The Emerald City of Oz - L. Frank Baum

The Emerald City of Oz is a novel that contains the story is made entirely of lovely marble, and every single emerald is meticulously carved and enormous in size. Other gems including rubies, diamonds, sapphires, amethysts, and turquoise are utilized as decorations inside homes and palaces. However, only emeralds can be seen in the streets and on the outside of the buildings, giving the area its nickname, the Emerald City of Oz. The set-up is vast and compelling, with alternate chapters juxtaposing Dorothy's tour of Oz as a messenger for Ozma with the general's attempts at devious diplomacy. Baum creates a wonderful contrast between General Blug hiring a variety of bizarre and imaginative villains and Dorothy meeting a variety of whimsically odd Ozians. In this sense, the chapters on Utensia, a community of living kitchen utensils, and Bunbury, a community of live pastries, stand out. L. Frank Baum eventually seems to tire of writing about Oz and Dorothy in this book, which is also where he neatens up everything and bids them farewell.