The Marvelous Land of Oz
Sequel introducing Ozma and Jack Pumpkinhead.
The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in July 1904, is the second book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It introduces Princess Ozma and Jack Pumpkinhead to the Oz mythos, and was illustrated by John R. Neill.
Quick Facts
- Author
- L. Frank Baum
- Illustrator
- John R. Neill
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Series
- The Oz books
- Genre
- Children's novel
- Publisher
- Reilly & Britton
- Released
- July 1904
Facts from the source article.
Plot summary
The story takes place shortly after Dorothy Gale's departure from Oz. To frighten Mombi, Tip builds a simulacrum from a carved jack-o'-lantern, tree branches, and old clothes, naming it Jack Pumpkinhead. Mombi, not fooled, demonstrates the Powder of Life she obtained from another sorcerer and threatens to turn Tip into a marble statue. Tip escapes that night with Jack, stealing the Powder of Life. He uses it to animate a wooden Sawhorse for Jack to ride. Separated from them, Tip meets General Jinjur's all-girl Army of Revolt, which plans to overthrow the Scarecrow, ruler of the Emerald City since the Wizard's departure. Jack and the Sawhorse reach the Emerald City and meet the Scarecrow. Jinjur's army invades, terrorizes the city, and loots it. Tip joins Jack and the Scarecrow, and they escape on the Sawhorse. They arrive at the Tin Woodman's castle in the Winkie Kingdom to plan retaking the Emerald City. On their return, Mombi, now allied with Jinjur, diverts them. They are joined by the Woggle-Bug and aided by the field mice and their queen, who allows the Scarecrow to take twelve mice concealed in his straw.
Adaptations
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz had been adapted into a stage play in 1902, and elements of The Marvelous Land of Oz were incorporated with an eye to stage adaptation. The book was dedicated to David C. Montgomery and Fred Stone, who had played the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow in that play. Neither Dorothy nor the Cowardly Lion appear in the novel, reflecting the importance of those two characters in the stage version. The book's backstory portrays the Wizard as evil, a change from the novel that followed the stage play's villainous depiction. The armies of women in the book were seen by reviewers as intended for future chorus girls, with one reviewer noting that General Jinjur and her soldiers are only shapely chorus girls. The twist of Tip being Princess Ozma has been suggested to reflect stage traditions, as Tip would likely have been played by a woman in drag. Baum wanted Stone and Montgomery to reprise their roles for a second show, but they refused, and the characters were omitted from the play. Baum instead adapted the book for the stage as The Woggle-Bug, produced in Chicago in the summer of 1905 with music by Frederic Chapin and Fred Mace as the Woggle-Bug. The play was unsuccessful and has not been published, though its songs were published and a collected volume was issued by Hungry Tiger Press in 2001. Land of Oz is the final 1910 Selig Polyscope Oz film and has been brought to the screen several additional times.
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