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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really enjoyed this book more than I expected!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hadn't read this book since I was 10, but I recently kickstarted an illustrated edition and so it was time to revisit! 3.5 stars, with Evan Dahm's illustrations bumping it up to 4.
L. Frank Baum wrote that this book was his attempt at "a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." But to me, the nightmarishness is part of the appeal of a good fairy tale, and so as an adult I found The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be a lovely but ultimately toothless story.
Which isn't to say it's bad! The colorful characters and places are as endearing today as they were in 1900, and though the meandering plot takes a few too many detours on its way back to Kansas, Dorothy and Toto's adventures are fun to read about. And the illustrations really do bring Oz to life.
I'd absolutely recommend this book to younger readers--it's friendly and accessible and part of the American canon. I remember falling in love with all the characters as a child. But it lacks any major conflict, making it more of a romp or series of small events rather than one big adventure.
L. Frank Baum wrote that this book was his attempt at "a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." But to me, the nightmarishness is part of the appeal of a good fairy tale, and so as an adult I found The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be a lovely but ultimately toothless story.
Which isn't to say it's bad! The colorful characters and places are as endearing today as they were in 1900, and though the meandering plot takes a few too many detours on its way back to Kansas, Dorothy and Toto's adventures are fun to read about. And the illustrations really do bring Oz to life.
I'd absolutely recommend this book to younger readers--it's friendly and accessible and part of the American canon. I remember falling in love with all the characters as a child. But it lacks any major conflict, making it more of a romp or series of small events rather than one big adventure.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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 book that brought me into reading in the first place when I was 10. The one that brought me to fantasy. It will always have a special place in my life, and no matter how much better books I have read or will read, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will always be my irreplaceable.
adventurous
hopeful
Call it 3.5 stars.
A charming read, and one that holds up well. It's a children's book and (I imagine) would be excellent to read to a kid at bedtime. The story is familiar because of the movie, but different, with different and more details. The classic movie adds some things and leaves out much; they are both worthy in their own rights.
The edition I read has a short prefatory note by L. Frank Baum where he says (to paraphrase) that in this day and age (the 1920s), the classic fairy tales (think Grimm) are outdated and unnecessary, because they strive to teach children some moral via a usually violent episode. And so now the time has come for a new wave of children's stories that are purely for entertainment and devoid of moral tutelage. And that was his goal with the Oz books.
The odd thing is, there are a number of (good, subtle, not heavy-handed) moral lessons in this first Oz book, and I think this is something Baum should embrace. It's fine to teach lessons while entertaining; these are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in order to have a compelling story it's almost necessary to have characters who grow (or at least change, or learn something) as a result of their experiences. That's what we have here, and I think it's what makes at least this first book in the series worthy of reading, for kids of all ages, even all these years after its first publication.
Now on to the next--hopefully it'll be just as entertaining, and perhaps there will be accidental lessons in it, too.
A charming read, and one that holds up well. It's a children's book and (I imagine) would be excellent to read to a kid at bedtime. The story is familiar because of the movie, but different, with different and more details. The classic movie adds some things and leaves out much; they are both worthy in their own rights.
The edition I read has a short prefatory note by L. Frank Baum where he says (to paraphrase) that in this day and age (the 1920s), the classic fairy tales (think Grimm) are outdated and unnecessary, because they strive to teach children some moral via a usually violent episode. And so now the time has come for a new wave of children's stories that are purely for entertainment and devoid of moral tutelage. And that was his goal with the Oz books.
The odd thing is, there are a number of (good, subtle, not heavy-handed) moral lessons in this first Oz book, and I think this is something Baum should embrace. It's fine to teach lessons while entertaining; these are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in order to have a compelling story it's almost necessary to have characters who grow (or at least change, or learn something) as a result of their experiences. That's what we have here, and I think it's what makes at least this first book in the series worthy of reading, for kids of all ages, even all these years after its first publication.
Now on to the next--hopefully it'll be just as entertaining, and perhaps there will be accidental lessons in it, too.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No