Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema. Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California. His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
This volume had the first three OZ books. They were weird and fantastic and I had a ball with. I will be continuing the series, as I got the boxset recently.
Started my journey to read all the original Oz books and a wonderful start it was. All the creativity, wisdom and characters are brought back to life and we see that he was creating worlds like Rowling has done a century later. Volume two awaits.
I love how quirky and weird the Oz books are. We all know the basic story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, though a lot was left out or changed for the movie, but The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz lead us through amazing twists and turns. I can't wait to see what comes next!
!!! Reviewing random editions with similar page counts since I own the big bind-up of 3 of the novels, but adding the reviews here as I finish them!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #01 February 22, 2022 - February 22, 2022 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed this? Genuinely thought I would hate it, but it was quite entertaining, the last 50 or so pages did bore me a bit, but it wasn't TERRIBLE.
The Marvelous Land of Oz #02 May 26, 2022 - May 26, 2022 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one is so cute! I definitely prefer this book versus the first one I read a few months ago!
Ozma of Oz #03 June 22, 2022 - June 22, 2022 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fun and my second favorite out of the three I've read!
I really liked the font - it catches the magical spirit of the book. The beginning of each chapter is lovely, I hadn't read it since I was a child and was not disappointed (mostly reviewing the format here - but the book is also amazing). Despite containing three books it's very light, but the paper does not feel flimsy. It could have had a few more pictures, otherwise it is a great copy.
-Lovely worldbuilding. -Dorothy was a decent enough character. I did find it kind of badarse that she took a nap when she was in a middle of cyclone. -I really didn't understand why Dorothy was so desperate to go back to Kansas, her aunt and uncle seemed unlikeable… And Oz was so much more fun. -I kept rolling my eyes at the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion respectively wanting a brain, a heart and bravery — it was bloody obvious that they already had that. -Did the Tinman ever go back to his munchkin ladylove??
The Marvelous Land of Oz
-The first half was similar to Wizard of Oz with the all MC's going to the Emerald City. -The army of girls were very funny. I wanted them to keep control of Emerald City, their philosophy was ace — making the men do all the housework/childcare whilst the women chilled out. -The Scarecrow, Tinman, Tip and Pumpkin were all quite bland characters. -I did enjoy Wogglebug, Mombi, and Jinjur with her army of girls. -I wasn't expecting Tip to get a sex change and turn into a girl at the end.
Ozma of Oz
-The story was really similar to the other two. -I liked that Dorothy was back. She's not the most exciting of characters but she's a better MC than Tip/Ozma. -The bad guy was rather funny in a cliched and cartoonish way.
All in all, it was good fun and a nice break from my usual reads.
Imagine to my delight and surprise to find out that not only is there one book set in the wonderful land of Oz, nor 2 or 3…but 14!!! And that’s just from the amazing L. Frank Baum! There are about 40 books altogether in the series from other authors who took up his mantle, but I think Baum’s mantle could never be replaced.
A classic tale from it’s colourful and miscellaneous characters (there’s a glass cat, a patchwork girl, a very hungry tiger and so, so much more!) Each book is strapped with a clear morale to the story; self-love, kindness, hard work, loyalty… the list goes on just like this series. I love the blend of old, familiar characters with vibrant new! The creation of all the different inhabitants in the land blow my mind (in a good way) that sometimes I can’t even begin to imagine them as described.
The bottom line really is in this zany, imaginative, colourful world is - there is no place like…Oz! (followed very closely behind by home)
Unlike what you might think, this book isn't just about the original Wizard of Oz. There are different stories along with the original that have the main characters and more. I would definitely recommend this book along with the whole series!
1. Reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz felt like witnessing a giant, shimmering ball of glitter slowly descend to earth from another planet, operating in ways that feel enigmatic beyond even what L. Frank Baum (might have) intended.
2. Reading The Marvelous Land of Oz felt as though you are now enclosed in this ball of glitter, however, you are still so charmed by its descension that you don't have time to notice that nothing of importance has actually changed the second time around, aside from the ultimate introduction of Ozma.
3. Reading Ozma of Oz felt like all the glitter has now settled on the ground, and you are now able to see at the characters for who they are (sometimes confusingly so), leading to a less thrilling but more rewarding reading experience.
"It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible." Dorothy, a little girl from Kansas and her dog Toto has the most unlikely of adventures with a gang full of colorful characters. Classic American fairytale with powerful message about honesty, self discovery, bravery, friendship and home. Hollywood's interpretation does not hold a candle to the written word, but a close second. Read this for my GG Bookclub. Love the journey of books.
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.
The Marvelous Land of Oz ★★★★☆ Sehr lustig, kindlich und kreativ. Man trifft die Vogelscheuche und den Blechmann wieder und lernt außerdem neue Charaktere kennen. Mein absoluter Favorit war das vorlaute Sawhorse (den Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug mochte ich weniger, aber seine Wortspiele waren äußerst unterhaltsam). Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich die ganze Sache mit der Frauen-Armee als sexistisch einstufen soll oder nicht. Einerseits haben sie keine Lust mehr zu kochen und zu arbeiten und starten deshalb eine Revolte, andererseits wollen sie lieber Edelsteine besitzen und sich schöne Kleider kaufen. Der Roman ist von 1904, also sind die Ansichten im Kontext verständlich, aber ich kann mich nicht entscheiden, ob die Darstellung eigentlich spielerische Kritik birgt oder deutliche Geschlechterbilder zeigt. Das Ende hat mich übrigens total überrascht und ich freue mich im nächsten Band den Fokus komplett auf Ozma zu haben.
Ozma of Oz ★★★★☆ Ich find's etwas seltsam, dass die titelgebende Ozma in dieser Geschichte eigentlich gar keine so große Rolle einnimmt, stattdessen taucht Dorothy wieder auf, die stellenweise unglaublich spießige Aussagen vom Stapel lässt. Huhn Billina fand ich da viel cooler. Wen ich wiederum etwas eklig fand, war die Prinzessin, die ihre Köpfe wechseln kann. Ansonsten war es wieder ein großartiges, kreatives Abenteuer, das mich wunderbar unterhalten hat. Und ich hätte auch gern solche Lunch- und Dinner-Bäume vor dem Haus!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 3.5 stars. Hehehe. This story is so funny, so absurd! But in a good way. I really enjoyed reading this story and it was interesting to see just how different it was from the film adaptation. If the characters in the story were like the characters in the movie, you'd have to call it a comedy. Overall it was quite an easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Marvelous Land of Oz: 3 stars. Though I did enjoy this story, I didn't like it as much as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I think this is because it there is no movie of this story. The Marvelous Land of Oz still contained the comedic speech found in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and that's what made me keep reading, I think.
Ozma of Oz: 3.5 stars. Ozma of Oz recaptured my interest in the series. It had adventure, action and Dorothy. I'm so glad Dorothy was in Ozma of Oz because, like many children before me, I feel that it is not truly an Oz story without Dorothy.
Wonderful stories ... last year i was in a barnes & noble and came across this beautiful graphic novel -(The wonderful Wizard Of Oz) - i couldn't put it down . when i finished the book it the back it had sketches of its charters .it also had the cover to the next book (the marvelous land of oz) . now let me tell you i had no idea there was an oz series ... so just a few days ago i ordered the second graphic novel .just as good as the first ...i finished it in hours .just couldnt put it down. now you might be asking what does this have to do with the book im reviewing .....because i enjoyed the graphic novles so very much and couldn't wait for the next (Ozma of oz ) i ordered this book and i jumped right to the third book ....no pics in the book none at all but the wonderful stories
3.5 stars Read this bound of the first three novels in the Oz series. I highly recommend this novel. It is quirky and very funny. It is for all ages. I found myself laughing out loud at some parts of the book. I love the characters so much. They are so unique. They each have an attribute that we should learn from. I love the evolution each character have as the book progresses. I'm so sucked in the Oz world. Really amazing and MAGICAL! A must-read for everyone.
This post is for finishing OZMA OF OZ, but with the omnibus I'm reading out of. CUTE FACT: ALL OF THE OMNIBUSES IN THIS SERIES SHOW COVERS WITH ONLY MALE CHARACTERS OR NO CHARACTERS AT ALL. A whole bunch of people REALLY, DEEPLY understood the books they were publishing, huh? :D :D :D :D :D :D
A fun and creative book - I am impressed with Baum's ability to create such unique and memorable characters and adventures! Each story is full of interesting and memorable journeys that are enjoyable and easy to imagine.