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| The original 1908 cover to Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum. Designed by artist John R. Neill, reproduced for a modern facsimile edition. Now out of copyright. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Chapter 1
The
Earthquake
The story opens as Dorothy is on her
way to meet Uncle Henry at Hugson's ranch just outside of San Francisco. Her
second cousin, a boy named Zeb, has come to pick her up. Dorothy and Uncle Henry plan to return to
Kansas the next day, but during a massive earthquake, the ground opens and Dorothy and Zeb fall deep into the earth.
Judging by
the illustrations Dorothy appears to be a young girl who hasn't had her first
period.
The
surprise to modern eyes and the magic to young female readers is that she is
unaccompanied by an adult and that the train has dropped her off at 5 o'clock
in the morning in the dark and misty countryside.
"The train from 'Frisco was
late. It should have stopped at Hugson's siding at midnight, but it was already
five o'clock and the dawn was breaking in the east ..."
L. Frank
Baum published this story, the 4th in the Oz series, in 1908, two years after
the great earthquake in San Francisco.
The fact
that the earthquake prone California setting reflects the way the earth seems
to be always shifting under the feet of a pubescent girl speaks to the author's keen understanding of human nature.
If you have
been, taught or lived with an 11 year old girl you'll know what I mean.
"... all night long there were
times when the solid earth shook and trembled ..."
The author
has a wonderful grasp of the the intelligence and courage of young girls as
they journey towards womanhood, (the tragedy of the series is that Dorothy was
never allowed to grow up and get that first period), but on occasion he seems
to remember the norms of society and throws in a little something to placate
his conscience.
"The horrible sensation of
falling, the darkness and the terrifying noises, proved more than Dorothy could
endure and for a few moments the girl lost consciousness. Zeb, being a boy, did not faint ..."
And so
chapter 1 ends, Dorothy is unconscious and she, Zeb, the carriage, Zeb's old
horse, Jim, and Dorothy's cat Eureka are falling deep inside the earth.
14 comments:
Just a little girl, so different from the movie we watch every year :) Beautiful cover.
There is so much of this story I do not know. Having grown up with just the movie I am in awe of these other stories. I can feel a book collection coming on! :D XXX
I read every book about Oz that I could get my hands on while growing up and this was one of my favorites because Dorothy was a part of it. I agree that Baum did an admirable job of portraying a young girls' thoughts and emotions in his books. Great post for this celebration.
This sounds like it is so much more interesting than the film, isn't that usually the way. Clearly I should read it. I like the cover illustration very much.
Wow..so very cool..fabulous post Francie....and I love the cover-art. Beautiful!
Wishing you a beautiful wkd ahead!
Victoria~
The very best children's literature always noticeably lacks parents and other adult control figures! I adored the original "Wizard of Oz" book when I was a kid. Never read any of the sequels though. Interesting post!
I love the books & the movie ! Happy Return To Oz Celebration!
http://daylily777-myenchantedhome.blogspot.com/2012/07/dorothy-of-oz-tea-party.html
Super post. This is also one of my favorites. And I am living with a 12 year old girl and I should get a copy of that book for her. It would do us both a world of good for discussion. Thanks for being a part of Celebrate Oz. I do hope you've had a good time and will join us next year in the spring for another Celebrate Oz. Oma Linda
One of the things I like most about The Wizard of Oz, is the way in which it allows the kids who can't yet understand all the intricacies of the reading enjoy and good tale, while the kids at heart--the ones who have lived more--see past the rainbows and the sparkle and glance into the not so clear heart of the human condition.
What a lovely and interesting cover. I've never seen that before. And I can't for the life of me remember if I've read any Oz books. I've always been an avid reader, so I can't imagine that I didn't.
Anyway, maybe the memory gets weaker with age...
I've been an 11-year-old girl and raised two of my own, so I understand that age and all that goes with it perfectly.
This is so adorable! It's all new to me - never heard this version before. Thanks for introducing me, but now I want to hear more installments... :) That cover illustration is lovely.
Good old Zeb. What a trouper for not fainting and everything.
By the way, I thought you were taking the summer off. Can't stop, eh?
Ha ha. Just slowing down, Doug.
Very interesting! I have only seen the movie. There is so much out there to discover! Happy Celebration Oz ;o)
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