the commoner in Oz books, and the readiness that even the heroes and heroines accept slavery. I guess this plays a part in fairy tales, as well though.
January 25, 2012
Nice book the writing style got better and better with each book. I liked all of the Oz books but at times in the book it dragged a little. The book got intense for me durring the last few chapters.The title of the second book didnt seem to fit the story for me.I would recomend this book for people who like fariy tales but have time on hand to read it because it does drag some times as i said. NOT A SPEED READ kinda book lol I give this book well all three books a solid 4 stars out of 5.
February 14, 2008
OK...so completely fantastical and you might think infantile, but so not. Baum writes much more for an adult audience than the for the kiddies the movie definitely seemed targeted. He has a crazy imagination that ends up with amazing writing. Then again I'm a sucker for any book that can completely absorb me.
January 10, 2012
Three of the best Oz books ever, including my all time favorite, Ozma of Oz, with Billina, the practical-minded chicken. What's not to love? (Although the Gump from The Marvelous Land of Oz comes in a close second.)
Complete with the original Gibson girl era drawings - a must.
Complete with the original Gibson girl era drawings - a must.
November 15, 2012
Although the stories were great, this took me a L O N G time to finish. He is a very humorous writer and reading between the lines helps provide the adult content for much of the story. Can't wait to see the film in March; looks like there are lots of story elements in it!
November 17, 2007
I read all of the OZ books and would recommend them to anyone. The most creative imagery I have ever encountered. A completely made up world...wonderful!
June 18, 2008
This is my lunchtime book...when I don't have anything else to do. Its fun.
October 29, 2008
Love the series! These books always bring back favorite childhood memories...
November 29, 2010
Simple read. Quite whimsical :)
March 24, 2012
We just finished the last book in this volume, The Emerald City of Oz. I think that one was my favorite.
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