Oz Complete Collection Vol 2

Author: L. Frank Baum

Series: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Series 4-6

Original Publication date: the stories were published in 1908, 1909 and 1910. It seems the series was published one a year. The collection of the series in this compound was done in 2013.

Book description: 

In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard visit the center of the Earth, where people are vegetables, glass houses grow, and Oz characters reappear. Eventually they return to the Emerald City—but will they stay?
In The Road to Oz, Dorothy sets out on another adventure with some new friends like the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome, and some old ones like the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. Will they reach the Emerald City in time for Ozma’s birthday?
In The Emerald City of Oz, Dorothy, her Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em are going to live in the Emerald City. They set out of explore the land of Oz with the help of Dorothy’s friends, but must rush home again when they discover that the Nome King is busy gathering an army for an invasion of Oz. Will they be able to stop the invasion?

Thoughts:

Each of the books starts with a letter from the author describing how thankful and why he decides to add one more book to the world of Oz. They are funny.

In my opinion,  each story here has a very similar formula, Dorothy is sent to a fairyland from random events in normal Earth, she brings a new companion on her trip. In the new land, they face a few new enemies as the people are not nice or comfortable with outsiders and they are in turn trying to find their way to the land of Oz. 

Ozma continues to own the magic belt that can be used to transport Dorothy to Oz immediately and also the mirror that can show her where and what is Dorothy doing. As per a previously stated deal, Ozma will use the mirror to see Dorothy each day at a certain day at 4 pm. So it makes no sense that Dorothy is pulled on some other land and faces a few problems and then Ozma does not pull her to Oz immediately.

This is touched in a passing conversation where Dorothy is already in Oz and Ozma mentions that she saw Dorothy in the land and face the danger, she mentions she was considering if binging her to Oz but thankfully that was not necessary as her companions and her managed to get out of the danger. 

It is still an absurdist story with a lot of lack of logic used by the characters and with hints of humor. Logic is not the intent of this story, its a very formulaic story but that is exactly what make sit a perfect children story. I am enjoying it as I read it and see why the why it has continued to be a favorite after over 100 years since the original publication date.

Dorothy is not my favorite character, she is too I am a girl everyone else has to protect me and resolve the problems. That annoys me a bit, in a single instant she suggested a very obvious resolution to their problem, she reminds her friends people that have never been in Oz or know of her previous travels there that Ozma will use a magical mirror to see what Dorothy is doing and in a series of gestures Dorothy can request to be taken to Oz immediately using the magic Belt, once there she will be able to speak to Ozma and request her friends to be taken to Oz and that way be saved from the danger they found themselves in.

My only thought was, yes you are the only person who knows this and this is the easiest approach and can be done in each trip so why was this not mentioned from the beginning and do it from ht beginning. 

But again this is an absurdist story and meant for children so I'll let it slide.

The one thing I noticed is that in the last story mentioned here in the Emerald City, Dorothy's family Aun Em and Uncle Henry go live at Oz and now she no longer has the need to go back to Earth. So where would the story go from here; if all previous stories were of her exploring other fairylands and then going to Oz, to end by her return to her normal Earth.