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A review by sraev19
Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz/The Marvelous Land of Oz/Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
4.0
Part one in a five-volume collection, this book contains the stories The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, and Ozma of Oz. Grouping these three stories into the first volume is a good introduction to Oz and more than enough to hook me on the series.
Right from the first story the characters endeared themselves to me. They are simple, each with a few defining characteristics and clear motives, and they speak honestly and straightforwardly. As such, the characters can be predictable, but they aren’t boring. It is this reliability that makes them charming and quaint and at times humorous as well.
Baum takes Dorothy and her companions all across Oz in these three books. The range of this world and its inhabitants could be disorienting, but Baum is a sure guide. He explains the order of the land and demonstrates the logic in its magic. He also circles back to people and places introduced earlier to ensure nothing is left unfinished. The stories feel neat and tidy when Baum reveals how interconnected everything is.
Unfortunately, this collection does not contain any illustrations, neither the originals by W.W. Denslow and John R. Neill nor new ones, which is a loss. The original illustrations, for instance, lend an air of strange fantasy similar to that of Alice in Wonderland, though I admit that some of the renderings are more disturbing than the fancy of my imagination. And truly, the books feel less like children’s stories without illustration.
Nevertheless, Baum’s prose has pulled me in to the Land of Oz. While his writing is as simple and straightforward as his characters, it is also evocative and mesmerizing. I had no trouble picturing the stories without illustrations or following the well-paced action. I am excited to begin the second volume in this collection and see where the yellow brick road goes this time.
Right from the first story the characters endeared themselves to me. They are simple, each with a few defining characteristics and clear motives, and they speak honestly and straightforwardly. As such, the characters can be predictable, but they aren’t boring. It is this reliability that makes them charming and quaint and at times humorous as well.
Baum takes Dorothy and her companions all across Oz in these three books. The range of this world and its inhabitants could be disorienting, but Baum is a sure guide. He explains the order of the land and demonstrates the logic in its magic. He also circles back to people and places introduced earlier to ensure nothing is left unfinished. The stories feel neat and tidy when Baum reveals how interconnected everything is.
Unfortunately, this collection does not contain any illustrations, neither the originals by W.W. Denslow and John R. Neill nor new ones, which is a loss. The original illustrations, for instance, lend an air of strange fantasy similar to that of Alice in Wonderland, though I admit that some of the renderings are more disturbing than the fancy of my imagination. And truly, the books feel less like children’s stories without illustration.
Nevertheless, Baum’s prose has pulled me in to the Land of Oz. While his writing is as simple and straightforward as his characters, it is also evocative and mesmerizing. I had no trouble picturing the stories without illustrations or following the well-paced action. I am excited to begin the second volume in this collection and see where the yellow brick road goes this time.