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)

Loved it!

Great story. Some delightful parts that were not in the movie. Wonderful narrator!

A-mazing!

I want to listen to every audiobook Anne Hathaway reads, she is amazing!! Best book ever!

Utterly engaging in era of short attention spans

Where does The Wonderful Wizard of Oz rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Up there with the best. Most of us know the story but the difference between the movie and the story kept me interested.

What about Anne Hathaway’s performance did you like?

Anne Hathaway's performance was so engaging and enthusiastic that my young children listened for almost 2 hours at a stretch in the car on long drives without talking the whole way through. I would rate that as a rare achievement in this age of screen addiction. The character voices and pace of the reading allowed us to follow the story easily without becoming "bored".

Any additional comments?

This audiobook has something for all ages. Not just a kids book that I tuned out after the first 5 minutes. I look forward to hearing more books from Anne Hathaway.

Magnificent

What made the experience of listening to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the most enjoyable?

It was not boring.It makes you want to listen to it non-stop.It keeps you on a suspense,which brings you to the tip of your toe..

What other book might you compare The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to and why?

n/a

Have you listened to any of Anne Hathaway’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love Anne Hathaway’s movie so the book was just an addidtion

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The part when the Tin Wood man told his story about how the love of his life grandmother went to the wicked witch and allow him to loose his body parts one at a time.
It got sadder when he lost his heart and was unable to feel the love for the girl !!

Any additional comments?

If you have not yet listened to this book,I would advise you to get to it now!!!!

Fantastic for a child!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be better than the print version?

Yes, Anne Hathaway has a special talent that is perfect for audiobooks. My son has requested to listen to the book all over again after we finished it the first time. He loved her voices for all the different characters, especially the Queen field mouse!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Surprised

Anne does an exquisite job of reading. Her voice is pleasant and precise. This is a wonderful version and captivated my six year old son.

Fantastic Narration of a classic story

Anne Hathaway's voicing of characters is transparent, charming and natural. This narration brings characters to life and feeds the imagination. The main characters' voices fit their personalities perfectly, and the voices of the minor characters (e.g., the stork and the queen of the mice) are delightfully quirky.

Delightful for all ages.

Lions! and Tigers! and Bears! Oh, My!

Well, not really, but still very entertaining. Before listening I had only been familiar with the abridged story line in the movie -- Anne Hathaway does a marvelous job doing all the voices in this reading of L.Frank Baum's classic story.

There is no place like home!

This is a fabulous tale with an amazing performer. Anne Hathaway narrated with great passion which made me thrilled. I hope you all enjoy the story!

great for kids!

Would you listen to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz again? Why?

We listen to it all the time, it has become a fast favorite for the whole family.

What other book might you compare The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to and why?

I wish there were other children's books to compare Anne Hathaway's performance to, but Ihaven't found anything else quite as dynamic. It is hard to engross both adults and five year olds,but this classic has done just that.