The Marvelous Land of Oz

The Marvelous Land Of Oz L. Frank Baum Date: 1904   —   $12.95   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy, Children's

This is generally considered to be a somewhat weak sequel to The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is nowhere to be seen, and Oz seems drabber and more mundane by far than the original. Sure, you have Mombi the witch, and Jack Pumpkinhead, and the Powder of Life, but the place all of these wonders are set in has no wonders of its own; all magic seems to be implemented by Mombi or Glinda.

The fact that it is also a social satire, and makes fun of education and female suffragettes among other groups, makes the book a bit less fantastical than the previous one.

It's still a fun read, however, though I wish that Baum had spent more time dealing with the obvious culture shock suffered by Ozma in her true form, something I always wondered about, even as a child. I mean, really, you'd think there would be some sort of adjustment period, not the least of which is suddenly becoming a ruler. But Baum wasn't much for the deep stuff.