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A review by elle_reads
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
4.0
Instagram @elle_reads
BOOK REVIEW
[The Good Earth] O-Lan continues to serve her husband Wang Lung as their family gains wealth.
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WHAT I LIKED
I appreciated The Good Earth more when I first read it. Now that I’ve read other works by Chinese authors (particularly my current read Wild Swans by Jung Chang), The Good Earth has lost some of its luster. It is important to remember this book was written by an expatriate. Pearl S Buck did become familiar with Chinese farmers while traveling with her husband. He was responsible for collective statistical data of Chinese farming populations. Yet, she was an outsider to the actions she describes. She doesn’t delve deeply into the mentality of the characters, which I believe was a smart choice.
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The Good Earth is a nice soft introduction to traditional Chinese culture. Buck explains everything because she writes for other foreigners.
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Buck’s text emphasizes Wang Lung’s continuous hard work and business ingenuity. While hard work is an important principle in many societies, I think Buck’s focus on hard work is quite influenced by her western perspective.
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I see this particularly in the case of the eldest son. *mini spoiler* Wang Lung’s eldest son is consumed by what others think of him - his ‘face.’ In Buck’s text, this is a great fault. His son should be just as hard working as Wang. However, I think it would be more reflective of the time’s culture if the eldest son and Wang were equally worried about what others think of them. Wang uses this idea as an excuse to acquire a concubine earlier in the novel. I don’t think Wang would have seen it as an ‘excuse.’ I think it would have been seen as his right as according to his station.
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A LAST NOTE
That being said, Buck’s text greatly impacted foreign views of China in the 1930s. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature!
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The Good Earth (by Pearl S. Buck) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
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BOOK REVIEW
[The Good Earth] O-Lan continues to serve her husband Wang Lung as their family gains wealth.
//
WHAT I LIKED
I appreciated The Good Earth more when I first read it. Now that I’ve read other works by Chinese authors (particularly my current read Wild Swans by Jung Chang), The Good Earth has lost some of its luster. It is important to remember this book was written by an expatriate. Pearl S Buck did become familiar with Chinese farmers while traveling with her husband. He was responsible for collective statistical data of Chinese farming populations. Yet, she was an outsider to the actions she describes. She doesn’t delve deeply into the mentality of the characters, which I believe was a smart choice.
//
The Good Earth is a nice soft introduction to traditional Chinese culture. Buck explains everything because she writes for other foreigners.
//
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Buck’s text emphasizes Wang Lung’s continuous hard work and business ingenuity. While hard work is an important principle in many societies, I think Buck’s focus on hard work is quite influenced by her western perspective.
//
I see this particularly in the case of the eldest son. *mini spoiler* Wang Lung’s eldest son is consumed by what others think of him - his ‘face.’ In Buck’s text, this is a great fault. His son should be just as hard working as Wang. However, I think it would be more reflective of the time’s culture if the eldest son and Wang were equally worried about what others think of them. Wang uses this idea as an excuse to acquire a concubine earlier in the novel. I don’t think Wang would have seen it as an ‘excuse.’ I think it would have been seen as his right as according to his station.
//
A LAST NOTE
That being said, Buck’s text greatly impacted foreign views of China in the 1930s. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature!
//
The Good Earth (by Pearl S. Buck) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
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