The Master Key


Read by Judy Bieber

(4.3 stars; 75 reviews)

The Master Key was one of Baum's earliest full length fantasy books for children, published in 1901 just one year after The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The protagonist, Rob, while experimenting in his workshop, accidentally summons up an electrical fairy who presents him with electrical devices so advanced as to seem magical. His gifts include a flying contraption, a stun gun, and something resembling an omniscient portable TV set. Rob travels the world, rendering assistance to European heads of state and narrowly escaping disaster at the hands of “primitive” cannibals, Turks and Tatars, pirates, and evil scientists who try to steal his inventions. It's great fun, despite the occasional use of racial stereotypes that reflect the values of its time. (3 hr 40 min)

Chapters

01 - Rob's Workshop 8:21 Read by Judy Bieber
02 - The Demon of Electricity 8:20 Read by Judy Bieber
03 - The Three Gifts 10:43 Read by Judy Bieber
04 - Testing the Instruments 11:53 Read by Judy Bieber
05 - The Cannibal Island 16:01 Read by Judy Bieber
06 - The Buccaneers 15:59 Read by Judy Bieber
07 - The Demon Becomes Angry 6:46 Read by Judy Bieber
08 - Rob Acquires New Powers 10:32 Read by Judy Bieber
09 - The Second Journey 6:00 Read by Judy Bieber
10 - How Rob Served a Mighty King 19:35 Read by Judy Bieber
11 - The Man of Science 9:16 Read by Judy Bieber
12 - How Rob Saved A Republic 8:42 Read by Judy Bieber
13 - Rob Loses His Treasures 12:52 Read by Judy Bieber
14 - Turk and Tatar 20:00 Read by Judy Bieber
15 - A Battle with Monsters 9:32 Read by Judy Bieber
16 - Shipwrecked Mariners 11:49 Read by Judy Bieber
17 - The Coast of Oregon 6:27 Read by Judy Bieber
18 - A Narrow Escape 9:48 Read by Judy Bieber
19 - Rob Makes a Resolution 3:40 Read by Judy Bieber
20 - The Unhappy Fate of the Demon 14:31 Read by Judy Bieber

Reviews

love it! love it! LOVE IT!!!!!


(5 stars)

I absoulutly love it. i love l frank baum. i love oz so i probably will like this book. suposed to be for boys but i love all books. girl or boy.


(5 stars)

Great! One of L. Frank Baum's best books, the reader and story were great. I highly recomend this for Oz book fans and fantasy story fans!

it was a fun book great for the young


(4 stars)

little kid


(3.5 stars)

This is for two year annoying young people

Before His Time


(5 stars)

Baum did an excellent job of giving a precursor of what was to come! Simplistic, yet well written!

WONDERFUL


(5 stars)

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP IS DAN O SLAV

Okay book, okay recording


(2 stars)

Having read much of Baum's other work, I was a little disappointed in this book. The protagonist is far less sympathetic than Baum's other child heroes. He lacks common sense, and his bumbling seems to satirize society's inability to use technology wisely. The racist stereotypes are vicious (and too pervasive to be easily edited out). If you enjoy children's literature of this time and can stomach the racism, you might get more out of the book than I did, but in general I wouldn't recommend it for children. The recording quality is fine. I found the reading a little stiff, but clear.