Reviews with content warning for Classism - The Good Earth

Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

5 reviews

tracie_mcd's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

This was an epic, historical fiction multi-generational family drama of life in a very small Chinese town. The book was written in 1931 and it is hard to pin down the exact time frame of the story but there are hints to it with references to a war and “revolution” that take place at different times during the story but our very short passing references. The depiction of women and their lives during this time period in China is hard to read and I found myself so sympathetic to the first wife and mother, O’Lan. She was such an incredible woman and the lack of kindness or love shown to her through her entire life (too spite being the biggest reason for the families eventual prosperity) really bothered and saddened me. The fact that she received no real credit for all she did and that her husband didn’t really acknowledge or appreciate her and all she contributed until the end of her life and again at the end of his life made me unsympathetic to Wang Lung however I do believe it to be an honest and truthful portrayal of most women’s lives in China during that time. I struggled with the problematic references to the clearly special needs daughter in the novel but again we’re probably accurate given the time frame and location of the story. This book should have been a 5 star book for me due to my love of epic, historical period novels but I think the hard lives, famine and poverty were hard to read.

Content Warnings

jedore's review against another edition

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dark informative sad tense 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

“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.

Content Warnings