L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz first appeared in print in September 1900 and has since become a classic in the world of children’s literature. Often described as America’s first original fairy tale, it has helped establish a fantasy tradition in American literature. Dorothy Gale, the central character in the novel, is one of the first female characters in American literature to go on a quest, and this aspect of the novel adds to its contemporary relevance and appeal.
This Broadview Edition provides primary source documents that help shed light on Baum’s inspirations, his contemporaries, his thoughts on writing, and reviews from the novel’s first release. The edition also includes an introduction, original annotations, a chronology of Baum’s life, and a comprehensive bibliography. All of William Wallace Denslow’s in-text illustrations are included in black and white, and the original color plates are reproduced in color inserts.
Comments
“Mark West and Dina Schiff Massachi’s elegant edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz makes the most classic of American fairy tales accessible to both the young and those who once were, while also providing significant apparatus for students and scholars. The Introduction provides helpful insights into the complexities of Baum’s work, and the annotations elucidate both historical fact and scholarly opinion. This volume is a significant contribution to the study of Oz and a must-have edition for libraries, collectors, literary critics—and for all who love Oz.” — Roberta Trites, Illinois State University
“Together, West and Massachi have nearly fifty years’ experience teaching The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and they’ve channeled their expertise into this welcome volume. Contexts demonstrate how the novel is shaped by and is an homage to the works of Perrault, the Grimms, and Andersen, among others. Biographical underpinnings are revealed through the editors’ introduction and their attention to the writings of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a leading nineteenth-century feminist and Baum’s admired mother-in-law. This is a well-rounded collection, with resources sure to lead to substantive discussion.” — Anne Phillips, Kansas State University
“The Broadview Edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is itself ‘wonderful.’ I appreciate the carefully edited text (taken from the first edition), inclusion of black and white versions of W.W. Denslow’s original illustrations (which, as Baum intended, are superimposed over the text), and the excellent annotations that draw from a variety of critical sources. I am happy to report that unlike the wizard of Baum’s book, this edition is no ‘humbug.’” — Joel Chaston, Missouri State University
