Ozma of Oz - Foreword by Paola Fallaci on "Ozma of Oz" there are many considerations to do and first of all is that this is a fun book to read and beautiful to watch. In the first book, "you look at the figures," say the children. "The figures" are John R. Neill, illustrator formidable but on "Ozma of Oz" has done something more than the designs: it's delicious sense of its pages, the fancy layout, openings strange characters standing on the writing, the use of white lines, the breaks, cuts, frames and drapes to Alex Raymond . We see that Neill has worked a lot on these boards, who studied them one by one, that you are passionate about: the rest of the magical kingdom of Oz, he liked it so much that after Baum's death, tried to write a follow unfortunately ugly ugly they say, because he had the talent but not the one illustrated story written. The fact is that with this extraordinary talent, Neill illustrated all the Oz books in the series, which are many, fourteen, but not explained in the first, or "The Wizard of Oz" but that was illustrated by William Wallace Denslow. Even in "Ozma of Oz" has been something Denslow: the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, who reappear in this story are as he saw them. It has changed but the character: Dorothy. Who owns "The Wizard of Oz" in this edition of Bur kids can have fun comparing the two Dorothy: that of Denslow is a plump girl, Campagnola, about four to five years, that Neill is a girl about 8:00 to 9:00 and of cities. Several hair, which are longer and gathered in large cable, but pretty short and pinned with a large tape other than the dress: in "Ozma of Oz" to the taste of (the first decade of 1900) is strong, but Neill was very modern and Dorothy is the latest fashion, interesting thing to watch today because we are now in the books of Children rarely present with clothes.
passed to the story. In 1899, L. Frank Baum had invented a kingdom where crazy things happen, the kingdom of Oz. In 1907 he invented another: Evland, bordering Oz, one of many Ever Ever Land, the land of forever where fantastic things happen without anyone wonder why do we as in dreams, without explanation. A Evland, where there is the story of "Ozma of Oz" currently governs the princess Langwidere, strange girl, and no one knows the true shape because it has thirty heads and constantly changing. Govern like just because "it must lose at least ten minutes a day care in the state," while his aspiration is to move all the time in the mirror. Unfortunately, it's up to her throne as the cruel king Evoldo killed himself after he sold his wife and ten children to the evil king of the Gnomes and the King of Gnomes has turned everyone in purple royal ornaments. So a shame. He feels that the country lacks a brain good and wise but there are those thirty heads scioccherelle: Rotators roam on foot wheel, Gnomes want to turn people in scorpions, a Giant takes a hammer travelers. Too bad, because Evland would be a very beautiful place, there is even a tree instead of flowers and fruits has boxes and snack-lunch-bucket inside with lemonade, roast turkey, cold tongue, bread and butter, strawberries and walnuts nine already shell, the more paper napkins to wipe his mouth, of course. But to put things right, people will come to you from Kansas? Our friend Dorothy. In fact, Dorothy has no intention of occupying other people's affairs, it is appropriate for the forces. This time, in fact, a huge wave thrown from the deck of a ship bound for Australia and throws it into the water. Dorothy is clinging to a chicken coop and lands as a Marine on the beach of enchanted Evland. She's not alone: \u200b\u200bthe hen is a yellow comes out, some Billina which has anything but a chicken brain, apart from the fact that speaks very well for being a beginner. Dorothy and Billina Tictoc is queued, an automaton that seems made by the blacksmith in the house, but it's a work of the company & Locksmiths plumber: just charge you for the thought (in the left arm), for the word (in the right arm ), for the motion and action (shoulder) and is guaranteed a thousand years.
enchanted country you visit, you find wonderful friends: Dorothy not only finds the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Lion Coward, but he knows the hungry tiger. The Hungry Tiger very hungry, as you can well imagine. "Why do not you eat something?". "Why does not serve me right back hungry." "Me too, but I continue to eat." "You eat things harmless, but I am a wild beast, and I have a fondness for the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes, you know those beautiful brats fat, tender, cicciosi?". "How horrible!". "True? But I've never eaten anyone because I pricked the conscience. " "I think you're a very good tiger." "Oh no, refusing to eat children I act bad tiger." This is an interview which takes place between Dorothy and the hungry tiger , because as the Cowardly Lion was brave, as the Scarecrow with straw on his head was brilliant, like the Tin Woodman without a heart was a treasure, so the hungry tiger is a beast very nicely. Unfortunately it must be embarrassing as a guest; after eating seventeen bowls of soup, a platter of fried sausages, eleven and twenty-meal bread panettone is perfectly capable of tell you have a little peckish and would like to forty pounds of tenderloin lightly cooked, ten pounds of roast potatoes and five gallons of whipped cream.
With friends such extraordinary, Dorothy Evland through which, as all places outside the world, is a country full of surprises.
With Billina, save the queen and the princes, wins a magical belt which would take off every whim, but she has only one desire: to return from his uncle Henry. Valleys to understand children. We know from the "Wizard of Oz" that Uncle Henry had "worked tirelessly from morning to night, does not know what joy is all gray, has a severe and never speaks, but Dorothy just to get back to him, he decides to use the magic belt stripped the king of the Gnomes. "It would be a shame to waste the belt as you wasted your shoes" Glinda tells her that in addition to being a good witch is a witch, a bit 'annoyed because Dorothy did disappear silver shoes of the Wicked Witch of the West only to return to Kansas. But this time there
Ozma to solve the problem of the trip, so Dorothy can go to Australia to "cure" his uncle as he had promised to Aunt Emma.
all? That's it. Even in this story Dorothy lost an ounce of its charm, a fascination, for example, it is the opposite of that of Pinocchio. Pinocchio can not resist the idea of \u200b\u200bgoing to discover: his father thinks, however, prefers the Land of Toys. Dorothy finds herself in Toyland but merely dreaming barbosissimo the arms of her uncle (an uncle because Dorothy, as all children of fairy tales, has no mother). But what you can do, it's a girl and not a goodie goodie disobedient like Pinocchio or Tom Sawyer. Imagine that you mind even kill witches. "Look at 'what have you Did not you know that the water would make me die," cries in the "Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West while it melts like candy" Oh, I'm so sorry " Dorothy regrets that he threw a bucket of water on him. "You did not know that eggs are poison to gnomes?" He tells the king in "Ozma of Oz" and Dorothy replies at all, "Much good 'make you" like he replied Pinocchio.
Those who have dealt with L. Frank Baum said it was not a writer "teaching", which was not affected by the fashion of nineteenth-century moralistic pistolotto make the final. But I find that little slight, there is something better there is a moralistic or bitter humor Collodi. For example, Ozma tells his soldiers: "Come my brave!" And the general: "Excuse me, tall, but it so happens that I, like all my officers, to suffer the heartache and the smallest would be enough excitement to kill us. If we fight we prove emotions for sure: it would be better to avoid this grave danger? ". Collodi is not it? It is not the princess Langwidere Collodi says: "You can not expect a princess today remember what he did yesterday." And it's not Dorothy, when the top of a tower, the Scarecrow crying "Save me!". And he answers: "You seem perfectly save at this time"? Collodi also are worthy of some considerations such as "There are so many young people who do not want to do anything and the University is just what we want for them."
One might ask, if anything, if there is an American humor because Baum Baum puts great care to describe a certain national pride, such as Dorothy is fierce Kansas. When Langwidere know it, says disappointed: "I thought they were important people came to see me." Dorothy replies, "Indeed I am an important person." "You are of royal blood?". "Better, I am of Kansas! '. And when it comes to Evland says: "It's a new place and wild, without trams or phones, people here have not yet been discovered", because Dorothy is a little 'chilly in front of all that is American, not even a belt fairy and a tree-of-snacks.
So, this is the book "Ozma of Oz": full of inventions, funny names and untranslatable of nonsense. A happy world cleaned and the evil King of Gnomes look like, Santa Claus, where besides the wicked witches are good witches, where everyone is good and, apart Evoldo, nobody wants to die because it is a nuisance to be dead. Where the chickens solve big problems and not hungry tigers devour children and robots seem copper pots. Sure, you feel that Baum wrote the hurry to make money, you feel that throws down elements previously exploited: Like all sequels, is less well managed masterpiece. But we also feel that Baum had the talent to relate to children and for children's writers have a special charm, different from, say, can have a great writer gets there and invent a story, a good story, well written, but without that I do not know. Baum, for the boys, wrote sixty books, plus two for adults (''The Maid of Arran "in 1881 and" The Queen of Killarney "in 1885) and sixty books are many, although he wrote most of the penname under the pseudonym, even if the name had need of other pseudonyms because inflated soon too. In fact he used six times Floyd Akers, Edith Van Dyne and twenty-four times Shuyler Stauton twice.
To understand his work in the Oz series, it is necessary. know something of his life because the great works are never things simple, but always complex and lend themselves to being read at several levels. including the author's own. Baum has a lot of himself in what he wrote and those who know it is not surprising to find in "Ozma of Oz''Billina the hen, the ornaments, the military fools, the general's Jinjur, Dorothy, and even that" but "attached Oz. Let us see, then, this life.
Lyman Frank Baum was born in Chittenango, in upstate New York, May 15, 1856. His father's name was Benjamin Ward, his mother, Cynthia Stanton, family rich because of oil. Lyman Frank was a bit 'Malatina of heart: a childhood was peaceful, with private teachers, more often with a book in his hand out and play with his brothers. Lyman did not like the name: the house was always called Frank. Because he was a dreamer, he was sent to Syracuse academy, a military college where he gave his wand on his fingers: Frank was a heart attack and was quickly sent back, but the military life quell'annusatina's always enough to describe in general how "Ozma of Oz." He began very early to write poems and novels. At fifteen, with his brother Henry, he made a comic "The Rose Lawn Home Journal" to eighteen, with his friend Thomas Alford founded "The Empire". One who writes poetry and runs newspapers can take care of chickens? Can if it is American. Frank Baum, in fact, not only created new breeding birds and won awards with little books on breeding, but in 1886 even wrote a technical treatise on the chicken which was titled "The Book of Hamburgs''and on the cover had a rooster and two hens . This passion for the chickens so that it remained in "Ozma" Billina inserted, a major player. "As you can guess, stupid bird, when they are wrong about the others?" Asked the king of the Gnomes. But Billina dissolves the puzzles, triggering the bell on the throne, all free: free for them and Baum, chickens, they estimated.
Dad Baum, as well as having in the oil business, had some theaters, even his sister Catherine, who called Katherine Grayson, was an actress famous enough. Even Frank Baum was an actor and ribattezzatosi George Brooks, turned the whole state of New York along with some Shakespearean companies. Then, as Louis F. Baum appeared in several shows at the Union Street Theater in New York. Meanwhile, he continued to write. In 1882 he drew from "The Princess of Thule" by William Black opera "The Maid of Arran" then formed a company and had represented a success. But who he met during a brief return home? Maud Gage of Fayetteville, the daughter of suffragist Matilda Joselyn Gage, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, had written "History of suffrage to women" in four volumes. It was love at first sight. On 11 November 1882, Frank and Maud were married and it must be said immediately that it was a happy marriage: Ozma is just a tribute to his wife, in fact the name of the first name stuck Oz Maud because she was the fairy of his life . But how can a dreamer, a carefree, a bugiardello convinced of reincarnation may have loved and been loved back by a practical woman, her feet planted on the ground and the square jaw? Who knows. But so it was, he liked women with. strong personality, so much so that he went always agree more with his mother-in-law. Indeed, in 1890, when it became director of the Dakota Pioneer ", published the" Manifesto "of the feminist movement and the writings of Susan B. Anthony also urged his readers to grant suffrage to women, and regretted that you did step over the Dakota from Wyoming who granted women the vote in 1889, the first of American States. The fact is that so much hangs out with women's right wrist in "Ozma of Oz" traces the general's portrait of Jinjur that, at the head of an army of women, take away the throne of Oz to the Scarecrow, then, when it comes to his Once deposited, the wife owns nine cows, however, retains the same personality. "But look who's here," he says Ozma "How are you? "" Okay, "replies Jinjur," I'm happy and I am in business. " "And where is your husband?" "It's home to heal a black eye. She wanted to milk the cow red, and I told him to milk the white cow: I'm sure you understand the flight the next time. "
short, as women, women of the conquest of the West. Baum's wife had a pretty strong character: if the children disobeyed beat them with a hairbrush. Once the little Robert threw the cat out of the window: the cat is not did nothing, of course it was a nice gesture. Maud grabbed his second and holding lifted out of the window as if he wanted to throw below shouted: "What would you say if I let you go?"
With two children (there was also Frank Joselyn), Baum had to leave the theater. He tried some of the hundred jobs that gradually came into his mind and that ended badly produced a lubricant for machinery, a Bazaar opened in Aberdeen, said the photographer and the coach of a baseball team. Closed Bazaar in 1890 after the May 23 tornado that inspired the beginning of "The Wizard of Oz." And after the birth of third son, Harry Neal, he returned to journalism and wrote articles on the little tolerant Indians. In 1890, the Indians rose up for the last time led by Sitting Bull, the controller Custer massacre, but when the Seventh Cavalry completely destroyed the village of Wounded Knee, Baum signed pieces very appreciative. "Nobody is perfect, nobody is perfect, he would have said Dorothy.
After the birth of fourth son, Kenneth, Baum tried to find a new job and a new place to settle with his family. He settled in Chicago with a contract reporter for the Post and seller for the store of pottery and porcelain, "Siegel Cooper & Company." He was away from home all day, but in the evening followed the tradition of Bed Time Story , he liked to read stories to their children before they fall asleep and also liked invent. The mother-in-law often came to his house and knew its analysis by the verses of Mother Goose, so he encouraged him to publish them. And here you have to open a parenthesis: the nineteenth century children's books were pretty staid around the world and so were the United States, although Benjamin Franklin had tried to make people understand that young people demand something More Than Didactic discussion , young people demand something more than a discussion of teaching. Because in those days was still going strong Samuel Griswold Goodrich, the inventor of Peter Parley, the boy learned so much from American to have an answer for everything, that is a nuisance as the brutal Italian Giannetto of Parravicini. It is therefore natural that at some point it could no longer wanted things and all something fun. And here is "Little Lord Fauntleroy" of Burnett, "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. That's partly because the nonsense of Baum could have a rating, except for the fact that they were cute:. I love the water-wash in it-I play in it-but in the flood- I get tired of it, I like the water, I work there, but I play my stove in the floods. So Baum's first book for children was "Mother Goose" in prose. 1897, and the second "Father Goose, Bis book", that is Dad's Goose rhymes. In the middle (no consistency) regularly decorators' "The show window, but Baum was like that.
was during this period that he met Denslow, a great artist, who illustrated the poems of Father Goose and contributed largely to fit in the book. Thank goodness, because the health of Baum continued to get worse: in 1891 she had to step behind the tongue to remove a tumor, later had to be hospitalized for facial paralysis. The disease was the end of the trades in addition, finally occupied only to write. Principally engaged, I mean, for example because he also found time to invent some varieties of chrysanthemums, her favorite flower.
how we work? Put down ideas as they came to him and he used old letters, rag, accounts. Thus in 1900, piece after piece, package after package, was born three months in "The Wizard of Oz." Illustrated by Denslow, was very successful. Baum was forty years old and began to live in all directions, a pension. As with many myths, was reborn thirteen times Oz: Dorothy put a clean apron and arrive in a fantastic country, but now wanting to return to Kansas, but Kansas did not grow magic trees. As ever Baum, after "The Wizard of Oz," no longer works with Denslow? A little 'because Denslow had a very bad character, Always yelling and criticizing, a bit 'because maybe they were jealous of each other: what had contributed more to the success of the novel, the text or drawings? The fact is that he was replaced by Neil Denslow and Baum do not lose anything.
Another question: why is the character of a child? Some speak of an inspiration came to watch girls by Kate Greenaway on china plates: hair down, see the skirt that left pantalettes with lace edging and narrow at the ankle, but Dorothy was not so affected, Some speak of the desire for Baum to have a daughter, but had only four males. There Who is linked to Alice Baum surely knew. Finally there who goes back to a certain American literary fashion, where the girls had their own space: Little Pussy Willow, by Harriet Beech Stowe (author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin") and especially the four March sisters in "Little women ". In fact, Dorothy has something invented by Alcott's Jo, both of them are direct descendants of pioneer women, have a great enthusiasm and a great capacity to love. Whatever the reason, the fact is that Baum was the daughter of this paper and in "Ozma of Oz" gave her a last name and the name: Dorothy Gaie. Those also a lot of qualities: simplicity, good sense, kindness, generosity and dignity. "We have to sell us the dignity of Kansas," says Dorothy.
Dorothy brought luck to Baum, for a start allowed him to return to an old love: the theater. In fact, in 1903, on Broadway, came a musicae Nathaniel D. Mann from the "Wizard of Oz." This romance of the Wizard of Oz with the world of the show continued for years and is Ridolini Oliver Hardy, back when it was paired with Stan Laurel Laurel and Hardy were indeed in the world of the moon, played the Tin Woodman. And in 1975, on Broadway, the musical "The Wiz" with Negro actors and rock music has had three million viewers. Not only that this musical has inspired "A word urban" by Sidney Lumet, with Diana Ross.
Baum tried to bring to the theater "Ozma of Oz", he turned to Oliver Morosco, a showman of great success, but Morosco chose "The Tiktok Man of Oz" which however did not go too well, Baum A failed even to make a movie from the "Wizard of Oz" and so he wanted to do that, he moved to Hollywood where, in 1909, he founded a film company with Harold Lloyd and the young Darryl Zanuck, but the company went bankrupt as his other initiatives. The film was directed by Victor Fleming, for MGM, Judy Garland in 1939 and there was a little girl who sang the beautiful and super prize song "Over the Rainbow." But Baum was killed by a piece : May 6, 1919. Poor fellow, tall and strong as he was, a handsome man with mustache and parted in the middle, was always fragile health and the last years of his life he had to spend it in bed for treatment of angina pectoris and gall bladder infection. However, continued until the last to be the optimist of all time and his son Frank, who was at war in Europe, wrote: "Do not be depressed, my boy. I have lived long enough to know that adversity in life never last long Moho.
After his death, the Oz books continued to be so popular that the boys asked again and again, so Maud Baum granted the right to write some followed Ruth Plumly Thompson, a writer for young children in Philadelphia, and it went on until 1951. Maud, however, not granted the same right to his son Frank, in contravention of the fairy Ozma a rule that says''Do what you like as long as it does not bother someone else. "
One last thing to say, "Ozma of Oz''followed the fate of all books in this series, that was withdrawn from public libraries in the late thirties. It was said that the Oz books were "socialists" that the magician was "The Red Wizard of Oz " the Red Wizard of Oz, and that the culture of Oz tried to get closer to the Marxist dream. Senator Joe McCarthy raged further in the fifties and in 1957, a year after the centenary of the birth of the writer, the manager of the Detroit Public libraries candidly declared that he would never stocked the shelves with books by Frank L Baum. Then, the political reasons were slightly changed, it was said that Baum's books "had no value, they encouraged the negativity in them there was no good either in terms of fantasy." So what
morality comes from Baum's life? He lived in major historical periods: the opening of borders and crossing the Great Plains with the wagons, the struggle for the vote of the suffragettes and that of the Indians, but he lived optimistically as if all problems could be solved with a belt enchanted, always saw so many stars in the sky and when he invented his country so enchanted but do not put so familiar at all "in another dimension," as Ray Bradbury, but put it directly between the American States, that added a star on the flag. So is surprising that Carroll and his fellow citizens prefer the Alice, because Baum is American in everything, even the ideology that was always "Trade and plum-cake for ever, Hurrah!" Work and cake for ever, hooray!
PAOLA FALLACY
