A review by thebeardedpoet
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
4.0
Ever day-dream about falling into a crack in the earth and finding strange communities of people living underground? Me neither! Nor did I ever imagine that I'd read about a kitty on trial for murder! This one is strictly for those who can approach it as a child . . .
Sorry. I confess right up front that I'm being completely uncritical here. If I were critical about the preposterous concepts, the lack of development of the new worlds visited, the flake-outs of the continuity of the series, or the shape of the plot, this one would not fare too well. Yet, I enjoyed it. I delighted in the wildly imaginative creatures, even if they were underdeveloped. I loved the unpredictability of what happens next and then what happens after that. Most of the book was a wacky "on the road" journey through cultures that exist underground. Near the end of the book, the cast arrives in Oz and has warm-fuzzy reunions with old friends-for the most part. Suffice it to say, some of the new members of the cast don't play well with others. Lastly there is court-room drama where a kitten is put on trial for murder. It's absurd, but if you can approach the book with the innocence of a child with wide surprised eyes, it's fun!
Sorry. I confess right up front that I'm being completely uncritical here. If I were critical about the preposterous concepts, the lack of development of the new worlds visited, the flake-outs of the continuity of the series, or the shape of the plot, this one would not fare too well. Yet, I enjoyed it. I delighted in the wildly imaginative creatures, even if they were underdeveloped. I loved the unpredictability of what happens next and then what happens after that. Most of the book was a wacky "on the road" journey through cultures that exist underground. Near the end of the book, the cast arrives in Oz and has warm-fuzzy reunions with old friends-for the most part. Suffice it to say, some of the new members of the cast don't play well with others. Lastly there is court-room drama where a kitten is put on trial for murder. It's absurd, but if you can approach the book with the innocence of a child with wide surprised eyes, it's fun!