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kscha2's review against another edition
3.75
These books are so weird. I'm really thinking they are horror books.
"Don't you love me?" "Yes! We love you in soup!"
I don't want to post spoilers, but if you've read the series, this reddit expresses all my thoughts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/stetme/i_forgot_how_creepy_the_original_wizard_of_oz_was/
celeste_ilene's review against another edition
4.0
Not a whole lot actually happens in this installment, but there are a ton of new and particularly weird and creepy characters such as a hobo called Shaggy Man, the Rainbow's daughter Polychrome, and a not-so-bright little boy named Button Bright. Lost and confused, they all meet up on the road to Oz and eventually learn Ozma is having a birthday celebration at the Emerald City. After meeting some new characters and overcoming a few obstacles along the way, it's a complete reunion in the Emerald City. Just about every character we have met thus far in the series - and some new ones - are in attendance. How did Baum keep coming up with this stuff for so long? I think he had to have been hitting a few opium dens. One of the funniest so far, and great illustrations in this one, too.
msreader's review against another edition
3.0
3/5
This just barely got a 3/5. It's not entirely the book's fault but also that it took me so very long to finish the book because i just kept putting off. The truth is... I got bored! I really want to marathon all 15 books and felt that'd be such an accomplishment and a great thing to have done BUT I'm only on book 5 and I'm super bored. L. Frank Baum is clearly only writing to appease his many child fans and whilst that's a fine thing to do, it means the story is getting uber boring and repetitive. I will force myself to read book 6 because apparently that was supposed to be the final book in the series before Baum felt pressured? to keep writing more til he died. So book 6 has an ending... which I will discover when I eventually read it... one day.
This book was just another adventure of Dorothy finding herself on a path to Oz meeting new friends on the way and having strange fun adventures before reuniting with ALL her old friends and having a celebration. What was different was the new people only introduced at the end e.g. Santa Claus and Queen of Merryland who came only for the Celebration of Ozma's brithday.
Things I dogeared to be remembered:
- The line: "All donkeys are born wise so the only school we need is the school of experience. Books are only for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people" LOL
And then Shaggy Man's line "So in other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows" AMEN
- This time they again said that the land of Oz consists of North-Gillikins-Purple, East-Blue-Munchkins, South-red-Quadlings, and West-yellow-Winkies. Stop changing!
-People don't die in Oz, interesting
- They finally mentioned the issue of the Cowardly Lion!!! Dorothy introduces the Lion as "The Cowardly Lion who isn't a coward at all, but just thinks he is. The Wizard gave him some courage once, and he has part of it left" HMMM
- Page 349 (Volume 2 of the Complete Collection) the Wizard has 8 piglets and page 372 he has 9 again!!!???
- No real conclusion with Button-Bright. So does Santa know his parents? who are they? HE STILL KNOWS NOTHING NO IMPROVEMENT WHATSOEVER AHHH
I've enjoyed my run - minus this book - but after book 6 that is it. I'm going to pretend it ended there - which is what Baum wanted anyway! This is for kids - not for 20 year olds who like a point to their books!!
This just barely got a 3/5. It's not entirely the book's fault but also that it took me so very long to finish the book because i just kept putting off. The truth is... I got bored! I really want to marathon all 15 books and felt that'd be such an accomplishment and a great thing to have done BUT I'm only on book 5 and I'm super bored. L. Frank Baum is clearly only writing to appease his many child fans and whilst that's a fine thing to do, it means the story is getting uber boring and repetitive. I will force myself to read book 6 because apparently that was supposed to be the final book in the series before Baum felt pressured? to keep writing more til he died. So book 6 has an ending... which I will discover when I eventually read it... one day.
This book was just another adventure of Dorothy finding herself on a path to Oz meeting new friends on the way and having strange fun adventures before reuniting with ALL her old friends and having a celebration. What was different was the new people only introduced at the end e.g. Santa Claus and Queen of Merryland who came only for the Celebration of Ozma's brithday.
Things I dogeared to be remembered:
- The line: "All donkeys are born wise so the only school we need is the school of experience. Books are only for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people" LOL
And then Shaggy Man's line "So in other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows" AMEN
- This time they again said that the land of Oz consists of North-Gillikins-Purple, East-Blue-Munchkins, South-red-Quadlings, and West-yellow-Winkies. Stop changing!
-People don't die in Oz, interesting
- They finally mentioned the issue of the Cowardly Lion!!! Dorothy introduces the Lion as "The Cowardly Lion who isn't a coward at all, but just thinks he is. The Wizard gave him some courage once, and he has part of it left" HMMM
- Page 349 (Volume 2 of the Complete Collection) the Wizard has 8 piglets and page 372 he has 9 again!!!???
- No real conclusion with Button-Bright. So does Santa know his parents? who are they? HE STILL KNOWS NOTHING NO IMPROVEMENT WHATSOEVER AHHH
I've enjoyed my run - minus this book - but after book 6 that is it. I'm going to pretend it ended there - which is what Baum wanted anyway! This is for kids - not for 20 year olds who like a point to their books!!
ladybouse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A sweet little story about a quest to get to a birthday party and the friends we made along the way...
Quotable Quotations 🗣 📢
“Don’t they go to school?” asked Dorothy.
“All donkeys are born wise,” was the reply, “so the only school we need is the school of experience. Books are only fit for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people.”
Toto wagged his tail as if he understood.
“The miserable thing can’t talk,” said Billina, with a sneer.
“Yes, he can,” replied Dorothy; “he talks with his tail, and I know everything he says. If you could wag your tail, Billina, you wouldn’t need words to talk with.”
"Perhaps it is better to be a machine that does its duty than a flesh-and-blood person who will not, for a dead truth is better than a live falsehood."
"You have some queer friends, Dorothy," she said.
"The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the answer.
"In other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows."
"I've learned from long experience that every road leads somewhere, or there wouldn't be any road; so it's likely that if we travel long enough, my dear, we will come to some place or another in the end. What place it will be we can't even guess at this moment, but we're sure to find out when we get there."
"The North Country is purple, and it's the Country of the Gillikins. The East Country is blue, and that's the Country of the Munchkins. Down at the South is the red Country of the Quadlings, and here, in the West, the yellow Country of the Winkies."
Quotable Quotations 🗣 📢
“Don’t they go to school?” asked Dorothy.
“All donkeys are born wise,” was the reply, “so the only school we need is the school of experience. Books are only fit for those who know nothing, and so are obliged to learn things from other people.”
Toto wagged his tail as if he understood.
“The miserable thing can’t talk,” said Billina, with a sneer.
“Yes, he can,” replied Dorothy; “he talks with his tail, and I know everything he says. If you could wag your tail, Billina, you wouldn’t need words to talk with.”
"Perhaps it is better to be a machine that does its duty than a flesh-and-blood person who will not, for a dead truth is better than a live falsehood."
"You have some queer friends, Dorothy," she said.
"The queerness doesn't matter, so long as they're friends," was the answer.
"In other words, the more stupid one is, the more he thinks he knows."
"I've learned from long experience that every road leads somewhere, or there wouldn't be any road; so it's likely that if we travel long enough, my dear, we will come to some place or another in the end. What place it will be we can't even guess at this moment, but we're sure to find out when we get there."
"The North Country is purple, and it's the Country of the Gillikins. The East Country is blue, and that's the Country of the Munchkins. Down at the South is the red Country of the Quadlings, and here, in the West, the yellow Country of the Winkies."
catherine_the_greatest's review against another edition
2.0
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.
susanquilty's review against another edition
3.0
I can’t decide if I love or hate the absurdity of the Oz books. Well, hate is too harsh… There’s definitely a lot of eye rolling and mocking while I read them, but there’s something endearing about the silliness.
For example, just when I think these books can’t get any sillier, Santa shows up as a guest at Ozma’s birthday party. Nope, it’s not a Christmas-themed story. He’s just there mixed in with the other fantastical guests because kids like Santa and Frank Baum wrote stories to entertain kids.
Here’s what I’ve learned while making my way through the Oz collection: Don’t expect the plot of any of these books to make sense. Things happen because they happen. Characters show up with seemingly mysterious pasts that are never revealed. Just go with it or stop reading, but don’t expect any resolution beyond a happy ending.
For example, just when I think these books can’t get any sillier, Santa shows up as a guest at Ozma’s birthday party. Nope, it’s not a Christmas-themed story. He’s just there mixed in with the other fantastical guests because kids like Santa and Frank Baum wrote stories to entertain kids.
Here’s what I’ve learned while making my way through the Oz collection: Don’t expect the plot of any of these books to make sense. Things happen because they happen. Characters show up with seemingly mysterious pasts that are never revealed. Just go with it or stop reading, but don’t expect any resolution beyond a happy ending.
rikican2's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0