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{{Short description|1925 book by Ruth Plumly Thompson}}
{{infobox Book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{Infobox book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
| name = The Lost King of Oz
| name = The Lost King of Oz
| image = [[image:lost_king_cover.jpg|thumb|200px|Cover of ''The Lost King of Oz''.]]<!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image = File:The Lost King of Oz cover.jpg
| caption = Cover of ''The Lost King of Oz''<!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image_caption =
| author = [[Ruth Plumly Thompson]]
| author = [[Ruth Plumly Thompson]]
| illustrator = [[John R. Neill]]
| illustrator = [[John R. Neill]]
| country = [[United States]]
| country = United States
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = English
| series = [[The Oz books]]
| series = [[The Oz books]]
| genre = [[Children's literature|Children's novel]]
| genre = [[Children's literature|Children's novel]]
| publisher = [[Reilly & Britton|Reilly & Lee]]
| publisher = [[Reilly & Britton|Reilly & Lee]]
| release_date = 1924
| release_date = 1925
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]])
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]])
| preceded_by = [[Grampa in Oz]]
| preceded_by = [[Grampa in Oz]]
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}}
}}


'''''The Lost King of Oz''''' ([[1925 in literature|1925]]) is the nineteenth in the series of [[List of Oz books|Oz books]] created by [[L. Frank Baum]] and his successors, and the fifth written by [[Ruth Plumly Thompson]]. It was Illustrated by [[John R. Neill]].
'''''The Lost King of Oz''''' (1925) is the nineteenth book in the [[List of Oz books|Oz series]] created by [[L. Frank Baum]] and his successors, and the fifth written by [[Ruth Plumly Thompson]]. It was illustrated by [[John R. Neill]]. The novel was followed by ''[[The Hungry Tiger of Oz]]'' (1926).

The book went into the public domain on January 1, 2021.<ref>[https://blogs.loc.gov/copyright/2021/01/the-lifecycle-of-copyright-1925-works-enter-the-public-domain/ The Lifecycle of Copyright: 1925 Works Enter the Public Domain]</ref>


==Thompson's approach==
==Thompson's approach==
As she sometimes does in her books,<ref>David L. Greene and [[Dick Martin (artist)|Dick Martin]], ''The Oz Scrapbook'', New York, Random House, 1977; p. 61.</ref> Thompson exploits a detail in Baum's work to generate her story. Baum mentions Pastoria, a former ruler of Oz,<ref>[[Jack Snow (writer)|Jack Snow]], ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 156.</ref> only briefly in the twentieth chapter of ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'' (1904); Thompson spins Baum's hint into a full tale of Pastoria's exile.
As she sometimes does in her books,<ref>David L. Greene and [[Dick Martin (artist)|Dick Martin]], ''The Oz Scrapbook'', New York, Random House, 1977; p. 61.</ref> Thompson exploits a detail in Baum's work to generate her story. Baum mentions Pastoria, Ozma's father and former ruler of Oz,<ref>[[Jack Snow (writer)|Jack Snow]], ''Who's Who in Oz'', Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 156.</ref> only briefly in the twentieth chapter of ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'' (1904); Thompson spins Baum's hint into a full tale of Pastoria's exile and rescue.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hearn |first1=Michael Patrick |editor1-last=Cech |editor1-first=John |title=Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol 22: American Writers for Children, 1900-1960 |date=1983 |publisher=Gale Research Company |isbn=0-8103-1146-1 |page=312 |url=https://archive.org/details/americanwritersf0000unse/page/312/mode/2up |access-date=20 May 2024 |chapter=Ruth Plumly Thompson}}</ref>


Thompson dedicated ''The Lost King of Oz'' to her invalid mother. She suggested to her publishers that the dedication be made in the form of a [[crossword puzzle]] &mdash; but Reilly & Lee rejected the idea.<ref>Greene and Martin, p. 72.</ref>
Thompson dedicated ''The Lost King of Oz'' to her invalid mother. She suggested to her publishers that the dedication be made in the form of a [[crossword puzzle]] &mdash; but Reilly & Lee rejected the idea.<ref>Greene and Martin, p. 72.</ref>


==Plot summary==
==Plot summary==
Old [[Mombi]] is now a cook in the land of Kimbaloo. One day comes across Pajuka, the former prime minister of Oz, enchanted by Mombi into a goose years before. She sets out to find [[Pastoria]], the king of [[Land of Oz|Oz]], whom she also enchanted in the past. She kidnaps a local boy called Snip as her unwilling assistant and bearer of burdens. Eventually deciding, however, that he knows too much, Mombi throws Snip down a well; there, he encounters the invisible Blanks in their subterranean city of Blankenberg. Snip meets and eventually rescues an amnesiac old tailor called Tora.
Old [[Mombi]], formerly the Wicked Witch of the North, is now a cook in the land of Kimbaloo. One day she comes across Pajuka, the former prime minister of Oz, transformed by Mombi into a goose years before. She sets out to find [[Pastoria]], the king of [[Land of Oz|Oz]], whom she also enchanted in the past. However, she has forgotten what shape she transformed Pastoria into. She kidnaps a local boy called Snip as her unwilling assistant and bearer of burdens. Eventually deciding, however, that he knows too much, Mombi throws Snip down a well; he ends up in Blankenburg, populated by the invisible Blanks. Snip meets and soon rescues Tora, an amnesiac old tailor. Tora has been held prisoner for many years by the Blanks, to do their tailoring; he has compensated by sending his detachable ears flying about the countryside to hear the news.


Meanwhile, [[Dorothy Gale|Dorothy]] is accidentally transported to [[Hollywood]], where she meets Humpy, a live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz. They escape the Back Talkers in Eht Kcab Sdoow (by running backwards), and meet the Scooters who help scoot them on their way. [[Kabumpo]] the Elegant Elephant shows up to provide transport. Eventually, matters are clarified and settled: Mombi is defeated and Pajuka restored to humanity. Old Tora regains his memory, and turns out to be the missing Pastoria. He spurns any notion of returning to his throne, however; he is content to settle down as a humble tailor in the Emerald City, with Snip as his button boy and apprentice.
Meanwhile, [[Dorothy Gale|Dorothy]] is accidentally transported to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], where she meets Humpy, a live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz. They escape the Back Talkers in Eht Kcab Sdoow (by running backwards), and meet the Scooters who help scoot them on their way. [[Kabumpo]] the Elegant Elephant shows up to provide transport (of the mundane sort). Dorothy's party encounters Snip and Tora, and Mombi and Pajuka too. They come to the conclusion that Humpy the dummy is the enchanted Pastoria.
Eventually, matters are clarified and settled: Pajuka is restored to humanity, but Humpy proves not to be the missing king after all. Old Tora is disenchanted and turns out to be Pastoria. He spurns any notion of returning to his throne, however; he is content to settle down as a humble tailor in the [[Emerald City]], with Snip as his apprentice and Humpy as his tailor's dummy.

In a rare act of Ozite capital punishment, Mombi is ruthlessly doused with water and melts away like the [[Wicked Witch of the West]], so that nothing is left of her but her buckled shoes.


==Promotion==
==Promotion==
Reilly & Lee took a new approach to publicizing its Oz books in 1925. Thompson wrote a short play for child actors titled ''A Day in Oz,'' with songs composed by [[Norman Sherrerd]]. The play was performed in bookstores and department stores by local children, with costumes provided by Reilly & Lee. The performances promoted each year's Oz book, and continued through the 1920s.<ref>Greene and Martin, p. 68.</ref>
Reilly & Lee took a new approach to publicizing its Oz books in 1925. Thompson wrote a short play for child actors titled ''A Day in Oz,'' with songs composed by [[Norman Sherrerd]]. The play was performed in bookstores and department stores by local children, with costumes provided by Reilly & Lee. The performances promoted each year's Oz book, and continued through the 1920s.<ref>Greene and Martin, p. 68.</ref>

==Reception==
In ''A Brief Guide to Oz'', Paul Simpson notes that Mombi being put to death "caused considerable controversy with Oz fans."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Simpson |first1=Paul |title=A Brief Guide to Oz |date=2013 |publisher=Constable & Robinson Ltd |isbn=978-1-47210-988-0 |page=49 |url=https://archive.org/details/briefguidetooz0000simp/page/48/mode/2up |access-date=10 February 2024}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{Gutenberg|no=65849|name=The Lost King of Oz}}
{{Portal|Children's literature}}
* [http://www.pumperdink.org/BCF/TheLostKingOfOz.html On ''The Lost King of Oz'']
* [http://www.pumperdink.org/BCF/TheLostKingOfOz.html On ''The Lost King of Oz'']
* {{isfdb title|id=13086|title=The Lost King of Oz}}


{{oz books|
{{oz books|
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{{Oz}}
{{Oz}}


⚫
[[Category:Oz books]]
⚫
[[Category:1926 novels]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lost King of Oz, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lost King of Oz, The}}
⚫
[[Category:Oz (franchise) books]]

[[Category:1925 American novels]]
[[pt:The Lost King of Oz]]
[[Category:1925 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:1925 children's books]]
⚫
[[Category:Hollywood novels]]

Revision as of 21:41, 21 July 2024

The Lost King of Oz
Cover of The Lost King of Oz
AuthorRuth Plumly Thompson
IllustratorJohn R. Neill
SpracheEnglisch
SeriesThe Oz books
GenreChildren's novel
PublisherReilly & Lee
Publication date
1925
Publication placeVereinigte Staaten
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Preceded byGrampa in Oz 
Followed byThe Hungry Tiger of Oz 

The Lost King of Oz (1925) is the nineteenth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill. The novel was followed by The Hungry Tiger of Oz (1926).

The book went into the public domain on January 1, 2021.[1]

Thompson's approach

As she sometimes does in her books,[2] Thompson exploits a detail in Baum's work to generate her story. Baum mentions Pastoria, Ozma's father and former ruler of Oz,[3] only briefly in the twentieth chapter of The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904); Thompson spins Baum's hint into a full tale of Pastoria's exile and rescue.[4]

Thompson dedicated The Lost King of Oz to her invalid mother. She suggested to her publishers that the dedication be made in the form of a crossword puzzle — but Reilly & Lee rejected the idea.[5]

Plot summary

Old Mombi, formerly the Wicked Witch of the North, is now a cook in the land of Kimbaloo. One day she comes across Pajuka, the former prime minister of Oz, transformed by Mombi into a goose years before. She sets out to find Pastoria, the king of Oz, whom she also enchanted in the past. However, she has forgotten what shape she transformed Pastoria into. She kidnaps a local boy called Snip as her unwilling assistant and bearer of burdens. Eventually deciding, however, that he knows too much, Mombi throws Snip down a well; he ends up in Blankenburg, populated by the invisible Blanks. Snip meets and soon rescues Tora, an amnesiac old tailor. Tora has been held prisoner for many years by the Blanks, to do their tailoring; he has compensated by sending his detachable ears flying about the countryside to hear the news.

Meanwhile, Dorothy is accidentally transported to Hollywood, where she meets Humpy, a live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz. They escape the Back Talkers in Eht Kcab Sdoow (by running backwards), and meet the Scooters who help scoot them on their way. Kabumpo the Elegant Elephant shows up to provide transport (of the mundane sort). Dorothy's party encounters Snip and Tora, and Mombi and Pajuka too. They come to the conclusion that Humpy the dummy is the enchanted Pastoria.

Eventually, matters are clarified and settled: Pajuka is restored to humanity, but Humpy proves not to be the missing king after all. Old Tora is disenchanted and turns out to be Pastoria. He spurns any notion of returning to his throne, however; he is content to settle down as a humble tailor in the Emerald City, with Snip as his apprentice and Humpy as his tailor's dummy.

In a rare act of Ozite capital punishment, Mombi is ruthlessly doused with water and melts away like the Wicked Witch of the West, so that nothing is left of her but her buckled shoes.

Promotion

Reilly & Lee took a new approach to publicizing its Oz books in 1925. Thompson wrote a short play for child actors titled A Day in Oz, with songs composed by Norman Sherrerd. The play was performed in bookstores and department stores by local children, with costumes provided by Reilly & Lee. The performances promoted each year's Oz book, and continued through the 1920s.[6]

Reception

In A Brief Guide to Oz, Paul Simpson notes that Mombi being put to death "caused considerable controversy with Oz fans."[7]

References

  1. ^ The Lifecycle of Copyright: 1925 Works Enter the Public Domain
  2. ^ David L. Greene and Dick Martin, The Oz Scrapbook, New York, Random House, 1977; p. 61.
  3. ^ Jack Snow, Who's Who in Oz, Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 156.
  4. ^ Hearn, Michael Patrick (1983). "Ruth Plumly Thompson". In Cech, John (ed.). Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol 22: American Writers for Children, 1900-1960. Gale Research Company. p. 312. ISBN 0-8103-1146-1. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  5. ^ Greene and Martin, p. 72.
  6. ^ Greene and Martin, p. 68.
  7. ^ Simpson, Paul (2013). A Brief Guide to Oz. Constable & Robinson Ltd. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-47210-988-0. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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