Reviews

Dot and Tot of Merryland by L. Frank Baum

saroz162's review against another edition

2.0

There is, I think, a reason why this "novel" - L. Frank Baum's first after the seminal Wonderful Wizard of Oz - has rarely been reprinted. Simply put, it isn't very good. The protagonists are unlikeable, and they don't really do anything; they just glide through the story, bouncing from one magical island to another, commenting and moving on. Similarly, there's only the barest semblance of a plot: if the Oz books are episodic, this one's basically a series of vignettes strung together. Some of them, like the visit to the land of babies, are rather sweet and charming; others, like the land of "pussy cats," fade almost immediately into insignificance. There's even a slight undercurrent of horror in the middle chapters, focusing on the start-stop lives of an island of dolls and toys controlled by a "thinking machine," but Baum never explores the possibilities - he just lets them sit there, vaguely unsettling.

It's not a terrible book, but there's really nothing about it to appeal to anyone who isn't a dedicated Baum fan or scholar. Indeed, the most interesting aspect of it is probably the illustration and design of W.W. Denslow, which can only now be found preserved in online editions. More than nearly any other of Baum's fantasy works, Dot and Tot deserves to drift into obscurity. There are literally dozens of better works to have come from his pen.

dreavg's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

nikbookdragon's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0