This, the complete and unabridged original tale that provided us with the best-loved classic movie, stands on its own as a great modern-day fairy tale.
It is the story of a little girl, Dorothy, and her dog, Toto, whisked away on a cyclone from their drab Kansas home to a land of adventure and achievement inhabited by such creatures as a Cowardly Lion, a Tin Woodman, an animate Scarecrow, witches, and the Wizard himself. Join them on their enchanting journey along the Yellow Brick Road in search of the wonderful Wizard in the enchanted Emerald City.
Listening to THE WIZARD OF OZ is an eye-opening experience. There's more to this story's plot, themes, and connections than is revealed in the movie classic. Anna Fields's narration creates a new vision of a younger, sweeter Dorothy; more one-dimensional, fairy-tale-like characters; a more adventurous journey to Oz; and a new ending. Although Fields seems stiff and reserved at first, ultimately those same qualities help simplify the story and keep it truer to the original. Her voiced rendition keeps the characters clear most of the time and helps maintain the simple quality of the story, "in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
