I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Canterbury Classics) for promotional purposes.

What a delightful read!

Going into this book, I didn’t have any set expectations regarding the storyline. I’ve never seen the movie (although I obviously know of it) and I’m only vaguely acquainted with Wicked (I haven’t seen or heard the musical, but have listened to the movie soundtrack and know of the movie’s storyline). However, as a kid I did read an adapted version of this book, so I remembered some of the plot.

The story is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland (which is one of my all time favorite books). Both stories revolve around a girl who is lost in a fantasy world and meets all kinds of interesting folks along the way. It’s a simple plot line that works so well.

The cast of characters really made this an enjoyable read. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion were all so lovable! They were such good friends to Dorothy (and each other). Also of note were the china people (literally people made of china). They were only in the story briefly, but they were fascinating (they constantly broke and had to be mended).

The book also has cute illustrations throughout. They were whimsical and helped you picture the different people/creatures Dorothy met along the way.

This edition also included six “Little Wizard Stories of Oz.” They were all short and sweet and even included new characters like the Hungry Tiger, Ozma, and Jack Pumpkinhead.

Overall, I am so glad I read this book! It’s a classic for a reason and I know I would have loved it as a kid. ( )

Published in 1900, Baum set out to write an American fairy tale which became the most successful children's book of its time and which remains to us a model of a modern day fairy tale. Of course the movie influences how we see this story now and it surely exists as a product of its time--not ours. It's a wonder tale filled with magic:

"The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, "I do not know where this Kansas is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?
"Oh, yes," replied Dorothy.
"Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left; nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are not cut off from the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards amongst us."

Baum is so wise as to bring magic back at the same time acknowledging the imperfectness of his character (the Wizard, who is a mere illusionist). This does not destroy the magic in the story -- as the movie did, by having it all be Dorothy's dream--but also the belief in magic does not take away from commonsense values such as learning to think for yourself, as well as standing up for yourself, the virtues of friendship and give and take. The Wizard teaches them that in order for him to answer their requests, they must give something in return. And instead of giving up in the face of this, they face it together. All of the main characters achieve self-actualization in the end. And they are wonderfully humble characters. This teaches much: that the one that is ASKING for a heart, already has it. The one that is SEEKING his intelligence, HAS IT. The one who feels bad about his anxiety, HAS COURAGE. Even Dorothy already had what she was seeking-she had the power to go home all along given to her by the Silver Shoes.

I feel this is the perfect children's book. It uses the fairy tale narrative which is suitable to a child's ability to sustain attention and follow the story. Each character is vibrant-yet gentle. No one is rough around the edges or complicated. It teaches about the world in a pragmatic way. The world is dangerous. Decisions are hard. You must have courage, heart and mind. You must stand up for yourself and think for yourself. And most of all, there truly is No Place Like Home. ( )

A nice little classic book. About 150 pages, and a fast read (lasted my trip to Poland thou).

I already knew most of Dorothy's story, but in this children classics is always nice to read the story as it was written...

I like the way the story is constructed, with quests piling on top of each other, like those nursery rhymes where the mote increases in each turn.

I also like the fact that as each quest unfolds, one of Dorothy's friend gets a kingdom. ( )

Era da parecchio che volevo trovare il tempo di leggere la versione integrale di questo libro che ha segnato l'infanzia mia come quella di un mondo intero di persone.
Vorrei poter recuperare gli altri "episodi" delle avventure di Oz prima o poi!

Is a celebration of friendship, courage, and self-discovery. ( )