Book Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

“The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.”

Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Review:

I am one of the few Americans who has never seen The Wizard of Oz all the way through. Not because I’ve never liked the story, but because the beginning of the movie terrified me as a child and I just haven’t felt like going back. I have seen Wicked on Broadway, though, and I love that story. Since I haven’t been drawn to the movie, when this book was picked as a group read on Discord, I was excited to finally have the push to pick it up. 

I was kind of… underwhelmed? 

I’ll bypass going over the plot since I think most people are familiar with the story one way or another. I couldn’t believe how fast-paced the book was. I suppose this was initially written for children, but wow. All I could think while reading it was how could this be the source material for what it has become today? One of the most famous films of all time, parodies, spin-offs, and now we’re entering a new era for Wicked, which has already been an international success on stage. 

And perhaps that’s the problem. I came into this with astronomical expectations. I’d envisioned grand world-building, lengthy dialogue, etc. It wasn’t bad by any means, I just didn’t find it measured up to how I think about the lore as someone living over 100 years after its publication. 

All of that said, I’m glad to have finally read it, and once I let go of my disappointment, I was able to enjoy it for what it was. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The nostalgic feeling.
• The ease of reading.

What I didn’t like:

• Overall underwhelming.
• Too fast-paced.

Afterthoughts:

Again, I’m glad I finally read it. I think if I ever do watch the movie, I will enjoy it more.

Where to buy the book: