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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Christmas Season ended. Haven’t picked it back up again.
As a child, I was obsessed with Santa Clause, and I wish I would have been given this book at the summit of my innocent fervor; I admit, even as an adult, I find myself lost in the fantasy.
I enjoyed that Baum's telling is distant enough from the more "religious" versions of the Santa myth, but close enough to provoke a sense of familiarity. Baum's story conveys a love of nature, children, equality, and goodness.
I enjoyed that Baum's telling is distant enough from the more "religious" versions of the Santa myth, but close enough to provoke a sense of familiarity. Baum's story conveys a love of nature, children, equality, and goodness.
This was a cute book to listen to with the girls at Christmas time!
It has become a little holiday tradition of mine to read some kind of holiday-themed book during the week of Christmas; this ended up being this year's selection after discovering its existence the day before before boarding a plane for a family visit. And it proved to be a lovely selection, serving its intended purpose perfectly. No, it's not at all on the same level of quality as the best Oz books and can certainly be accused of constantly slipping into the saccharine, but I find the warm glow of holiday good cheer has an almost magical way of transforming even the most cloying into a type of enchantment.
What I found particularly and perpetually delightful about Baum's take on the Santa Claus mythology is how he manages to reimagine even the most familiar tales and iconography in creative and ingenious ways; even the most rote and mundane elements of the Santa figure emerge to be quickly (re)cast in the curious, unexpected ways. The last section in specifically fascinating on this count, as Baum invents a process of chance and frantic necessity as the basis for most holiday traditions—the preposterous descent down chimneys, the hanging of stockings, Christmas trees, "flying" reindeer, etc. Indeed, the haphazard conscription of the reindeer to aid in toy delivery is very amusing, and here they are named Glossie and Flossie(!), later to be joined by Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady. (It's... not very difficult to see why those names failed to stick.)
Baum was clearly writing during a period when the figure of Santa Claus was still in a fluid state of development within the public imagination, and the extreme divergences to the now-established narrative can be jarring—but I usually found it pleasurably so. The secular origins Baum imagines for Claus—which are embedded deep within a pagan world populated by fairies and other mythical beings—was quite interesting, especially as it is within this realm that Claus faces the most substantial deterrents to his generous activities. Indeed, at one point the book takes a sudden, and somewhat unconvincing, turn into [b:The Lord of the Rings|33|The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411114164s/33.jpg|3462456] territory of grand battles between the forces of good and evil.
Also deserving a mention is the gorgeous, intricate original artwork provided by Mary Cowles Clark, which renders Santa and his associates in elegant Art Nouveau-ish garb and settings I wish could have been retained more substantially in our current conception of this beloved holiday figure.
Baum apparently wrote another centered around Santa ([b:A Kidnapped Santa Claus|12871204|A Kidnapped Santa Claus|L. Frank Baum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347394866s/12871204.jpg|41605421]); it's on the list for consideration for next's year's annual Christmas read.
What I found particularly and perpetually delightful about Baum's take on the Santa Claus mythology is how he manages to reimagine even the most familiar tales and iconography in creative and ingenious ways; even the most rote and mundane elements of the Santa figure emerge to be quickly (re)cast in the curious, unexpected ways. The last section in specifically fascinating on this count, as Baum invents a process of chance and frantic necessity as the basis for most holiday traditions—the preposterous descent down chimneys, the hanging of stockings, Christmas trees, "flying" reindeer, etc. Indeed, the haphazard conscription of the reindeer to aid in toy delivery is very amusing, and here they are named Glossie and Flossie(!), later to be joined by Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady. (It's... not very difficult to see why those names failed to stick.)
Baum was clearly writing during a period when the figure of Santa Claus was still in a fluid state of development within the public imagination, and the extreme divergences to the now-established narrative can be jarring—but I usually found it pleasurably so. The secular origins Baum imagines for Claus—which are embedded deep within a pagan world populated by fairies and other mythical beings—was quite interesting, especially as it is within this realm that Claus faces the most substantial deterrents to his generous activities. Indeed, at one point the book takes a sudden, and somewhat unconvincing, turn into [b:The Lord of the Rings|33|The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)|J.R.R. Tolkien|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411114164s/33.jpg|3462456] territory of grand battles between the forces of good and evil.
Also deserving a mention is the gorgeous, intricate original artwork provided by Mary Cowles Clark, which renders Santa and his associates in elegant Art Nouveau-ish garb and settings I wish could have been retained more substantially in our current conception of this beloved holiday figure.
Baum apparently wrote another centered around Santa ([b:A Kidnapped Santa Claus|12871204|A Kidnapped Santa Claus|L. Frank Baum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347394866s/12871204.jpg|41605421]); it's on the list for consideration for next's year's annual Christmas read.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
A wonderful, new look at the story of how Santa Claus came to be. This version of his story was really amazing and I think it is my new favorite.
This short book, given an origin story of Santa Clause that's very different from any others you've heard, is about what you'd expect from the author of the Wizard of Oz books. Baum has a great imagination and this is a classic told in his inimitable style.
Although it's in the public domain and is available from many sources, it's well worth seeking out the Penguin Christmas Classics edition which includes the original edition's illustrations by Mary Cowles Clark, done in the Art Nouveau style that was so popular when the book was published in 1902. The typography and layout done by Penguin makes the ebook edition a real pleasure to read.
Although it's in the public domain and is available from many sources, it's well worth seeking out the Penguin Christmas Classics edition which includes the original edition's illustrations by Mary Cowles Clark, done in the Art Nouveau style that was so popular when the book was published in 1902. The typography and layout done by Penguin makes the ebook edition a real pleasure to read.
An interesting pagan history of Santa Claus that thankfully leaves out any religious connections to the character. This is written as a fairy tale with Santa being raised by wood nymphs in an enchanted forest. I liked it as an origin story and it includes an incredibly bizarre battle sequence between the immortals of the forest and some evil creatures called Awgwas. Worth reading.