In Oz

[pen_grunt]

I'm currently reading through the Oz series of books (as in Dorothy and the Wizard of). They're free on my Kindle via the Gutenberg Project and I'd never read them as a child. There are a ridiculous number of originals and also continuations.

L. Frank Baum was one cheeky dude. He has all sorts of pokes at all sorts of things, and includes such subversive ideas as: Women's household work is *work* and it is *hard*. Also: Women are great leaders, communism is good and also problematic, social commentary and parody, etc. There's so much stuffed in there for just a little childrens' series. Pretty revolutionary stuff for 191x.

I love the transmission of social mores, of subversive ideas, of sociological critique through books intended for children (but absolutely read by adults--either en route to the child's ears, or independently). The series would have made a great graduate thesis, but I'm sure (without a google search, even) that's been done to death.

There's also a ton of imagination and a ton of fancy. They're fun reads.

Comments

[mamajenzie.livejournal.com]

I <3 L. Frank Baum and OZ. I need to re-read now, too.

[silverpoet01.livejournal.com]

I downloaded all of those from www.feedbooks.com for my nook too. I only really read the first two and need to get back at it. I will say that after reading the book The Wizard of Oz, I find the movie to be far superior (and I rare to never say that about a book made into a movie). I really feel those directors/writers/editors made great movie choices. Making it a dream being the cherry on the whip cream sundae.