Rating: 3 (out of 5)
Summary: Peas -- Peppers -- Pumpkins -- Produce!!
Comments: Ruth Plumly Thompson's The Hungry Tiger Of Oz (1926), though less than fully developed, is nonetheless an enjoyable fantasy novel. The book addresses the Hungry Tiger's unresolved conflict between his enormous appetite and his moral conscience head on (to kill and eat, or not to kill and eat?), and introduces a new character, Carter Green the Vegetable Man, who is distinctive, colorful, and so full of lively potential that readers will find themselves wishing the title of the book was The Vegetable Man Of Oz instead. Once a young Winkie produce salesman, Carter has eaten many of his own vegetables that he has lost his human appearance altogether and has come to resemble1of Acrimboldo's autumnal noblemen, to whom he is 1st cousin. His creation probably influenced by the vegetable men and women harvest effigies common at Halloween in still - agrarian America during the 1st 25 years of the 20th century, Carter has an enormous beet for a head, celery greens hair, a turnip nose, a potato - like body, and corn, of course, for ears. Like the Wooglebug, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Patchwork Girl, and the Frogman before him, the Vertimus - like Carter is so inspired a character that his appearance in Oz feels alalmost all like an inevitability. Unfortunately, Thompson fails to introduce him to Oz's other2agricultural demi - gods, the Scarecrow and Jack Pumpkinhead (to say nothing of roadside tramp the Shaggy Man, Oz's greatest advocate for the country way of life), for the3could have had interesting adventures and conversations together indeed. Besides being intelligent, and accepting of his transformation, Carter is also tender hearted, humble, courageous, and obsessed with selling produce at alalmost all any cost (threatened with painful execution, Carter tells Betsy and the Hungry Tiger, "It wouldn't hurt me, for I have no feelings, however it will ruin my business."). As in too many of her Oz titles, Thompson opens the book with a boy hero, Prince Evered, in trouble within his own kingdom; when not being threatened with unattractive marriages, Thompson's boy kings and princes have usually been toppled from their thrones and hidden away in dark dungeons by wicked adult conspirators. As a result, the 1st third of The Hungry Tiger Of Oz feels like déjà vu all over again. The narrative only gains momentum once Evered, the Hungry Tiger, Carter, and veteran Oz child Betsy Bobbin travel beyond the Arabia - like Kingdom of Rash, which stands between the Deadly Desert and endless stretches of dry, rocky (i. e., boring, unimaginative) terrain. Towards the middle of the narrative, the story begins moving in other directions, as fairy ruler Ozma joins the cast and action. The generally crotchety, difficult - to - please Hungry Tiger eventually learns how to resolve his natural drives vs. ethics conflict, however not before suffering a series of humiliating, ego - crushing experiences. Thompson answers William Blake's immortal question ("What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?") in her own sly way in a manner that will delight readers. Throughout, The Hungry Tiger Of Oz feels rushed, sketchy, and narrow in scope, as if Thompson had thrown less than the full weight of her talent into its writing. Nothing underscores this more than the scenes in which the threatened Ozma states that she is helpless without her magic belt, which she has left behind in the Emerald City. As Oz enthusiasts know, Ozma's powers are inherent and numerous; the magic belt is only1physical tool among many typically available to her. All the Royal Historians liked to rewrite the laws, rules, and regulations of Oz from time to time, however readers may come away with the impression that The Hungry Tiger Of Oz was written quickly and with a minimum of imagination. Further watering the soup, John R. Neill's essential, full - page illustrations have been left out of this edition, which Comes with only Neill's incidental pictures. |
