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The Wizard of Oz Audiobook
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(3.00) - 109,593 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This complete and unabridged original tale, which provided us with the best-loved classic movie starring Judy Garland, stands on its own as a great modern-day fairy tale.
This is the story of a little girl, Dorothy, and her dog, Toto, who are whisked away on a cyclone from their drab Kansas home to a land of adventure and achievement, inhabited by such creatures as a Cowardly Lion, a Tin Woodman, an animate Scarecrow, witches, munchkins, and the Wizard himself.
Join them on their enchanting journey along the Yellow Brick Road in search of the wonderful Wizard in the enchanted Emerald City.
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"Growing up, I watched The Wizard of Oz consistently. The song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow still sends chills down my spine. Never having read the books, I decided to read them aloud to my five month old daughter. I am so glad I did. I just finished the first book and am starting on the second. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a quick, wonderful read. Magic and wonder filled the air as I spoke the words aloud. Of course my daughter, being five months old, doesn't comprehend any of this, but for me it was fascinating and nostalgic. I didn't want to stop reading, even though I knew the basis of the story line. I enjoyed the differences, from book to movie, and the simplicity of the writing. This is an ageless classic and a favorite of mine."
— Ashley (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The Wizard of Oz made a writer of me.”
— Salman Rushdie -
“If you ever talk to anyone who has written, you’ll always find a childhood in which, somewhere along the line, there’s a Wizard of Oz.”
— William Styron -
“I have never known or heard of an American man or woman who has started to read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and put it down without finishing it.”
— James Thurber -
“Listening to The Wizard of Oz is an eye-opening experience. There’s more to this story’s plot, themes, and connections than is revealed in the movie classic. Anna Fields’ narration creates a new vision of a younger, sweeter Dorothy…a more adventurous journey to Oz; and a new ending.”
— AudioFile
The Wizard of Oz Listener Reviews
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" Better than I expected it to be but it does show its age. Still fun to read. I am a little surprised it took me this long to read it. "
— C.S., 2/18/2014 -
" Very familiar (because of the movie), but also different than I imagined. More fantastical and adventuresome than the film. There is even the killing of monsters! "
— Sam, 2/16/2014 -
" A modern fairytale indeed. It was clear and cute. The highlight for me was Baum's imagination. The only detractor was that it's fastpaced nature and constant change of scenery made it seem a bit choppy. Overall, I immensely enjoyed it and I definitely want to read his other books. "
— Nicole, 2/15/2014 -
" I think I expected this book to be a little more 'adult' for some reason. For that reason I didn't enjoy it that much, but still give it 3 stars since it's a classic. "
— Joy, 2/11/2014 -
" I really loved this book and enjoyed it even more than the movies. I love that we got to meet so many more interesting creatures and lands in this book. It was fun to read the little adventures they got into on their journey. I'll definitely continue the series to see what else the creatures of Oz get up to. "
— Jenny, 1/29/2014 -
" Good read, short, timeless, imaginative. "
— Kelly, 1/17/2014 -
" It's a classic. 'Nuff said. "
— Cynthia, 1/11/2014 -
" The story meanders a bit, I think today an editor would have "re-shaped" it a bit. References to death and violence are more than I imagine some parents would expose 21st century children to. "
— Beth, 12/10/2013 -
" I really have no opinion of the book one way or the other. I didn't like it or dislike it. The writing was mediocre. The story was mediocre: girl gets lost, tries to find way home, meets friends, is bestowed upon a quest, completes quest, and goes home. Sounds like a great deal of books. "
— Amanda, 9/22/2013 -
" I have never read the Oz books, but was ready to read something more light-hearted than what I have just finished reading. It was fun to compare this first volume with a child's edition that I had many years ago. "
— Anne, 9/13/2013 -
" Decent quick read. She wears silver shoes do crazy. "
— Chris, 8/22/2013 -
" Simplemente de mis libros favoritos! "
— Aasiul, 7/6/2013 -
" It was good to finally read the original work and interesting to contrast it to the movie. "
— David, 6/28/2013 -
" Cute story. Quick read. More stuff than the movie (of course). Enjoyable. "
— Jenn, 6/16/2013 -
" This is one of the very few books where the film is actually better. I like the Oz series a lot, and the other books are much better than the films, but if you've seen the adaptation with Judy G, then you may be disappointed by the Real Thing. "
— Ellen, 5/4/2013 -
" To my friends-I don't believe more needs to be said (and yes I've read the series more than once) "
— Peggy, 5/2/2013 -
" We absolutely adored reading this aloud. "
— Stephanie, 4/29/2013 -
" a wonderful journey across the wonderful land of oz! it all starts when dorothy lands in oz after the kanzas twister "
— 7l2, 4/16/2013 -
" Great fun, clever, witty and altogether amusing. "
— Paul, 3/10/2013 -
" This is a good book but really different from the movie. I also got to see a play when we read this for book club. "
— Jehcutie, 12/3/2012 -
" I loved this book, it was different from the movie, but really good. My 5 & 3 year old loved it. "
— Rachel, 9/8/2012 -
" One of the great feminist novels. "
— Kim, 2/16/2012 -
" Wow there is a ton of ...whats that word??? Allegory?? Baum had an interesting religious belief that effected the writing and meaning of this book. Thank goodness it's a story you can enjoy without wondering about it's other meanings. "
— Nickie, 10/23/2011 -
" very different from the movie "
— Gogo, 10/1/2011 -
" Two stars...just. It wasn't as good as I thought it'd be. "
— Henry, 9/20/2011 -
" Movie was better. A few differences and a little more background on the characters (which was cool) "
— Josh, 9/18/2011 -
" Although the movie kept to the plot of the book, Dorothy encounters many more trials than the movie shows. The adventures of her three newly-acquired friends, who accompany Dorothy in each leg of the journey through the Land of Oz and beyond, end on a good note, and it is worth the read. "
— Deborah, 7/18/2011 -
" Better than the movie! "
— Laura, 5/23/2011 -
" yeah, the movie was infinatley better <br/>any of the thousands of movie adaptations. <br/>but the musical still rains supreme! "
— Alexander, 5/23/2011 -
" I loved it! Different then the movie, which was fun. Quick and easy read. I'm reading another one by this author. "
— Cara, 5/22/2011 -
" Read with Franny in May, 2011. "
— Jarrett, 5/18/2011 -
" I know I read this when I was a kid, but I don't have any memory of it. Had fun reading it again. This is so different from the 1939 movie version. I actually like this better. Since there are 14 Oz books, I may have to read them all! "
— Sara, 5/18/2011 -
" Read this during an internet outage - was a very quick and easy (but engaging) read. I now feel like I have the story of Oz from all perspectives...haha. "
— Jess, 5/16/2011 -
" a little slow, but otherwise ok "
— Lisa, 5/15/2011 -
" A old classic, but a newbie everytime I chose to read over and over again. Fantastic Author! <br/> "
— J.t., 5/13/2011 -
" I felt I should read this after two books I recently read referenced this story. I think the book moves a lot more quickly through scenes, whereas the movie develops fewer details. Both are great in their own way. "
— Natalie, 5/13/2011 -
" Never before and never since has anyone tried this hard to get to Kansas. "
— Titus, 5/12/2011 -
" Slightly more entertaining that the movie. What made them change the color of the shoes and the witches? "
— Suzanne, 5/10/2011 -
" Wonderful read. It was different enough from the classic movie that I still didn't know how it would go. It was a lovely, quick read. "
— Genevieve, 5/10/2011 -
" great book, anybody that loves fantasy will read this book with JOY! "
— Ben, 5/9/2011 -
" I read this as a child. It was one of my very favorite books and it has influenced me in many ways. I can't wait to read it with my daughter! "
— Shannon, 5/9/2011
About L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919), born in Chittenango, New York, was a journalist, dramatist, and writer best known for his fantasies about the land of Oz, the first being The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The success of this book led to his writing thirteen sequels. He wrote about sixty books in all, mostly for children.
About Anna Fields
Kate Fleming (a.k.a. Anna Fields) (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.