Audiobook · read by volunteers
Tik-Tok of Oz
L. Frank Baum (1856–1919)
Read by Ryan T., Scott Sherris, Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014), Julian Jamison, Jc Guan, Mark F. Smith, Kira Belkin, John Rose, Matthew Hinman, Ada Kerman · 26 chapters · 5 h 17
About the book
Betsy Bobbin has been shipwrecked in a storm, and she finds herself in the strange land of Oz. There she meets a talking mule, a stubborn mechanical man named Tik-Tok, and a host of odd and delightful characters. Meanwhile, in the far-off kingdom of Oogaboo, the ambitious Queen Ann decides to raise an army of officers, with only a few privates, and conquer the world, beginning with Oz itself. Two groups of travellers, one led by a girl from the outside world and the other by an ambitious queen, set the story in motion. As their paths cross, adventures multiply: strange peoples, fantastic landscapes and unlikely friendships. L. Frank Baum's imagination runs freely in this cheerful book, the eighth of his Oz stories, and a fine listen for all who love tales of wonder and fun.
Introduction
L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author who, with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, created one of the most beloved fantasy worlds in children's literature. He went on to write a long series of Oz books, as well as many other tales, and he remained a prolific storyteller until his death.
Tik-Tok of Oz, published in 1914, is one of the later volumes in the series. Its story brings together two groups of travellers, one led by a girl from the outside world and the other by an ambitious queen, and it makes use of the humour and invention that readers had come to expect. It also features the mechanical man who gives the book its title, a character who had appeared earlier in Ozma of Oz and who runs on clockwork, which sometimes needs rewinding at awkward moments.
Baum had a gift for creating comic and sympathetic characters, and for mixing adventure with gentle satire. His Oz books are marked by a lively sense of fun, a faith in kindness and courage, and an uncomplicated delight in oddities. Modern readers may notice that some details show the attitudes of their time, but the spirit remains cheerful.
The recording has twenty-six chapters and lasts a little over five hours. It is read by LibriVox volunteers, and it suits family listening. Readers who know the earlier Oz books will enjoy meeting old friends again, while new listeners can easily follow the story. It is a lively and good-humoured choice for the young and the young at heart.
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