What was your opinion on the Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck?

Question

Kind of a weird question but I just finished the book and I wanted to know what people thought of it. I know it is a world-known book and is very informative about the ancient culture of China. I just was very curious as to what other people thougth of the book. Thanks. I am open to all opinions!

Answer 1

I read it when I was in high school-- and no, you don't want to know how many years ago that was! I know I missed a lot of the underlying themes; I was just interested in the story. I still think of it as one of the most powerful and saddest things I've read because you see how things deteriorate. The way O-lan is treated, for one thing; then her last days as an opium addict while the husband indulges in his concubines. In a way you can see it coming-- the way he treats his sons when they're small, leading to their -- well, I guess betrayal-- later on. That last scene when he begs them not to sell the land-- even though I didn't like a lot of what he'd done, I felt sorry for him. And the sons were no better. Yet you could see it coming; the gradual disintigration as they scratched for a better (material) life. Yet you can sympathize because you see how hard they try to eke out an existence. Remember when the baby drops the meat in the dirt and Olan just picks it up and drops it back in the pot, saying "Meat is meat"?

I've never seen the movie, btw, so I don't know if it did the book justice.

I ought to add that I went on to read everything I could find by Pearl S. Buck. She told such good stories even though they were sad. . . Sons of the Dragon Seed was good, too, and East Wind, West Wind.

I'm curious now to know what YOU thought of it.

Answer 2

Pearl Buck achieved a level of excellence in this book that I don't think she ever matched again. The book shows how a land shapes the people who live in it and the people shape the land. The protagonist, Wang Lung, loved his land more than he loved his gods. His wife, O-lan was China. I really cared about these people.

Answer 3

It is very many years since I read that book. It was a breakthrough for me - a window into a world I had no idea existed.

I still remember very vividly the beautiful earrings that the main character wanted so badly, and the fact that her husband would not let her have them. Then when she died that was the only thing he regretted- not allowing her to have her heart's desire.

Answer 4

It's very good, although in my opinion it could have been written a little more enticingly instead of just the straight facts. But overall, it was a very good book.