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leaflibrary 's review for:
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
by L. Frank Baum
The legend of Santa Claus is impossibly tangled across time, cultures, and countries. Frank L Baum adds to the chaos by moving the origins of Santa to Oz (maybe?) and rewriting all the major mythology. For instance, did you know that Santa's real name is Neclaus*, and that his flying reindeer are called Glossie and Flossie, Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady?
Obviously, this is not a version backed up by popular tradition. The plot reminded me slightly of the stop motion classic Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, but with far more fairy tale tropes. There's even a bonus story at the end in which Claus is captured by demons seeking to bring selfishness and greed back into children's hearts at Christmas. Which is weird, since pre-Santa Claus there were ZERO toys in the world (????) - so what did children have to be so selfish and greedy about? Oh, yes, in case you missed it: Claus INVENTED toy making. Oz sounds like a pretty miserable place, doesn't it? (Honestly, I'm not even sure it is Oz. Aside from a generic gnome king, there doesn't seem to be any crossover between characters in the Oz books and this one.)
It was bold of Baum to write his own bizarre background for one of the most beloved and iconic characters in the world. It seems like he must have had some kind of agenda. At best, he wanted to inspire kids to be generous and kindhearted, like his homespun Santa Claus. At worst, he ambitiously sought in vain to usurp the Christmas story throne. The forgotten result is confusing and kind of pointless, yet every so often magical. Baum's version may not have gone down in holiday history, but it's not a terrible way to celebrate the season either.
*"Some people have spelled this name Nicklaus and others Nicolas, which is the reason that Santa Claus is still known in some lands as St. Nicolas. But, of course, Neclaus is his right name, and Claus the nickname given him by his adopted mother, the fair nymph Necile." Of course!
Obviously, this is not a version backed up by popular tradition. The plot reminded me slightly of the stop motion classic Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, but with far more fairy tale tropes. There's even a bonus story at the end in which Claus is captured by demons seeking to bring selfishness and greed back into children's hearts at Christmas. Which is weird, since pre-Santa Claus there were ZERO toys in the world (????) - so what did children have to be so selfish and greedy about? Oh, yes, in case you missed it: Claus INVENTED toy making. Oz sounds like a pretty miserable place, doesn't it? (Honestly, I'm not even sure it is Oz. Aside from a generic gnome king, there doesn't seem to be any crossover between characters in the Oz books and this one.)
It was bold of Baum to write his own bizarre background for one of the most beloved and iconic characters in the world. It seems like he must have had some kind of agenda. At best, he wanted to inspire kids to be generous and kindhearted, like his homespun Santa Claus. At worst, he ambitiously sought in vain to usurp the Christmas story throne. The forgotten result is confusing and kind of pointless, yet every so often magical. Baum's version may not have gone down in holiday history, but it's not a terrible way to celebrate the season either.
*"Some people have spelled this name Nicklaus and others Nicolas, which is the reason that Santa Claus is still known in some lands as St. Nicolas. But, of course, Neclaus is his right name, and Claus the nickname given him by his adopted mother, the fair nymph Necile." Of course!