Audiobook · read by volunteers
Patchwork Girl of Oz
L. Frank Baum (1856–1919)
Read by Daniel Anaya, Miriam Esther Goldman (1991-2017), Elizabeth Zaranka, Denice Stradling, Inga Parsons, Eric Leach, Elli, Mounica, TriciaG, cher0520 · 29 chapters · 5 h 43
About the book
Ojo is a young Munchkin boy who lives in a small house with his uncle, Unc Nunkie. When a spell turns his uncle and another victim into marble statues, Ojo sets out to find the ingredients for a magic antidote, and the quest takes him through the Land of Oz. His companions are the Patchwork Girl, a doll made of a stuffed quilt who has been brought to life, and the Glass Cat, who is proud of her pink brains. Along the way they meet strange creatures and difficult tests, and Ojo has to decide what is right when temptation arrives. L. Frank Baum fills the pages with wordplay, curious inventions and a cheerful tone. Twenty-nine sections, read by a team of volunteers, last nearly six hours. It is a lively, cosy adventure for young listeners and for fans of Oz of any age.
Introduction
L. Frank Baum, who lived from 1856 to 1919, was an American author best known for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. He went on to write many sequels about the Land of Oz and a large number of other works for children. The Patchwork Girl of Oz appeared in 1913 and is the seventh of Baum's Oz books.
The novel stands on its own, so it is not necessary to have read the earlier books. Baum introduces a new young hero and several characters who have become favourites of Oz readers, among them the Patchwork Girl, who is also known as Scraps. The tone is playful and the story is full of puns and odd characters. As in the other books, Baum describes a magical land in a very matter-of-fact tone.
The LibriVox recording has twenty-nine sections, starting with a prologue, and lasts about five hours and forty minutes. Several volunteers share the reading, giving the many characters a variety of voices. Today the book offers an easy introduction to the world of Oz beyond the famous first story, and it is a pleasant companion for families who like their fantasy lighthearted. Baum's Oz books are admired for their inventiveness and for treating children as intelligent, curious people. In this story the characters are strange, but they have their own logic and vanity, which gives many of the scenes a wry humour. The cast of readers gives each creature a different voice, and the book is easy to follow even for those who are listening for the first time.
Public domain
L. Frank Baum died in 1919: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text