Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz vs Matilda: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Fiction

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz L. Frank Baum · 1908 ★★★★☆ 3.7 124 pages · ≈ 2 h 18 m · Light

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the fourth book in Baum's Oz series. The series chronicles the further adventures of Dorothy both in and out of Oz, as she deals with the characters, situations and desires which continue…

Dorothy Gale Earthquakes Literature and fiction California

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Matilda Roald Dahl · 1988 ★★★★☆ 4.3 242 pages · ≈ 4 h 29 m · Moderate

Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

1 film adaptation

Materiales en español Écoles Cuentos humorísticos Translations from English

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Side by side

The verdict

Readers rate Matilda highest: Matilda 4.3 · Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 3.7.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 4 for Matilda.
Matilda has the widest readership — 27951 ratings behind its score.

How to choose

Want a one-evening read? Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz ≈ 2h vs 4h for Matilda Just want the better-reviewed one? Matilda 4.3 vs 3.7 from readers New to the genre? Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz Light vs Moderate for Matilda

Scores by source

	Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz	Matilda
Goodreads	3.7 (15695)	4.3 (27951)
Hardcover	3.3 (59)	4.3 (993)
Google Books	—	4.0 (3)
Apple Books	4.5 (305)	4.5 (868)

Reception

	Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz	Matilda
Ratings	15695	27951
Editions	622	149
Film adaptations	1	1
Want to read	10782	381368
Reading it now	1093	—
Written reviews	1048	27951
Wikipedia attention	1289	18873
Pages	124	242

Questions readers ask

Which is rated higher: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz or Matilda?

Matilda has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Matilda 4.3/5, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz 3.7/5).

Which is shorter to read: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz or Matilda?

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (124 pages, ≈ 2 h 18 m); Matilda (242 pages, ≈ 4 h 29 m).

Which is harder to read: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz or Matilda?

Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: Light; Matilda: Moderate.

Have both books been made into films?

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: no film adaptation on record; Matilda: 4 film adaptations.