It's the end of another long journey.
"Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz" is the thirty-third book in the Oz book series originally created by L. Frank Baum. This book was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson and was published in 1939. This is the last Oz book Ruth would write for decades.
It's not the best Oz book, but it certainly is not the worst. The most amazing thing that came from this story is the fact that the Oz celebrities are flying around in magical airplanes created by the Wizard of Oz. Even more startling is that the Tin Woodsman makes one heck of a pilot!
The problem arises when they fly up into the heavens to a floating land called Strat. Here we meet one of two villains in the story, the Strut of the Strat. Apparently people living in the clouds are made of 100% ego, which ends up being his biggest flaw.
The second villain was actually back down in Oz, a red-bearded menace called Bustabo. He pretty much is trying to take over his own kingdom and toss all the Oz characters off of a cliff. All this is happening while Strut is Ozplaning to the Emerald City to take over that kingdom. The whole story feels like a complicated knot. It's not all bad though.
Although the Wizard does take center stage for much of it, Ozma's maid in waiting Jellia Jam picks of the role as main character for much of the story. She's put in a position of command and doesn't do that bad of a job. Still, she prefers to serve rather than rule.
So in addition to this being Ruth's last Oz book for a very long time, it was also the very Oz book that was released on same year that the famous 1939 feature film came out. Apparently the publishers pressured Ruth to add "Wizard of Oz" somewhere in the title to cross promote the movie. Frustratingly, the whole first chapter of the book was a recap of the first book entirely through forced dialog between several people. I was so happy when I got past it. It was not a fun read.
I worry that these pressures from the publisher and the introduction of the movie may have made Ruth want to quit, but I'm not actually sure why she stopped. Maybe it was just her time. It's too bad though, since I hear the guy who replaced her was pretty terrible.
All said, "Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz" is not really that bad of a book. It's fun and adventurous and has some great character moments. And by the end of it, you'll love the Tin Woodsman as an airplane pilot!
This blog was written on February 21, 2022.
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The fantasy became science fiction, it seems. The tech described is no less realistic than that of STAR WARS. The Tin Man as a pilot... makes sense. I mean, he had the dexterity for decapitating wolves with single strikes of his axe in the first book. That type of hand-eye coordination would be ideal for a pilot.
ReplyDeleteHe is a stoic in most cases. Perfect choice even if it was on the fly. Hehe.
DeleteInteresting concept the whole airborne adventure. The Tin Woodsman as a pilot is a fantastic twist, although I would worry about him being grounded... you know since he is metal heh. I'm glad you liked the book, hopefully the next isn't too bad...
ReplyDeleteYeah, that made me smile a lot. Always liked that character.
DeleteWe do not know what we are capable of until placed in a situation where we must prove ourselves. It seems Jellia did what was needed when it was needed most. To rule is a great burden, so I can see why she preferred not to do so.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun seeing her take charge though.
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