Pulitzer Prize Winner-1932
As teenagers, my aunts and my mom took care of Pearl Buck's daughter's children. Since she is a "local" author, I wanted to read her Pulitzer Prize novel, The Good Earth.
Readers experience life in China during the 1920s through the farmer Wang Lung. In the first chapter, Wang Lung enters the big house of the village to marry one of the slaves, O-lan. She is big (big feet), somber, silent, and not pretty. But she proves to beneficial for Wang Lung the farmer. She works beside him for long hours in the field, (even before and immediately after giving birth), gives him three sons, and manages the house and cooking with efficiency. They face a famine, begging in the city, and rebirth of their fields. After years of dedicated work and careful management of his silver, Wang Lung begins to accumulate wealth. Although his silver provides a life of ease, other stresses enter the house, including Wang Lung's desire for a pretty woman.
This book made me think (how man needs purpose/work, shame can bring either anger or repentence, idleness encourages sin, which woman would I rather be-O-lan who is industrious and beneficial but not a receiver of Wang Lung's desires or Lotus who is pretty and desirable but does not contribute to the household?, the love of wealth and prestige destroy a person). I admired Wang Lung in some circumstances and despised his choices in other situations. Ms. Buck depicts mankind and the Chinese culture well.
This book plays out the natural consequences of sin over a man's lifetime. This novel captivated me. When a chapter ended, I could not believe it was over!
Warnings: Wang Lung lusts after Lotus, a concubine, and eventually brings her into his home, it mentions throughout the book when Wang Lung has relations with O-lan or Lotus BUT no details are shared, towards the end of his life he has relations with a young girl, only as old as one of his granddaughters-he feels shame and does not continue, his son stays with an ugly whore one night, opium use (Wang Lung actually encourages his evil aunt & uncle to use it. Their addiction eventually kills them.)
*Highly recommend for the literary quality, how it makes you think, and its depiction of mankind and Chinese culture. I would not recommend it to those who would be offended by the sins the characters struggle with.
-Borrowed from the library.
I wanted to learn more about what was historical occurring during this time period in China and more elaboration on the culture, so I used Cliffs Notes.
