Sam Reviews: "The Lost Princess of Oz" (Oz, #11)

Thankfully this story featured familiar characters.  This story was a nice classic adventure story.  It introduced a few characters but who ultimately made the adventure more interested and well rounded.  I hope the remaining stories are as well thought out as one.

"No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire."

"Contentment with one's lot is true wisdom."

"I am so wise that sometimes my wisdom makes my head ache.  I know so much that often I have to forget part of it."

"Dangers don't hurt us. Only things that happen ever hurt anyone, and a danger is a thing that might happen and might not happen, and sometimes don't amount to shucks."

"What everyone says must be true, otherwise what would be the use of their saying it?"

"They seemed happy and contented, though, and those who are contended have nothing to regret and nothing more to wish for."

"[It] is of importance only to you, so it is your business to worry over the loss, not ours.  If you love us, do not afflict your burdens on us; be unhappy all by yourself."

"In truth, no living creature can know much more than his fellows, for one may know one thing, and another know another thing, and so that wisdom is evenly scattered throughout the world."

"'If any of you is naughty, I'll send him to some boy or girl in America to play with.'
"This dreadful threat made all the toy bears look solemn."

Sam Reviews "Rinkitink in Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #10)

This wasn't a bad story as far as children's adventure stories go, but like the last story it's barely about Oz.  It's discouraging to be so close to the end of this 14 book collection only to have the stories to be hardly related to the Land of Oz and the familiar characters there. Admittedly, I probably would not have read this story were I not attempting to read all off the Oz books.  I can only hope that the remaining 4 books are more closely and clearly related to the true Land of Oz.

"Never question the truth of what you fail to understand, for the world is filled with wonders."

New vocabulary I learned with this book:

"Molly-coddle" - Verb; treat (someone) very indulgently or protectively.  Or noun; an effeminate or ineffectual man or boy; a milksop.

"Prig" - a self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if superior to others.

"Those who do the least, often shout the loudest and so get the most glory.  Inga did so much that there is danger of his becoming more important than we are, and so we'd best say nothing about him."

"No magic can stand against a woman's cunning."

"Poor people are often obliged to take chances that rich ones are spared."

"I have noticed that some men become rich, and are scorned by some and robbed by others. Other men become famous, and are mocked at and derided by their fellows.  But the poor and humble man who lives unnoticed and unknown escapes all these troubles and is the only one who can appreciate the joy of living."

"This is the way to get ideas:  never to let adverse circumstances discourage you, but to believe there is a way out of every difficulty, which may be found by earnest thought."

"The beauty of life is its sudden changes. No one knows what is going to happen next, and so we are constantly being surprised and entertained.  The many ups and downs should not discourage us, for if we are down, we know that a change is coming and we will go up again; while those who are up are almost certain to go down."

Sam Reviews "The Scarecrow of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #9)

"Seems to me ... as how the more we know, the more we find we don't know. ...  Those as knows the least have a habit of thinkin' they know all there is to know, while them as knows the most admits what a turr'ble big world this is.  It's the knowing ones that realize one lifetime ain't long enough to git more'n a few dips o' the oars of knowledge."

"It's a big world, Flipper, my son, and I've heard that in parts of it live queer two-legged creatures called Men, who war upon all other living things and would have little respect for even an Ork."

"Certainly I'm afraid, but if we intend to escape we can't stay on this shelf forever."

"'A young lady cannot decide whom she will love, or choose the most worthy.  Her heart alone decides for her, and whomsoever her heart selects, she must love, whether he amounts to much or not.'  Trot was a little puzzled by this speech, which seemed to her unreasonable; but she made no reply."

"I believe love and cats have nine lives."

Sam Reviews "Tik-Tok of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #8)

This was a good story, and it moved at a good pace. I still feel like the stories without the original characters suffer a little bit, but this was probably one of my favorites that didn't star Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, or The Cowardly Lion.

Does the phrase "Old enough to make jelly" sound familiar to anyone?  I tried to Google it to see exactly what it means, but nothing came up except "How to make jelly"...

"The more Ann thought about the matter, the more she was convinced it would be easy to conquer the Land of Oz and set herself up as Ruler in Ozma's place, if she but had an Army to do it with.  Afterward she could go out into the world and conquer other lands, and then perhaps she could find a a way to the moon, and conquer that.  She had a warlike spirit and preferred trouble to idleness."

"Gentle people are always afraid of those that bluster."

The scene from The Rose Kingdom seems identical from another scene in another book of L. Frank Baum's but I'm blanking on which story.  But, I suppose, it's possible for the main characters to stumble into the same sub-kingdoms from time to time.

"I do [love you].  I dote on thee!  But no true man will neglect his duty for the sake of love."

I find it really interesting they after they go down the tube to the other side of the world, the Private Citizen is treated as the ruler or royalty and the Kings and Queens are treated as average

"One who is Master to himself is always a King, if only to himself."

"It is wise to disregard laws when they conflict with justice."

"'The Land of Oz is not a refuge for all mortals in distress...'
"'The Land of Oz isn't crowded.'"

I'm glad the author finally explained that Toto can indeed talk, he just chooses not to.  After all these stories, having every animal talk except for Toto was an inconsistency that was bothering me to no end.

Sam Reviews "The Patchwork Girl of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #7)

It took me a very ridiculously long time to make it through this story. I might just be burning myself out on Oz stories, but so much of this seemed "too good to be true" even for the magic land of Oz. But onward I will go into story 8 very soon.

"The more one knows, the luckier he is, for knowledge is the greatest gift in life."

"Horrid? Why, I'm thoroughly delightful.  I'm an Original, if you please, and therefore incomparable. Of all the comic, absurd, rare and amusing creatures the world contains, I must be the supreme freak. Who but poor Margolotte could have managed to invent such an unreasonable being as I?  But I'm glad -I'm awfully glad! - that I'm just what I am, and nothing else."

"No one can be unlucky who has the intelligence to direct his own actions."

"Don't bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you.  Just let me discover myself in my own way."

"It's classical music, and is considered the best and most puzzling ever manufactured.  You're supposed to like it, whether you do or not, and if you don't, the proper thing is to look as if you did.  Understand?"

"Please don't quarrel, this is a very important journey, and quarrelling makes me discouraged. To be brave, one must be cheerful, so I hope you will be as good-tempered as possible."

"Some are [dignified], and some are not, but I never criticize my friends. If they are really true friends, they may be anything they like, for all of me."

"We have wells, you know, but the're all well lighted, and a well lighted well cannot well be a dark well."

"He said we were lacking in understand, because we had only one leg to a person.  I can't see that legs have anything to do with understanding things."

Reading old books like this can be challenging, but the nuggets of information and just the insight into life back then can also be fascinating.  This particular story was written in 1913, and one of the characters, the Horners, decorate their houses with radium.  I Googled Radium and it is an element, but there's also a ton of information on Radium Girls which is a very interesting story about a very sad reality of life back then.  From what I understand consumers believed that the element was almost a life tonic, even though in large doses it was dangerous.  So it's interesting to think, did the author believe in the positive qualities of radium?  Or was this tidbit of people living among radium, calling it medicine, a kind of social commentary that perhaps we should consider the negative side of the element as well?

"We must turn over a new leaf and call you henceforth Ojo the Lucky.  Ever reason you have given [for being unlucky] is absurd.  But I have noticed that those who continually dread ill luck and fear it will overtake them, have no time to take advantage of any good fortune that comes their way.  Make up your mind to be Ojo the Lucky."

Sam Reviews "The Emerald City of Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #6)

"Then he remembered that it was no fun being angry unless he had someone to frighten and make miserable."

"The reason most people are bad is because they don't try to be good."

"People often do a good deed without hope of reward, but for an evil deed they always demand payment."

I find it funny that after Uncle Henry and Aunt Em get to Oz they are given separate bedrooms.  Suppose it has to do with the times.

"[The School Pills] are sugar-coated and are quickly and easily swallowed.  I believe the students would rather take the pills than study, and certainly the pills are a more effective method.  You see, until these School Pills were invented we wasted a lot of time in study that may now be better be employed in practicing athletics."

Apparently in Britain "Draft" is spelled "Draught" but still means "a current of air".

"[The Fuddles] are made in many small pieces, and whenever any stranger comes near them they have a habit of falling apart and scattering themselves around."

New Word Learned:  "Mete":  dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.

The amount of puns in the Utensia chapter is boggling my mind!!

The city of Bunbury is very Wonderland-esque.  A city of bunnies, that dress sharply, and speak intelligently that are able to make people bigger or smaller to suit their city.

Charlotte Russe is a cake that the mold of the cake pan is lined with sponge fingers (Ladyfingers) and then filled with a custard. Sometimes cake or bread slices are used in place of the Ladyfingers. Charlotte Russe is served cold with whipped cream.

"Then they began talking to one another in long, deliberate speeches, where many words were used but little was said."

"I do not aspire to be very wise, for I noticed that the happiest people are those who do not let their brains oppress them."

"[My brains] never worry me.  There are many seeds of thought in my head but they do not sprout easily.  I am glad that it is so, for if I occupied my days in thinking I should have no time for anything else."

It's funny to imagine a world where airplanes were still an invention that people hadn't quite mastered yet.  Also amusing that the author thought to talk about new inventions affecting fairies and their countries and how the reason we don't see them is because they had the forethought to hide themselves forever.

Sam Reviews "The Road to Oz" by L. Frank Baum (Oz, #5)

"I've learned from long experience that every road leads somewhere, or there wouldn't be any road; so it's likely that if we travel long enough, my dear, we will come to some place or another in the end."

"Be contented with your lot, whatever it may be, if you are wise."

"[The shaggy man] had refused to give up his shaggy clothes for new ones, because if he did that he would no longer be the shaggy man, he said, and he might have to get acquainted with himself all over again."

"To become civilized means to dress as elaborately and prettily as possible, and to make a show of your clothes so your neighbors will envy you."

The Musicker's name is Allegro da Capo.  Allegro means "fast" and da Capo means "from the beginning", which explains why his breaths repeat the same tune every time.

For once Dorothy and her friends didn't invite a character they met on their journey to join them, poor Musicker.

There's been few characters that sound creepy based on their descriptions, but the Scoodlers definitely sound demonic.  Two fronts, one all white with clown make up, one all black with weasel eyes, and they present themselves in big groups.

Funny it took til book five for the author to mention rainbows at all, and Dorothy says "there are things that would suit me better than dancing on rainbows."

"The only way to do a thing
"Is do it when you can,
"And do it cheerfully, and sing
"And work and think and plan.
"The only really unhappy one
"Is he who dares to shirk;
"The only really happy one
"Is he who cares to work."

"Rent" can mean a large tear in a piece of fabric.

An "Alderman" is an elected official of a municipal court.

Why on earth can Toto not talk when anything else brought from Oz can?

"If we used money to buy things with, instead of love and kindness and the desire to please one another, then we should be no better than the rest of the world.  Fortunately, money is not known in the Land of Oz at all.  We have no rich, and no poor; for what one wishes the others all try to give him, in order to make him happy, and no one in all Oz cares to have more than he can use."

First book ever I think to mention characters using the bathroom or "to make such toilets as they could."

"You could love the Tin Woodman because he had a fine nature, kindly and simple ...  Tok-tok was popular with the people of Oz because he was so trustworthy, reliable and true; he was sure to do exactly what he was wound up to do, at all times and in all circumstances."

"Perhaps it is better to be a machine that does its duty than a flesh-and-blood person who will not, for a dead truth is better than a live falsehood."

"'But I thought nobody ever died in Oz,' [Dorothy] said.
"'Nor do they, although if one is bad, he may be condemned and killed by the good citizens.'"

"'I think you are brighter than you used to be, Jack.' said the Tin Woodman.  'Your last head was a stupid one.'
"'The seeds in this one are better,' was [Jack's] reply."

The idea of a bear skin rug coming to life is pretty messed up.

"'You have some queer friends, Dorothy,' she said.
"'The queerness doesn't matter so long as they're friends,' was the answer."

"It isn't what we are, buy what folks think we are, that counts in this world."

Where / how did Santa get wrapped up in Oz?