Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum – Ozathon24

Title: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum
Publication: Books of Wonder/HarperCollins, hardcover, originally published in 1908
Genre: Juvenile fantasy/series

Description: In this fourth installment, Dorothy has returned from Australia where she was visiting with her Uncle Henry (including a detour described in Ozma of Oz), and has been staying with friends in San Francisco prior to rejoining her uncle. Friendly Zeb, a boy who works on the ranch where Uncle Henry is staying, and Jim, a tired-looking horse, pick up Dorothy and her new kitten Eureka at the train station, but they are almost immediately swallowed into the ground by an earthquake. They are transported to strange lands – beginning with a Glass City where the air is so buoyant even the horse and buggy can walk down from the roof on which they landed. Even more surprising, who turns up but the Wizard of Oz, still a humbug but with a few tricks that temporarily disarm their unfriendly hosts. Now a team of five, the group escapes one dangerous situation after another before being rescued to Oz by Ozma, where they can relax in luxury and be reunited with old friends. Eventually, Dorothy and Zeb are ready to return home but Ozma invites the Wizard to make his permanent home in Oz.

My Impression: While this book does not have the charm and narrative flow of Ozma of Oz, it is full of Baum’s specialty – unusual lands with quirky inhabitants; unfortunately, many of them are actively hostile to Dorothy and her companions. The copy I reread is a beautiful facsimile of the first edition, published by Peter Glassman, a former client of mine who owns Books of Wonder in New York. He points out in the Afterword that Baum responded to letters from children begging for more Oz by providing a story that takes quite a while to actually reach Oz, allowing him to use his creativity first, although not in a way that is always enjoyable.

Illustrator John R. Neill perfectly captures Dorothy’s insouciance: despite her terror at falling deep into the earth, she recovers quickly:

Dorothy sighed and commenced to breathe easier. She began to realize that death was not in store for her, after all, but that she had merely started upon another adventure, which promised to be just as queer and unusual as were those she had before encountered.

It takes Zeb and Jim longer to acclimate, and Jim is the first to complain:

“Those were the first words I ever said,” called out the horse, who had overheard them, “and I can’t explain why I happened to speak then. This is a nice scrape you’ve got me into, isn’t it?”

“As for that, we are in the same scrape ourselves,” answered Dorothy, cheerfully. “But never mind; something will happen pretty soon.”

“Of course,” growled the horse; “and then we shall be sorry it happened.”

Jim the horse and Eureka the kitten continue Baum’s streak of memorable animal characters. Both have more personality than Zeb but neither is going to challenge the Cowardly Lion or Hungry Tiger in popularity. Jim is perpetually grumpy and Eureka is shrill and pugnacious, always threatening to eat the Wizard’s guinea pigs (nor does Neill make Eureka very attractive).

The most interesting part of the underground world is the Vegetable Kingdom, inhabited by the Mangaboos, an attractive people with no feelings. They grow in public gardens and the deceased are planted for regrowth. When first the Sorcerer and then the Prince threaten to destroy their visitors, the Wizard urges Dorothy to pick the Princess destined to be his successor, saying, “I’m quite sure she’s ripe, and as soon as she comes to life she will be the Ruler, and may treat us better than that heartless Prince intends to.” She is only temporarily grateful, however, and soon they are on the run again.

It is a funny coincidence that Baum set this book during the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 (or was inspired by it), when I just finished reading about that exact earthquake in The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang, a memorable historical novel which I recommend.

Source: Library (family copy is in New York). Please visit Entering the Enchanted Castle and The Book Stop who are hosting Ozathon24 and join in if you can! 

Illustrations copyright to HarperCollins