I’m not sure I need to summarize this, but why not? Dorothy lives in the gray land of Kansas with her aunt, uncle, and little dog called Toto. One afternoon a tornado strikes and Dorothy, her house, and her dog are swept away to the magical land of Oz. Accidentally, she kills the Wicked Witch of the East, and attains some measure of fame in Oz, but how will she get home?
This was a surprisingly delightful read. It’s not too old and reads very smoothly. The movie and the book are very similar in story, and I’ve seen the film about a million times, so there weren’t many surprises for me here. There are a few extra lands, and some of the events are a little different, but the basic story and characters are completely the same. I’ll admit that it dragged towards the end for me when these extra things were introduced, but I think someone less familiar with the film wouldn’t have felt so impatient.
The book is written for children, so some things are rather simplistic; it’s fairly clear that as the characters develop a bit that they don’t really need their gifts from Oz, but it was all very sweet. Dorothy is a bit too sweet, but I love that she actually had some initiative and seemed quite clever for a little girl. The message for children is excellent, IMO, as all the characters work together to vanquish their foes and try their hardest to be smart, good, and courageous.
I actually read this on my phone and was surprised by how well it held my attention, especially given it was the first book I ever read on there. It’s helpful that it’s so short, but I did find the story absorbing and I looked forward to continuing it when I got pulled away. I’m really looking forward to sharing this with my own children someday, although I think I’ll be getting a paper version before that time! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has held up as a great children’s classic and I can see it continuing on into the future.
I am an Amazon Associate. I downloaded this book to my phone for free through Aldiko.
We’re off to see the Wizard…I am actually wearing my ruby slippers ring as I type. If you haven’t read any of the sequels, they’re quite cute and have some scarier villians than the witches (people with wheels for hands).
I love this movie and try to watch it every time it comes on, but I have never had the pleasure of reading the book. It sounds as though you really enjoyed it and that it would be a great short read, so I think I am going to go for it! Thanks for the wonderful review!
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..Winner of Raven Stole the Moon! =-.
I enjoyed this too, but somehow never found the motivation to continue with the series. I guess that in the end I prefer Gregory Maguire’s Oz
.-= Nymeth´s last blog ..Are Women Human? by Dorothy L. Sayers =-.
This review made me happy.
I do enjoy the movie a lot, but never got around to reading the book. My mom has a kick-ass version my grandma bought for her in the 1950’s with a bunch of illustrations; I’d love to read that one.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi =-.