posted on 06 Jul 2020

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 

Where do I even begin with this book? I’ll start with a fun fact. L. Frank Baum has stated that the name "OZ" came from his file cabinet labelled "O–Z". For as long as I can remember, I have watched the movie at least once a week. Each character feels like a close friend, even the Wicked Witch of the West! In fact, I like the evil witch so much I dressed up as her for World Book Day 2020.

Although there are some differences between the book and the movie, the magic behind both is the same. I saw this copy online and I could not resist it, after all, it would fit in perfectly with my growing collection of Clothbound Classics.

A young girl, Dorothy, lives with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her beloved dog, Toto, on a farm in Kansas. One day, she is caught up in a tornado along with Toto and after a few terrifying bangs and wallops, the farmhouse, along with Dorothy and Toto end up in the magical Land of Oz. The house killed the Wicked Witch of the East, the evil ruler of the Munchkins. Just as Dorothy and Toto look around the beautiful land in awe, The Good Witch of the North arrives, three grateful Munchkins in tow. After the Good Witch of the North, Glinda gives Dorothy the magical silver shoes that once belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East, she informs Dorothy that the only way she can return home is to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and ask the great and powerful Wizard of Oz to help her.

The yellow brick road is so well known that those who have never read the book or seen the movie know that the famous road is affiliated with The Wizard of Oz. Despite knowing what happens in the story, I read it with anticipation and wondered how the foursome would get out of prickly situations. There were times I found myself wishing I was a part of the story. But imagine being at the mercy of an evil witch!

As Dorothy embarks on her journey, the Good Witch of the North kisses her on her forehead, giving her magical protection from harm.

Almost straight away, Dorothy finds her first companion, Scarecrow. I fell in love with this character immediately and enjoyed his sense of humour. As the story continued, Dorothy met two more companions, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion. Dorothy acknowledges that the trio she had just met felt like old friends she had known all her life, a sentiment echoed by the others. But it’s not long before they find trouble in the form of a witch, the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East. Only thing is, the former witch is worse than the latter ever was.

L Frank Baum has written and produced some of the most incredible stories, but The Wizard of Oz is the most popular, selling over 1 million copies in its first year of publication over 100 years ago. He was born in May 15, 1856  and also wrote sequels to The Wizard of Oz, over 200 poems, 41 novels as well as short stories and scripts.

Before I spoil the rest of the story, I will finish by saying that I will never get sick of this story. This story is known worldwide and is so popular that there have been over 20 adaptations of it, from The Muppets featuring in one adaptation to Michael Jackson starring in The Wiz, The Musical, as Scarecrow. The Wiz features an all-Black cast and is a must-watch! Now, I’m off to make myself a nice cup of tea before I settle to watch… you’ve guessed it, The Wizard of Oz!

 

Yushra Fatima

July 2020