Announcement: September, '09 Classics Pick! [ Edited ]

[ConnieAnnKirk]

Dear Classics Readers--

Here is our Classics pick for September, 2009--This year marks the 70th anniversary of the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, so in celebration we'll be reading the original book, first published in 1900--The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 

What differences are there between the movie and the book?  (there are many!).  Which do you like better-- many people have seen the movie but never read the book.

Join us in September as we celebrate "Back-to-School" by following Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion down the "yellow brick road!"

A new 70th anniversary, remastered edition DVD set of the movie will be released on September 29th.

Wizard of Oz 

Join us!

Message Edited by ConnieK on 08-13-2009 12:19 PM

[ConnieAnnKirk]

I also want to give a heads up (for slow readers, like myself) that I've not forgotten our 3rd place Readers' Choice pick, and guess what--it looks like we should be able to do it in October.

That title?  Vanity Fair! 

Vanity Fair (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 

 

[dulcinea3]

Oooh, they both sound good!  (Of course, I am partial to Vanity Fair, since it was my nomination!)

I believe I read the Oz books (maybe not all of them) when I was in grade school.  I think that maybe I would like to buy an omnibus volume of all fifteen books.  I see three listed, but I don't know which one is good, or even which is illustrated.  The one that looks the nicest (second shown below) has a reader comment that there are a lot of typos in it.  Is anybody familiar with an all-in-one volume, or can recommend one?

15 Books in 1 

The Complete Book of Oz 

The Treasury of Oz  

[bartzturkeymom]

That's great news! I saw the movie version of Vanity Fair and the background music was so loud it covered up the dialogue I'll be glad to get all the details of the story.

Oz looks fun. I read a couple of them when I was young and my spousal unit bought me one for a birthday from an antique/old stuff store. I'll have to put my double member's discount coupon for kids books to good use. Now that was timely!!

[Fozzie]

Thanks so much for letting us know October's selection ahead of time.  Classics take me forever to read, so I am going to get an early start on Vanity Fair.  It seems we are getting the monthly reading selections on B&N as a whole much later, so it is wonderful to be able to plan, buy, and read ahead.

---

ConnieK wrote:

I also want to give a heads up (for slow readers, like myself) that I've not forgotten our 3rd place Readers' Choice pick, and guess what--it looks like we should be able to do it in October.

That title?  Vanity Fair! 

Vanity Fair (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 

 

---

[Peppermill]

I was just on ebay looking for an item to fill in a plate collection of my own.  I noticed that there are lots and of Wizard of Oz collectables of many types (most of which had little appeal to me, but which were fun to see in their variety).  Several seemed to be from the 50th anniversary, which I presume would be 20 years ago now, but I didn't check if they were measuring from the film or publication or ....

Message Edited by Peppermill on 08-15-2009 09:35 PM

[Choisya]

Perhaps I ought to read Wizard of Oz as a grown-up because the film scared me a lot when I was 8 years of age!  I was taken to see it for my 8th birthday but when the Wicked Witch appeared I ran out of the cinema and couldn't be persuaded to return

---

ConnieK wrote:

Dear Classics Readers--

Here is our Classics pick for September, 2009--This year marks the 70th anniversary of the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, so in celebration we'll be reading the original book, first published in 1900--The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 

What differences are there between the movie and the book?  (there are many!).  Which do you like better-- many people have seen the movie but never read the book.

Join us in September as we celebrate "Back-to-School" by following Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion down the "yellow brick road!"

A new 70th anniversary, remastered edition DVD set of the movie will be released on September 29th.

Wizard of Oz 

Join us!

Message Edited by ConnieK on 08-13-2009 12:19 PM

---

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

Peppermill wrote:
I was just on ebay looking for an item to fill in a plate collection of my own.  I noticed that there are lots and of Wizard of Oz collectables of many types (most of which had little appeal to me, but which were fun to see in their variety).  Several seemed to be from the 50th anniversary, which I presume would be 20 years ago now, but I didn't check if they were measuring from the film or publication or ....

Message Edited by Peppermill on 08-15-2009 09:35 PM

---

Thanks, Peppermill.  Maybe eBay's another place you can check, dulci, for full sets?  I haven't looked into full sets of the Oz books too far yet, but I'll try to investigate further.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

Choisya wrote:

Perhaps I ought to read Wizard of Oz as a grown-up because the film scared me a lot when I was 8 years of age!  I was taken to see it for my 8th birthday but when the Wicked Witch appeared I ran out of the cinema and couldn't be persuaded to return

---

Aw, Choisya.  That witch IS scary!  I saw her first on TV in the comfort of my own home as a lil' girl, but I can only imagine how terrifying she's be on the big screen!

I *think* I've heard they may show it again in theaters this fall as part of the 70th anniversary, but I might be wrong.  If they do, I'd like to see it in a theater--I never have!

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

Fozzie wrote:

Thanks so much for letting us know October's selection ahead of time.  Classics take me forever to read, so I am going to get an early start on Vanity Fair.  It seems we are getting the monthly reading selections on B&N as a whole much later, so it is wonderful to be able to plan, buy, and read ahead.

---

Thanks for this comment, Fozzie.  I'm a slow reader, too, so I totally understand what you mean.  Typically, I think the BN.com Book Clubs announce the next month's selections about midway through the previous month, but I often need more time as well.  We'll see what we can do!

[dulcinea3]

---

ConnieK wrote:
Maybe eBay's another place you can check, dulci, for full sets?  I haven't looked into full sets of the Oz books too far yet, but I'll try to investigate further.

---

Thanks, Connie, I took a look yesterday.  Closest was someone selling 14 or 15 of them; bidding was up to thirty-something dollars and ending in about an hour from then.  They didn't all match, because one was hardback and another was a different size from the others, so I was too undecided to act.

I think I'm going to have to give up and just get the one book we're reading; it was a nice idea while it lasted.  I'm surprised that no publishers have gotten the idea of offering a nice, complete, illustrated set (original illustrations).  I did further research on the all-in-ones, and none of them have illustrations.

BTW, although I saw the movie annually on TV since I was five (on our black and white set for years), I did see it in the theatre once.  It had been released to the theatres around the time of my kid brother's fifth birthday, so as part of his party, we took him and his friends to see it.  One little boy had to be carried from the theatre in hysterics when the flying monkeys appeared!  We got our first color TV around that time, so I'm not sure if I first saw the transformation at home or at the movies.

Message Edited by dulcinea3 on 08-18-2009 12:43 PM

[IBIS]

The funny thing about the movie version of "The Wizard of Oz" with Judy Garland... although the witch was scary, I was absolutely terrified of the flying monkeys.

When those flying monkeys surrounded Dorothy, I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Nothing, nobody, no-how, could force me to see the rest of the movie.

I was in my 30s when I finally saw it with my school-aged daughter. And I was very adult about those scenes.

---

ConnieK wrote:

---

Choisya wrote:

Perhaps I ought to read Wizard of Oz as a grown-up because the film scared me a lot when I was 8 years of age!  I was taken to see it for my 8th birthday but when the Wicked Witch appeared I ran out of the cinema and couldn't be persuaded to return

---

Aw, Choisya.  That witch IS scary!  I saw her first on TV in the comfort of my own home as a lil' girl, but I can only imagine how terrifying she's be on the big screen!

I *think* I've heard they may show it again in theaters this fall as part of the 70th anniversary, but I might be wrong.  If they do, I'd like to see it in a theater--I never have!

---

Message Edited by IBIS on 08-18-2009 02:55 PM

[dulcinea3]

Speaking of the flying monkeys, one of my favorite lines in the movie is when the monkeys are done scattering bits of the Scarecrow around, and the Tinman says, "That's you all over!"

[Fozzie]

I purchased this version yesterday.  It is LONG!  Whew!  But, what makes this version so interesting is that it contains many original illustrations --- a fun and different element to add to the reading.   

---

ConnieK wrote:

I also want to give a heads up (for slow readers, like myself) that I've not forgotten our 3rd place Readers' Choice pick, and guess what--it looks like we should be able to do it in October.

That title?  Vanity Fair! 

Vanity Fair (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 

 

---

[dulcinea3]

So, I ordered:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the hardcover edition.  I found better reviews on a rival's website, where the comments are linked only to the edition they were made for, and this one is a facsimile edition that definitely has all the illustrations, including the color plates.  A comment on the paperback edition complained that they thought it would have color illustrations, but they were all b&w.  Also, what this one has that the paperback doesn't is the original cover art under the dust jacket.

Yes, Vanity Fair is quite long, but we should be able to get a headstart on it, because The Wonderful Wizard of Oz should be a quick read!  I'm looking forward to both!

[IBIS]

Dulcinea, yes! I remember that wonderful line... the Tin Man saying that to Scarecrow. I laughed so hard. Very witty.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

dulcinea3 wrote:

So, I ordered:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the hardcover edition.  I found better reviews on a rival's website, where the comments are linked only to the edition they were made for, and this one is a facsimile edition that definitely has all the illustrations, including the color plates.  A comment on the paperback edition complained that they thought it would have color illustrations, but they were all b&w.  Also, what this one has that the paperback doesn't is the original cover art under the dust jacket.

---

Should be a nice edition, dulci, especially if the original illustrations are in color.  About the set--you know; I'm not sure many people read all the Oz books anymore, which is maybe why we aren't seeing a boxed set type of thing.  Maybe the movie anniversary will spur renewed interest.

I admit I haven't read beyond the first novel, though I have heard that others in the series are better than the first one.

Message Edited by ConnieK on 08-21-2009 10:02 AM

[JediHanson]

I'm so excited, Connie!  This is my all-time favorite movie.  My son recently purchased/read this book and enjoyed.  I'm sure I will too. 

[dulcinea3]

---

ConnieK wrote:

---

dulcinea3 wrote:

So, I ordered:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the hardcover edition.  I found better reviews on a rival's website, where the comments are linked only to the edition they were made for, and this one is a facsimile edition that definitely has all the illustrations, including the color plates.  A comment on the paperback edition complained that they thought it would have color illustrations, but they were all b&w.  Also, what this one has that the paperback doesn't is the original cover art under the dust jacket.

---

Should be a nice edition, dulci, especially if the original illustrations are in color.  About the set--you know; I'm not sure many people read all the Oz books anymore, which is maybe why we aren't seeing a boxed set type of thing.  Maybe the movie anniversary will spur renewed interest.

I admit I haven't read beyond the first novel, though I have heard that others in the series are better than the first one.

From what I've been reading, the best are supposed to be Ozma of Oz (the third book) and Glinda of Oz (14th in the series, and the last one that Baum wrote; others carried on after his death).

[dulcinea3]

I received the book, and it is beautiful!  If someone wants a good-quality edition to be passed down through the generations, I would definitely recommend this one.