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Title: The Marvelous Land of Oz (Books of Wonder)
ISBN: 0688054390
Author:
L. Frank Baum
Publicate Date: 1985-08-15
Publish: 1985-08-15
List Price: $25.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $15.26
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $10.00
Amazon Merchant Price: $17.15
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Review of The Marvelous Land of Oz
The book arrived promptly via standard shipping. The dust cover and the book were in excellent condition. I am very pleased with the book and Amazon's service.
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2: Dated but readable
It is my understanding that this book links the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (i.e. not meant to be a serial) and the rest of the books in the series (which I have, admittedly, not read yet). If this is the case, it is a worthwhile read. It begins clumsily in comparison to the WWOO, but finds a groove about halfway through the book and becomes another showcase for Baum's fertile imagination. The synopsis included in other reviews is correct, so I will not belabor that point.
One reviewer mentioned the sexism inherent in the book. Despite the fact that the hero(ine) and the protagonist are ultimately female, this is correct. As I read this to my 2-year old son, I found myself laughing at conceits that would never be published today. Like an army of petulant girls armed with knitting needles. My favorite bit is the end, at which time the women of Oz are happy about being 'liberated' from their position as heads of households since they really wanted the chance to cook a good meal! Wow... If you are reading this to anyone over the age of 2, you might want to point out the difference between 1904 and 2004 and beyond.
I would not recommend this to an adult reader (other than a Baum completist), or to a child who was not reading the entire series. However, for anyone reading more than one Oz books to their children, this will be a good purchase. It is my opinion that many children's books these days are creative within the confines of reality, but not necessarily imaginative. This book is definitely imaginative and should therefore be a nice addition to any child's library.
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3: A fun, creative adventure until.....
I read this as a fourth grade girl and found it the best of all Baum's Oz books. I loved the character Tip and his relationship with all of his friends and even with his enemies: Mombi, the scary witch who raised him; the Wizard, a complex character of good and evil; Jack Pumpkinhead, son to the child. I loved all of the other delighful characters: the sawhorse, the Woggle-bug, the amazing flyin Gump, and so many others. I loved how real Tip seemed; a sometimes grumpy, mischevious boy who nevertheless had a good heart. Reading the story, I truly was caught up into a world of magic,wonderful characterization, and great adventure. But the ending brought it all crashing down: not only was Tip given little choice in being changed by Glinda, once changed his whole free-spirited, well-rounded personality was lost. Instead of being restored to his "true self," it seemed to me that all he had grown to be and all that he considered true of himself was sacrificed to the status quo (of course I didn't know that word in the 4th grade, but I knew Tip had suffered an injustice). I still love the joy and fun of the first part of the book, but I can't help but feel it ended in tragedy. Bad Glinda!
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4: The Marvelous Land of Oz
This is book two in the series and a wonderful read for Children and Adults.
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5: Perhaps the Funniest of the Oz series...
I seem to say that every Oz book is my favorite, and I suppose that speaks to the strength of the series. What I really enjoyed about this book as a child is that I had actually read "Ozma of Oz" (second in the series) before this one. So I had no idea that this story would tell us how Ozma arrived on the scene. What a fantastic surprise! Once again, Baum shows us why he is the master of fantasy, with this sequel. In many ways, I enjoy this book much more than "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The scene when the unforgettable character, Jack Pumpkinhead, enters the court of the Scarecrow will split your belly as if you were the straw man himself. It's a scene of intelligently-written laughs, and I always use this chapter of the book as a model with my creative writing students to demonstrate how to craft humor. Of course, as someone who enjoys puns (especially bad ones), I also relish every line of the Wogglebug in this book. With "The Marvelous Land of Oz", I think Baum established that he was a force to be reckoned with, and I highly recommend this book to all young readers.
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