Today, where once there was a reread of the Oz books by Mari Ness there is instead silence. To celebrate Mari’s completion of the reread of the “famous forty” series of Oz books, we’re grouping them together into a handy index for your reading convenience.
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I would point out to you that the map you are using at the top of this page is backwards and incorrect.
The original Baum map from Tik-Tok of Oz shows Munchkin Country on the left and Winkie Country on the right. In addition, the compass legend shows east on tghe left and west on the right.
The map you are using is from a later publication and was meant to appease those people who were too unimaginative and unable to consider the possibility that east could be west and west could be east.
Considering how much time and effort has been invested in this series of reviews, I’m surprised you chose an incorrect map.
Will you be reading any of the NON-canon Oz books?
I’d like to say that the views on Oz maps expressed by Mr. Wallace are in the minority among Oz fans. That map is a publication of the International Wizard of Oz Club, and is the result of much research and discussion, as well as updating. It is both an amazing piece of research and a work of art.
And I second the question of Mr. Iff, per my suggestions at the end of the “Merry Go Round in Oz” post.
I would agree with Mr. Gjovaag on one point. The artwork of the IWOC map is quite good and worthy of reprinting. However, despite being in the minority, Mr. Gjovaag doesn’t say we’re wrong because he can’t. No amount of research or consensus can change the fact that L. Frank Baum, in his novel; Tik-Tok of Oz, placed Muchnkin Country on the left (east) and Winkie Country on the right (west) and verified that with a compass legend that has east on the left and west on the right.
Perhaps Mr. Gjovaag is suggesting that L. Frank Baum, the founding author, was wrong? Such hubris…
You know, I’ve never liked the order of the Bill of Rights. I know, let’s change the order so the 1st amendment is now the 5th and the 4th is now the 1st.
Yea… That’s the ticket!
The choice of image to top out the post was my doing, and while I was aware that it was technically incorrect, I felt that it was the slightly more proper choice for a reread whose overall intent was propelled by nostalgia for the Oz series. i.e. someone recalling the series would most likely remember the detailed map.
I’d love to know more about the decision to switch the original out and detail a new one, though. James or Eric, would you be able to link us to an article that would suffice? I found this article, but can’t vouch for its accuracy or detail.
My overall knowledge of Oz doesn’t even come close to that of Eric Gjovaag. He would be the ideal choice to enlighten your readers about the decision to swap out Baum’s map for one more in line with what most people expect. I too would be interested in what he has to say and what justifications were made to make this decision.
I’m still smarting from the IAU decision to demote Pluto, which I didn’t vote for. It was done while we were out to lunch, literally. A small group overode the wishes of a bigger group, but did so surreptitiously. I hope that wasn’t the case with Oz.
I’ve really enjoyed this series, and would welcome more Oz book analysis whether the famous forty, or derivative works.
There is absolutely no need for me or anyone else to justify why the Oz Club’s map is different from the original Tik-Tok of Oz endpaper maps, because the new mapmakers have already done so. When you buy a copy of the maps from the Oz Club, an explanatory leaflet is included. The article which ChrisTor found and linked to is pretty accurate as well.
And as for the idea that L. Frank Baum is somehow infallible and could do no wrong, one has only to read the Oz books and find all of the errors that crept in to see that this is not the case. The whole confusion between east and west started with Baum, as he tended to swap the locations of the Munchkin and Winkie countries around in the later books. Other little inconsistencies crept in — were the nine tiny piglets a gift to the Wizard from a sailor, or the children of Professor and Mrs. Swyne in the Munchkin Country, to give only one example — which just show that Baum was a human being who made mistakes. So why can’t further research improve on what Baum started?
The beauty of being an Oz fan is that there is no one overarching authority who can say “This is so” and “This is not so”. If any Oz fans want to accept some Oz books and not others as true Oz, they are free to do so. If some Oz fans wish to consider one map better than the other, they are free to do so. But with that freedom comes to responsibility to respect the different views of others. Because until we can figure out a way for us all to go visit Oz and ask the hard questions, who’s to say who really is right?
This will be my final word here, as I don’t think anything further I have to say will be of any benefit. But I invite Oz fans, and the plain curious, to visit my website, thewizardofoz.info, to delve more deeply into the whole Oz phenomenon.
I too will respect this conversation by making this my last posting on this particular subject.
To begin with, Eric’s website; thewizardofoz.info is probably one of the best informational websites about Oz anywhere on the Internet machine. I would also encourage anyone to visit his website and learn more about this wonderful place we call Oz. Perhaps they might even consider joining the International Wizard of Oz Club. One of the primary benefits of this wonderful organization are three issues per year of the Baum Bugle, an outstanding magazine featuring both historical and current articles on Oz and all things Ozian. Book reviews, convention reports, music and film updates all can be found in this outstanding publication.
As for Baum’ infallibility and inconsistency, there certainly was a lack of consistency in his writings from time to time. However, try writing a story about Oz and doing something like, oh.. I don’t know… maybe putting wings on Polychrome, or killing off the Wizard and some Oz purists go ape-@@@@@#% over that inconsistency.
But Eric is right and I do respect others opinions about Oz, be it maps, magic belts or poppies.
My original point was that the reviews were of original Baum works and the map was non-original IWOC work.
Nonetheless, it brought out a conversation that deserved to be heard and was worth the bandwidth. I hope many others reading this will look into Oz and see what Oz has to offer them.
They might very well like what they read…
YAAAAY OZ! The IWOC map is beautiful, and an impressive piece of fictional research. The Oz series was in numerous respects a pioneering work of fiction, not least of which was the fan culture that evolved around the books. Oz “fan-fics” were being written as early as the teens of the previous century, the first Oz “cons” were held in the 1950’s, and yes also Oz Cos-play and filking and and every shade and variety of Oz fan activity – often preceding any other example of which I can think for similar fan activity surrounding other books. Unfortunately there have also been the occasional Oz-fan contention and Oz-fanatic purists insisting that ONLY their version of the HOztory is correct (sometimes citing details of their own unpublished fanfics – several individuals have done this). Luckily most of fandom is much more lighthearted!