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crunch1009's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Sexism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism
marioosa517's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death
Minor: Violence, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
I’mjedore'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: Classism, Abandonment, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Slavery
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Dementia, Drug use, War, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship
easyintheory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexism
Minor: War and Sexual violence
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: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Addiction, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexism
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: Slavery, Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Colonisation, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Drug abuse, Self harm, War, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
addyruth17'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, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Infidelity, Blood, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Addiction, Death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Medical content, and War
sarah_speaks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Slavery, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy, Rape, and War
aliciaofalaska's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexism, and Classism