The Phantom Tollbooth vs Tik-Tok of Oz: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: American Fantasy fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction
The Phantom Tollbooth
“There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself-not just sometimes, but always.”
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The Phantom Tollbooth is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster with illustrations by Jules Feiffer. It was published in 1961 by Random House (USA). It tells the story of a bored young boy named…
Tik-Tok of Oz
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This book introduces Ann Soforth, Queen of Oogaboo, whom Tik-Tok, the clockwork man, assists in conquering the Nome King. Book 8 in L. Frank Baum's immortal OZ series, in which Betsy Bobbin and Hank the Mule are…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Phantom Tollbooth highest: The Phantom Tollbooth 4.2 · Tik-Tok of Oz 3.8.
- Tik-Tok of Oz is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 4 for The Phantom Tollbooth.
- The Phantom Tollbooth has the widest readership — 312947 ratings behind its score.
- Tik-Tok of Oz runs the darker storyline; The Phantom Tollbooth stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Phantom Tollbooth | Tik-Tok of Oz | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (312947) | 3.8 (9037) |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (556) | 3.6 (31) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (3) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1504) | 4.5 (103) |
Reception
| The Phantom Tollbooth | Tik-Tok of Oz | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 312947 | 9037 |
| Editions | 64 | 490 |
| Citations | — | 8 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 143090 | 8873 |
| Reading it now | 7390 | 372 |
| Written reviews | 15691 | 473 |
| Wikipedia attention | 10744 | 1267 |
| Pages | 255 | 140 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Phantom Tollbooth or Tik-Tok of Oz?
The Phantom Tollbooth has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Phantom Tollbooth 4.2/5, Tik-Tok of Oz 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Phantom Tollbooth or Tik-Tok of Oz?
Tik-Tok of Oz is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Tik-Tok of Oz (140 pages, ≈ 2 h 36 m); The Phantom Tollbooth (255 pages, ≈ 4 h 43 m).
Which is harder to read: The Phantom Tollbooth or Tik-Tok of Oz?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Phantom Tollbooth: Moderate; Tik-Tok of Oz: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
The Phantom Tollbooth: 2 film adaptations; Tik-Tok of Oz: no film adaptation on record.