Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

24 reviews

leligavi's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Man, this book was rough. 
It looks at the heart of greed and what that can do to a family. 
I felt like the representation of a Hispanic family (though written from a white man's perspective) was respectfully executed. Which I feel is saying ALOT given that this book was written in 1947. 
That last picture of Kino and Juanita walking into town made me gasp out loud in the middle of a Five Guys. I think I slammed my book to the table and everything. 
I would recommend. However, it did take me WAY TOO LONG to read a 90 PAGE BOOK. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Physical abuse

Moderate: Murder

marionhoney's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed reading the Introduction last, as it gave more context to what was going on in Steinbeck’s life that influenced the writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Gun violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexism, Fatphobia, and Violence

booksthoughtsandtea's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Classism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Violence

e_ramirez_ortega's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I can't recall reading Grapes of Wrath, although I know it was required in high school (government school). I know Steinbeck is a fixture in classical literature and it was highly recommended to read this title to start getting familiar with his work. I am glad I read this when I did, during a week of vacation (Thanksgiving holiday break, to be exact) from the homeschool. I read the first chapter and then explained the story to my daughter and she was curious. The rest became a read-aloud between us and I am glad she had her first taste of a Steinbeck classic. All this to say, it was memorable. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a quick read, a valuable one at that. 

The story is character driven more than plot driven in my opinion. We see the development of Kino's journey through dreams of a prosperous life by way of his huge pearl discovery. The tension rises when the whole town gets involved in seeing what becomes of Kino and his prized possession: the pearl. His little son is a casualty of his distorted circumstances. What could be a win turns into a loss of much: dignity, station, ethics, family, and honor. There is much at stake when something of value takes possession of a man, no matter what class status he finds himself in. That is the lesson. Any man can become beguiled by the temptation and allure of riches that turns men to greed.

There's more to say and analyze about this tale but suffice to say, it will keep you peeling layers of truth and discovery throughout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Classism, and Colonisation

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Vomit

frivilous's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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? N/A

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Classism, Gun violence, Child death, and Violence

surdiablo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

I'm afraid I don't have a lot to say this time, just that this book made me teary-eyed / emotionally drained while being around 100 pages only, which is very impressive because I always found novellas way too short to be impactful. It was such a tense, emotional rollercoaster that had me under a spell the entire time. I have read only 'Of Mice & Men' so far besides this one, but I think it's safe to say I simply love Steinbeck's writing style. It's so simple yet elegant where no words feel wasted, and he sure as hell knows how to pack an emotional gut punch. Can't wait to read 'Grapes of Wrath' in June with a certain classics connoisseur I happen to know.. 😂

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, and Child death

eshadi's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

another_dahlia's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Child abuse, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Racism, Child death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

daisydoolie's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Child death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

orchidlilly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This is honestly the worst Steineck book I've ever had the displeasure of reading. It's nothing more than a grim sobfest poorly disguised with a moral of 'don't be greedy'. The sexism is always obvious in his works, but it's especially glaring here, and it doesn't even have the decency to be interesting like Of Mice and Men.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Grief, Animal death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Child death, Death, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Colonisation