Customer Reviews

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (Signet Classics)

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L. Frank Baum was one of the great fantasy writers of the early 20th century -- in fact, were it not for Tolkien, I'd be tempted to call him the greatest in 100 years. His Oz books created a beautiful, vibrant land that still draws readers a century later. This book, his twist on the legend of Santa Claus, is part of that wonderful tapestry he wove.

Forget all of the Santa Claus legends you've read before -- there's no North Pole, no elves, no Bergermeistermeisterberger -- the story starts with a baby found in the woods by the fairy Necile. She raises him as her son, Claus (or "Ni-claus," meaning "Little Claus"), until the child begins to wonder about his own people. Shown the dangers of the human world by the great Ak, Claus decides to venture forth amongst the mortals regardless.

Claus gets a lot of credit in this story, from inventing the first toy to inspiring a war amongst immortals to retrieve them, and all of it is done in Baum's clear, clean style that is as easy to read today as it was in his time. It might not be the best book for a small child, who may ask questions trying to reconcile this unique version of Santa with the one he knows, but for an older child who understands that the spirit of Santa Claus is what's important it is a wonderful book. I re-read it every December.

I remember reading this book around fifth grade. I kind of liked it then, I think because of the whole fairies thing.

Basically the story follows the life of Claus, a baby adopted by fairies. (The story starts in fairy land and much of it involves the fairies and woodland spirits. If you are expecting traditional Christmas lore you will get that but not quite yet.) The fairies are immortal, but Claus will grow up and age. When he has grown to be a teenager the fairies set him up in a cottage in the woods. Apparently they are bringing him food and necessities, so his only job is to discover his purpose in life. He begins to make toys for children to cheer them up, and the story goes from there.

The entire host of fairies gets involved in toy production. Instead of making toys like the merry elves, they bring colors from flowers and other magical properties that Claus can include in his toys. This reads like a fairy tale and grdually Baum brings in elements from the Santa mythology. The transition from fairies and magic to Santa is what I liked most in the book.

I recently reread this book and liked it except for the whole toys making kids happy thing. Its not that I dislike kids or toys. Here Claus (obviously the future Santa Claus) makes toys for children and the toys are the panacea that makes their world perfect. With a small carved toy dog all of a sudden they are kind to siblings, respect their parents and are bursting with joy. If he passed out lifetime supplies of cocain and valium he couldn't make them happier. If I were to find that Baum had been commissioned by a department store to write this book as a special advertising section for holiday spending then that would explain alot. The huge emphasis on more toys=happy makes the book a little sick.

Overall this is a nifty twist on the Santa Claus myth. It reads well even in the summertime. The only drawback is the huge focus on happiness through toys. The only moral that I could extract from the story is that children NEED toys to be happy and this is soooo important that the entire world of fairy restructures itself around toys. Good story but it sometimes feels like good press for the toy department.

L. Frank Baum is most well known for his Oz books (he wrote 13 of them!), and this book fits into the same genre. Baum's retelling of Claus' story is written at about a 10 year old's reading level, so don't expect anything deep. Although this would normally turn me away, it's a cute and original story that gives a delightful explanation of Santa's background. With this story Baum creates his own tale of where Santa Claus came from, why he started making toys, the obstacles he faced, and how many other Christmas traditions were created. This is an easy read that I'd recommend especially around Christmas to rouse your holiday spirit. Then you can even use some of this info on Santa's background to entertain children and friends.

After spending several months doing research on L. Frank Baum and THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OZ, I felt it appropriate to read a completely different children's novel by the author. Baum wrote many other children's books not associated with Oz, but there are only a few books by the author that are easily obtainable by the general public. One of these is THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS.

The book tells the origins of Santa Claus. In the Forest of Burzee where the fairies live, there is a fairy, named Necile, whom is prone to wander outside the safety of the Forest and question things that are forbidden by the Law. Necile comes across an orphaned baby boy in the woods and rescues it from death. Even though she breaks the Law, she pleads her case before the Master Woodsman and he agrees to let Necile raise the child. So the babe is raised in the fairy woods by Necile and is named NeClaus, though everyone calls him Claus. However, Claus is not a fairy and grows and ages. At an appointed time, the Master Woodsman comes and takes Claus on a journey throughout the world so that he can see what his people, the race of men, are like. Claus is struck by the sadness of the children and decides that his life's work will be to bring happiness to all the children he can. He whittles a lifelike toy cat and gives it away to a lost boy. The boy is so overjoyed with the gift that Claus decides that the best way he can make children happy is to give them toys. He makes more and more toys and is aided in his goal by immortal friends of his youth. The myth of Claus grows as do the amount of toys he makes, the number of children he delivers to, and the distance he travels to deliver his gifts. Claus becomes loved around the world, but there are evil forces that don't like the good Claus has done. They attempt to stop him any which way they can and this eventually leads to a war between immortal beings.

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS clearly displays the joyful imagination and whimsical wit of Baum's that makes THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ such a delightful book. With that said, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS doesn't feel as fresh and original, seems to lack some of the childlike wonderment of that first Oz tale, and the title character feels hollow. Perhaps the reason for this is that it isn't as grounded as THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ is. Though mostly sheltered from the world, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS takes place in our own world, yet it really doesn't feel like our world. Claus grows up in a secret and magical forest hidden away. When he sets out as a young man to live among the race of men, he builds a cabin in a secluded valley called the Laughing Valley. His nearest neighbors aren't people, but animals and other magical creatures. Dorothy wasn't from some fictional place that no one had ever heard; she was from Kansas and she had a family and neighbors. Claus also never experiences any personal pain, sorrow, suffering, or tragedy in his life; he's always watched over carefully by his immortal friends who ensure all of his necessities are provided. Meanwhile, Dorothy is an orphan living with her aunt and uncle and they are in poverty. That's not to say Claus is without character because he is a very joyful person that emphasizes with the children of the world and tries to do the best he can with what he is given. Despite his admirable qualities, he doesn't quite ring true; in short, the Claus of THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS doesn't seem like Santa Claus.

In writing his story, Baum purposely left out any reference to the spiritual. The modern & moralized version of Santa Claus that is usually embraced by both Christians and non-Christians alike has no place in Baum's tale. Therefore, the character we are presented with is a being that has all of the characteristics of a "good person", but none of the magic and mystery of the man or elf of myth. Claus is neither Saint Nicholas nor is he Santa Claus. Instead, he is NeClaus, the human boy raised by fairies. It's an entertaining story, but not as interesting as a story about Santa Claus.