[Contains spoilers for a book nobody reads anymore.]
The story has much to do with the original founding of Oz and the one great trouble in doing so. There were these shape-shifting creatures called Mimics that were extremely evil and horrible to any beings of good. They did not even like themselves, which is why they constantly changed their shapes. They had to be suppressed before Oz could be founded, and in this book, they find a way to break their enchantments and invade Oz. That is the general idea of the book, but I want you to moreover understand the nature of what this book is.
Jack Snow must have seriously fallen in love with the entire lore of Baum's work. He seemed to have a strong understanding of all of his characters and the way his world was built up and presented. "The Magical Mimics in Oz" honestly feels like Baum came back from the dead. It's so eloquently written and really was a joy to read. I never felt patronized or just tossed into a dead formula. Jack Snow breathed new life into this series, and his decision to ignore years of canon did not bother me at all.
I was also happy to see a little nod to the famous wooden dummy known as Charlie McCarthy, who belonged to the late Edgar Bergen. Apparently he was the product of a race of wooden people living on top of a fairy mountain in this book. It was subtlety presented, and if I had been a younger person, I might not have gotten the reference. This whole little side story really made me smile.
The story did a good job at carrying you along. Everything was very eloquent and fluid. I was never confused by anything, and the images they handed over to my mind were always distinct. This is really simply a well-written book in the Oz series. It brought me back to a time when the series was in its infancy. It was also quite a wonderful thing to see Dorothy and the Wizard working so close together to solve the problems in this one. Their friendship was very enjoyable.
If I haven't made it clear yet, I absolutely recommend "The Magical Mimics in Oz." It is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm simply in love with it. What a wonderful thing that Jack Snow gave to us!
This blog was written on September 9, 2022.
Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Also stop by my Amazon.com listing by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/T.K.-Wade/e/B07BQK9RTZ
Check out my books! Thanks!
Rather than change the universe, he brought it back to its beginning and rebooted the franchise. He believed in the Oz of Frank L. Baum enough to trust it to work as it was.
ReplyDeleteI am a writer who creates universes. As one grows, they can become convoluted mess. Sometimes the best thing to do is to reboot, to secure the foundation.
He absolutely did that. He did it well, and I am very thankful for it.
DeleteJack Snow's love for OZ was very evident in your response to his writing. Incidentally he loved it so much he wrote a guide called "Who's who in Oz". Interesting that Snow returned things back to the roots of the original ignoring what he saw did not fit.
ReplyDeleteI am actually thinking about reading that one somewhere down the line. Thanks!
DeleteThose who are truly inspired by another's work, tend to be better at continuing it. Their love for what was done increases the desire to pursue its characters and themes. They really want to see what happens next.
ReplyDeleteExactly. That is what happened here. It was marvelous!
Delete