Reviews

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

astrobrite's review against another edition

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Donde esté tu tesoro, ahí estará tu corazón.

ldsbookgrl's review against another edition

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4.0

I really liked this book and felt it was a good story to show what happens when we become prideful. Buck also did a good job showing the consequences of our actions whether good or bad.

debrabrinckley's review against another edition

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4.0

My rating of this book is more a reflection of my admiration for the writing. Buck's style reminds me of Steinbeck, especially from The Grapes of Wrath. I love books that are heavy on character development and follow a story from birth to death. However, that being said, it was not a book that I would say I enjoyed. The protagonist was just not a character that I could like in any way. I understand it was written to reflect a culture and time period vastly different from my own, and I do respect that. Nevertheless, my dislike of the character made it a difficult book for me.

sudeshnabora's review against another edition

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5.0

This book has a huge emotional connection with me. This is the first book , I read along with my mother, discussing its nuances and progressing as the character progresses.

Why is it beautiful?
Cause it is extremely simple to read. It does not bombard you with difficult sentence structure or very uncommon word.
The story seeps into your thought process.
It shows two sides of the same coin and it mesmerized me as a little girl.

dearbhlacorr's review against another edition

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1.0

the only upside of this book is the thought that Wang Lung and his sons will be executed by the CCP tbh ☺️

viktorijavaic's review against another edition

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5.0

Man buvo labai įdomu - šiaip nieko neišmanau apie kinų valstiečių gyvenimą 20 a. pradžioje, bet dabar neišmanau jau truuuputį mažiau.

Susidomėjimą kėlė:
- to meto ir amato kinų (knygoje - žemdirbių) kultūra;
- viską ir visus perskrodžianti bei susaistanti pagarba tradicijoms, papročiams;
- požiūris į moterį/mergaitę (ar labiau jo trūkumas) bei jos rolė šeimoje, bendruomenėje;
- šeimos ryšiai
- santykis su religija;
- senatvės atvaizdavimas su visais džiaugsmais ir vargais.

carladash's review against another edition

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4.0

I know there is some controversy about this book because it is about rural Chinese life in the 19th/20th century, but is not written by a Chinese person (though Buck grew up in China). I guess I can't really speak to the authenticity, but I also don't read fiction, even historical fiction, as if it is supposed to be a textbook. This story to me was about the life of a particular man. And though it was about a very specific place and time, there was so much in the story that felt universal to me: struggles of poverty and wealth, of moving up the social ladder, of wanting a better life for the next generation, of not understanding the next generation and the world they are growing up in, of duty, lust, greed, loss, grief, mortality. For realistic fiction, which is usually not my cup of tea, I just really enojyed this. I'm not sure I want to read the other two books in the trilogy. I'm not sure I can bear to move on from Wang Lung to the next generation!

librarydebluts's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

It’s been a long time since I read a book like this. The themes are timeless, and while this book contains pain and sadness, it’s a beautiful tale of the human spirit and experience.

hedyharper's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • 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


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juniperd's review against another edition

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2.0

okay, so probably people who love this book are gonna hate on me for the 2-star rating. i am sorry about that. i did really want to like this book because, PEARL BUCK. but i don't know...i just didn't dig it that much. it was fine. i am glad i have now read it. but what this book did do, which i appreciate very much, was to make me want to learn more about buck and seek out nonfiction about the time she writes about in china.

with the good earth, i just couldn't get into the flow of buck's writing. i found it stilted and choppy. i wanted to feel some ache from the sadnesses or annoyance over the shenanigans in the tale but i didn't feel anything while reading. maybe i am broken? heh. (i doubt it. i tend to feel all the feelings.) but the fact the novel caused no reaction in me is telling. and it bummed me out. my reaction to the lack of reaction was the most emotion evoked from the read. oops!