Why people recommend it
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic children's fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum that follows young Dorothy in Kansas as she journeys through the magical land of Oz. Tish Rabe reminisced on How I Write about her mother reading the original story to her during childhood. Steven Pressfield discussed Baum's book on the same podcast to illustrate the classic hero's journey model, noting how Act One establishes the ordinary world of Dorothy and her dog Toto before transitioning into extraordinary realms. Gilbert Cruz mentioned the original Baum novel on The Book Review while outlining the literary lineage of the Oz universe, tracing it from Baum's text to Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked and subsequently to the beloved 1939 musical film. A host on How I Write referenced elements of the story to discuss rhetorical forms and false memories, while Matt Rogers discussed reading L. Frank Baum's books on Las Culturistas as part of exhaustive research into the cultural phenomenon alongside Ariana Grande. Finally, John Williams mentioned starting to read the classic book on The Book Review. Across these podcasts, Baum's enduring creation is repeatedly highlighted as a cornerstone of American folklore and storytelling tradition that continues to inspire new generations of writers, performers, and avid readers alike.
Who recommended it
- Tish Rabe Discussed
- Steven Pressfield Discussed
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
- John Williams Discussed
Tish Rabe — 1 mention
“my mother used to read us The Wizard of Oz, the original re well, Wizard of Oz.”
Steven Pressfield — 1 mention
“Ah you've done your your research. Great. um in sort of the classic hero's journey model of a story the uh if we think of let's say um Wizard of Oz the story starts out act one is the ordinary world so it's Dorothy in Kansas da da da with her dog Toto...”
Gilbert Cruz — 1 mention
“Wicked the musical is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire book of the same name which was based on the elf Frank balm novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which is a book that formed the basis for the 1939 film Wiz of mov exactly one of the most beloved American movies of all time”
John Williams — 1 mention
“weird to say but I'm going to be reading The Wizard of Oz”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 2
“there's a bit in Wizard of Oz H where the the Wicked Witch of the West says fly my pretties fly to the flying monkeys”
“And now this is the film which is such a beautiful blessing and responsibility to have as people who also love it and have lived for this for 20 years and have done the research like read the L. Frank Baum books and have done their homework and have lived it and loved it!”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Blade runner 2049
- Braveheart
- Bullies and Mean Girls in Popular Culture
- Casablanca
- Fine Feathered Friends
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Shoes signify identity. Shoes are part of the uniform of work. Let's say there's soldiers boots. There's Dorothy's red shoes in the Wizard of Oz.”