36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not what is advertised, January 31, 2002
This review is from: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder) (Paperback)
The book description says that all 24 color plates are included, and that this is a facsimile of the first edition. This is simply not true. The only color illustration is on the cover. Denslow's elaborate color scccheme in which the textual illustrations change as we move through Oz are missing. Buyer beware.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Original Wizard of Oz, May 5, 2002
This review is from: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder) (Paperback)
This book was quite a surprise to me. Like many people, I grew up watching the Wizard of Oz movie, but never actually read the book. Now at 30, I finally read the book and almost wish I had not. That's not because it's a bad book, quite the contrary, it's quite a good book. It's just that the movie is so different than the book, in so many ways. I grew up with all these glamorous images of the Land of Oz in my head from watching the movie. Then I read the book and find out it was a serious case of Hollywood magic. It was quite a shock to me.
The basic premise of the book is the same. Dorothy is transported to Oz from Kansas via a tornado. She spends her time looking for the Wizard of Oz and meets a cast of wonderful characters along the way. All the major players are there, The Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Witches and Oz. However, that's about the end of the similarities. As an example, the Wicked Witch of the West plays quite an integral part in the movie, but only actually shows up in about three chapters in the book. On the other hand, we have the pleasure of reading the full origins of the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow and the Flying Monkeys.
Baum introduces you to wonderful new lands within Oz. His descriptions will bring you into the world of Oz, even though they are quite short and he never spends too much time in any one area. After all this is a children's book, and I think this was done to keep a child's attention, as their attention spans are usually much shorter.
Another thing that shocked me a bit was how violent the book actually is. There are quite a few instances of beheadings and dismemberment. But again, these instances are not glorified in any way. They are just part of the flow of the story. Baum, mentions it, and moves on. There's not any blood or gory details about the event. Considering this is a children's book, I was still quite surprised when I read these passages.
There is a nice Afterword in the book that gives you a little history on Baum and Oz series. It gives a nice comparison between how English fairy tales and American fairy tales differed at the time. You also get an insight to some of the underlying themes of the story.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was really a great read, even though it radically changed the images that have been engrained into my memories. So, take that into consideration before you read the book. Either the book is going to put you off and quite possibly crush your childhood memories. Or you'll read it and think that it's just the best book ever. Even though I primarily fell into the first category, being an adult I can fully appreciate the work and the movie for their differences. I don't know if a child could do this or not though.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
On my short list of favorite books, October 12, 2003
This review is from: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Books of Wonder) (Paperback)
Most Americans have seen the movie, but a surprising number haven't read the book on which it's based. That's too bad, it really is a fabulous book and Baum is a great storyteller. The characters of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and the Lion far more developed in the novel and we also travel to the land of the South and encounter my favorite creatures: the china dolls. Although this is a wonderful fairy tale for children, adults will find a lot to enjoy as well.
Speaking of children, this is a good choice for a first chapter book to read aloud to children. The chapters are fairly short and the novel is episodic - each chapter is its own little story. I think it may have originally published as a serial.
One interesting note is that the book can be read as an allegory for the populist silver movement at the end of the 19th century. Dorothy's silver shoes, the yellow (gold) bricks, the scarecrow (farmer), Kansas, Oz (politicians); they all take on a new meaning when read in this framework. It's a good reading assignment for high school students in this context, and one they usually don't mind reading.
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