I had a wonderful professor back in graduate school who we affectionately called “Kenny Rainbow.” There were many reasons for this, but the main reason was that through the years, into middle and then older age, he continued to be a huge “Wizard of Oz” fan. And I mean HUGE. He went to conventions. He read and wrote papers. He’s the only person I know to have read all of L. Frank Baum’s books. And so when I was asked to review the new biography of Baum, “The Real Wizard of Oz” by Rebecca Loncraine, I jumped at the chance, both for myself, and for Prof.
2009 marks the 70th anniversary of the classic Judy Garland film and that is from where most of us know those characters which have become so iconic in our Western cultures, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, Toto, even Auntie Em. But Baum created those characters long before then, at the turn of the century, during a time of economic depression in America as well as murmurings of modernization. America seemed to straddle fantasy and reality during those years, and Loncraine proposes that it is just that volatility that spurred on his imagination. She explains how Baum’s life and creativity were directly influenced by his times. Themes within society were played out in his work: theosophy and spiritualism, infant mortality, new technology and engineering. Loncraine argues that his personal ambivalence about the meaning of home, for instance, directly impacted his creation of the land of Oz and Dorothy’s need to be there.
It is a common method of biographers to seek sources of an artist’s creations in direct links to their lives. Loncraine believes so strongly that Baum was influenced by his surroundings that her book is divided not only chronologically, but also according to where he lived when he was creating. Part I is called “In the Palm of the Finger Lakes.” Part II, “The Great Plains.” Part III, “Crossing Lake Michigan.” Part IV is “Living Between Landscapes.” And Part V finishes the book in “Hollywood.” Some may argue with the validity of seeking “reasons” within such real-life parallels, but it does create a way into Baum’s very unusual and fertile mind.
Loncraine’s work is well-written, interesting, and full of history. Loncraine herself is British, but for two years she crossed the U.S., from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., via Las Vegas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Kansas Prairies. Her research shows, and through it she has presented a complete portrayal of a complex and unusual life and talent.
For all of us who remember and adore Oz and it’s inhabitants, “The Real Wizard of Oz” is an engaging read. For those of us, like my Professor, who have loved it with an abiding lifelong passion, it is a must.
Loncraine’s work is well-written, interesting, and full of history. Loncraine herself is British, but for two years she crossed the U.S., from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., via Las Vegas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Kansas Prairies. Her research shows, and through it she has presented a complete portrayal of a complex and unusual life and talent.
For all of us who remember and adore Oz and it’s inhabitants, “The Real Wizard of Oz” is an engaging read. For those of us, like my Professor, who have loved it with an abiding lifelong passion, it is a must.
I enjoyed the film as a child but it never grabbed me in the way that it so obviously did others. I don’t know why.
When I moved here (to Bangkok) I was part of a book club for a while. One of their nominated books was ‘Wicked.’ I loved the book cover but I just couldn’t read it. I didn’t get it. I decided it was an American thing and was something I would never quite understand. (I’m not convinced I was right, but it made me feel better for failing with a book that everyone else loved.)
I’ve seen the film loads of times but I’ve never read the book!! I’m not sure why it’s never occurred to me to do so….
I quite enjoyed ‘Wicked’ but thought the ending was a bit odd!!
C x
I love bios of writers so will look out for this one. Though we watched Wizard of Oz every year, I must admit it was quite tortuous for me. I didn’t like any of the witches- good or bad. That good witch had so many rules. The flying monkeys were just too much.
I also read all the Oz books as a child and I can remember most of them. I didn’t adore them as I adored things like Nancy Drew, or The Princess and the Goblins/ Princesss and Curdie’ – I found the movie terrifying and had to be carried out screaming – it was a film that was a popular one to show at birthday parties and I always got scared – also , the conclusion that ‘there’s no place like Home’ even if you go out, meet remarkable people, have brilliant adventures develop initiative and personal courage. No matter what you do you end up in Kansas – how deporessing is taht? Shades of the prison house indeed. It’s a stock ending as well (see ‘the Blue Bird’) – I don’t think teh English can really ‘get’ teh WOO – it was written during the Depression, when, despite what you think, America was not at all the power it later became -there was so much unemployment, hunger, despair, and people needed something taht woudl let them feel optimism and as if they had the strength of character to win through – my reaction comes long after that was over, I was from another generation, and we could afford to be a bit flip, a bit cynical a bit rebellious – at the time it was written for instance, there were no jokes about ‘friends of Dorothy’ Those friends were part of the American character – they had everything it takes, and the diplomas and citations were mere decoration -European finery if you like, while Dorothy and her friends did it ‘The American Way’
JJ: growing up, we watched the movie once a year when it was on TV. It became a big annual event, though it always scared the sh*t out of me.
Carol: I never saw Wicked and I never read any of Baum’s books either. Funny, it never occurred to me either. But after reading his bio, I’m now somewhat more intrigued.
Lauri: I still have nightmares about those damned flying monkeys!
Kate: fascinating comments, and so right. One thing I did especially like about the bio was how America at that time was shown to be a completely dismal place, and how much of Baum’s writing was a reaction to it, an escape from it. And of course, the books are very different from what Hollywood did.
Kate I laughed out loud this morning when you wrote – No matter what you do you end up in Kansas – yes that’s pretty dire!