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hedyharper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, War, and Classism
katiejwu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness
jedore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“But hers was a strange heart, sad in its very nature, and she could never weep and ease it as other women do, for her tears never brought her comfort.”
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel that is included in “1,000 Books to Read Before You Die” has been on my Read List for over a decade. After reading and loving “Peony” by Pearl S. Buck a few months ago, I finally got to it.
It's never easy to read about extreme poverty or the horrific plight of females in China (anywhere!) or the awful behavior of the men in charge. However, despite all of these things being central to this story, I liked it and I'm glad I read it.
The story is centered on a farming family living in a small Chinese village in the early 1900s. It gives deep insight into the tenuousness of life for China’s poorest citizens, the power of land ownership to completely shift the trajectory of a family, and how greed and power can corrupt even decent men.
And by “men,” I literally mean men. It is primarily the men who are corrupted (to varying degrees) by strife, good fortune, poverty and riches. Not all of the females are innocent, but they are all second class citizens. As soon as I would sigh with relief about a positive turn of events, Wang Lung (the main character) would find a way to screw things up. Although Wang Lung's wife, O-Lan is far more level-headed and wise, she is totally and unfortunately powerless.
I think because the story was written from a male's point of view, I didn't emotionally connect to it like I did to Peony, which had a strong female main character. Also, the men were annoying at best, completely maddening at worst. Although this was wholly intentional on behalf of Ms. Buck, I still found myself wishing that the story was told by O'Lan.
It's easy to forget that Ms. Buck is not Chinese. Her grasp of the history and culture is mind blowing.
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Dementia, and War
angeldevoursliterature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Slavery
katieohara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Violence, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Grief, Murder, War, and Classism
adverb17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Slavery
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Blood, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Fatphobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War