The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

By: L. Frank Baum

Narrated by: Anne Hathaway

Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration - Female, 2013

One of the best-known stories in American culture, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has stirred the imagination of young and old alike for over 100 years. Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married, Alice in Wonderland, The Dark Knight Rises) lends her voice to this uniquely American fairy tale.

Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto as they get swept away into the magical land of Oz , where they encounter characters and places you may remember from the movie - and several more that never made it to the big screen - on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City.

“It’s such a wonderful book and I was so happy to be a part of bringing it to life”, Ms. Hathaway said. “There are a lot of great voices in it. The more fun you have with it, the sillier and the more free you get with it, the better it is because it’s a story that can handle it. It’s amazing to be able to discover something new about something you feel you know so well.”

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Public Domain (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Anne Hathaway is nothing short of masterful in her narration of Baum’s beloved classic.... As narrator, she is lithe yet precise; her voice sounds lilting or emphatic, as the story details require. In character, she is spectacular. Each character is filled with personality - a light-voiced Witch of the North; a brusque soldier at Oz’s palace; a monotone, robot-like Oz; and a usually cheerful and genuine Dorothy. The variety enriches the listening experience. Yes, one may know the story well, but Hathaway makes this recording a definitive one.” (AudioFile)

what a joy!

Anne Hathaway is just marvelous! Listened with my grandchildren but I loved it as much as they did! I had forgotten some of the parts that were not included in the movie.

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it was amazingly cool an and i love ed it . . . . .

Wonderful!

Lovely rendition of a classic tale beautifully told by Ms Hathaway.
Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

If you have young children, get this book!

I got this book because it was free at the time. As an adult, I didn't care for the story. But I am an adult and this is meant for kids. If you have children, you have to get this book. They will love Anne Hathaway's delivery. She is the perfect narrator for this story.

Anne Hathaway is incedible!

Anne Hathaway does a fantastic job bringing all the characters to life. One of the best I have ever listened to.

Best kids audiobook ever

I’m not exaggerating this was AMAZING! I loved it and my kid clapped at the end and said “mama that story was just great!” And sighed?!? Every voice Anne Hathaway did was fun and distinctive and engaging. And it’s a way story better than the movie too. It’s on par with Jim De reading Harry Potter

Great Book

My daughter LOVES this book. She listens to it every night as she falls asleep. The narration is perfect. I also like listening to it when it's playing in her room.

Enjoyable story and fresh narration

Like many, I imagine, I watched the film numerous times as a child, and, before now, never knew it had first been a novel. Later, I marveled at the odd character choices in the film's prequel. No more! This story is delightful and, at times, barbaric--very much a fairytale, and like all such tales it is enjoyable for children and adults on many levels. (However, where the film diverges from the novel, I tend to agree with the filmmakers' script choices.) Anne Hathaway's narration was mostly just right. The film's main characters' voices are as iconic as the storyline, and so she had a tough choice to make as to whether to replicate those voices or do something totally original. She successfully struck a balance there so that her vocal performance of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, and Dorothy did not distract from the plot. However, her choices for some of the more minor characters, while entertaining, were sometimes distracting. (Not only is there a stork in this novel, but it talks like a valley girl!) Overall, this gets an A-. Well-paced, not too sappy, and solid values conveyed in a meaningful way.

Great experience!

My 7 yr old son LOVED it! His first audible experience! The reading brought to life the story.

Great Story, Great Performance!

As a Kansan, I already loved the story, and Anne Hathaway does an excellent job bringing the characters to life!