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The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Review

 Hello Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I'm Kirby, and I'm so happy you're here.

At the start of 2024, I made a kind of bucket list for the year if you will. I included 29 things that I wanted to complete during the year, and I didn't really talk about it here on my blog.

Primarily this was because a lot of it was personal, and weren't things I was comfortable sharing publicly, but one of the things on the list was to read two new to me classic novels.

I adore the classics, but lately I seem to just be rereading favorites instead of giving new ones a try.

Since The Wizard of Oz was sitting on my shelf, it seemed like the perfect one to start out with.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed getting to read this beloved title, and today I can't wait to share with you guys what I ended up thinking about it.


Keep reading down below for today's full review.


The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum:



Source: Gift From My Hubby

Publisher: (This Edition) Puffin Books

Publication Date: (This Edition) May 20th, 2012. 

First Published: May 17th, 1900

Genre: Classic Novel/Children's Fiction

Series: Oz


Synopsis:

An iconic classic, The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum is a must-read for adults and children alike. Follow the yellow brick road! Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz. To get home Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and find the wonderfully mysterious Wizard of Oz. Together with her companions the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion whom she meets on the way, Dorothy embarks on a strange and enchanting adventure. Frank L. Baum (1856-1919) was born in New York. He enjoyed making up stories, particularly for his own children. The Wizard of Oz, based on their favourite bedtime story about a land of Oz, was published in 1900 and it immediately became a huge international success. He wrote several sequels and numerous other kinds of books under a pseudonym.

(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

Considering I was the type of child reader that enjoyed children's classics, I have no idea how this one was never on my radar. I'm actually a bit embarrassed that it's taken me this long to get around to reading it, but this was such a sweet treat, and I'm so glad I finally took the time to get to do so.

I ended up enjoying this one wholeheartedly, and I was quite surprised by how different things were from the movie (in a good way). While the basic plot line was the same, the actual journey to, through and from Oz were quite different, and I loved how even though I'm quite familiar with the beloved movie, I still ended up being surprised many times by this sweet story.

The writing is simple, but it works for the type of story it is, and I enjoyed how in the book Dorothy is much less of a damsel in distress. The story is whimsical and endearing, and the reader gets to feel like they've been swept to Oz right alongside Dorothy and Toto. Of course, the friendship that exists between Dorothy and her eccentric friends is adorable and definitely one of the highlights of the story.

I loved this in its entirety, and I'm only sorry it took me so along to get around to reading it. It was also interesting to read the additional info at the back, and I particularly found it intriguing to discover why the color of the ruby slippers was changed from the book to the movie.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I'd definitely recommend this one, even if like me you're way past the recommended age category.


Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day :)

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