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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Goodness - how is it I've gone my entire reading life without once reading this book? It is one of those books that PROVES the book is better than the movie. Not that Im slamming the movie, because I'm not, but the book has so much more in it than scriptwriters were able to translate for the screen.
Since I've seen the movie, it was impossible to not compare the two. I was a little surprised to find Dorothy was a young girl. Though her age isn't given, I put her between eight and ten, much younger than the "teen" Dorothy of the movie. Which, given the entirety of the story, is necessary because teens are more jaded and not as accepting of the wimsy of magic.
She is described as being no bigger than the Munchkinss, and the witch of the North is also a Muchkin, not a normal sized person, and she is described as an older lady (grandmotherly like). Apparently the movie gurus merged the two good witches (North and South)into one being.
There are encounters with other mystical beasts and beings not even hinted at in the movie; the field mice, the fighting Trees, the dainty people of the China Country, the Quadlings, the Kalidahs, the stinging bees, and the Winkies (I may have missed a few).
One other thing I found interesting - I don't believe this book would get published (as is) if it was written today. At least not for a youth market. There is a lot of violence in the story, death and dismemberment, though not described in graphic detail.
Absolutely a good read.
Since I've seen the movie, it was impossible to not compare the two. I was a little surprised to find Dorothy was a young girl. Though her age isn't given, I put her between eight and ten, much younger than the "teen" Dorothy of the movie. Which, given the entirety of the story, is necessary because teens are more jaded and not as accepting of the wimsy of magic.
She is described as being no bigger than the Munchkinss, and the witch of the North is also a Muchkin, not a normal sized person, and she is described as an older lady (grandmotherly like). Apparently the movie gurus merged the two good witches (North and South)into one being.
There are encounters with other mystical beasts and beings not even hinted at in the movie; the field mice, the fighting Trees, the dainty people of the China Country, the Quadlings, the Kalidahs, the stinging bees, and the Winkies (I may have missed a few).
One other thing I found interesting - I don't believe this book would get published (as is) if it was written today. At least not for a youth market. There is a lot of violence in the story, death and dismemberment, though not described in graphic detail.
Absolutely a good read.
I wanted to read this book to see how different it is from the film version (a staple of every American childhood). It is very different, but then again, I expected Hollywood to take a piece (or in this case, several pieces) of literature and manipulate it into something completely different and commercial, but commercial in a good way. I love the film. I like the book. Some surprises (spoiler alert): Dorothy was actually a small child in the book. The slippers were not made from rubies. The Tin Woodman kills a lot of animals. The Wicked Witch never casts a spell on the poppies. They flying monkeys are sympathetic creatures. There is no horse of a different color. The differences go on and on....
I will have to watch the film again. Every time Judy Garland sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" I cry. Seriously. It makes me nostalgic for my childhood, a time when I took things at face value and didn't know the film was based on a book.
I will have to watch the film again. Every time Judy Garland sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" I cry. Seriously. It makes me nostalgic for my childhood, a time when I took things at face value and didn't know the film was based on a book.
Too silly for me, not really any consequences for actions, no stakes.
And what is up with the tin man... he cries over stepping on a bug, but not even 10 pages later he decapitates a large cat and then 20 pages later he kills like 40 wolves, until there is a literal pile of dead, cut up, decapitated wolves at his feet... So when it's self defense he can be extremely, over the top violent, but accidentally squashing a bug brings the water works... that was just so incredibly weird and inconsistent and killing so many animals... I hate it!
And what is up with the tin man... he cries over stepping on a bug, but not even 10 pages later he decapitates a large cat and then 20 pages later he kills like 40 wolves, until there is a literal pile of dead, cut up, decapitated wolves at his feet... So when it's self defense he can be extremely, over the top violent, but accidentally squashing a bug brings the water works... that was just so incredibly weird and inconsistent and killing so many animals... I hate it!
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed this audiobook very much! I was amazed with the differences in the book compared to the Hollywood movie and honestly had pretty low expectations. I love the movie, one of my favorites! But, no surprise, the book is better than the movie ❤️ Fun Fact: the slippers are silver, not red!!!
adventurous
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am known amongst my friends for my absolute Oz obsession— both the books and the movie hold their own special places in my heart. I started reading them when I was about five, so I was especially excited to start them with my own 5yo. We’ve been doing a lot of longer books as audio in the car, and Brooke Shields’ narration here is solid. This entry in the series is probably one I’ve reread the least, however, and rereading it now, I’m not surprised. It’s fascinating to see the beginnings of a lot of the lore from later in the series (Omby Amby and Jellica Jamb both make unnamed appearances), but a lot of it is inconsistent. And it’s kind of unsatisfying that we can clearly see our heroes had brains, heart and courage all along, but they never realize that themselves. It’s giving me a lot of ideas and I’m excited to keep going with the series.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes