Comments on: The Quick 10: Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

By: Alli

Alli — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Both, for different reasons.

I read the entire Baum series when I was 9 or so; our school library actually had them. I suspect those books were the foundation for my Sci Fi book obsession. Ozma, Tik-Tok, Capt’n Bill, and my fav, the Sawhorse. I loved em all.

But the movie had a different meaning for me. It was something my family would sit down and watch together every year; us kids in our pajamas cause it ended well past our bedtime. If I remember correctly, it was run every year for a while around September, after school started. Watching now still gives me warm fuzzies.

Interestingly, my captcha is “east dotes”. East is the land of the Munchkins…

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:57:00 +0000

Books or movie? Not sure. I believe I read the books when I was younger – my dad had the first edition of all of them. I don’t remember them, though.

In my last year of high school, we did the Wizard of Oz musical, and after playing and directing the music for several weeks in a row, I just can’t stand to watch the movie (and it’s been 18 years!).

By: Shelli

Shelli — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:04:00 +0000

Wizard of Oz the movie. Hate it!
…and that is because in our grade school our teacher read us three of the Oz books, including The Wizard…and it is impossible to view that film and not know how much is lost from the original material. If you even think you like the movie, read the book(s),,,so much more texture, color, more interesting characters.

By: Julia

Julia — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:50:00 +0000

I read the first Oz book when I was 7 and have loved them ever since. Of course, the movie appeals to my musical theatre appreciating self. It’s hard to pick, but I’ll go books (though they’re a lot stranger than I remember them being).

By: zeens

zeens — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I love the books. I read them to my daughter several years ago. She was around 5 years old at the time and enjoyed them at her level. I found myself captivated by them on a different level. There were quite a few books in the series. The later few’s quality was not nearly as good as the early ones.

By: Frosty

Frosty — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Easily the film because I’ve had more exposure to it. However, like you Stacy, I loved the books as a kid… I just don’t remember them very well.

Captcha: meddle In
How serendipitous?! I think I shall meddle today!

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:48:00 +0000

My wife and I were in California for our Honeymoon back in 2004. We visited San Diego among our many stops in the state. We happened upon Coronado Island and spent the day there taking in the sites, eats, and beaches. During our stay, we were told by some friendly locals that the Hotel Del Coronado (or “The Del” as it was nicknamed) was where Baum wrote “The Wizard of Oz”. We did a little research and apparently he didn’t write it there, but the hotel was the inspiration for Emerald City. But it was an absolutely beautiful location.

By: em

em — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:13:00 +0000

i love them both- but the books are better by far.
my favourite is Ozma of Oz- but they’re all wonderful. i can’t tell you how many summer nights i spent reading until the wee hours- grand adventures with the shaggy man, tik-tok, billina the chicken, the gnome king, polychrome, dorothy, and so on.

i’m an adult, and i still love those books to itty-bitty pieces. :)

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 16 May 2009 11:38:00 +0000

I preffer the books, but by a slim margin.. I read and reread the entire series (the ones by Baum, at least), as a kid. I still LOVE the movie, but it’s entertaining in a different way.. definetly more lighthearted and a little less out there. It’s almost a tie between the two, but the hundreds of hours I must have spent reading the books beats out however many times I’ve seen the few movies.

By: Anon Emous

Anon Emous — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Oh, yes, Fairuza Balk as Dorothy… I do need to see this.

I’ve also been to the now-defunct Land of Oz attraction in Banner Elk, NC