Comments on: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

By: 33rd Edition: Whatcha Reading « The Bookworms Carnival

33rd Edition: Whatcha Reading « The Bookworms Carnival — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:08:11 +0000

[...] from Rebecca Reads wants us to know about The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I do know I would have to reread it a few [...]

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:18:02 +0000

Wendy, The more I think about it, the less the women issue bothers me. It was still depressing, but as others have said, it showed the women as the strong part of the culture, as opposed to the dumb men. I think it’s like someone said before, because I was listening to it over the course of many days, the woman issue just stood out to me and started to irritate me. Maybe when I reread it, that issue won’t seem so center stage. (And I will reread it!!)

Louise, I hope you do get to it. It is a powerful book, even though I found it a bit depressing.

I hope you had a nice trip!

By: Louise

Louise — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:11:50 +0000

I have this book listed as one of the books I want to read this year. I’ve had it on my shelf for years – the copy I have is actually my mothers. She read it when she was in high school – and that is many moons ago I am looking forward to read it, and your review has made me even more curious.

Just wanted to thank you for your comments left on my pages while I was away. I am back home now and trying to catch up on blogs, tweets and mails

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:57:55 +0000

Thanks for the link to my review I loved this book and the mistreatment of women, although tough to read, did not detract from the story for me. I think Buck purposefully wanted the reader to experience what these women went through…and show us how STRONG these women really were. Rather than being a tale mistreatment of women, I found it to be more a story of their courage, strength, and perserverence.

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:36:11 +0000

mee, yes, I too found it rather depressing! But in the end I’m glad I read it and I will probably revisit it some day…

By: mee

mee — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:29:20 +0000

I read the book previously for about a quarter but then couldn’t really continue because it was too depressing back then. Had to return it to the library. I can still remember the peas that the wife has to eat after giving birth. The imagery is so vivid. My gosh it was depressing. I want to go back to it though, definitely.

By: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck « The Armenian Odar Reads

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck « The Armenian Odar Reads — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:06:19 +0000

[...] Laura at Musings Heather at Age 30+ … A Lifetime of Books Wendy at Caribousmom Nat at In Spring it is the Dawn Lesley at Lesley’s Book Nook Lotus reads Julie at 5-Squared Jen at 5-Squared Amanda at 5-Squared Pam at Pam’s Perspective Rebecca at Rebecca Reads [...]

By: Helen from Hawaii

Helen from Hawaii — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:33:48 +0000

Regarding Pre-Shakespeare, I skipped my senior year in high school as I was working full time and living on my own. But I had to complete Advanced Calculus, physics, organic chem and English Lit on my own.
So I chose to write on the works leading up to Shakespeare!
Christopher Marlowe was probably the most famous with “Doctor Faustus”, “Tamburlaine the Great parts I and II”, and the “Jew of Malta.” Many British literary historians believe that Shakespeare actually “stole” most of Marlowe’s works.
Other authors worth reading were Henry Medwall, John Sketon, John Bale, and Sir David Lindsay. Enjoy them! I certainly did…especially “The Strange Case of Doctor Faustus.?

By: Helen from Hawaii

Helen from Hawaii — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:17:54 +0000

On its surface, misogyny seems to be a major construct in “The Good Earth” but the women are clever, resourceful and fiercely proud. There is no doubt that the wife is primarily responsible for the survival of her family during times of famine, and for her husband’s accumulation of wealth and status.
Men may seem to be dominating the novel, but they couldn’t survive without the women. In all of Buck’s writing, this theme comes striding through.
Men is this novel come across as the men in “beer commercials” come across: shallow and two-dimensional. Ahh, but the women in this book are the most memorable.

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:21:53 +0000

Amanda, that is exactly what Helen said in her comment on this post. I think that's why I kept going: I just kept thinking that Pearl Buck, as a woman, wanted us to see those women (and how they were unappreciated) for a reason...

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:52:57 +0000

I guess in terms of redemption, I suppose I saw the redemption for the women in how much the reader loves O-lan. She wasn’t appreciated by her own people, but how many people look at this book and admire Wang Lung? No one, really. But just about everyone admires O-lan’s strength. I think she gains redemption through her unwavering loyalty, dedication, and moral ethic. It’s sort of an outside redemption, if that makes sense.

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:58:24 +0000

Eva, well, this one is by a female author, so that's why I just kept going. I kept thinking the women would get some redemption at the end. Alas... Heather J., I actually didn't find it dry at all! I loved the language. It seemed Biblical to me (which was a good thing) and maybe the narrator of the audiobook made it easier to get through, but I really did love how it was written! I do think I'll probably read it again. Jackie, I'd be interested to know if the woman issue bothered you. Amanda, I knew it was a "time period" piece but it still really bothered me throughout. Like I said above, I wanted there to be some redemption, like O-Lan at some point had someone love her even a little. It just felt so unfair. I know I can't judge them by our standards, but it still really irked me. I hesitate to read something like Gone witht he Wind for similar reasons: even though it's a historical fiction/period piece the issue bother me. I do think I'll reread it someday, and maybe upon rereading I'll like it more. I'll link to your review too. Kathy, if you read it again, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:18:02 +0000

I remember reading this a long time ago (maybe high school?) and thinking it was good. Now I’m wondering if I thought that because I was influenced by someone. You’ve made me curious. I may have to look for this book.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:46:39 +0000

You know, the treatment of women didn’t bother me in this book at all. It was bad, of course, I’m not saying it wasn’t, but I felt like the book was more a portrayal of what existed in that time period in that place. I didn’t feel it was political in nature, but more slice of life. It was the opening of a culture for me, as it existed then. I didn’t fault Wang Lung because he did only what he knew. He didn’t know anything different. When someone is taught something we consider wrong by our standards by they consider right by theirs, I simply can’t fault them. It feels wrong to judge them by our standards.

I really loved this book. It was beautiful, the characters felt real, and there was a nice balance between tragic and hopeful. I was expecting it to be miserable, and it wasn’t. It made a huge impression on me and has become one of my favorite classics.

My review is here: http://zenleaf.blogspot.com/2009/02/good-earth-by-pearl-s-buck.html

By: Jackie (Farm Lane Books)

Jackie (Farm Lane Books) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:19:52 +0000

I really want to read this book. I have a copy and it is slowly making it’s way towards the top of the pile. I’m pleased to see that you enjoyed it.

By: Heather J.

Heather J. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:56:39 +0000

Since you already included a link to my review, you know that I was not a huge fan of this book. The treatment of women, the “dryness” of the narrator’s voice, there was just something about it that bugged me. I just looked back at my own review and realized that I must have liked it more at the time than I do now looking back … hmm, that reminds me of your post from yesterday about your different reactions to books at different points in your life. This is not a book I would ever want to read again, but I’m not sure I would have said that back when I wrote my review.

By: Eva

Eva — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:17:30 +0000

I listened to this on audiobook, and it was due at the library before I finished it. That didn’t particularly bother me, and I have no urge to go back and get it, precisely because of this issue.

I don’t know much at all about Chinese culture. But in every novel I’ve read or tried to read by a male Chinese author, I’ve been seriously bothered by the treatment of women. It could be a coincidence. *shrugs*