Customer Reviews

The Road to Oz (Dover Children's Classics)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Road to Oz" is the fifth book in what is perhaps the greatest fantasy series of all time.. however, it's not really a book I'd recommend to show people how wonderful the series really is. At this point it seems that Baum was getting a little weary, and it shows, as this book has almost no discernable plot or conflict at all. Dorothy, again, gets lost in a fairyland, and again makes her way to the Emerald City, assembling a small band of strange and endearing characters along the way -- the same as she'd done three times before. What made this a weak entry is that there was no sense of urgency here. Dorothy was never worried, she knew as soon as she found Ozma she'd have a way home, there was no villain... by the time she made it to the Emerald City the book had been liberally dotted with references to how everyone in Oz loved one another and nobody was ever mean -- unless, of course, you're a wicked witch, but they had both long been vanquished at this point.

The land of Oz is built on strange situations and characters, but also on story. In the original "Wizard of Oz," Dorothy and her friends faced the witch, hoping to send her home. In "The Land of Oz," Pip had to deal with an entire invasion of the Emerald City. In "Ozma of Oz" there was the wonderful story of the rescue of the Royal Family of Ev.

By book four, "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," Baum seemed to have run out of plots and contented himself, in these few volumes, with just bringing in new characters and not bothering to craft a story around them. In book six, "The Emerald City of Oz," he took the step of placing Dorothy in Oz permanently, which was probably the best thing he'd ever done, because later volumes no longer needed to concern themselves with finding ways to get to Oz and just told really wonderful fantasy stories. ("Tik-Tok of Oz" is still my favorite in the series.")

The Oz books, in toto (no pun intended), are wonderful for people of any age, but this installment is really for completists only.

Everyone has their favorite Oz novel, but of the 14 which Baum wrote, this one is, in my opinion, the weakest. Unlike other Oz books there is little in the way of plot. This makes reading it uncomfortable as the reader spends most of the book waiting for somehting to happen, only to realize at the end that nothing happened. Also, I loved the tense yet humorus situations Baum masterfully set up in the other books. I rorared with laughter in the second book when Jelia Jamb "translated" for the scarecrow and Jack Pumpkinhead. The trial from book four and Dorothy's capture by the people of Utensia in book six also made me laugh while also clutching the book with fascination. There are no comperable scenes in "Road to Oz" and this is sorely missed.

However, the book is still worth reading. For one thing it introduces the Shaggy Man, who proves to be a most enjoyable character. The Shaggy Man carries a device called the love magnet, which causes people who see it to love him. This subplot introduces a very mature and though-provoking conflict. Is it right to enchant people into loving? Is this a power that one person, even a well-intentioned one, can hold alone? What are the drawbacks of being loved by everyone? This subplot held my interest and made the story readable.

Finally, there are cameo appearances in the end from many of Baum's non-Oz books. Clearly these appearances are a plug for his other works. One cannot fault him too much for doing this though. Baum wrote many fine books which had nothing to do with Oz, and this needs to be remembered.

Despite this book's weakness, it did not signal the decline of the series. Most of the later books were quite good, and I found "The Tin Woodsman of Oz" (number 12) to be one of the best. Keep reading, as altogether there is nothing like the Oz series.

As noted by some other reviewers Road to Oz doesn't conform to the usual requirements of a fairy tale such as a quest or continual action adventure. However, I believe Baum was aiming at something different here, namely, evoking the wonder, anticipation and shared excitement that young children feel at a birthday party (the point of the book is the celebration of Ozma's birthday). The first edition of the book was even printed with paper of different colors like the colored paper used for decorations. In these terms, Road to Oz is perhaps one of the best written of the Oz series with very few false notes or awkward characters. The characters of Button Bright, Polychrome, the Shaggy Man and Johnny DoIt are particularly good. Actually there is a quite a bit of action and adventure before Dorothy and her companions arrive in Oz. The transformations of Button-Bright and the Shaggy Man into fox and donkey respectively, while straight out of Classical myth, have an unusual twist: their motivation stems not from malice or the Gods' sport, but rather from the transformer's inability of seeing more than one standard of beauty. Once in Oz, Baum handles the pageantry and socializing in deft fashion for a children's story. In short, an essential part of the Oz series.

This volume is a bit boring compared to the other volumes. No central struggle or triumph, just a series of minor adventures capped by a big birthday party. There are some decent lessons for children along the way, chiefly the perspective of beauty (in the eye of the beholder, of course), and a slightly more subtle example of love versus truth (one of the characters is 'truly' loved at the end, but only after he tells the truth and abandons the 'false' love of his charm).

The book appears to lose its narrative steam relatively quickly. The first few chapters have a traditional fairy-tale quality to the writing, but that fades after 3-4 chapters. The chapters in Foxville and Dunkiton have an interesting narrative thread (each society thinks itself the brightest and transforms the character conforming to their preconceptions of intelligence), but it stops by the time the group reaches the Musicker. After that point in time, few other themes emerge and Baum appears to be piecing one tiny adventure after another simply for the sake of getting to a birthday party.

One final note, maybe a bit over-thought for a children's tale. It seems as if all of Ozma's friends were made on adventures. Thus, the true inner circle at court is decided by merit rather than by nobility (all the 'nobles' are secondary characters at best during the birthday party). This is a good message for children, but it begs the question - will Oz be subject to entropy? As Ozma's adventures outside the palace slow down and friends slowly slip away, does the royal court revert back to nobility-based preference? As I mentioned, maybe this is over thinking it a bit

L. Frank Baum returns to Oz with a splash in this book, inviting Oz fans to the royal birthday party of Ozma and treating them to a "who's who" in the world of faerie--why even old Santa Claus makes an appearance! As a child, I was just pleased to have Toto back in Oz (his first return since "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"), and one of my favorite illustrations in the whole book shows the little black fellow getting a friendly pat on the head from the Cowardly Lion as the two old friends reunite. There are some new characters in this book of course, including the delightful trio of Button Bright, Polychrome, and the Shaggy Man. I'm inclined to think that these were three of Baum's favorites, for while he often created characters that never made significant appearances in later books (Eureka the kitten, Billina the hen, Woot the Wanderer, etc), these three all played leading roles in future Oz installments. Character is definitely the focus in this book, and like much of Baum's work, "The Road to Oz" does not have a definite plot. Still, for any fan of Oz, it provides such wonderful escape that this party is one that you won't want to miss. The illustrations in "The Road to Oz" demonstrate the talents of John R. Neill at their peek, and this edition of the book is printed on colored pages to mirror the rainbow shades of the Land of Oz--at first this ploy seems a bit distracting, but by the end of the book one realizes that Oz is just that colorful.

1909 saw the release of The Road to Oz, the fifth installment of fantasy author L. Frank Baum's Oz series. Baum once again addresses his readers in a brief preface before spinning another tale. Because his fans have missed Toto to pieces, the little dog is now featured in this book alongside his farmgirl mistress as well as an interesting cast of new characters.

The story opens in Kansas when a friendly, unkempt hobo named the Shaggy Man asks Dorothy for directions to the nearby town of Butterfield. The little girl, with Toto in tow, agrees to show him the way and the small group end up lost. They soon meet a lost little boy in a sailor suit named Button Bright and Polychrome, the ethereal daughter of the Rainbow who was accidentally left behind on earth after dancing on its edge before it disappeared. The new friends realize they're in a strange fairy country and set out on a journey to the land of Oz. They pass through Foxville (a town populated by snobby yet pleasant anthropomorphic foxes) and Dunkiton (a nearby town inhabited by anthropomorphic, less sophisticated donkeys at odds with Foxville), meet the Musicker (a man who blares the most annoying music with his breath), and face off with the Scoodlers (head throwing monsters who intend to make soup out of the travelers).

After crossing the Deadly Desert in a "sand-boat" built by the Shaggy Man's friend Johnny Dooit, the companions are met by old friends Billina and Tik-Tok and make it to the Emerald City in time for Princess Ozma's birthday celebration. A who's who of Oz characters stop by for the celebration: the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and Jack Pumpkinhead to name a few. Even Glinda, the Wizard, and the Good Witch of the North (whose last appearance was in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) make cameos. Baum slips in guest appearances from his non-Oz characters Santa Claus, Queen Zixi of Ix, and Chick the Cherub. Once the festivities end, the characters go back to their respective homes and that's pretty much the end.

Many fans mark The Road to Oz the weakest in the series and I see why. Before going into that, I'll list the positive things first. The new characters are amusing and enjoyable. The Shaggy Man is likable with his aversion to materialism and insightful philosophical views on life and Polychrome's optimism and kind spirit warm you to her instantly. Although Button Bright's answer of "Don't know" to every question posed to him is annoying, he's still a loveable kid. Johnny Dooit's appearance is brief but his resourcefulness is astounding. The Shaggy Man's Love Magnet, a magical device that causes everyone he meets to literally love him, serves as both a blessing and a curse (the Scoodlers love the travelers all right- in their soup!).

Now to the gripes. First of all, this installment has no real plot. Like the previous two books, Dorothy finds herself in another strange land and makes it back to Oz, but there's no particular mission to complete here. She only learns of Ozma's upcoming birthday party after arriving in Foxville and making it in time isn't exactly suspenseful. The encounters in Foxville and Dunkiton are engaging, but the Musicker bit is pointless and the battle with the Scoodlers is weak compared to past face-offs. Another thing I didn't like was Dorothy's attitude. She seems easily frustrated and is quick to call people she's upset with "stupid". Button Bright especially, even though that child can work a nerve. She's not entirely unlikable, but the rude behavior is not cute in my view.

John R. Neill is back on board with his marvelous illustrations. His interpretation of the Shaggy Man lives up to the character's name and Polychrome is a radiant vision with her gorgeous flowing hair and dress. My favorite drawing is that of Dorothy and Toto in the Tin Man's garden admiring statues of themselves resembling former illustrator W.W. Denslow's original depictions of the characters. Speaking of Toto, he's no longer an adorable Cairn Terrier, but a Boston Terrier. No offense to the Boston Terrier lovers out there, but I prefer the former breed personally. Although there are no colored pictures, the colored pages representing the different colors of the countries Dorothy and her friends travel through are brilliant and unique.

The Road to Oz isn't the best of Baum's work, but it's not a total failure. Even with an aimless plot, the Royal Historian of Oz manages to hold the readers' attention and long for more tales from the land of Oz. The next book The Emerald City of Oz definitely delivers.

Truely this is the weakest of the Oz books; while the first half is quite decent, the latter half passes for little more than a bedtime story for children ages 3 to 5, where older readers will be asking themselves "What was he thinking? Did he just get bored? Is he serious? Did the PTA complain that his earlier books didn't have enough sugar coating?"

I don't know what happened. In the first book, I thought Dorothy was bold & honest, but in the last two stories she has become a completely unlikable character. Upon meeting characters, she likes to point out their shortcoming to them, she's rude, culturaly insensitive, exremely insistant that she is always right, a few books ago she forced Bill to change her name because it's wasn't femanine enough for her, & now she believes that unfortunate & unintentionally annoying people like the Musiker deserve to be alone & left out. She's eccentially become a complete b**ch.

Everything is far too convinient in this story, & even a little hypocritical. Ozma, who told her friends in a previous book that she was still the same old Tip, so you'd expect her to be an uneducated tomboy of a princess who is uncomfortable with her new position & gender, but NO, her personality has changed completely & she's somehow wise despite lack of schooling & only having been alive a fairly short time. Another oddity is that Oz is this incredibly gaudy luxurious place encrusted in huge gems & plated in precious metals, yet there is no currency & the people work for no wages.

Baum seems to have problems giving people proper names. Ozma & Glinda have no last names, the Wizard is never refurred to as "Oscar" or "Mr. Diggs", & with the exception of Tik-Tok, Billina, & Jack, most of the characters are named WHAT they are instead of having actual names. Button Brite is a toddler who goes by a nickname & never tells his real one, & the hobo just goes by "Shaggy Man." Scarecrow, whom was never given a name, seems to be the only one who bothers calling the Tin Woodsman "Nick Chopper," & Polychrome is more often than not refurred to as "the Rainbow's daughter" rather than her own name.

Probably the most important is the almost complete lack of real conflict. As another reviewer pointed out, Dorothy has no urgency to get home & knows she can return easily. Foxville, Donkiton, the Deadly Desert, & the Schoodlers provide easily remedied problems, so the leaders of 3 of these places scarcely pass for protagonists.

The book becomes almost unbearable to read by the time they reach Oz, & Ozma's birthday party is the most sickeningly saccharine, trite, segregated, gaudy, unmodest, over-the-top thing I've ever read. & the addition of Santa Claus just made it worse.

Another thing that drove me nuts was the completely useless creation of the King of Quadling country; a character so unimportant he too is never given a name. Glinda lives in Quadling country, has her own castle, servants, & army, so she should have been the queen as well.

There is also a slight problem with the art; Polychrome is supposed to be about Dorothy's age, but Neill often makes her look conciderably older & taller than she should be, & whnever she dances, her clothing is suggested to be transparent. Also, he seems to have changed what type of dog Toto is.

It's a rehash of the previous book, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz--protagonists disappear into hostile magic world and must make their way to oz except it's ok if they fail because they can always signal for rescue so really it's just girl and old man wandering around meeting more wierdos. This time the protagonists are simpler and less engaging than in DatW--they change less, and learn less, along the journey, and there is no funny-cynical member of the party like Jim the Cabhorse or Eurika, and instead of the trial of the kitten, which at least was a little bit of a plot, a hint of what might have been, at the end of DatW, now we end with a long birthday procession, briefly mentioning all the characters we already know and love. In other words, a procession of ... more wierdos.

So don't set your sights too high with this one. But as always with Baum, his weirdos are thought-provoking and disturbing. It's nice you can't get injured in fairyland but there are worse disasters that can overtake you. Even if everybody loves you, guaranteed by magic!

This was actually the very first oz book that I read, and maybe part of the reason why I like it so much. In it we meet the shaggyman, on his quest to go to oz. We also meet up with Dorothy again, and her little dog too. Although it may not be the most imaginitive in the series (that would be Rinkitink of Oz, or Tiktok of Oz in my opinion), it is still a very pleasant addition to any bookshelf.

I've already praised the quixotic Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Now I'll move to the outrageous The Road to Oz, where Dorothy Gale is sent on her way to Oz literally by coming to a fork in a road, this time with Toto again. She meets up with the Shaggy Man, and endearing homeless man who relishes his shags, bobs, shreds and general crustiness. She also encounters the quite idiotic Button-Bright, a charming but stupid little boy, and last but not least, she meets Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter. Polychrome is so very Oz, and yet she's one of the sky fairies, in her rainbow gown and her delicate features (she only eats mist-cakes, dew-drops, and cloud-buns); but she grieves being separated from her father the rainbow. The journey takes them on a road past bizarre creatures (a fellow who can only spout music like an instrument, cannot simply talk), the hilarious feud between Foxes and Donkeys, the creepy Scoodlers, among other notables, to lead them to Oz. The whole dangerous, strange mission was set forth by the Queen of Oz, Ozma, to celebrate her birthday. We get to meet Queen Zixi of Ix, Santa Claus, and many other wonderful people and creatures that welcome all of us back to Oz. A truly fantastical, funny, Ozzy book.