It’s Monday, so time once more for the Fantasy With Friends discussion meme (hosted at Pages Unbound). This week’s question is as follows…
Do you have a favorite interpretation of Oz? Do you try to fit the different adaptations together, or do you see them as separate entities? (Do you try to make Wicked make sense with The Wizard of Oz? And do you think of the book or the movie versions in those instances?)
I am not actually a huge fan of the Oz books, having only read the first and not really enjoyed the book version of Wicked — I thought it was okay, but I didn’t really feel the hype, I guess! I’ve also not been enough of a fan of any other adaptation to really gain a solid opinion here, to be honest.
That said, I do enjoy the musical version of Wicked, so I promise I’m not a dead loss. I’ve seen it live once with friends, before I really knew it, and since then the songs have been in regular rotation for me. I don’t really watch movies, though, so I haven’t even seen those…
I think I’d view them each as separate entities, albeit ones that have interesting things to say to and about each other. Sometimes it might be fun to try to make it all fit, and sometimes it’s just enjoying each one for what it is.
Are there any adaptations/retellings/etc that people really love? Would y’all urge me to give Oz another shot?
The Oz books do have a rare instance of a potentially trans character for the time period (Ozma), and Baum was a feminist with mildly anti-racist leanings (note: Wikipedia goes into this but having read the 2 “out of character” essays myself, I find them *dripping* with sarcasm and satire, and he did actually write satire and parody for adults at times. Do I think they were good ideas to publish? No. But I think anyone who thinks they were a sincere endorsement of genocide probably also thinks A Modest Proposal is a sincere endorsement of cannibalism.)
All that said, I’d only really revisit Oz if I were looking for classic children’s books to give to children that would be less problematic than some of the other options.
HarpGriffin recently posted…A book inspired by another book
Yes, that’s true too! At least they’re not quite as problematic as some other childhood books, sigh.
I cannot get into Oz. I’ve tried. I don’t like the book, which I’ve read I think three times. I didn’t like the Wicked book. I watched the first Wicked film and it was okay, but I’m not going to be rewatching it all the time. I like the Judy Garland film, but can’t say I rewatch it much. Oz feels very much like something I’m supposed to like for some reason, but I just don’t!
Krysta @ Pages Unbound recently posted…Adaptations of Oz (Fantasy with Friends)
I wasn’t hugely into the Wicked book either, but the musical version was fun. I think part of that is the quality of the music, though.
I agree with keeping WoO and Wicked as separate entities, I even think the book and movie Wicked are separate. They each have their place but the musical will forever hold my heart.
Julie @ Chapter Break recently posted…Chat Between Chapters: interpretation of Oz
The musical is so much fun!
I’ve been trying to think if I’ve ever come across someone who loves Wicked the book. It’s sold really well, so certainly someone must like it! I just don’t seem to come across them! . . . Or we’re all just conned into buying the book because of the musical only to be shocked it’s entirely different.
Briana @ Pages Unbound recently posted…The Bovadium Fragments by J.R.R. Tolkien, Together with ‘the Origin of Bovadium’ by Richard Ovenden
I’m sure I knew someone who loved it at some point, but I can’t remember who! Most people I know are fans of the musical if anything.
I haven’t read any of the Oz books myself, nor have I engaged seriously with any of the adaptations. I watched the new Wicked films but wasn’t keen on them. However, I am a big fan of Seanan McGuire’s Alchemical Journeys series, which includes reference to the Oz books and has an in-world children’s book series partly inspired by it (…that series also exists IRL; I read the first two books but wasn’t super invested). That’s as close I get to engaging with that world haha.