Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 395
 Simple, elegant story, strangely inspiring August 21, 2010
sadalit
Buck manages to create really strong female characters within the framework of traditional Chinese society. This is a beautiful story with universal human truth, and one I found strangely inspiring in its message (the value inherent in land, partnership, and hard work).
AN AMAZING STORY! July 31, 2010
To
If you want to read a story of success made by ordinary people then go for this book!
If your looking for a memorable read and a book that will take you out of place and time go for this book!
If your looking for a light read for the summer go for this book!
If your looking for a thrilling read without drama or a cheesy romance go for this book!
This book is just amazing! AMAZING! I loved it, every part of it! I can't stop recommending this book!
Its clean, the plot is awesome the characters are well described. This book is just amazing it left me speechless!
FIVE STARS!!
The Good Earth July 31, 2010
Bunny
This was a suggested book read for my Book Club. This classic is as great now as when it was published in 1931. It reiterates the moral, ethical and family values that were once prevalent and so lacking in todays world.
If you want to be happy for the rest of your life... stick with the land (4.5 stars) July 7, 2010
J. Green (Los Angeles, California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Good Earth tells the story of Wang Lung, a poor rural Chinese farmer. It begins with his marriage to O-Lan, a slave in the House of Hwang, who is not pretty but is especially hard-working. Together they work the land and begin to raise a family, and through their industry Wang Lung is able to buy land from O-Lan's former masters, who are in decline due to excessive spending and opium use. In times of unusual hardship, such as during a famine when they flee south with other refugees, Wang Lung's work ethic and O-Lan's resourcefulness see them through, and when they return they are able to buy even more land. Eventually, Wang Lung becomes more and more like Hwang, both in wealth and in vices.
Published in 1931 The Good Earth was very influential in exposing Americans to the Chinese, perhaps even creating sympathy for China when it was soon afterward invaded by Japan. But it is important to note that there is a great difference between rural and urban China, and this is presumably a reasonably accurate portrait of rural customs, attitudes, and lives in the early 1900s.
The picture of family life was especially interesting. Wang Lung and O-Lan do not share a romantic love for each other, and their relationship with their children is different from Western culture. The relationships instead are multigenerational, even extending to the dead. Wang Lung reveres and supports his father in his old age, and treats his uncle the same even though it is done unwillingly as the uncle is manipulative and parasitically abuses the family ties. Children don't even seem to have names beyond Eldest son, etc., until they are sent to school. Two relationships were most interesting to me. First is Wang Lung's with his oldest daughter, called the Poor Fool, who becomes mentally retarded due to malnutrition during the famine. Although she is a burden and consideration is given to selling her as a slave to a wealthy home, seeing her smile softens his heart, and he protects and cares for her throughout his life.
The other is his relationship with O-Lan, and exposes many of the poor attitudes toward women, who are seen merely as chattel and called "slaves." Wang Lung respects and secretly admires her for her incredible tolerance for hard work and competence and frugality. But while he inwardly takes pride in her abilities, he never asks about her servitude or background. Later, when he has achieved a measure of wealth and selfishly takes a concubine, he regrets the hurt he has caused O-Lan but never acknowledges such. Equally bothersome were the references to foot-binding among the upper classes, and the handicap it caused women.
But the progression from poor farmer to wealthy landowner was also interesting. Wang Lung's sons become like the sons of Hwang, not knowing the value of the land nor how to work it, but blessed with an education. And in spite of Wang Lung's poor beginnings, they do not appreciate the land and its importance as does their father. They marry into wealthy families with demanding wives who insist upon physical comfort - very much in contrast to their self-sacrificing mother. And while some parts of the book became extremely annoying (such as the bickering between the many women - I even briefly considered calling my review "The Real Housewives of Wang Lung"), I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. Although happiness was never a constant in any of their lives, it was an interesting insight into a foreign culture, and I can see why the book has remained popular even after 80 years. I listened to the audio version read by Anthony Heald, who does an excellent job.
The China of Yesterday July 6, 2010
V. L. Wilson (Millville, New Jersey United States)
A superb work of fiction, written in 1931 by Pearl Buck. Her style of writing won her the Nobel Prize in 1938. In this recent paperback version (enriched classic edition) the background information and other details are included.
I read this story of a Chinese farmer and his family, their customs, addictions, disasters, etc. again, because it is just so captivating. The author lived in China, crafted a narrative that conveys her love for the country and its struggles, and the reader becomes transfixed with wonder as we compare the China of today with the China of eighty years ago.
If you have never read this amazing story, I recommend it as a history lesson - a way to understand this part of the world then and compare it to now.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 395
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