Now There's an Ending!

I did it! I finished book one in the Oz Series, and it was incredible! The ending was ten times better than the movie’s dream crushing ending. I still can’t believe how much more superior the book is to the movie. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD The book ends very simply, the cowardly lion was final king of the forest, the lovable tin man became king of the Winkies (Former Subjects of the Wicked Witch of the West) and the thoughtful scarecrow was ruler of the Emerald City, which welcomed him warmly. Most importantly however, Dorothy got back home safely and wasn’t dreaming in the end! You could imagine my joy when I discovered it wasn’t a dream; you could almost feel my childhood dreams streaming back to me!

One major aspect of the book that differed from the movie in a large scale was the way Baum portrayed Dorothy’s companions. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Baum made the characters act in an ironic manner in comparison to their feelings. For example, the tin man complained that he was heartless, however, in the dark forest when he steps on a bug he cries for half an hour. The cowardly lion claims to fear other creatures but jumps into battle when Dorothy is attack by flying monkeys. Finally, the scarecrow weeps for brains; however is the group’s true mastermind. I found it amusing that Baum made the characters act in such a contradicting manner. These descriptions made me realize that even if people think they lack essential traits, they are still present and are certain to surface.

What the Book is About...

So I have just recently begun reading the first book in the Oz series, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by Frank Baum and am enjoying it more than the movie! The book is full of details that clear up any questions one may have about the movie. For example, at the start of the story (both in the movie and the book) Baum describes the setting as gray and dull; in order to emphasize how Dorothy’s old life lacked color and joy. The author tells us that the Kansas sun has bleached the color from the land and its inhabitants, only to later emphasize the queerness radiated off of the Land of Oz. The book is very simple which amuses me because I do not need to make an effort to understand what Baum is trying to infer. In the introduction of the book Baum explains how fairy tales have evolved over time and how he wrote the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in order differ from the average fairy tale format and create something new. Although I am enjoying the book, I was told by my English teacher that it is the worst one of the series, surprising me entirely; now I’m anxious to read the next books and hopefully finish all thirteen books before the end of the school semester. So if you have not yet read the book I recommend 100% that you do! Until then… remember to keep following The Yellow Brick Road!