That Just Happened!

Buck, Pearl S.  The Good Earth.  Washington Square Press (2004).

Though more than sixty years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. “I can only write what I know, and I know nothing but China, having always lived there,” wrote Pearl Buck. In The Good Earthshe presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.

Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel — beloved by millions of readers — is a universal tale of the destiny of man.

Reading Group Guides

Originally published in 1931, I read this for my TwentyTen Challenge  (and because my Mom said it was great). 

First, let me start by saying how difficult it was to find a short overview of the story.  It seems that no one can condense the plot into a paragraph because there is just so much to say.  The plot is layered and rich, and to leave out one part of it seems to do injustice to the rest.  I really enjoyed this book.  The storyline was compelling and I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.  Wang Lung’s ambition, at first, is endearing and it really made me want to see him succeed.  As the story goes on, the Reader can see this ambition turning him into a different person.  At first he envied the wealthiest family in the village, but as he works to become the wealthiest family, all of his goals seem to turn from humble to grandiose.  It’s difficult to read about these changes because at the beginning of the book, you want so much for him to succeed.

I thought that the setting of the novel was interesting.  It takes place in Pre-Revolutionary China.  Rural China is so different from the urban center Wang Lung and his family must travel to.  There is much unrest in the cities and as we read on, the unrest spreads to the village as Wang Lung prospers.  The difference between the rich and the poor is great and war breaks out as the poor try to take what they feel should be theirs.  It was interesting to see this unrest in relation to Wang Lung, an “everyday” person.  It does affect his life, but he tries to continue on and achieve his dreams despite this.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read modern classics.  The Good Earth  is a Pulitzer Award Winning Novel and an Oprah’s Book Club Pick.  It is also the first book in a trilogy, so if you have already read and enjoyed this book, there is also Sons  and A House Divided.  It was also made into a movie entitled “The Good Earth” in 1937.