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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Wow, we did it! My daughter (7 and a half) and I really enjoyed this final book of the Oz series. We loved that Ozma was a main character and that the majority of main players in the story were strong (somewhat) interesting girls/women. It was very "modern" written in 1920? and had an air of "future" to it that was interesting. Our only problem was that Dorothy didn't seem as plucky as usual, easily concerned and frightful for some of the book. There was more bowing down to Ozma as your supreme ruler that seemed a new change as well. We really loved the ending, it tidied things up nicely without going on and on.
Here it is, the final book in the original Baum series. He wrote 14 of these novels over twenty years, the last couple being published posthumously. After this the series was handed over to a few randoms who instead of digging down and focusing on the many, many established characters seem to have gone about making up their own characters and not sticking to the established continuity so I have no wish to read those. Which is a shame, because I am sure there are writers out there who could do good work with all Baum's imaginative ideas and interesting characters, instead of constantly moving on to the next shiny object like our official authors (including Baum).
Since I doubt Baum knew this was to be the last book, it is not some great satisfying finale but it does at least address the issue that Ozma really doesn't know much about her own land and there are loads of pockets of Oz in which the people don't even know they live in Oz or are ruled by Ozma. I get the impression that she intends to fix this in the future. Here Dorothy reads in the book of records that two such tiny countries are going to war so Ozma and Dorothy pop over there to introduce themselves and solve their issues peacefully. They immediately get trapped.
So Glinda gets together all of Ozma's advisors and an expedition sets out to save the princesses. All your favourites are here. The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, Jack Pumpkinhead, H.M. Wogglebug T.E., Tik-Tok, the Wizard of Oz, the Shaggy Man, Uncle Henry, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, the Glass Cat, Ojo the Lucky, Betsy Bobbin, Cap'n Bill, Trot and the Frogman. Also Button Bright is there, but he's NO ONE's favourite. And guess, go on, how many of these characters are relevant to the plot and get anything to do? That's right! Almost none of them. Most of them aren't even mentioned again after we are told they are part of the expedition. Would it have been so hard to come up with a scene where each character's unique abilities adds a step to solving their issues? In fact, the most useful scene in the book, which reads like a mini fairy tale, involves none of the established characters at all.
I had hoped that some of the characters introduced in books 2 and 3 might finally get to be the focus of another adventure. I consider these characters to be as main as those introduced in book 1, since the first three books all contribute to establishing the lore of the series, but they have been hardly used since. I particularly missed Dorothy spending any time with Tik-Tok. She only left him behind in Ozma of Oz because his mechanics would not work in Kansas, but when she returned to live permanently in Oz in book 6 they were never reunited. Baum had a vast imagination but rarely added any depth to his characters or stories. What do I know about these characters that I didn't learn in their introductory stories? It is a massive missed opportunity. I do like the morality of the Oz stories generally, most of the heroic characters in power are women, and there are often themes of being kind to animals, the importance of consent and not disliking someone's home or beliefs just because they don't fit with yours. Of course, he also has Dorothy whipping her kitten so with Baum you never really know.
Since I doubt Baum knew this was to be the last book, it is not some great satisfying finale but it does at least address the issue that Ozma really doesn't know much about her own land and there are loads of pockets of Oz in which the people don't even know they live in Oz or are ruled by Ozma. I get the impression that she intends to fix this in the future. Here Dorothy reads in the book of records that two such tiny countries are going to war so Ozma and Dorothy pop over there to introduce themselves and solve their issues peacefully. They immediately get trapped.
So Glinda gets together all of Ozma's advisors and an expedition sets out to save the princesses. All your favourites are here. The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, Jack Pumpkinhead, H.M. Wogglebug T.E., Tik-Tok, the Wizard of Oz, the Shaggy Man, Uncle Henry, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, the Glass Cat, Ojo the Lucky, Betsy Bobbin, Cap'n Bill, Trot and the Frogman. Also Button Bright is there, but he's NO ONE's favourite. And guess, go on, how many of these characters are relevant to the plot and get anything to do? That's right! Almost none of them. Most of them aren't even mentioned again after we are told they are part of the expedition. Would it have been so hard to come up with a scene where each character's unique abilities adds a step to solving their issues? In fact, the most useful scene in the book, which reads like a mini fairy tale, involves none of the established characters at all.
I had hoped that some of the characters introduced in books 2 and 3 might finally get to be the focus of another adventure. I consider these characters to be as main as those introduced in book 1, since the first three books all contribute to establishing the lore of the series, but they have been hardly used since. I particularly missed Dorothy spending any time with Tik-Tok. She only left him behind in Ozma of Oz because his mechanics would not work in Kansas, but when she returned to live permanently in Oz in book 6 they were never reunited. Baum had a vast imagination but rarely added any depth to his characters or stories. What do I know about these characters that I didn't learn in their introductory stories? It is a massive missed opportunity. I do like the morality of the Oz stories generally, most of the heroic characters in power are women, and there are often themes of being kind to animals, the importance of consent and not disliking someone's home or beliefs just because they don't fit with yours. Of course, he also has Dorothy whipping her kitten so with Baum you never really know.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the second to last of Baum's Oz books, and it is less vivid and more morally motivated than his others.
Excellent conclusion to this series, though having the rules of magic at the last book isn't really one of the best ideas.
Still a great book.
Still a great book.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-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
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yeah it's a product of its time but oh is it a sweet end to a sweet man telling stories that are meant to be good and kind to children.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Oz series is one that deserves another look. It is consistently entertaining and occasionally quite dark.
We discussed this series and many more on our Fantasy spotlight for the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-252-fantasy-isthmus
We discussed this series and many more on our Fantasy spotlight for the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-252-fantasy-isthmus
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced