Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
[Charleston, SC] ; [Sunflower Press], [2019]
Description
Classic Literature. Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. HTML: The Marvelous Land of Oz is the second book in Baum's Oz series. The series chronicles the further adventures of Dorothy both in and out of Oz, as she deals with the characters, situations and desires which continue to spill over from her first fateful adventure..
User reviews
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Originally published in 1904, this second of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Oz novels opens in the Gillikin Country, in the north of Oz. Here a mischievous young boy named Tip chafes against the rule of his less-than-benevolent guardian, the witch Mombi. When Tip's prank, in creating a pumpkin-headed man
Although I grew up reading the Oz books, both those written by Baum, and then those written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, The Marvelous Land of Oz has never been a particular favorite of mine. I always find the story a little bit scattered, with the main characters seemingly running back and forth across Oz, and I never feel particularly attached to their struggles. I have also always found the plot involving General Jinjur and her army of rebellious girls somewhat distasteful. It always rather confused me that Baum seemed to be taking aim at feminist activists, who would, at the time of publication, have been publicly working for women's suffrage. How does this parody he offers fit in with the characters' claim, later in the book, when Tipis reluctant to resume his original form as Ozma - a female! , that girls are every bit as good as boys, and sometimes even make better students? Satire is frequently to be found in the pages of Baum's Oz books - in the next title, Ozma of Oz, there are some rather pointed depictions of the military, in the form of the largely incompetent officers in Ozma's army - but this instance of it always seems to me to fall flat. It is only on this latest reread, armed with the knowledge that Baum wrote The Marvelous Land of Oz, not so much as a stand-alone story meant for children, but as a spring-board for a musical featuring the two best-beloved characters from stage adaptations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, that I began to have a better understanding of the girl-rebellion plot-line. Apparently, when creating General Jinjur and her army of attractive girls, he was thinking of the possibility of a chorus-line of young dancers in the stage production! Although this knowledge didn't make this aspect of the story any more successful, in my estimation, it did explain something that had long puzzled me.
Despite its flaws, this is a book well worth reading, even if only to get to the far superior Ozma of Oz, and I would recommend it to young fantasy lovers, with the proviso that they must read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first.
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to frighten Mombi backfires, and he is threatened with the terrible fate of being made into a statue as punishment, the young boy runs away, taking the now living Jack Pumpkinhead with him. Heading for the Emerald City, now ruled by the Scarecrow, Tip also brings to life a wooden sawhorse, and eventually meets up with a rebellious young woman named Jinjur, intent on fomenting a girls' revolt. When General Jinjur's army conquers the Emerald City, the Scarecrow must flee, taking Tip and his companions with him. They head for the Winkie Country, in the west of Oz, there to enlist the aid of the Tin Woodman, who rules that kingdom at the invitation of its residents. After a number of adventures - they meet a thoroughly educated Woogle Bug, are captured by General Jinjur, before subsequently escaping in a strange portmanteau creation called the Gump - the companions find their way to Glinda, who helps them to see that neither the Scarecrow nor General Jinjur are entitled to rule Oz. That honor belongs to the missing Princess Ozma, whose father was the last king of Oz. But where is Ozma, and what does it have to do with Tip…?Although I grew up reading the Oz books, both those written by Baum, and then those written by Ruth Plumly Thompson, The Marvelous Land of Oz has never been a particular favorite of mine. I always find the story a little bit scattered, with the main characters seemingly running back and forth across Oz, and I never feel particularly attached to their struggles. I have also always found the plot involving General Jinjur and her army of rebellious girls somewhat distasteful. It always rather confused me that Baum seemed to be taking aim at feminist activists, who would, at the time of publication, have been publicly working for women's suffrage. How does this parody he offers fit in with the characters' claim, later in the book, when Tip
Despite its flaws, this is a book well worth reading, even if only to get to the far superior Ozma of Oz, and I would recommend it to young fantasy lovers, with the proviso that they must read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first.
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LibraryThing member Aerow
SPOILER ALERT
The edition I have says something on the back to the effect of "learn more adventures of the scarecrow, tin man, and Dorothy...." Yeah, well, Dorothy doesn't come out in this book, but a little boy name Tip does. And this is about his adventures with the scarecrow, tin man, a
This book seemed to have more dialog than needed in certain places, and the characters developed over the book (rather than being fully developed from the very get-go), but I did get into this book over time and by the end, was very wrapped up in it. Especially with Tip, the little boy, becomes magically transgendered into a little girl. That was freakin' hilarious to read about - especially from a book published in 1905. Of course, I'll continue to read on in the series after I read a few other books.
The edition I have says something on the back to the effect of "learn more adventures of the scarecrow, tin man, and Dorothy...." Yeah, well, Dorothy doesn't come out in this book, but a little boy name Tip does. And this is about his adventures with the scarecrow, tin man, a
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pumpkin-headed thing named Jack, a wooden saw-horse, and some jackdaw-headed monstrosity.This book seemed to have more dialog than needed in certain places, and the characters developed over the book (rather than being fully developed from the very get-go), but I did get into this book over time and by the end, was very wrapped up in it. Especially with Tip, the little boy, becomes magically transgendered into a little girl. That was freakin' hilarious to read about - especially from a book published in 1905. Of course, I'll continue to read on in the series after I read a few other books.
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LibraryThing member Sean191
Having heard about some of Frank Baum's personal life on NPR a few years ago, I knew he was a little strange, but some of the ideas in his books really reinforce the notion. I can't go into the surprise twist at the end because I don't want to spoil things for others, but let's just say... it's
We have a giant talking bug that became giant through interesting circumstances, along with a flying, mooseheaded couch and old favorites like the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. And Baum offers a lot of amusing misunderstandings of language between characters and plays on words.
I also raised an eyebrow at all the times a character called another character "stupid" or an "idiot" and things of that nature...but overall, it was an enjoyable book to read filled with interesting characters and situations.
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weird. We have a pumpkinheaded character (Jack) who's head keeps falling off (inspiration for Tim Burton?)We have a giant talking bug that became giant through interesting circumstances, along with a flying, mooseheaded couch and old favorites like the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. And Baum offers a lot of amusing misunderstandings of language between characters and plays on words.
I also raised an eyebrow at all the times a character called another character "stupid" or an "idiot" and things of that nature...but overall, it was an enjoyable book to read filled with interesting characters and situations.
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LibraryThing member bibleblaster
This was an unexpectedly bizarre ride through a world that I thought I knew (Oz), and I was thoroughly entertained. It is much wilder and unpredictable than the Oz I imagined. I found myself cringing a bit at some of the dated, stereotypical attitudes on gender, and then marveling at some of the
This passage made me think of "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg:
****
"I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed."
"Spoken like a philosopher!" cried the Woggle-Bug, as he assisted the Tin Woodman to set Jack upon his feet.
****
I was just going to read a couple more in the Baum series to prepare for reading the Gregory Maguire reimaginings, but I just may read them all.
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provocative plot twists that sounded as if they could have been written today (or tomorrow). This passage made me think of "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg:
****
"I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed."
"Spoken like a philosopher!" cried the Woggle-Bug, as he assisted the Tin Woodman to set Jack upon his feet.
****
I was just going to read a couple more in the Baum series to prepare for reading the Gregory Maguire reimaginings, but I just may read them all.
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LibraryThing member bzedan
Dude, the Scarecrow is kind of a pompous jerk. Every time I've read this book, I've been glad that he decides to hang out with Nick Chopper more. Know-it-alls, am I right?Saw-horse rocks my world, though.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
I read my son The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and his interest was high enough that I resolved to continue onward into the second book. (Indeed, at the time that I write this, we're a few chapters into book six.) But when I pulled my childhood edition of The Marvellous Land of Oz off the shelf, it was
My son seemed to enjoy this one as much as the first. After we read about Tip building Jack Pumpkinhead, he built a version of his little brother out of household objects! There are ways in which this one is fun to read aloud. There's a good cast of characters to which I could attribute distinctive voices: cackling Mombi, dim-witted Jack Pumpkinhead, the drawling Sawhorse, the extravagant Woggle-Bug. (I think he did point out, though, that my voice for the bear in Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back is the same as Jack Pumpkinhead's; he didn't comment on my Sawhorse voice being the same one I use for Applejack in My Little Pony comics.)
On the other hand, I found the book less appealing on this readthrough. Wizard has a very arresting first chapter: the excellent description of gray Kansas, culminating in the cyclone. Land's is much less successful: we hear about abusive Mombi, but don't see her, and then Tip spends some time building Jack for reasons that to be honest seemed a bit dubious... and then that's it. While Wizard puts Dorothy in peril right from the beginning, by the end of the first chapter of Land, where we're going is less clear. And indeed, the whole book is like that: Tip's decision to ride to the Emerald City with Jack and the Sawhorse is pretty random; the characters leave the Emerald City to get the Tin Woodman's help, and go right back and end up in pretty much the exact same situation they were in before they left, because as one guy with an axe, the Tin Woodman is actually not much help; the flight into what seems to be our world feels pretty pointless; and then Glinda solves everything.
That lack of agency was the main problem I had with the book. When I read the Shanower & Young comic adaptation, I praised the book for its cast of misfits... but on reading the actual book again, I found that element much less successful. I feel as though Baum was attempting to recapture the magic of the original book's Scarecrow–Tin Woodman–Cowardly Lion trio, but failing. Their power comes from the way they worked together (with Dorothy) to solve problems, often in spite of their self-perceived limitations. Here so many of the characters seem to do very little. Tip occasionally has good ideas, but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are pretty useless; and new characters Jack Pumpkinhead and Woggle-Bug contribute almost nothing at all. Plus everyone becomes mean and is constantly sniping at each other! Like, I want to see the misfits come together and save the day, I want to see the dim Jack Pumpkinhead suddenly prove clutch, but that very rarely happens. I think probably this is because Baum wrote the book with an eye toward a stage adaptation, and imagined some comedic banter. But in the actual book, it doesn't come off well.
I did have a new appreciation for General Jinjur. The gag about how hard the husbands have to work once the women stop working is a good one.* It seems a shame that there's no subsequent Oz book with a substantial role for here; even outside of the Famous Forty, no fan has ever written a General Jinjur of Oz as far as I can tell. Maybe I should be the one!
But, you know, the pictures are great! And Son One clearly had a good time. I was very happy we picked up the Books of Wonder edition.
* "[W]e've had a revolution, your Majesty as you ought to know very well," replied the [Emerald City] man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know" replied the man, with a deep sigh.
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clear to me that the book was inadequate to our purposes. One of the big draws of the first book for my son was the profuse illustrations by W. W. Denslow, but my edition of Marvellous Land was a re-illustrated Puffin Classic from 1985. Far from having multiple John R. Neill illustrations per chapter, including color plates, it had about one crappy picture every other chapter! This was great when I was reading the books to myself at age ten, but I did not think it would maintain a three-year-old's interest. So I seized the excuse to upgrade my much-loved copy of Marvelous Land, and I picked up the 1985 Books of Wonder edition; the Books of Wonder editions of Baum's original fourteen are not quite facsimiles of the first editions (this one, for example, has different end papers than the original), but they are pretty close.My son seemed to enjoy this one as much as the first. After we read about Tip building Jack Pumpkinhead, he built a version of his little brother out of household objects! There are ways in which this one is fun to read aloud. There's a good cast of characters to which I could attribute distinctive voices: cackling Mombi, dim-witted Jack Pumpkinhead, the drawling Sawhorse, the extravagant Woggle-Bug. (I think he did point out, though, that my voice for the bear in Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back is the same as Jack Pumpkinhead's; he didn't comment on my Sawhorse voice being the same one I use for Applejack in My Little Pony comics.)
On the other hand, I found the book less appealing on this readthrough. Wizard has a very arresting first chapter: the excellent description of gray Kansas, culminating in the cyclone. Land's is much less successful: we hear about abusive Mombi, but don't see her, and then Tip spends some time building Jack for reasons that to be honest seemed a bit dubious... and then that's it. While Wizard puts Dorothy in peril right from the beginning, by the end of the first chapter of Land, where we're going is less clear. And indeed, the whole book is like that: Tip's decision to ride to the Emerald City with Jack and the Sawhorse is pretty random; the characters leave the Emerald City to get the Tin Woodman's help, and go right back and end up in pretty much the exact same situation they were in before they left, because as one guy with an axe, the Tin Woodman is actually not much help; the flight into what seems to be our world feels pretty pointless; and then Glinda solves everything.
That lack of agency was the main problem I had with the book. When I read the Shanower & Young comic adaptation, I praised the book for its cast of misfits... but on reading the actual book again, I found that element much less successful. I feel as though Baum was attempting to recapture the magic of the original book's Scarecrow–Tin Woodman–Cowardly Lion trio, but failing. Their power comes from the way they worked together (with Dorothy) to solve problems, often in spite of their self-perceived limitations. Here so many of the characters seem to do very little. Tip occasionally has good ideas, but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are pretty useless; and new characters Jack Pumpkinhead and Woggle-Bug contribute almost nothing at all. Plus everyone becomes mean and is constantly sniping at each other! Like, I want to see the misfits come together and save the day, I want to see the dim Jack Pumpkinhead suddenly prove clutch, but that very rarely happens. I think probably this is because Baum wrote the book with an eye toward a stage adaptation, and imagined some comedic banter. But in the actual book, it doesn't come off well.
I did have a new appreciation for General Jinjur. The gag about how hard the husbands have to work once the women stop working is a good one.* It seems a shame that there's no subsequent Oz book with a substantial role for here; even outside of the Famous Forty, no fan has ever written a General Jinjur of Oz as far as I can tell. Maybe I should be the one!
But, you know, the pictures are great! And Son One clearly had a good time. I was very happy we picked up the Books of Wonder edition.
* "[W]e've had a revolution, your Majesty as you ought to know very well," replied the [Emerald City] man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know" replied the man, with a deep sigh.
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LibraryThing member SoulFlower1981
I was thrilled to discover that my university library had a copy of this book that I have been wanting to read since childhood. The oz series has always fascinated me, but due to the fact that there are so many books in the series I have never been able to acquire all of them. I discovered that my
The book in many ways can be seen as an early American story that involves a transgender character, if you really want to think about it in those terms. What the book is though is a magical romp in a land that most of us are familiar with. We are introduced to new characters, like Jack Pumpkinhead. We are also revisited by familiar favorites, like the Scarecrow.
The book feels like a wonderful journey into the land of oz for those of us that deeply appreciate what Baum was doing with these stories. Baum uses current issues, like the women's suffragist movement of his time, beautifully in his books. This book showcases that movement and also is a really good fairy tale story. It holds up to the original classic that most of us love.
The book is primarily focused on a young boy named Tip that escapes the evil clutches of Mombi. Mombi is a low-level practicing witch, since it is forbidden to be a true witch other than the ones previously mentioned in Wizard of Oz. The book is about his journey and how ultimately he discovers what he is in the land of oz. The book is fun, beautifully written, and just a darn good read for anyone that wants to take an additional trip down to Oz.
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university library has 13 out of the original 14 that are written by L. Fran Baum which thrills me.The book in many ways can be seen as an early American story that involves a transgender character, if you really want to think about it in those terms. What the book is though is a magical romp in a land that most of us are familiar with. We are introduced to new characters, like Jack Pumpkinhead. We are also revisited by familiar favorites, like the Scarecrow.
The book feels like a wonderful journey into the land of oz for those of us that deeply appreciate what Baum was doing with these stories. Baum uses current issues, like the women's suffragist movement of his time, beautifully in his books. This book showcases that movement and also is a really good fairy tale story. It holds up to the original classic that most of us love.
The book is primarily focused on a young boy named Tip that escapes the evil clutches of Mombi. Mombi is a low-level practicing witch, since it is forbidden to be a true witch other than the ones previously mentioned in Wizard of Oz. The book is about his journey and how ultimately he discovers what he is in the land of oz. The book is fun, beautifully written, and just a darn good read for anyone that wants to take an additional trip down to Oz.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
The second Oz book, in which the Scarecrow is deposed as ruler of Oz by an ambitious young woman named Jinjur, but eventually the true ruler turns out to be Ozma, who for much of the book is the boy Tip. The book also introduces the evil witch Mombi, Jack Pumpkinhead, and H.M. Wogglebug T.E.
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(Thoroughly Educated). My father used to say my mother's initials V.T.E. stood for "very thoroughly educated." The story includes ,any characters from the first book, but not Dorothy. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwormteri
I decided to read this because I enjoyed the movies (Return to Oz being my favorite) and had heard that Return followed the spirit of the books more closely than the original. Having read the first book, I picked up the second at the library. A good, light, swift read. If you keep in mind, when
Dorothy does not appear in this book. It follows the scarecrow and the tinmna as they travel through Oz with the Gump, sawhorse, Tip, Jack, and the Woggle Bug. A good read.
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this was written, it is way ahead of it's time. I was amused by General Jinjur taking over the Emerald City so her army could use the treasury to buy pretty dresses and make the men do all of the household chores. Amusing, sexist, but not for it's time.Dorothy does not appear in this book. It follows the scarecrow and the tinmna as they travel through Oz with the Gump, sawhorse, Tip, Jack, and the Woggle Bug. A good read.
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LibraryThing member roseannes
I liked this one even better than the first Wizard of Oz book. There was a center section with awesome old illustrations that were really neat and detailed, a nice touch for a chapterbook since they don't usually have illustrations. It's a story that wasn't as well known as the wizard of oz, but I
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recognized certain parts of it from the movie "Return to Oz" which happens later, I think? Not sure. A young boy learns his true identity in this, going on crazy adventures along the way. I see this as a good book for a unit on fantasy, maybe, or just a self-chosen chapter book. Show Less
LibraryThing member rachaelboyer
in the kindle edition it's called the marvelous land of oz
LibraryThing member Diwanna
Stating the obvious here, but these books have so much more depth than the movie, even thought they are short quick reads.
LibraryThing member archerygirl
This was Baum's first sequel to The Wizard of Oz and he quite sensibly gives us a new central figure, Tip, and his collection of odd friends rather than reviving Dorothy immediately. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man both get involved part way through, with the central plot being the invasion of the
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Emerald City by an army of girls armed with knitting needles and the overthrow of the Scarecrow. I did have a few issues with some of the ideas: the Army of Revolt and the firm belief that the girls should be defeated and returned to their places cooking and cleaning for the men is a little too obviously sexist. The only way to get past that is to remember that these books were written a century ago and reflect the attitudes of the time. Other than that, this is a fun romp through Oz with some great new characters, a few familiar characters, and one or two surprises. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
While I didn't enjoy The Marvellous Land of Oz as much as The Wizard of Oz, it still had its moments.
In The Marvellous Land of Oz, Dorothy has been returned home and the Scarecrow reigns on the throne of the Emerald City. In a nearby land, a young boy, Tip, serves an old sorceress (not a witch,
Tip and the Scarecrow end up crossing paths and a whole slew of new characters are introduced - Jack Pumpkinhead, The Gump (a flying mismash of things) and others were fun to read about, but a bit.. overly silly. I don't know if it's because The Wizard of Oz is just so beloved that I overlook the cheesiness or this book was overly cheesy, but it was just a bit over the top for me.
Still, it was a fun read and I'll continue to press on through my personal journey through Oz.
In The Marvellous Land of Oz, Dorothy has been returned home and the Scarecrow reigns on the throne of the Emerald City. In a nearby land, a young boy, Tip, serves an old sorceress (not a witch,
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because those are the most powerful). Tip and the Scarecrow end up crossing paths and a whole slew of new characters are introduced - Jack Pumpkinhead, The Gump (a flying mismash of things) and others were fun to read about, but a bit.. overly silly. I don't know if it's because The Wizard of Oz is just so beloved that I overlook the cheesiness or this book was overly cheesy, but it was just a bit over the top for me.
Still, it was a fun read and I'll continue to press on through my personal journey through Oz.
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LibraryThing member BrynDahlquis
Just about as much fun as the first Oz book! Old characters return, but new ones are also introduced who are just as amazing as the ones from the first book. A grand adventure taking the band of heroes all through Oz (and beyond) with some clever escapades and solutions. A great read for all ages!
LibraryThing member mirrani
This is one of my favorites of all of the Oz books. The conversations between the characters and the lines that come from them are some of the most memorable that I have ever read. As always, Baum's remarkable ability to tell the story of Oz continues in this book as we travel through new countries
There is just enough description throughout to allow the reader to make a clear picture in their mind and let the world grow inside of them. Through unique bedtime-like storytelling the adventures of the characters come across as clearly as if you were watching them happen and easily move you along on the journey with them. Anyone who has fallen in love with one of the movies needs to read all of the books to truly fall in love with all that Oz is.
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and meet new friends.There is just enough description throughout to allow the reader to make a clear picture in their mind and let the world grow inside of them. Through unique bedtime-like storytelling the adventures of the characters come across as clearly as if you were watching them happen and easily move you along on the journey with them. Anyone who has fallen in love with one of the movies needs to read all of the books to truly fall in love with all that Oz is.
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LibraryThing member BellaFoxx
At the end of the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow was made King of the Emerald City, Tinman was made ruler of the Winkies, the Lion went back into the forest and Dorothy went back to Kansas. Frank Baum got a thousand letters from children wanting to know more about what happened in Oz. This is why this
In this story we meet Tip, Jack Pumpkinhead, a live sawhorse, the Highly Magnified Woogle-Bug and the Gump. These new characters meet up with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. There is an evil witch Mombi who is aiding General Jinjur and her army of young women, no longer content to stay at home and do chores they overthrow the Emerald City.
Good witch Glinda comes to the rescue.
I liked this book better then the Wizard of Oz. The characters had more personality then in the Wizard of Oz. A nice continuation of the story.
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book and 12 more got written.In this story we meet Tip, Jack Pumpkinhead, a live sawhorse, the Highly Magnified Woogle-Bug and the Gump. These new characters meet up with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. There is an evil witch Mombi who is aiding General Jinjur and her army of young women, no longer content to stay at home and do chores they overthrow the Emerald City.
Good witch Glinda comes to the rescue.
I liked this book better then the Wizard of Oz. The characters had more personality then in the Wizard of Oz. A nice continuation of the story.
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LibraryThing member Chris177
This is the second book in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series of books. In this book the reader is introduced to new citizens of that magical land: Tip, Mombi Jack Pumpkinhead, the wooden Saw-Horse and Ozma. To many readers of the Oz books these characters are just as important and critical to Oz as the
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Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and Cowardly Lion. Without giving anything away, the story found in this book is needed to understand Oz and the future books in the series as much as The Wizard of Oz, the first book in the series. The character Ozma is especially important. The story line in this book was combined with the story line in Ozma of Oz, the third Oz book, to be the basis of the movie “Return to Oz.” Show Less
LibraryThing member SwitchKnitter
I found this really interesting. It has to have spawned a ton of feminist academic lit, because it it the armies are made up of girls and a boy turns into a girl. A ragtag army of girls marches on the Emerald City, wielding knitting needles, because they want to raid the treasury for jewels and
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avoid housework. Glinda the Good Witch and her real female army go in and kick ass because the male heroes have no luck. And Tip, the boy protagonist of the book, is really the Princess Ozma. There's enough to keep scholars interested in gender identity and feminism in children's lit busy for quite a while. I'll have to look and see what I can find. It's be cool to read some of the analyses. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mrsbaty
Everyone is use to the original Wizard of Oz because of the movie but the rest of the series is worth checking out if you are looking for fun children's literature. In this second book of the series, there are a lot of new, interesting characters like the Gump and the Saw-horse. Things like
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friendship and honesty and kindness are shown to be better than money and there is enough nonsensical fun to appeal to children. I liked it a lot! Show Less
LibraryThing member capiam1234
The sequel to the Wizard of Oz was another great book by Frank Baum. It wasn't exciting as the first but it keeps you moving through the land setting the stage for even further adventures in Oz.
LibraryThing member rrainer
I've always struggled with this book, because on the one hand Baum has an abundance of female characters and female protagonists who drive the story (here and in all of the Oz books) but on the other it is rife with appalling gender stereotypes. Baum might have been a feminist, but in 1904 that did
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the wome have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
So. Conflicted. It's problematic, but it's also progressive? Ultimately, the balance falls on the side of good for me, in no small part because of Ozma, but it will never be unreserved love.
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not mean he was entirely enlightened. It has Ozma, who is glorious and I could go on about the gender issues touched upon there, but it also has Jinjur, who is a general, yes, and that is great, but she's a general who only wants to laze around with jewels and her soldiers are women and therefore obviously must be terrified of mice. But then there is also this:"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the wome have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
So. Conflicted. It's problematic, but it's also progressive? Ultimately, the balance falls on the side of good for me, in no small part because of Ozma, but it will never be unreserved love.
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LibraryThing member Robert.Zimmermann
Second in the series of Oz books and just as enjoyable as the first one. Loading the third book (audiobook) up on my iPod now. I'd say these are a little overlooked in the modern world, and should be checked out for those with a little kid still inside them somewhere.
LibraryThing member Mrsbaty
Everyone is use to the original Wizard of Oz because of the movie but the rest of the series is worth checking out if you are looking for fun children's literature. In this second book of the series, there are a lot of new, interesting characters like the Gump and the Saw-horse. Things like
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friendship and honesty and kindness are shown to be better than money and there is enough nonsensical fun to appeal to children. I liked it a lot! Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
Continuing on into unchartered Oz territory (I plan to read the first five Oz sequels at least), we find the second book of the series apparently inspired by letters written by children to Baum. It certainly seems that he mailed it in. Reputedly the further adventures of Scarecrow and the Tin
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Woodsmen, these heroes are basically ridiculed as comic relief. Then you have a cast of equally dumb characters who are various forms of inanimate objects brought too life (too much of a good thing Frank…). Finally, you have Tip, the boy who’s really a girl, huh? I won’t even go into how blatantly sexist the characterization of the Army of Revolt is. Still in the hands of a good director / screenwriter, this could be adapted to make a fun movie. The later Baum books are said to be more on par with the original, so I’ll read on, but I’ll definitely be picking my favorites. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1904-06
Physical description
192 p.; 22.9 cm
ISBN
9789090993515
Local notes
Cover title - አስደናቂ የኦዝ መሬት
The Marvelous Land of Oz, Amharic edition
Publsher and date from Amazon, not listed in book
The Marvelous Land of Oz, Amharic edition
Publsher and date from Amazon, not listed in book