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Annotated Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum, W.W. Denslow, Martin Gardner, Michael Patrick Hearn
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
Up until ten minutes ago, I thought this book was a standalone. I had no clue that I'd unwittingly started a fourteen-book series! But now that I have, let's see how far I make it.
I'd wanted to start by saying that everyone's probably heard of the Wizard of Oz. Except where I live, most people haven't. So I'm gonna pretend that no one's heard of it and go with that.
This is a story of a young girl, Dorothy, who get's caught up in a cyclone and transported to a magical land called Oz. She's lost and just wants to go back home to her aunt and uncle in Kansas. She doesn't want to stay in this land, as magical as it may be. And as she's trying to figure out what's going on, she meets some residents of Oz who tell her that there's a great wizard who lives the Emerald city who has the power to send her back. All she had to do is follow the yellow brick road.
On the way, she meets strange but friendly individuals who decide to join her in her journey to the wizard, because they all have things they want from him. And that's the gist of it. A magical land, new friends and an adventure, as Dorothy tries to get back home. And I gotta tell ya, it could have been boring.
Adventure books, as cool as they sound, don't always work because all the walking around and doing stuff can get repetitive. What saves this book is it's quirkiness. There's a lot of unusual things that happen and the book never tries to explain itself. Like the fact that a scarecrow is just somehow alive, or that a man who accidentally cut off all parts of his body and replaced them with tin, is also alive.
The book doesn't take itself seriously, the characters are all deliberately one-dimensional, and there's no tension to be found (it's a kids' books). But it's so unique, with the simple prose working very much in it's favour, that I quite enjoyed it.
This is a short and fun book that you could speed through in just a few hours. You might have moments of "wow, Dorothy is so unintentionally mean!" or "did she just accidentally defeat the villain" but overall, as long as you're not one to fret over things not making sense, you'll probably enjoy it. And, unlike Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which I've read maybe one chapter of, so far), this one doesn't feel like an acid trip.
I'd wanted to start by saying that everyone's probably heard of the Wizard of Oz. Except where I live, most people haven't. So I'm gonna pretend that no one's heard of it and go with that.
This is a story of a young girl, Dorothy, who get's caught up in a cyclone and transported to a magical land called Oz. She's lost and just wants to go back home to her aunt and uncle in Kansas. She doesn't want to stay in this land, as magical as it may be. And as she's trying to figure out what's going on, she meets some residents of Oz who tell her that there's a great wizard who lives the Emerald city who has the power to send her back. All she had to do is follow the yellow brick road.
On the way, she meets strange but friendly individuals who decide to join her in her journey to the wizard, because they all have things they want from him. And that's the gist of it. A magical land, new friends and an adventure, as Dorothy tries to get back home. And I gotta tell ya, it could have been boring.
Adventure books, as cool as they sound, don't always work because all the walking around and doing stuff can get repetitive. What saves this book is it's quirkiness. There's a lot of unusual things that happen and the book never tries to explain itself. Like the fact that a scarecrow is just somehow alive, or that a man who accidentally cut off all parts of his body and replaced them with tin, is also alive.
The book doesn't take itself seriously, the characters are all deliberately one-dimensional, and there's no tension to be found (it's a kids' books). But it's so unique, with the simple prose working very much in it's favour, that I quite enjoyed it.
This is a short and fun book that you could speed through in just a few hours. You might have moments of "wow, Dorothy is so unintentionally mean!" or "did she just accidentally defeat the villain" but overall, as long as you're not one to fret over things not making sense, you'll probably enjoy it. And, unlike Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which I've read maybe one chapter of, so far), this one doesn't feel like an acid trip.
readinginmaine's review against another edition
5.0
My daughters LOVED this book, as did I. I think it is much better than the movie and surprisingly un-dated given when it was written.
amanda1793's review against another edition
4.0
So this book.
Y'all know what I feel about the Wizard, and my opinion did not change with the end of the book.
I did like the book way better than the movie. I liked that we got more of each character. The back stories of the characters were awesome! Adding some much needed information about these characters that the movie didn't have... And although at times they could be kind of gory, they were awesome! I felt that the book was more sort of fairy tale-esque than the movie and that added to the whimsical nature of the story for me.
Overall, another classic children's story that I really enjoyed. And I would recommend it to fans of the movie no matter their age!
Y'all know what I feel about the Wizard, and my opinion did not change with the end of the book.
I did like the book way better than the movie. I liked that we got more of each character. The back stories of the characters were awesome! Adding some much needed information about these characters that the movie didn't have... And although at times they could be kind of gory, they were awesome! I felt that the book was more sort of fairy tale-esque than the movie and that added to the whimsical nature of the story for me.
Overall, another classic children's story that I really enjoyed. And I would recommend it to fans of the movie no matter their age!
liisu's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mollybonovskyanderson's review against another edition
2.0
Read this aloud to my son. He liked it. I, however, have no doubt that my enjoyment is clouded by my love for the film, which is so different, and frankly, far more fun than this book, which is written in such a dry, pedantic style. The only thing I really enjoyed about it is knowing that I had no idea what would happen next, as it's completely unpredictable, even if you think you know the story by heart. How in the world this crusty story became a beloved, vibrant musical is beyond me.
deanopeez's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jordanak03's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
princess_gtm122's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jakerd8's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75