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Oz #5
The Road to Oz
Dorothy and Toto are off again on an exciting adventure down The Road to Oz!
In order to help the lovable, ever-wandering Shaggy Man, Dorothy and Toto must journey through magical and mysterious lands. Soon the three are joined by a lost lad named Button-Bright and the beautiful young Polychromethe Rainbow's Daughter. With magic at work and danger about, these new friends must journey through cities of talking beasts, across the Deadly Desert into the Truth Pond, and through many other strange and incredible places before they can reach the Emerald City.
Along the way, Dorothy and her companions encounter a whole new assortment of fantastic and funny characters--the crafty King Dox of Foxville, the magical donkey King Kik-a-bray, the terrible bigheaded Scoodlers, and Johnny Dooit (who can do anything)--along with old friends Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-tok, Billina, and, of course, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the wonderful Wizard himself.
The Road to Oz is the fifth adventure in the magical Land of Oz. For the first time since the original 1909 edition, this stunning new facsimile edition illustrates Dorothy's fantastic adventures on different colors of paper reflecting where she and her friends are on the road to Oz. Featuring all of John R. Neill's 126 striking pen-and-ink drawings, this handsome deluxe edition is one to be treasured for years to come.
Afterword by Peter Glassman. This deluxe facsimile of the fifth Oz adventure reunites Dorothy and her friends for Princess Ozma's glorious birthday party. For the first time since the original 1909 edition, the 126 masterful illustrations are printed on colored papers, exactly as the author intended. A Books of Wonder Classic.
In order to help the lovable, ever-wandering Shaggy Man, Dorothy and Toto must journey through magical and mysterious lands. Soon the three are joined by a lost lad named Button-Bright and the beautiful young Polychromethe Rainbow's Daughter. With magic at work and danger about, these new friends must journey through cities of talking beasts, across the Deadly Desert into the Truth Pond, and through many other strange and incredible places before they can reach the Emerald City.
Along the way, Dorothy and her companions encounter a whole new assortment of fantastic and funny characters--the crafty King Dox of Foxville, the magical donkey King Kik-a-bray, the terrible bigheaded Scoodlers, and Johnny Dooit (who can do anything)--along with old friends Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-tok, Billina, and, of course, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the wonderful Wizard himself.
The Road to Oz is the fifth adventure in the magical Land of Oz. For the first time since the original 1909 edition, this stunning new facsimile edition illustrates Dorothy's fantastic adventures on different colors of paper reflecting where she and her friends are on the road to Oz. Featuring all of John R. Neill's 126 striking pen-and-ink drawings, this handsome deluxe edition is one to be treasured for years to come.
Afterword by Peter Glassman. This deluxe facsimile of the fifth Oz adventure reunites Dorothy and her friends for Princess Ozma's glorious birthday party. For the first time since the original 1909 edition, the 126 masterful illustrations are printed on colored papers, exactly as the author intended. A Books of Wonder Classic.
267 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1909
About the author
L. Frank Baum
2,974 books2,554 followersalso wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum, a known American, wrote especially The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and 13 other stories, including Ozma of Oz (1907).
Lyman Frank Baum, an author, actor, and independent filmmaker alongside illustrator William Wallace Denslow best created the today simply most popular books in literature of children. A plethora of other works include sequels, nine other fantasies, and 55 novels in total, 82 short prose, more than two hundred poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous, and he made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen.
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum, a known American, wrote especially The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and 13 other stories, including Ozma of Oz (1907).
Lyman Frank Baum, an author, actor, and independent filmmaker alongside illustrator William Wallace Denslow best created the today simply most popular books in literature of children. A plethora of other works include sequels, nine other fantasies, and 55 novels in total, 82 short prose, more than two hundred poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous, and he made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 676 reviews
October 16, 2018
Another trip to Oz for Dorothy and Toto lovers will be pleased to hear that her little dog is along for the ride again this time.
Speaking of Toto, I'm slightly puzzled as to why every other animal arriving in Oz suddenly develops the capacity for human speech but Toto sticks to barks and woofs. Perhaps he feels doggy talk is superior to people chatter...
I enjoyed most of the new characters introduced in this volume, particularly the Shaggy Man (cripes, Scoob!), but found Button-Bright to be largely pointless. Baum makes a big deal about his amnesia and I was expecting there to be some kind of revelation as to his true identity at some point, but it never arrived. Still, this was an enjoyable adventure for the little ones, nonetheless.
Speaking of Toto, I'm slightly puzzled as to why every other animal arriving in Oz suddenly develops the capacity for human speech but Toto sticks to barks and woofs. Perhaps he feels doggy talk is superior to people chatter...
I enjoyed most of the new characters introduced in this volume, particularly the Shaggy Man (cripes, Scoob!), but found Button-Bright to be largely pointless. Baum makes a big deal about his amnesia and I was expecting there to be some kind of revelation as to his true identity at some point, but it never arrived. Still, this was an enjoyable adventure for the little ones, nonetheless.
December 15, 2015
So I hated this book. Like a lot. I got this way back in February and only finished it in July because I started going through my Kindle device and started downloading books to read back in February. I originally only read 4 percent and said nope and put the book aside. When I finished it in July I decided that was it for me, no more Oz books. The only saving grace is that I didn't pay money for it. I got it for free on Amazon.
Dorothy is still a pain in the butt who doesn't have the common sense to get out of the rain. Her "speaking" is downright annoying at this point in the series. I think I may have screamed enunciate at one point and screamed it so loud I blacked out.
We also have some new characters in this book called the Shaggy Man (who I swear was about to do something awful to Dorothy, Button-Bright, and Polychrome who is a daughter of the Rainbow.
What starts off this new adventure is that when Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man he asks her for directions, and instead of just giving them to this total stranger, she decides to show him the way. I swear Dorothy needs to be held up as literary symbol to children to not ever do things like this when they are reading this book. I mean in the book Dorothy calls the Shaggy Man stupid so she decides she must take him to Butterfield (the place he is going) and actually says out loud that the man is stupid.
After going down a path (the 7th one) the party of three comes upon Button-Bright. Once again we have Dorothy calling someone stupid after knowing them for all of five minutes.
Eventually the foursome comes across a strange village of talking foxes and from there the story just progresses until they meet up with Polychrome. Shockingly enough Dorothy doesn't call her stupid.
From there there is a just a series of adventures of the new group of five to get to The Emerald City where Dorothy surmises that Ozma of Oz will be able to help them all out.
We have some reappearances of fan favorites of the series. We have Billina the talking hen who to this day was the funniest character ever for reading Dorothy like she was a book.
There was also Tik-Tok who was sent off to fetch Dorothy by Ozma. I did wonder why the heck Ozma didn't just magic herself to Dorothy and crew and magic them back to Emerald City, but hey that would have made the book end at about 60 percent (which I would have been happy with...like a lot).
We also have the Tin Man (not a fan of his at all) and he is still Emperor though there doesn't appear to be anyone else around in his castle. It was so weird and I couldn't guess why and really didn't care at that point.
We even have The Cowardly Lion, the Tiger, and Jack in this one. I loved them all in earlier works, but this one, eh not so much.
There really isn't anything new in this series at this point. We have a series of adventures and Dorothy scolding people left, right, and sideways. We have the not too bright character actually appearing to have some sense. And we have everything wrapping up nicely in the end with another party in Oz.
Dorothy is still a pain in the butt who doesn't have the common sense to get out of the rain. Her "speaking" is downright annoying at this point in the series. I think I may have screamed enunciate at one point and screamed it so loud I blacked out.
We also have some new characters in this book called the Shaggy Man (who I swear was about to do something awful to Dorothy, Button-Bright, and Polychrome who is a daughter of the Rainbow.
What starts off this new adventure is that when Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man he asks her for directions, and instead of just giving them to this total stranger, she decides to show him the way. I swear Dorothy needs to be held up as literary symbol to children to not ever do things like this when they are reading this book. I mean in the book Dorothy calls the Shaggy Man stupid so she decides she must take him to Butterfield (the place he is going) and actually says out loud that the man is stupid.
After going down a path (the 7th one) the party of three comes upon Button-Bright. Once again we have Dorothy calling someone stupid after knowing them for all of five minutes.
Eventually the foursome comes across a strange village of talking foxes and from there the story just progresses until they meet up with Polychrome. Shockingly enough Dorothy doesn't call her stupid.
From there there is a just a series of adventures of the new group of five to get to The Emerald City where Dorothy surmises that Ozma of Oz will be able to help them all out.
We have some reappearances of fan favorites of the series. We have Billina the talking hen who to this day was the funniest character ever for reading Dorothy like she was a book.
There was also Tik-Tok who was sent off to fetch Dorothy by Ozma. I did wonder why the heck Ozma didn't just magic herself to Dorothy and crew and magic them back to Emerald City, but hey that would have made the book end at about 60 percent (which I would have been happy with...like a lot).
We also have the Tin Man (not a fan of his at all) and he is still Emperor though there doesn't appear to be anyone else around in his castle. It was so weird and I couldn't guess why and really didn't care at that point.
We even have The Cowardly Lion, the Tiger, and Jack in this one. I loved them all in earlier works, but this one, eh not so much.
There really isn't anything new in this series at this point. We have a series of adventures and Dorothy scolding people left, right, and sideways. We have the not too bright character actually appearing to have some sense. And we have everything wrapping up nicely in the end with another party in Oz.
June 20, 2011
While not as dark as the last book, The Road to Oz has many similarities to Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Again, our little heroine unintentionally sets off on a journey during which she meets a host of new characters, experiences a few easily-overcome challenges, and ends up in Oz. This time, though, there wasn't really any conflict and only one encounter with a malicious opponent on their travels. The Shaggy Man was actually a bit creepy at the beginning (my kids have been taught to run and find a parent if an adult they don't know asks them for directions!), though, of course, he turned out all right. Several of the new characters just stuck in my craw. Button Bright was just annoying...If he'd said "don't know" one more time I might have reached through the pages of the book and throttled him. And what, pray tell, was Polychrome's purpose (besides encouraging anorexia)? She was about as engaging as a piece of lint - a very pretty, variegated piece of lint, to be sure, but still...blah.
With these last two books it really seems that Mr. Baum was frustrated in his desires to write something other than Oz books, so he decided to set the books elsewhere and just have the characters end up in Oz so he could slap those two letters on the cover of the book and make money while trying to branch out into other "fairylands". I enjoyed reading all these when I was a kid, and my kids are loving them now, but as an adult, they're wearing a bit thin.
And I felt awfully bad for the poor Musicker, not getting an invite to Ozma's party. No one, in a land where kindness and generosity are supposed to reign supreme, was even the tiniest bit kind to the poor guy who can't help making music.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
With these last two books it really seems that Mr. Baum was frustrated in his desires to write something other than Oz books, so he decided to set the books elsewhere and just have the characters end up in Oz so he could slap those two letters on the cover of the book and make money while trying to branch out into other "fairylands". I enjoyed reading all these when I was a kid, and my kids are loving them now, but as an adult, they're wearing a bit thin.
And I felt awfully bad for the poor Musicker, not getting an invite to Ozma's party. No one, in a land where kindness and generosity are supposed to reign supreme, was even the tiniest bit kind to the poor guy who can't help making music.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
November 6, 2017
Catching up with the classics # 11
Well just whimsical
I always enjoy an Oz novel, even if it’s the new Dorothy Must Die series, which one can appreciate so much more the more one reads these old school Baum books. This time it is Ozma’s birthday, so it’s time to celebrate! We meet some new friends while inviting some old favorites. Such a quick read too!
Well just whimsical
I always enjoy an Oz novel, even if it’s the new Dorothy Must Die series, which one can appreciate so much more the more one reads these old school Baum books. This time it is Ozma’s birthday, so it’s time to celebrate! We meet some new friends while inviting some old favorites. Such a quick read too!
January 24, 2010
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally. This review covers all 14 of the Baum Oz books, which is why it's found on all 14 book pages here.)
I think it's fairly safe by now to assume that nearly everyone in Western society is familiar with The Wizard of Oz, most of us because of the classic 1939 movie adaptation; and many realize as well that author L. Frank Baum ended up penning a whole series of sequels, because of the original book's astounding success back at the turn of the 20th century when it was first published -- 13 sequels altogether, before his death in 1919, which after the movie's success twenty years later became a literal merchandising empire, spawning hundreds more official sequels by various authors and hundreds more unofficial ones once the characters moved into the public domain. And like many others, I've always been interested in what these 14 "canonical" Oz books have to say; and that's why I decided this winter to sit down and read them all in a row for the first time, easy to do because of them being available for free at both Project Gutenberg and the email subscription service DailyLit (which is how I myself read them, and in fact is how I read many of the older books you see reviewed here; I'm a big fan of theirs, and highly recommend them).
But of course, to even approach these books with the right mindset, it's important to understand that like so many other one-hit-wonders, Baum was not only eluded by success in most of his other endeavors but was an active failure at them -- in the 1870s, for example, he unsuccessfully tried his hand at breeding fancy poultry (a national fad at the time), then in the 1880s opened his own theatre and became one of the first-ever Americans to produce modern-style stage musicals, apparently a little too ahead of its time, then in the 1890s moved to the Dakota Territory and opened a dry-goods store that eventually failed, as well as starting a newspaper that folded too. So it was sort of a case of random lightning in a bottle when he decided in the late 1890s to try his hand at children's literature, and ended up with his very first title being the most popular kid's book in America for two years straight, and no surprise that Baum then spent the rest of his life desperately trying to figure out how to bottle that lightning again. Because now that I've read it myself, I can confirm that the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz is astonishingly great, a sort of miraculous combination of traits that makes for an almost perfect children's story; and although most of it follows the same storyline seen in the '39 movie, there are also significant differences, making it worth your while to sit and read the book version if you have the interest. (And by the way, for some really interesting reading, check out the academic analysis that was done of this book in the 1960s, arguing that most of its details symbolically correspond almost exactly to various political and economic issues of the late 1800s, including the yellow brick road representing the much-discussed gold standard of that age, the scarecrow representing the then-hot Populist Party, Toto representing the teetotaler [prohibitionist:] movement, and a lot more.)
But of course, there are a couple of details about this book that have been forgotten over the decades too, which also help explain its record-shattering success -- it was an unusually lavish book for its time, for example, with two-toned illustrations on every page and several full-color plates, and let's also not forget that Baum himself mounted a Broadway-style musical of Oz just two years after the book was published, a huge hit which toured nationally for a decade and that was even more insanely popular than the book itself (including making national stars out of vaudeville performers Fred Stone and David Montgomery, playing the Scarecrow and Tin Man; the stage production left out the Cowardly Lion altogether, which is why he is also barely seen in any of the 13 canonical sequels). And so that's why when Baum attempted starting up other fantasy series in the wake of Oz's success, hoping to turn all of them into lucrative franchises like the original, the audience mostly responded with yawns; and that's why Baum eventually went back to writing more and more Oz books as the 20th century continued, because by now the strength of the brand far outweighed the relative writing skills of Baum when it came to any particular volume.
That's why, at least to adults, it's perhaps actually the introductions to each book that are the most fascinating thing about them; because to be frank, most of the books follow a pretty familiar formula, with a danger-filled quest involving various kooky characters that is usually finished about two-thirds of the way through, followed by a massive parade or party that lets Baum trot out the growing number of main characters added to this universe with each title. (And by the way, prepare yourself for Baum's unending love of the deus-ex-machina plot device; over half the books end along the lines of, "And then our heroes took possession of a super-duper magical device, which they waved in the air and all their troubles went away.") In fact, for those who don't know, that's why the official map of Oz and its surrounding lands eventually grew so large, because Baum still hadn't given up on his dream of having a whole series of kid-lit cash cows out there generating revenue for him, and so would use many of these Oz sequels to introduce entirely new casts of characters who live in entirely new lands, "just over the mountains" or "just past the desert" of Oz itself. By the end of the original 14 books, in fact, Baum had built up a virtual aristocracy of licensable characters, all of whom would have to be dragged out for a cameo at some point in each book to remind the audience of their existence -- not just the cast of the original book and '39 movie but also various other princesses like Ozma and Betsy Bobbin, boy characters like Ojo the Unlucky and Button Bright, adults who help them like the Shaggy Man, Cap'n Bill and Ugu the Shoemaker, and of course a whole litany of quirky fantastical sidekicks, including but not limited to Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Great Jinjin, Billina the Angry Hen, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, and Polychrome the Rainbow Fairy. Whew! And so did the Great Oz Merchandising Experiment keep limping along for two decades, with each sequel selling less and less and getting lazier and lazier (for example, the tenth book in the series, 1916's Rinkitink in Oz, was actually a non-Oz book written a decade previous, published almost unchanged except for a hasty final chapter full of Oz regulars slapped onto the end); and thus did Baum's bad luck in business come back with a vengeance as well, with three more Broadway productions that were all flops, and even the establishment of a film production company in 1914 that eventually went bankrupt.
You can see the progression of all this reflected in Baum's first-person introductions to each book, which like I said is why they might be the most fascinating parts of all for adult readers -- how in the first sequel, for example, he expresses legitimately gleeful surprise and joy at how passionate his fans were, and how thousands of children had literally written to him out of the blue demanding more Oz stories, while with each subsequent sequel his tone becomes more and more snarky, ala "Well, dear and wonderful children, you've yet again demanded another Oz book like the sheep you are, so here it is, you screeching little monsters." In fact, in book six of the series, 1910's The Emerald City of Oz, Baum flat-out states that it's going to be the very last Oz book, and it's no coincidence that many fans actually consider this one to be the best of the original fourteen, because of Baum's extra attention to and enthusiasm for this particular storyline, thinking as he erroneously did that it would be the grand finale of the entire Oz universe; but after his later financial failures forced him back into the Oz business again, the gloves finally come off in his introductions, with most of the rest sounding to today's ears something like, "Well, okay, here again is the sugary teat you all apparently can't get enough of suckling, you infuriating little animals, so open wide and take your medicine." Now, of course, you shouldn't feel too bad for Baum; by the last years of his life, his combined books and plays were generating for him in today's terms roughly a quarter-million dollars a year just in personal royalties.
So all in all, an experience I'm glad I had, reading all fourteen original Oz books in a row, but not something I'd recommend to others; instead, maybe better just to read the first, then skip to the sixth, then skip straight to the 14th, 1920's Glinda of Oz, because of its unusual darkness (probably caused, many scholars agree, by Baum knowing that he was near death). As with many authors I've looked at here at CCLaP, history seems to have correctly adjusted itself in Baum's case, with most of his books now rightfully falling into the obscurity they deserve, even while his one true masterpiece is still rightfully recognized as such.
I think it's fairly safe by now to assume that nearly everyone in Western society is familiar with The Wizard of Oz, most of us because of the classic 1939 movie adaptation; and many realize as well that author L. Frank Baum ended up penning a whole series of sequels, because of the original book's astounding success back at the turn of the 20th century when it was first published -- 13 sequels altogether, before his death in 1919, which after the movie's success twenty years later became a literal merchandising empire, spawning hundreds more official sequels by various authors and hundreds more unofficial ones once the characters moved into the public domain. And like many others, I've always been interested in what these 14 "canonical" Oz books have to say; and that's why I decided this winter to sit down and read them all in a row for the first time, easy to do because of them being available for free at both Project Gutenberg and the email subscription service DailyLit (which is how I myself read them, and in fact is how I read many of the older books you see reviewed here; I'm a big fan of theirs, and highly recommend them).
But of course, to even approach these books with the right mindset, it's important to understand that like so many other one-hit-wonders, Baum was not only eluded by success in most of his other endeavors but was an active failure at them -- in the 1870s, for example, he unsuccessfully tried his hand at breeding fancy poultry (a national fad at the time), then in the 1880s opened his own theatre and became one of the first-ever Americans to produce modern-style stage musicals, apparently a little too ahead of its time, then in the 1890s moved to the Dakota Territory and opened a dry-goods store that eventually failed, as well as starting a newspaper that folded too. So it was sort of a case of random lightning in a bottle when he decided in the late 1890s to try his hand at children's literature, and ended up with his very first title being the most popular kid's book in America for two years straight, and no surprise that Baum then spent the rest of his life desperately trying to figure out how to bottle that lightning again. Because now that I've read it myself, I can confirm that the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz is astonishingly great, a sort of miraculous combination of traits that makes for an almost perfect children's story; and although most of it follows the same storyline seen in the '39 movie, there are also significant differences, making it worth your while to sit and read the book version if you have the interest. (And by the way, for some really interesting reading, check out the academic analysis that was done of this book in the 1960s, arguing that most of its details symbolically correspond almost exactly to various political and economic issues of the late 1800s, including the yellow brick road representing the much-discussed gold standard of that age, the scarecrow representing the then-hot Populist Party, Toto representing the teetotaler [prohibitionist:] movement, and a lot more.)
But of course, there are a couple of details about this book that have been forgotten over the decades too, which also help explain its record-shattering success -- it was an unusually lavish book for its time, for example, with two-toned illustrations on every page and several full-color plates, and let's also not forget that Baum himself mounted a Broadway-style musical of Oz just two years after the book was published, a huge hit which toured nationally for a decade and that was even more insanely popular than the book itself (including making national stars out of vaudeville performers Fred Stone and David Montgomery, playing the Scarecrow and Tin Man; the stage production left out the Cowardly Lion altogether, which is why he is also barely seen in any of the 13 canonical sequels). And so that's why when Baum attempted starting up other fantasy series in the wake of Oz's success, hoping to turn all of them into lucrative franchises like the original, the audience mostly responded with yawns; and that's why Baum eventually went back to writing more and more Oz books as the 20th century continued, because by now the strength of the brand far outweighed the relative writing skills of Baum when it came to any particular volume.
That's why, at least to adults, it's perhaps actually the introductions to each book that are the most fascinating thing about them; because to be frank, most of the books follow a pretty familiar formula, with a danger-filled quest involving various kooky characters that is usually finished about two-thirds of the way through, followed by a massive parade or party that lets Baum trot out the growing number of main characters added to this universe with each title. (And by the way, prepare yourself for Baum's unending love of the deus-ex-machina plot device; over half the books end along the lines of, "And then our heroes took possession of a super-duper magical device, which they waved in the air and all their troubles went away.") In fact, for those who don't know, that's why the official map of Oz and its surrounding lands eventually grew so large, because Baum still hadn't given up on his dream of having a whole series of kid-lit cash cows out there generating revenue for him, and so would use many of these Oz sequels to introduce entirely new casts of characters who live in entirely new lands, "just over the mountains" or "just past the desert" of Oz itself. By the end of the original 14 books, in fact, Baum had built up a virtual aristocracy of licensable characters, all of whom would have to be dragged out for a cameo at some point in each book to remind the audience of their existence -- not just the cast of the original book and '39 movie but also various other princesses like Ozma and Betsy Bobbin, boy characters like Ojo the Unlucky and Button Bright, adults who help them like the Shaggy Man, Cap'n Bill and Ugu the Shoemaker, and of course a whole litany of quirky fantastical sidekicks, including but not limited to Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Great Jinjin, Billina the Angry Hen, Scraps the Patchwork Girl, and Polychrome the Rainbow Fairy. Whew! And so did the Great Oz Merchandising Experiment keep limping along for two decades, with each sequel selling less and less and getting lazier and lazier (for example, the tenth book in the series, 1916's Rinkitink in Oz, was actually a non-Oz book written a decade previous, published almost unchanged except for a hasty final chapter full of Oz regulars slapped onto the end); and thus did Baum's bad luck in business come back with a vengeance as well, with three more Broadway productions that were all flops, and even the establishment of a film production company in 1914 that eventually went bankrupt.
You can see the progression of all this reflected in Baum's first-person introductions to each book, which like I said is why they might be the most fascinating parts of all for adult readers -- how in the first sequel, for example, he expresses legitimately gleeful surprise and joy at how passionate his fans were, and how thousands of children had literally written to him out of the blue demanding more Oz stories, while with each subsequent sequel his tone becomes more and more snarky, ala "Well, dear and wonderful children, you've yet again demanded another Oz book like the sheep you are, so here it is, you screeching little monsters." In fact, in book six of the series, 1910's The Emerald City of Oz, Baum flat-out states that it's going to be the very last Oz book, and it's no coincidence that many fans actually consider this one to be the best of the original fourteen, because of Baum's extra attention to and enthusiasm for this particular storyline, thinking as he erroneously did that it would be the grand finale of the entire Oz universe; but after his later financial failures forced him back into the Oz business again, the gloves finally come off in his introductions, with most of the rest sounding to today's ears something like, "Well, okay, here again is the sugary teat you all apparently can't get enough of suckling, you infuriating little animals, so open wide and take your medicine." Now, of course, you shouldn't feel too bad for Baum; by the last years of his life, his combined books and plays were generating for him in today's terms roughly a quarter-million dollars a year just in personal royalties.
So all in all, an experience I'm glad I had, reading all fourteen original Oz books in a row, but not something I'd recommend to others; instead, maybe better just to read the first, then skip to the sixth, then skip straight to the 14th, 1920's Glinda of Oz, because of its unusual darkness (probably caused, many scholars agree, by Baum knowing that he was near death). As with many authors I've looked at here at CCLaP, history seems to have correctly adjusted itself in Baum's case, with most of his books now rightfully falling into the obscurity they deserve, even while his one true masterpiece is still rightfully recognized as such.
June 19, 2013
I've been reading my way through the Oz books lately in order to fill in some gaps of children's literature I'd missed as a kid. I wasn't too happy with the previous story because it felt like Baum didn't really feel any of it and just wrote Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz because he was pressured by a publisher as well as ravenous fans who wrote him imploring for more Oz. I found myself more than a little peeved that he allowed children to dictate what he put in his book. Sure, he pleased his fans, I suppose, but that never makes for good storytelling. There was no conflict and was just a series of bizarre encounters. There's also no question of whether or not Dorothy will return home anymore (spoiler alert: she does). Our girl Dorothy is getting rather used to her visits to fairylands and seems all rather chill about it all.
So, again, with this book, we have a series of bizarre encounters and no real conflict, danger, or desire. We've stopped worrying whether or not Dorothy will get back to Kansas, and so has she. There is no dramatic arc going on. Everything is all hunky dory, except for a run in with the Scoodlers (who remind me of the Fireys from "Labyrinth") who want to make Dorothy and her pals into soup. Other than that, it's just Dorothy and a bunch of weirdos on their way to see Ozma for her birthday (which is August 21st - mark your calendars, folks!) In this adventure, it's Dorothy's three new companions that need to find their homes: The Shaggy Man to a new home, Polychrome back to the rainbow, and Button-Bright back to wherever the hell he came from.
The story opens with Dorothy's encounter with the Shaggy Man, which is totes creepy. He and Dorothy meet when he passes by her home in Kansas and asks her for directions. She attempts to oblige him, but it isn't going so well. Dorothy decides the best way to get him there is to take him herself. She excuses herself to run inside to grab her bonnet -- something I was hoping was just a ruse to yell for Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to call the cops. But, no, I guess Stranger Danger wasn't an issue in early 1900s Kansas. For some reason.
And away they go. As soon as the Shaggy Man (who doesn't have a name, that we know of, and just answers the "Shaggy Man") has gotten Dorothy far enough away from home to realize she's lost, he reveals he has a super special magic token called a "love magnet" that makes people love him no matter what and in any circumstance.
RUN, DOROTHY, RUN.
Well, hang in there, folks, it turns out it's not meant to be creepy at all and it's actually good that he has this object because it ends up helping the out of a few tight spots. And, really, I do appreciate what Baum was trying to do here and show that this guy is really a sweet, good man beneath his shaggy appearance and just wants to be seen for more than that without changing who he is. But, lordy, that is not the way this reads today.
Soon afterwards she meets the idiot Button-Bright who I just can't even. No.
So I only adored about one-third of Dorothy's new companions.
"A little girl, radiant and beautiful, shapely as a fairy and exquisitely dressed, was dancing gracefully in the middle of a lonely road, whirling slowly this way and that, her dainty feet twinkling in sprightly fashion. She was clad in flowing, fluffy robes of soft material that reminded Dorothy of woven cobwebs, only it was colored in soft tintings of violet, rose, topaz, olive, azure, and white, mingled together most harmoniously in stripes which melted one into the other with soft blendings. Her hair was spun like gold and floated around her in a cloud, no strand being fastened or confined by either pin or ornament or ribbon."
(page 60)
I am a sucker for colors and rainbows and fairies, so, of course, I am a sucker for Polychrome's adorable spirit - even though the poor girl doesn't get anything to do (except dance to keep warm) (and be adorable all the time).
Some other observations:
-I couldn't help but think that the chapter headings resembled the female reproductive system.
-"Everything about Ozma attracted one, and she inspired love and the sweetest affection rather than awe or ordinary admiration. Dorothy threw her arms around her little friend and hugged and kissed her rapturously."
(page 204)
Whoa. Should I be shipping Dozma?
"You have some queer friends, Dorothy." [Polychrome] said.
"The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the answer."
(page 184)
"It isn't what we are, but what folks think we are, that counts in this world."
-The Hungry Tiger, page 185
I love that dude.
And this passage:
"There were many people on these walks - men, women, and children - all dressed in handsome garments of silk or satin or velvet, with beautiful jewels. Better even than this: all seemed happy and contented, for their faces were smiling and free from care, and music and laughter might be heard on every side.
'Don't they work at all?' asked the shaggy man.
'To be sure they work,' replied the Tin Woodsman; 'this fair city could not be built or cared for without labor, nor could the fruit and vegetables and other food be provided for the inhabitants to eat. But no one works for more than half his time, and the people of Oz enjoy their labors as much as they do their play.'
(page 191)
The Emerald City is a shining beacon of socialism, huh?
And I'm going to end this mess with this image of His Royal Foxiness.
So, again, with this book, we have a series of bizarre encounters and no real conflict, danger, or desire. We've stopped worrying whether or not Dorothy will get back to Kansas, and so has she. There is no dramatic arc going on. Everything is all hunky dory, except for a run in with the Scoodlers (who remind me of the Fireys from "Labyrinth") who want to make Dorothy and her pals into soup. Other than that, it's just Dorothy and a bunch of weirdos on their way to see Ozma for her birthday (which is August 21st - mark your calendars, folks!) In this adventure, it's Dorothy's three new companions that need to find their homes: The Shaggy Man to a new home, Polychrome back to the rainbow, and Button-Bright back to wherever the hell he came from.
The story opens with Dorothy's encounter with the Shaggy Man, which is totes creepy. He and Dorothy meet when he passes by her home in Kansas and asks her for directions. She attempts to oblige him, but it isn't going so well. Dorothy decides the best way to get him there is to take him herself. She excuses herself to run inside to grab her bonnet -- something I was hoping was just a ruse to yell for Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to call the cops. But, no, I guess Stranger Danger wasn't an issue in early 1900s Kansas. For some reason.
And away they go. As soon as the Shaggy Man (who doesn't have a name, that we know of, and just answers the "Shaggy Man") has gotten Dorothy far enough away from home to realize she's lost, he reveals he has a super special magic token called a "love magnet" that makes people love him no matter what and in any circumstance.
RUN, DOROTHY, RUN.
Well, hang in there, folks, it turns out it's not meant to be creepy at all and it's actually good that he has this object because it ends up helping the out of a few tight spots. And, really, I do appreciate what Baum was trying to do here and show that this guy is really a sweet, good man beneath his shaggy appearance and just wants to be seen for more than that without changing who he is. But, lordy, that is not the way this reads today.
Soon afterwards she meets the idiot Button-Bright who I just can't even. No.
So I only adored about one-third of Dorothy's new companions.
"A little girl, radiant and beautiful, shapely as a fairy and exquisitely dressed, was dancing gracefully in the middle of a lonely road, whirling slowly this way and that, her dainty feet twinkling in sprightly fashion. She was clad in flowing, fluffy robes of soft material that reminded Dorothy of woven cobwebs, only it was colored in soft tintings of violet, rose, topaz, olive, azure, and white, mingled together most harmoniously in stripes which melted one into the other with soft blendings. Her hair was spun like gold and floated around her in a cloud, no strand being fastened or confined by either pin or ornament or ribbon."
(page 60)
I am a sucker for colors and rainbows and fairies, so, of course, I am a sucker for Polychrome's adorable spirit - even though the poor girl doesn't get anything to do (except dance to keep warm) (and be adorable all the time).
Some other observations:
-I couldn't help but think that the chapter headings resembled the female reproductive system.
-"Everything about Ozma attracted one, and she inspired love and the sweetest affection rather than awe or ordinary admiration. Dorothy threw her arms around her little friend and hugged and kissed her rapturously."
(page 204)
Whoa. Should I be shipping Dozma?
"You have some queer friends, Dorothy." [Polychrome] said.
"The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the answer."
(page 184)
"It isn't what we are, but what folks think we are, that counts in this world."
-The Hungry Tiger, page 185
I love that dude.
And this passage:
"There were many people on these walks - men, women, and children - all dressed in handsome garments of silk or satin or velvet, with beautiful jewels. Better even than this: all seemed happy and contented, for their faces were smiling and free from care, and music and laughter might be heard on every side.
'Don't they work at all?' asked the shaggy man.
'To be sure they work,' replied the Tin Woodsman; 'this fair city could not be built or cared for without labor, nor could the fruit and vegetables and other food be provided for the inhabitants to eat. But no one works for more than half his time, and the people of Oz enjoy their labors as much as they do their play.'
(page 191)
The Emerald City is a shining beacon of socialism, huh?
And I'm going to end this mess with this image of His Royal Foxiness.
November 9, 2014
This, is, quite frankly, the worst of all the Oz books I've read. I got the feeling that, by the end, Baum was bored with writing it and just stopped trying.
It starts rather disturbingly in that Dorothy walks away from her farm alone with a stranger called The Shaggy Man who says that he's lost and needs directions. Since Dorothy has no sense at all of stranger danger, she goes off with this man who swears that he has a "love magnet" that attracts everyone to him. Eventually, he leads Dorothy into his cottage in the woods, tortures her, chops her up, and eats her. Wait. No. That last bit didn't happen, much to the reader's surprise.
Instead, the 2 wander along, both lost. Dorothy assumes the road they've taken must lead to Oz because she always ends up there when she gets lost. Along the way, they meet many new people (as usual in these novels), several of which tell her to ask Ozma if it would be okay if they came to Ozma's birthday party. Before long, the journey turns into a journey to attend Ozma's birthday party.
I'm always impressed with Baum's ability to create memorable characters. The most significant new character that Dorothy meets on the road to Oz is The Rainbow's Daughter who is named Polychrome. My daughter insists that she must dress as Polychrome next Halloween. Once the traveling group arrives in Oz, Baum spends chapter after chapter after chapter after chapter after chapter having every person from the previous 4 books show up to the party (along with several new ones). The interesting thing is that, even though some of the characters only appeared briefly in some of the other books of the series, they're all instantly memorable when they arrive for the party. I marvel at Baum's ability to create such a plethora of memorable characters, fully and memorably fleshing each of them out in just a paragraph or 2 when they're first introduced. But reading about each of them arriving to Ozma's party for chapter on end without any plot made me wonder if it became as much of a chore for Baum to write as it was for me to read. Even the events of the party were written without any feeling. The last part of the book was very much told rather than shown. It feels as if Baum was too bored with the book to bother writing by the time he got to the birthday party scene.
By the time all of the characters showed up to the party, I wasn't surprised at all that Santa Claus showed up as well. We'll have to read Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in December. Perhaps that shall be more interesting.
Other than meeting The Rainbow's Daughter, I could have skipped this book. It may be quite a while before I'm tempted to move forward with the series. I probably will eventually, but I doubt it will be any time soon.
It starts rather disturbingly in that Dorothy walks away from her farm alone with a stranger called The Shaggy Man who says that he's lost and needs directions. Since Dorothy has no sense at all of stranger danger, she goes off with this man who swears that he has a "love magnet" that attracts everyone to him. Eventually, he leads Dorothy into his cottage in the woods, tortures her, chops her up, and eats her. Wait. No. That last bit didn't happen, much to the reader's surprise.
Instead, the 2 wander along, both lost. Dorothy assumes the road they've taken must lead to Oz because she always ends up there when she gets lost. Along the way, they meet many new people (as usual in these novels), several of which tell her to ask Ozma if it would be okay if they came to Ozma's birthday party. Before long, the journey turns into a journey to attend Ozma's birthday party.
I'm always impressed with Baum's ability to create memorable characters. The most significant new character that Dorothy meets on the road to Oz is The Rainbow's Daughter who is named Polychrome. My daughter insists that she must dress as Polychrome next Halloween. Once the traveling group arrives in Oz, Baum spends chapter after chapter after chapter after chapter after chapter having every person from the previous 4 books show up to the party (along with several new ones). The interesting thing is that, even though some of the characters only appeared briefly in some of the other books of the series, they're all instantly memorable when they arrive for the party. I marvel at Baum's ability to create such a plethora of memorable characters, fully and memorably fleshing each of them out in just a paragraph or 2 when they're first introduced. But reading about each of them arriving to Ozma's party for chapter on end without any plot made me wonder if it became as much of a chore for Baum to write as it was for me to read. Even the events of the party were written without any feeling. The last part of the book was very much told rather than shown. It feels as if Baum was too bored with the book to bother writing by the time he got to the birthday party scene.
By the time all of the characters showed up to the party, I wasn't surprised at all that Santa Claus showed up as well. We'll have to read Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in December. Perhaps that shall be more interesting.
Other than meeting The Rainbow's Daughter, I could have skipped this book. It may be quite a while before I'm tempted to move forward with the series. I probably will eventually, but I doubt it will be any time soon.
June 14, 2016
So im reading all the Oz books plus the side books but feeling a little sick so review to come when i'm feeling better
March 6, 2022
It's Ozma's birthday and Dorothy and all her friends are invited.
On the road to Oz Dorothy meets some new friends, the Shaggy man, polychrome the daughter of the rainbow and Button-Bright. They have to cross the dangerous desert to enter the land of Oz, making this another great adventure from Dorothy and friends.
In this book appear old friends from Dorothy like the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, also Tik-Tok and Billina make an appearance.
I recommend this book to people who have read the previous 4 books of the Wizard of Oz Collection, because of all the other characters from previous books.
On the road to Oz Dorothy meets some new friends, the Shaggy man, polychrome the daughter of the rainbow and Button-Bright. They have to cross the dangerous desert to enter the land of Oz, making this another great adventure from Dorothy and friends.
In this book appear old friends from Dorothy like the Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger, also Tik-Tok and Billina make an appearance.
I recommend this book to people who have read the previous 4 books of the Wizard of Oz Collection, because of all the other characters from previous books.
March 20, 2015
OK. It’s obvious what’s going on here. As L. Frank Baum explained in the foreword to one of the OZ books (and I’ve seen such sentiments in some of his other forewords, too):
It's no use; no use at all. The children won't let me stop telling tales of the Land of Oz. I know lots of other stories, and I hope to tell them, some time or another; but just now my loving tyrants won't allow me. They cry: "Oz — Oz! more about Oz, Mr. Baum!" and what can I do but obey their commands?
I think it’s sweet that Baum wanted to satisfy his readers, but these stories are starting to feel like they were quickly and thoughtlessly thrown together just to satisfy those loving tyrants.
In The Road to Oz, Dorothy and Toto meet the Shaggy Man who carries a love magnet so that everyone... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
It's no use; no use at all. The children won't let me stop telling tales of the Land of Oz. I know lots of other stories, and I hope to tell them, some time or another; but just now my loving tyrants won't allow me. They cry: "Oz — Oz! more about Oz, Mr. Baum!" and what can I do but obey their commands?
I think it’s sweet that Baum wanted to satisfy his readers, but these stories are starting to feel like they were quickly and thoughtlessly thrown together just to satisfy those loving tyrants.
In The Road to Oz, Dorothy and Toto meet the Shaggy Man who carries a love magnet so that everyone... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
May 29, 2019
These books are starting to feel a little repetitive. Somehow Dorothy, unintentionally, ends up on a journey to find OZ and along the way she meets a new cast of eccentric characters and/or she is reunited with every eccentric character she has met on her previous journeys.
Maybe I need take a longer break before I read the next book.
Maybe I need take a longer break before I read the next book.
April 16, 2012
As I continue to read these books as an adult I am shocked by what Baum has gotten away with as an author. Some of the spark that I had for this series as a child is quickly leaving as I realize some of the mechanics that he uses as an author that I simply am not fond of or even okay with. He often calls people or things stupid in his books. He belittles frequently and he continues to do that in this book. He also doesn't seem to be that respectful for the most part to his actual fans. It becomes more apparent as you continue to read that has is increasingly becoming annoyed with having to write about Oz all the time, even though he keeps saying at the beginning of the books that he is doing this for the children.
This book has several introductions of characters to Oz. Polychrome, the Rainbow's daughter, happens to be one of the more interesting ones introduced. The Shaggy Man also seems to be a rather interesting character as well and I hope that he is continued to be used throughout the series.
Baum again makes the majority of the book next take place in oz proper and then suddenly we are in oz. Baum found a formula that he likes to use because he wanted to tell other stories. In this book he even makes a point to almost advertise all these other books that he created by who attends the party at the end. These other stories he created show up and to me that was not needed because of how many characters already inhabit the land of oz itself.
Maybe as a grown up individual I can no longer appreciate these books the same way I could as a child. Sometimes we have to recognize that we have outgrown something that we once loved.
This book has several introductions of characters to Oz. Polychrome, the Rainbow's daughter, happens to be one of the more interesting ones introduced. The Shaggy Man also seems to be a rather interesting character as well and I hope that he is continued to be used throughout the series.
Baum again makes the majority of the book next take place in oz proper and then suddenly we are in oz. Baum found a formula that he likes to use because he wanted to tell other stories. In this book he even makes a point to almost advertise all these other books that he created by who attends the party at the end. These other stories he created show up and to me that was not needed because of how many characters already inhabit the land of oz itself.
Maybe as a grown up individual I can no longer appreciate these books the same way I could as a child. Sometimes we have to recognize that we have outgrown something that we once loved.
April 6, 2017
This one starts out a little creepy: Dorothy, back in Kansas, meets a shady character called "The Shaggy Man," who asks her to show him the way to Butterfield. Way too many tragic stories start like that, eh? Worse, he claims to have a "love magnet" in his pocket that will instantly cause anyone he meets to love him.
But no, it's all innocent, okay? Even though modern readers are going to be totally creeped out by this.
The Shaggy Man doesn't even get a name. Everyone just calls him "Shaggy Man" for the rest of the book. Zoinks, Scoob!
Of course, on the way to Butterfield, they get totally lost, and decide they'll just keep on traveling until they get to the Emerald City.
Unlike in previous books, Dorothy doesn't even care that she's lost. She seems to know what the readers have learned by now: whatever happens, she'll eventually end up in Oz, and be magically returned home. So what the hell! Let's have an adventure! (Or at least a long walk where nothing interesting happens.)
The first person they meet is a boy named "Button-Bright" who threatens to turn the novel into "A Child's Book of Irony" by being the stupidest person ever. Then they meet the daughter of the rainbow, Polychrome, who has no reason for being in this novel and doesn't do anything worth mentioning.
After the previous Oz book ( Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ) in which the very thin plot is resolved by deus ex machina (or Ozma ex machina) and closes with a reintroduction of every Oz character from all the books thus far, I'd joked that these endless parades of characters with which Baum has been closing his books would soon involve so many characters that he'd have to write an entire book consisting solely of character introductions.
My friends, welcome to that book.
There is no plot. There is no conflict. (At least, none that aren't quickly resolved within a few paragraphs.) There are only characters. And scenery. And characters wandering over scenery until they finally arrive at the Emerald City.
And then come the character cameos, where Baum completely outdoes himself. At the end of the book there's a birthday party for Ozma, and every character L. Frank Baum ever dreamed up makes an appearance. Not just characters from the Oz books, but characters from several of his other books as well.
The Road to Oz turns out to be nothing more than brazen cross-promotion. It's as if Baum was sick and tired of writing Oz books, and wanted to point his readers to his lesser-known tales. Ironically, none of these characters compel me to want to read these other books because they're just so freakin' weird. There's Queen Zixi of Ix, and a giant gingerbread man, and some weird "Candyman" dude and a character of indeterminate gender, and somebody named Bill, and some purple bear (I think) and someone made out of bubble gum or soap or maybe not. I don't remember it very well, because it's all very hallucinatory. Even Santa Claus shows up and everyone treats him like God himself just appeared on the scene.
And then these characters are paraded before the reader not once, not twice, but three separate times. (Entry to the Emerald City, Banquet at the Palace, Parade outside the Emerald City.) This takes up probably a third of the book and becomes excruciatingly tedious.
Ugh. The Road to Oz is the poster child for lazy writing. But I guess if you've established yourself as a writer, you can get away with tripe like this.
But no, it's all innocent, okay? Even though modern readers are going to be totally creeped out by this.
The Shaggy Man doesn't even get a name. Everyone just calls him "Shaggy Man" for the rest of the book. Zoinks, Scoob!
Of course, on the way to Butterfield, they get totally lost, and decide they'll just keep on traveling until they get to the Emerald City.
Unlike in previous books, Dorothy doesn't even care that she's lost. She seems to know what the readers have learned by now: whatever happens, she'll eventually end up in Oz, and be magically returned home. So what the hell! Let's have an adventure! (Or at least a long walk where nothing interesting happens.)
The first person they meet is a boy named "Button-Bright" who threatens to turn the novel into "A Child's Book of Irony" by being the stupidest person ever. Then they meet the daughter of the rainbow, Polychrome, who has no reason for being in this novel and doesn't do anything worth mentioning.
After the previous Oz book ( Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ) in which the very thin plot is resolved by deus ex machina (or Ozma ex machina) and closes with a reintroduction of every Oz character from all the books thus far, I'd joked that these endless parades of characters with which Baum has been closing his books would soon involve so many characters that he'd have to write an entire book consisting solely of character introductions.
My friends, welcome to that book.
There is no plot. There is no conflict. (At least, none that aren't quickly resolved within a few paragraphs.) There are only characters. And scenery. And characters wandering over scenery until they finally arrive at the Emerald City.
And then come the character cameos, where Baum completely outdoes himself. At the end of the book there's a birthday party for Ozma, and every character L. Frank Baum ever dreamed up makes an appearance. Not just characters from the Oz books, but characters from several of his other books as well.
The Road to Oz turns out to be nothing more than brazen cross-promotion. It's as if Baum was sick and tired of writing Oz books, and wanted to point his readers to his lesser-known tales. Ironically, none of these characters compel me to want to read these other books because they're just so freakin' weird. There's Queen Zixi of Ix, and a giant gingerbread man, and some weird "Candyman" dude and a character of indeterminate gender, and somebody named Bill, and some purple bear (I think) and someone made out of bubble gum or soap or maybe not. I don't remember it very well, because it's all very hallucinatory. Even Santa Claus shows up and everyone treats him like God himself just appeared on the scene.
And then these characters are paraded before the reader not once, not twice, but three separate times. (Entry to the Emerald City, Banquet at the Palace, Parade outside the Emerald City.) This takes up probably a third of the book and becomes excruciatingly tedious.
Ugh. The Road to Oz is the poster child for lazy writing. But I guess if you've established yourself as a writer, you can get away with tripe like this.
March 9, 2019
When a shaggy traveler asks Dorothy Gale the way to Butterfield, the helpful young Kansas girl sets out to show him the way, only to find herself caught up in another magical adventure when the road inexplicably shifts, leading her and her companion into fairyland. Soon meeting Button Bright, a beautiful but not-so-clever toddler, as well as Polychrome, the lost daughter of the rainbow, the companions slowly make their way closer and closer to Oz, hoping to attend Ozma's upcoming birthday celebration. On their way they encounter a kingdom of foxes, a society of donkeys, and a group of sinister Scoodlers. With the help of magical jack-of-all-trades Jonny Dooit, they manage to cross the great desert surrounding Oz, and are soon on their way to the Emerald City, there to witness the pomp and ceremony of Ozma's great celebration...
Originally published in 1909, this fifth Oz book from L. Frank Baum is quite interesting for the author's fans (more on that anon), although not one of the stronger Oz stories, judged on its own merits. Despite his 'love magnet,' I have always had troubling taking the Shaggy Man as much to heart as I wanted to - he always seems as if he should be more endearing than he is - and have always found Button Bright distinctly annoying. Polychrome is an appealing character, but as is often the case with Baum, she is underdeveloped. The story is somewhat disjointed, and its eventual object - getting the travelers to the Emerald City for Ozma's birthday - never feels particularly compelling. That said, I was charmed by the multicolored paper used for this facsimile edition of the book - a tribute to Polychrome, perhaps? - and enjoyed picking out all the references to Baum's other works, in the attendees at Ozma's party. There are figures from other Oz stories, from the Royal family of Ev ( Ozma of Oz ) to the Braided Man ( Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ), as well as characters from non-Oz fantasies, like Queen Zixi of Ix , Dot and Tot of Merryland , John Dough and the Cherub , and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus . Despite the pleasure of identifying these characters, The Road to Oz is only a low three-star read for me, and would probably only merit two, were I not sentimentally attached to it, after reading it in childhood.
Originally published in 1909, this fifth Oz book from L. Frank Baum is quite interesting for the author's fans (more on that anon), although not one of the stronger Oz stories, judged on its own merits. Despite his 'love magnet,' I have always had troubling taking the Shaggy Man as much to heart as I wanted to - he always seems as if he should be more endearing than he is - and have always found Button Bright distinctly annoying. Polychrome is an appealing character, but as is often the case with Baum, she is underdeveloped. The story is somewhat disjointed, and its eventual object - getting the travelers to the Emerald City for Ozma's birthday - never feels particularly compelling. That said, I was charmed by the multicolored paper used for this facsimile edition of the book - a tribute to Polychrome, perhaps? - and enjoyed picking out all the references to Baum's other works, in the attendees at Ozma's party. There are figures from other Oz stories, from the Royal family of Ev ( Ozma of Oz ) to the Braided Man ( Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ), as well as characters from non-Oz fantasies, like Queen Zixi of Ix , Dot and Tot of Merryland , John Dough and the Cherub , and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus . Despite the pleasure of identifying these characters, The Road to Oz is only a low three-star read for me, and would probably only merit two, were I not sentimentally attached to it, after reading it in childhood.
January 6, 2021
The Road to Oz is the fifth book in the Wizard of Oz series and follows Dorothy as she is accidentally brought to Oz with a new group of characters.
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As you might know, I’m trying to work through the fourteen books in the Oz series, and in 2021, I’ve committed to reading one each month until I’m done. The beginning of The Road to Oz had me laughing out loud. The Shaggy Man and Button-Bright are new characters and their interactions are so funny. This one also gave me some insight into L. Frank Baum. I’m fascinated by him and what he was thinking about when he wrote these stories and in this particular entry, he includes a brief exchange between (I think) The Shaggy Man and the Tin Woodman where they talk about using money in exchange for goods. Oz, what I gather is supposed to be a perfect place in Baum’s eyes, doesn’t use money and the Tin Woodman finds the idea of money disgusting. I really thought this was interesting to include in the story. I do think the end was a little tedious but overall, still an interesting and fun story.
.
As you might know, I’m trying to work through the fourteen books in the Oz series, and in 2021, I’ve committed to reading one each month until I’m done. The beginning of The Road to Oz had me laughing out loud. The Shaggy Man and Button-Bright are new characters and their interactions are so funny. This one also gave me some insight into L. Frank Baum. I’m fascinated by him and what he was thinking about when he wrote these stories and in this particular entry, he includes a brief exchange between (I think) The Shaggy Man and the Tin Woodman where they talk about using money in exchange for goods. Oz, what I gather is supposed to be a perfect place in Baum’s eyes, doesn’t use money and the Tin Woodman finds the idea of money disgusting. I really thought this was interesting to include in the story. I do think the end was a little tedious but overall, still an interesting and fun story.
October 28, 2023
This is the fifth book in the Oz series and it certainly feels as though Baum had given up. I know that he wrote the sequels in the first place in response to fan letters (and he certainly packs a lot of fan service into the books, so good to know geeks were around over a hundred years ago too), but by this book he seemed to have no idea for a story at all. Don't write a novel until you have an idea!
Previously when Dorothy has travelled to a fairy land, it has been due to some cataclysmic event. A cyclone, a storm at sea, an earthquake. But in this book, she is just walking along a road. That is a lot less exciting. She then proceeds to travel with some new companions through a few bizarre towns in exactly the same format as the previous book. Once again she is accompanied by an adult man who deals with all the danger and decision-making, so Dorothy might as well not be here. At least in her first two adventures (books 1 and 3), she was the protagonist. There is almost no plot here. The first three Oz books were about the characters dealing with problems and foes, but such ideas of story seem to have gone out of the window. The entire plot of this book is 'Ozma has a birthday party'. That should be the plot of a picture book, not a novel!
As for the characters, sure fans will look forward to seeing their old favourites again, but these characters actually need to do something! Baum insists on again introducing a bunch of bland newbies, here Shaggy Man, Button-Bright and Polychrome, who add nothing to the texture of the story. When Dorothy gets to Oz, she is happy to see her besties Scarecrow, Tin Man, Tik-Tok and Billina, but why can't she have an adventure with THEM instead of a bunch of boring strangers? Meanwhile we are told over and over that everyone loves Ozma because she is pretty. Seriously? What happened to the personality Ozma used to have when she was Tip? This book also introduces a bunch of characters from Baum's non-Oz novels. They don't do much, they are just guests at the party, but if you like that kind of intertextuality, I guess you'll get a kick out of it.
I think this addition to the series is only notable for being the one that explains not to worry, Jack Pumpkinhead isn't dead.
I really hope the rest of the books in the Oz series are not all like this one.
Previously when Dorothy has travelled to a fairy land, it has been due to some cataclysmic event. A cyclone, a storm at sea, an earthquake. But in this book, she is just walking along a road. That is a lot less exciting. She then proceeds to travel with some new companions through a few bizarre towns in exactly the same format as the previous book. Once again she is accompanied by an adult man who deals with all the danger and decision-making, so Dorothy might as well not be here. At least in her first two adventures (books 1 and 3), she was the protagonist. There is almost no plot here. The first three Oz books were about the characters dealing with problems and foes, but such ideas of story seem to have gone out of the window. The entire plot of this book is 'Ozma has a birthday party'. That should be the plot of a picture book, not a novel!
As for the characters, sure fans will look forward to seeing their old favourites again, but these characters actually need to do something! Baum insists on again introducing a bunch of bland newbies, here Shaggy Man, Button-Bright and Polychrome, who add nothing to the texture of the story. When Dorothy gets to Oz, she is happy to see her besties Scarecrow, Tin Man, Tik-Tok and Billina, but why can't she have an adventure with THEM instead of a bunch of boring strangers? Meanwhile we are told over and over that everyone loves Ozma because she is pretty. Seriously? What happened to the personality Ozma used to have when she was Tip? This book also introduces a bunch of characters from Baum's non-Oz novels. They don't do much, they are just guests at the party, but if you like that kind of intertextuality, I guess you'll get a kick out of it.
I think this addition to the series is only notable for being the one that explains not to worry, Jack Pumpkinhead isn't dead.
I really hope the rest of the books in the Oz series are not all like this one.
January 21, 2018
3.5 stars for me. I was thinking 2-2.5 Stars most of this book.
Nothing too exciting UNTIL Ozma had her birthday party.
Love the eclectic group of guests!
Such gaiety!
Grandiose and picturesque shows!
Stately dinners!
And a spectacular exodus!
Whoop to the author!
Nothing too exciting UNTIL Ozma had her birthday party.
Love the eclectic group of guests!
Such gaiety!
Grandiose and picturesque shows!
Stately dinners!
And a spectacular exodus!
Whoop to the author!
January 3, 2017
I was first given a copy of this for my birthday when I was about 9 or 10, and read it several times. I never read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a child (only been terrified of the flying monkeys in the movie!), nor did I know until then that there were any other Oz stories. Thanks to Project Gutenberg I was able to read it again and see that it pretty much stands the test of time, though I wonder what today's helicopter parents would make of the Scoodlers. Kids, however, often like to be scared a bit by something they know to be impossible and unreal; I know they didn't bother me at all in those days, though today I find them pretty creepy! In the forword Baum announces that this is positively the last Oz book he intends to write; fortunately, that didn't happen.
Dorothy tries to direct a Shaggy Man to Butterfield, but gets lost along the way. All roads lead to Oz in her world, and after a few adventures she is just in time for Princess Ozma's birthday celebration.
I love the illustrations as much now as I did back then, except for the circle of laughing heads at the head of the chapters. They creeped me out then, and the still do today!
The one false note in the story for the today-me is the presence of Santa Claus at Princess Ozma's party. I don't know, he just seems out of place. But then I was never allowed to "believe" in Santa anyway.
A GR friend suggested I download some of the stories I'd never read; I think they'll make great holiday reading.
Dorothy tries to direct a Shaggy Man to Butterfield, but gets lost along the way. All roads lead to Oz in her world, and after a few adventures she is just in time for Princess Ozma's birthday celebration.
I love the illustrations as much now as I did back then, except for the circle of laughing heads at the head of the chapters. They creeped me out then, and the still do today!
The one false note in the story for the today-me is the presence of Santa Claus at Princess Ozma's party. I don't know, he just seems out of place. But then I was never allowed to "believe" in Santa anyway.
A GR friend suggested I download some of the stories I'd never read; I think they'll make great holiday reading.
June 3, 2020
The 5th Oz book is an episodic series of adventures that Dorothy and Toto have on the "road" back to Oz. This time they're accompanied by Shaggy Man who starts things off by asking Dorothy how to find the town of Butterfield. In an attempt to guide Shaggy Man to Butterfield they become lost and before they know it are in a fairy world closer to the Emerald City than Kansas. Along the way Dorothy and Shaggy Man encounter plenty of strange beings and creatures. They also pick up a pair of travelers to join them on their roadtrip. Pollychrome is girl who slid off a rainbow and got lost. Button Bright is a boy who knows nothing about anything. Eventually, they decide to make their way to the Emerald City in time for Ozma's Birthday Celebration. This event brings back every character from the four previous Oz books. There isn't really a plot to ride along with in this book. Still, kids of any age would like it.
April 8, 2023
4/5 stars
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝑫𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒚,' 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔,' 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓”
From the Munchkin Country to the Quadling Country, it's a journey that's filled with whimsical encounters and unexpected surprises. The interactions between the characters are delightful, with witty banter and humorous situations that had me chuckling and smiling.
Another positive point is the sense of adventure and discovery that permeates the story. Baum's creativity shines through as the characters encounter strange and magical creatures along their journey, from talking foxes to living paper dolls. The imaginative world of Oz is expanded further, revealing new facets of its enchanting landscape and adding depth to the overall story.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝑫𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒚,' 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔,' 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓”
From the Munchkin Country to the Quadling Country, it's a journey that's filled with whimsical encounters and unexpected surprises. The interactions between the characters are delightful, with witty banter and humorous situations that had me chuckling and smiling.
Another positive point is the sense of adventure and discovery that permeates the story. Baum's creativity shines through as the characters encounter strange and magical creatures along their journey, from talking foxes to living paper dolls. The imaginative world of Oz is expanded further, revealing new facets of its enchanting landscape and adding depth to the overall story.
March 9, 2022
These books continue to be a cute, fun break from longer and heavier books. They definitely have a pretty standard format at this point: meet a few new characters (either all new or accompanied by a familiar face), new characters face some adventures and expand the Oz lore, then we meet all the characters from the other books. Ozma's birthday party in this book as a fun excuse for all the characters to come together, so I enjoyed that! I wish I were reading the illustrated versions of these books though, since I think they would be even better with illustrations.
October 8, 2019
Even the love magnet doesn’t attract me.
Read
May 22, 2022"- لديكِ أصدقاء في غاية الغرابة يا دورثي!
- الغرابة لا تهم ما داموا أصدقاء جيدين."🖤
- الغرابة لا تهم ما داموا أصدقاء جيدين."🖤
July 3, 2017
Another great Oz book!
Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man, a friendly man who is sorta of lost, who wants to know the way to Butterfield. Dorothy starts walking with him and suddenly she gets lost! She meets a little boy, named Button-Bright, who is also very lost. They start walking in hopes of finding Oz, instead they wander into a fox kingdom. They are immediately taken to the king. The king asks Button-Bright some questions, to which he answers "Don't know". Apparently, the king is pleased with this and as a "reward" turns Button-Bright's head into a fox's head. He also asks for an invitation to Princess Ozma's birthday. And yet again, Dorothy and her friends are on their way to Oz. While they are walking they meet a dancing girl, named Polychrome. She is the Rainbow's daughter. She fell off the rainbow and is now trying to get back to her home. Then they wander into a donkey village and again the king wants to go to Ozma's party. They stay for the night and then they are back on the road to Oz. Then they go the truth pond and Button-Bright gets his head back, but that's not the end of their troubles. Eventually, they make it to Ozma's party and Santa Claus and the old wizard is there. The wizard then sends everyone home by blowing bubbles around them.
Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man, a friendly man who is sorta of lost, who wants to know the way to Butterfield. Dorothy starts walking with him and suddenly she gets lost! She meets a little boy, named Button-Bright, who is also very lost. They start walking in hopes of finding Oz, instead they wander into a fox kingdom. They are immediately taken to the king. The king asks Button-Bright some questions, to which he answers "Don't know". Apparently, the king is pleased with this and as a "reward" turns Button-Bright's head into a fox's head. He also asks for an invitation to Princess Ozma's birthday. And yet again, Dorothy and her friends are on their way to Oz. While they are walking they meet a dancing girl, named Polychrome. She is the Rainbow's daughter. She fell off the rainbow and is now trying to get back to her home. Then they wander into a donkey village and again the king wants to go to Ozma's party. They stay for the night and then they are back on the road to Oz. Then they go the truth pond and Button-Bright gets his head back, but that's not the end of their troubles. Eventually, they make it to Ozma's party and Santa Claus and the old wizard is there. The wizard then sends everyone home by blowing bubbles around them.
April 25, 2023
This book hooked me with The Shaggy Man, entranced me with Polychrome (the daughter of the rainbow), and lost me at Santa Clause. As always, L. Frank Baum introduces us to a menagerie of imaginative, unique, and hilarious characters. In this book, however, for the first time, we find that one of our world's legends is actually from Oz, and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that. That said, it wasn't a huge part of the book so I tried not to dwell on it too much.
I did get a good giggle out of Baum's note at the end insisting that this will be the last of the Oz books. Apparently, Oz was to Baum what Sherlock Holmes became to Conan Doyle. Personally, I'm thrilled he didn't stop here!
I did get a good giggle out of Baum's note at the end insisting that this will be the last of the Oz books. Apparently, Oz was to Baum what Sherlock Holmes became to Conan Doyle. Personally, I'm thrilled he didn't stop here!
October 29, 2019
I just got a kick over the characters that Dorothy met. The Musicker reminds me of some of the wheezy patients I see at work. Copd was probably rampant then also.
February 13, 2024
“mas aprendi por experiência própria que toda estrada leva a algum lugar, ou não existiria uma estrada”
July 21, 2019
A clueless boy in a sailor suit named Button Bright, a hobo with a "Love Magnet" called simply Shaggy Man, the Rainbow's daughter Polly Chrome and all the usual suspects combine to make a truly yawn-inducing 5th volume in the Oz series. This one reveals that no one ever dies in the Land of Oz. What????
It took over a month to read this one to my boys, in part because it's summer, but mostly because I lost my will to read. This will be our last Oz book.
It took over a month to read this one to my boys, in part because it's summer, but mostly because I lost my will to read. This will be our last Oz book.
February 21, 2019
#OzAThon, Book 5
Well, someone should educate Dorothy on Stranger Danger, because it’s about damn time. Like, I understand to talk to strangers when you are stranded in a weird magical land and those people are made of straw and tin and you’re trying to get home, but when a weird man shows up and asks you for directions, you tell him, but not freakin' go with him! What the hell, Mr. Baum? What are kids supposed to take from that?
In this merry story (feel the sarcasm), Dorothy is too trustworthy and follows are weird guy, called the Shaggy Man, to show him the way to a very unspecific location and gets lost. On their way they meet a not very bright boy called Button-Bright and the Daughter of the Rainbow, Polychrome. Together they try to find their way to Oz, because obviously the Ozma ex machina can send them all home.
Yeah, so I didn’t really enjoy this one. I‘m aware the target audience are children, but give kids some fuckin‘ credit. They are smart, they deserve smart stories.
This one was not.
It did not feel like a well-rounded, crafted story but instead like a bunch of scenes randomly thrown together that seriously miss some heart. It was so loveless, despite Baum still showing some incredible creativity. It felt like he was on autopilot writing it, just to please his fans. Kind of like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle after the forced resurrection of Sherlock Holmes.
The new characters are reaching from creepy (Shaggy Man) to annoying (Button-Bright) over To boring and pointless (Polychrome).
The Shaggy Man is just a weird character overall and hard to figure out. He carries a magical object, called Love Magnet, around that forces people to immediately "love" him, which is about the creepiest thing to imagine.
Button-Bright is supposedly to be cute or something, but he is so stupid, it goes beyond the point of funny. He makes Jack Pumpkinhead look smart in direct comparison.
And Polychrome? Interesting idea, but I already forgot what her purpose is.
Returning characters are nothing more than glorifying cameos that having nothing to do but celebrate Ozma‘s birthday. Even Dorothy herself seems strangely just there and mostly lowkey annoyed at her companions this time (or this is just my interpretation) and her function is to explain the whole book. Also, is her accent getting thicker by book?
I‘m also seeing a trend of Ozma just becoming the deus ex machina to solve every problem easily or a magical traveling agency, you decide.
Anyways, I said in my review of The Marvelous Land of Oz that it doesn’t feel very coherent and like a bunch of randomness thrown together (rephrasing here), but really, The Marvelous Land has nothing on this one.
Definitely my least favorite of the bunch so far.
Well, someone should educate Dorothy on Stranger Danger, because it’s about damn time. Like, I understand to talk to strangers when you are stranded in a weird magical land and those people are made of straw and tin and you’re trying to get home, but when a weird man shows up and asks you for directions, you tell him, but not freakin' go with him! What the hell, Mr. Baum? What are kids supposed to take from that?
In this merry story (feel the sarcasm), Dorothy is too trustworthy and follows are weird guy, called the Shaggy Man, to show him the way to a very unspecific location and gets lost. On their way they meet a not very bright boy called Button-Bright and the Daughter of the Rainbow, Polychrome. Together they try to find their way to Oz, because obviously the Ozma ex machina can send them all home.
Yeah, so I didn’t really enjoy this one. I‘m aware the target audience are children, but give kids some fuckin‘ credit. They are smart, they deserve smart stories.
This one was not.
It did not feel like a well-rounded, crafted story but instead like a bunch of scenes randomly thrown together that seriously miss some heart. It was so loveless, despite Baum still showing some incredible creativity. It felt like he was on autopilot writing it, just to please his fans. Kind of like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle after the forced resurrection of Sherlock Holmes.
The new characters are reaching from creepy (Shaggy Man) to annoying (Button-Bright) over To boring and pointless (Polychrome).
The Shaggy Man is just a weird character overall and hard to figure out. He carries a magical object, called Love Magnet, around that forces people to immediately "love" him, which is about the creepiest thing to imagine.
Button-Bright is supposedly to be cute or something, but he is so stupid, it goes beyond the point of funny. He makes Jack Pumpkinhead look smart in direct comparison.
And Polychrome? Interesting idea, but I already forgot what her purpose is.
Returning characters are nothing more than glorifying cameos that having nothing to do but celebrate Ozma‘s birthday. Even Dorothy herself seems strangely just there and mostly lowkey annoyed at her companions this time (or this is just my interpretation) and her function is to explain the whole book. Also, is her accent getting thicker by book?
I‘m also seeing a trend of Ozma just becoming the deus ex machina to solve every problem easily or a magical traveling agency, you decide.
Anyways, I said in my review of The Marvelous Land of Oz that it doesn’t feel very coherent and like a bunch of randomness thrown together (rephrasing here), but really, The Marvelous Land has nothing on this one.
Definitely my least favorite of the bunch so far.
May 2, 2024
Dorothy and Toto head to the Land of Oz to celebrate Ozma's birthday. They meet up with their old friends, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, and they make new friends, Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome.
My favorite parts of this Oz episode are the introduction of the character of the Shaggy Man and the Love Magnet.
My favorite parts of this Oz episode are the introduction of the character of the Shaggy Man and the Love Magnet.
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