The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

By: L. Frank Baum

Narrated by: Anne Hathaway

Length: 3 hrs and 52 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), fresh from filming one of this year’s most anticipated films, 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.”

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is part of Audible’s A-List Collection, featuring the world’s most celebrated actors narrating distinguished works of literature that each star had a hand in selecting. For more great books performed by Hollywood’s finest, click here.

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)

Fantastic

AS a kid, the first thing I looked forward to after Christmas was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was always aired in Feb., which was sweeps month. I did not know that, I just knew it was sometime after Christmas. It was a great musical and this is a great book. They differ some and are the same a lot. The musical gave the Wicked Witch of the West a huge part that she did not have in the book. It was interesting to see the differences and easy to see why certain changes were made. The book is more violent, with some head chopping going on, but not enough to make the whole book not worth reading. It was published in 1900 and was the best selling children's book for two years.

Baum has an excellent imagination and I loved the ceramic people, which was not in the movie. There are lessons on courage, intelligence, tenderness, confidence and ambition, which children and adults of today can learn much.

Hathaway has taken a real beating by some reviewers. I did not always agree with her interpretations of the characters, (Valley girls did not exist when this was written) but I thought she brought life to the book. She kept it interesting. I much prefer a narrator that spices up the reading, as a reader who just mouths the words. Baum himself changed the book and characters in order to get it on Broadway. If he was alive today, I do not believe he would have a problem with his story being updated.

I also liked the book Wicked, which gives you the witches side of the story.

70 of 72 people found this review helpful

Great for kids - Ann Hathaway is amazing!

I enjoyed this book with three of my kids (ages 7, 5 and 4). We were all enthralled! Laughing out loud! Caught in suspense! Ann Hathaway did an incredible job with so many animated voices and clear speaking. This might be the best audiobook we have listened to, so far. Highly recommend this specific version!

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

Incredible narration!

Anne has done such a phenomenal job narrating this book! When I have kids... they will listen to this :) <3

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Very Different from the movie

Love this way better than the movie. My 11 year old son and 9 year old daughter were riveted on our road trip. Even hubby said he liked it better than the movie. Anne Hathaway deserves a major award for her ability to beautifully tell the story and fittingly change the voice of each character. Thank you Anne!!

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

just wonderful!

Loved the book, and LOVED Anne Hathaway reading it!! A good listen for good fun.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Just wonderful.

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

Yes, there was so much that was in this book that is not in the movie that I found interesting. I also loved Ann reading it. She was great. For any Wicked fans out there, you will find things in this book that are in the play.

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

I don't know as I never read books like this but now I think I may give more like it a try.

What about Anne Hathaway’s performance did you like?

Loved it! She really made the book jump out and take form in ones head.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was shocked at the violence in the book. Lots of chopping off of head. That may bother some children.

Any additional comments?

I want to read all of the books in this series and learn all about Oz and what happens in it and to Dorthy and her friends. Makes me feel like a kid again...maybe for the first time.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Anne Hathaway = Amazing!!!

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

Because of the narrating, this audiobook ranks #1 for me. She did such an amazing job. Never thought I would enjoy listening to this story this much.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Scarecrow. For one, the voice she uses for him makes me smile each time I hear it. For two, my favorite line in the story, "Yes brains are important, but you can't be happy without a heart." ****I'm paraphrasing of course.

Which character – as performed by Anne Hathaway – was your favorite?

As stated above, the Scarecrow. The field mice are such a close second though.

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

Yes very much so. I want to share this experience with my children and everyone I know. So enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

If I had one wish to make, it'd be to hear more from Anne Hathaway. The different voices she uses make the experience so great.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

the movie is a classic, but only for the music

what an incredible story! and the performance by the narrator was incredible. after listening to this book, it is going on my list of read out loud bedtime stories for my four children.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

... I enjoyed it.

I listened to this out of curiosity. I read an article about bimetallism monetary policy; that mentioned the Wizard of Oz having a related theme in it. It was also interesting to hear the differences between the original story and the movie story. I don't think; the narration could have been better without a full cast of voice actors. I enjoyed it.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Narration was phenomenal!

I liked that the way Anne Hathaway created voices for each character, in a way that felt like each one was voiced by a different person. Out of all the audio books I've listened to, she was the best performer so far! As for the story, I'd recommend it for the younger ones that haven't seen the movie yet. The younger ones would also enjoy Anne Hathaway's performance immensely! The older ones or the non-fans of Anne Hathaway might not appreciate her performance.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Brilliant narration

Any additional comments?

Anne Hathaway does a great job of bringing this story to life. She uses different voices to depict the characters and I looked forward to my next instalment each day. The story is good, and there are some variations from the film which is interesting. I will definitely be looking for other books read by Anne Hathaway. My only complaint is I wish it was longer!!!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wonderful

I guess everybody knows the story about Dorothy and Toto. If not from the movie with Ms. Garland then from reading the story by L. Frank Baum. But hearing it being narrated by Anne Hathaway is another dimension. I loved how she changes her voice to portrait the different characters. The story came to life again for me. I never read the sequels to the book, but this has prompted me to start doing so. I recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves a good story. Being Dutch I also recommend this audiobook to other Dutch people who love to read and hear stories in English.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

a true classic read by a classy lady

i remember that as a child, TWOO was one of the first books i read cover to cover. it was a rainy Saturday, and i curled in the corner of my parents 70s orange sofa. much later i had a crush on Anne Hathaway. so this performance is the best of all worlds. pure joy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good reading of a classic

This is very well read by Anne Hathaway, engaging for the children who listened with wrapt attention. It is a familiar tale to most British children, although some of the scenes are quite frightening for young ones (much as the film is). The story is more elaborate than the film, and has an extended coda.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The great world of Oz

Always been very found of the Wizard of Oz collection and must say this audible version is very good. Anne Hathaway gives life to this world and characters and her reading is very good.



I enjoyed this a great version for kids to listen to!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Charming story

Anne Hathaway really makes you feel part of the story, wonderfully narrated! Such a charming story too.

amazing narrator

the voice acting/narrating for this audiobook is brilliant, the best i have come across on audible, you won't be disappointed

Delightful!

How many voices can Anne Hathaway do? She’s such a joy as a narrator, she brings the story to life in a bright, fun way. The story is magical, strange and touching. It’s a true fairytale.

different path from the movie

different to the movie, this follows the path of Dorothy and co trying to get her home. great story for kids as the scary bits taken out.

Anne Hathaway's narration is brilliant!

The first story within this series of children's books which has been immortalised by the film wizard of oz staring Judy garland. As most people are aware Dorothy (and Toto) is transported to a new land following a tornado. There she meets with beloved characters such as the cowardly lion, the scarecrow and tin man. There are enough similarities between the book and the film to delight the reader.

For me the best part of this audiobook was Anne Hathaway’s wonderful narration and different character voices. I found myself howling with laughter from listening to some of her voices, in particular I loved her stork. I’m unsure if this was her intention but for me I completely loved this!