Difference between revisions of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"

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[[Image:Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The - Hardcover - USA - Title Page.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Title page of the first edition.]]
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{{Book
 +
| Title            = The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
 +
| SortTitle        = Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The
 +
| Image           = Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The - Hardcover - USA - Title Page.jpg
 +
| ImageDescription = Title page of the first edition.
 +
| Author          = {{BookAuthor|L. Frank Baum}}
 +
| PublishedYear    = 1900
 +
| PublishedMonth  = ??
 +
| PublishedDay    = ??
 +
| Type            = {{BookType|Fiction}}
 +
| Genre            = {{BookGenre|Fantasy}}
 +
| Themes          = {{MediaTheme|Adventure}}, {{MediaTheme|Fantasy}}
 +
| AgeGroup        = Children
 +
}}
  
'''''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''''' is a children's book written by [[L. Frank Baum]] and published in 1900.
+
'''''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''''' is a children's book written by [[L. Frank Baum]] and published in 1900. This book is in the public domain.
  
 
==Personal==
 
==Personal==
 +
{{BookStatus
 +
| Own      =
 +
| Read    = Audiobook read by [[Anne Hathaway]].
 +
| Finished = 2016-06-05.
 +
}}
 +
 
My first experience with this story was seeing the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 film]] as a young child. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I decided to read the book in order to see if the series was worth reading. It was okay, but not worth it.
 
My first experience with this story was seeing the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 film]] as a young child. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I decided to read the book in order to see if the series was worth reading. It was okay, but not worth it.
  
==Status==
+
==Review==
I don't own this book, but have listened to an audio book recording.
+
{{BookRating|3}}
  
==Review==
 
 
{{Spoilers}}
 
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
 
* The book is indeed creative featuring all sorts of strange and unusual ideas like people made entirely out of straw, tin, porcelain, etc.
 
* The book is indeed creative featuring all sorts of strange and unusual ideas like people made entirely out of straw, tin, porcelain, etc.
* Despite Baum explaining in the introduction that the book doesn't have a moral, the fact that each of the companions are searching for something that they already possess is a good moral.
+
* Despite Baum explaining in the introduction that the book doesn't have a moral, the fact that each of the companions are searching for something that they already possess, is a good moral.
* The book is so different from the movie that even if you've seen it many times, you'll still get a lot out of the book.
+
* The book is so different from the movie that even if you've seen the film many times, you'll still get a lot out of the book.
 
* The audio book read by Anne Hathaway shows off an impressive vocal talent I didn't know she possessed.
 
* The audio book read by Anne Hathaway shows off an impressive vocal talent I didn't know she possessed.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* There is too much repetition of some of the main themes. You will hear the scarecrow wanting a brain, the tin man wanting a heart, and the lion wanting courage about 20 times. Each of the four companions has to meet Oz individually and be told the same thing, each has to meet with him again after the Wicked Witch of the West is killed one after the other, etc. The movie really expedited this repitition.
+
* There is too much repetition of some of the main themes. You will hear the scarecrow wanting a brain, the tin man wanting a heart, and the lion wanting courage about 20 times. Each of the four companions has to meet Oz individually and be told the same thing, each has to meet with him again after the Wicked Witch of the West is killed, one after the other, etc. The movie really expedited this repetition.
 
* The land of Oz, though very chaotic and unusual in appearance, is boringly organized where each race lives in an equal-sized area, each wears clothes and paints their houses in a single color, and each is ruled by a magical dictator. Even in the end, each of the three remaining companions becomes a ruler in their own respect.
 
* The land of Oz, though very chaotic and unusual in appearance, is boringly organized where each race lives in an equal-sized area, each wears clothes and paints their houses in a single color, and each is ruled by a magical dictator. Even in the end, each of the three remaining companions becomes a ruler in their own respect.
 
* The book seems padded. The ending takes forever to finish.
 
* The book seems padded. The ending takes forever to finish.
Line 25: Line 43:
 
==Ugly==
 
==Ugly==
 
* Nothing.
 
* Nothing.
 +
 +
==Representation==
 +
{{Representation
 +
| Media                      = Books
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterStatus = Pass
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterNotes  =
 +
| BechdelTestStatus          = Pass
 +
| BechdelTestNotes            =
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterStatus    = Fail
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterNotes    =
 +
| QueerCharacterStatus        = Fail
 +
| QueerCharacterNotes        =
 +
}}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
Line 40: Line 71:
  
  
[[Category: Books|Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The]]
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[[Category: Public Domain]]
[[Category: Children's Books|Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The]]
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[[Category: Needs representation]]
[[Category: Fiction|Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The]]
 
[[Category: Trope - Strong Female Character|Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The]]
 
[[Category: Books I've Read|Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The]]
 

Revision as of 13:41, 3 August 2023

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The - Hardcover - USA - Title Page.jpg

Title page of the first edition.

Author L. Frank Baum
Published 1900-??-??
Type Fiction
Genre Fantasy
Themes Adventure, Fantasy
Age Group Children

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's book written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1900. This book is in the public domain.

Personal

Own?No.
Read?Audiobook read by Anne Hathaway.
Finished2016-06-05.

My first experience with this story was seeing the 1939 film as a young child. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I decided to read the book in order to see if the series was worth reading. It was okay, but not worth it.

Review

Overall:

Rating-3.svg

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The book is indeed creative featuring all sorts of strange and unusual ideas like people made entirely out of straw, tin, porcelain, etc.
  • Despite Baum explaining in the introduction that the book doesn't have a moral, the fact that each of the companions are searching for something that they already possess, is a good moral.
  • The book is so different from the movie that even if you've seen the film many times, you'll still get a lot out of the book.
  • The audio book read by Anne Hathaway shows off an impressive vocal talent I didn't know she possessed.

Bad

  • There is too much repetition of some of the main themes. You will hear the scarecrow wanting a brain, the tin man wanting a heart, and the lion wanting courage about 20 times. Each of the four companions has to meet Oz individually and be told the same thing, each has to meet with him again after the Wicked Witch of the West is killed, one after the other, etc. The movie really expedited this repetition.
  • The land of Oz, though very chaotic and unusual in appearance, is boringly organized where each race lives in an equal-sized area, each wears clothes and paints their houses in a single color, and each is ruled by a magical dictator. Even in the end, each of the three remaining companions becomes a ruler in their own respect.
  • The book seems padded. The ending takes forever to finish.

Ugly

  • Nothing.

Representation

Strong female character?Pass
Bechdel test?Pass
Strong person of color character?Fail
Queer character?Fail

Links

Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-GoodReads.png  Link-ProjectGutenberg.png  Link-LibriVox.png