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The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1)
The Good Earth - House of Earth, Bk 1
Author: Pearl S. Buck
Wang Lung, rising from humble Chinese farmer to wealthy landowner, gloried in the soil he worked. He held it above his family, even above his gods. But soon, between Wang Lung and the kindly soil that sustained him, came flood and drought, pestilence and revolution.... — Through this one Chinese peasant and his children, Nobel Prize-winner Pearl ...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9781416500186
ISBN-10: 1416500189
Publication Date: 3/29/2005
Pages: 448
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 73

4.1 stars, based on 73 ratings
Publisher: Pocket
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 117 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A timeless classic. A must read for anyone...from 10 years old to 100 years old1!! Meant to read at different times on one's life.
jacquiebeans avatar reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Of course this book is hard to read for such hardships are always so perturbing, but this book is quite remarkable. The writing, storyline, and characters are all so superb that this book has stuck with me over a decade and I can read and re-read it a hundred times and it never gets old.
reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 132 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a classic that I read while in high school and just had to read it again recently. This particular book has several pages of photos that make it more interesting.
gotchagal avatar reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 97 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A fascinating insight to the Chinese culture. Having traveled to China 20 times, I must say that this book is beautifully written and true to the history and people of China. It is one of my favorite books. I've read it three times over the years and each time it seems like a new adventure. If you haven't read it yet, do. If you have read it, read it again and you might find even more that you missed the first time. It is a great modern classic. It was written in 1931 and yet this story is still considered must reading for students. It is a story that warms your heart and enlightens your mind and is as fresh today and it was when it was first published. Consider this book to be a literary gift.
mccoffield avatar reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 76 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very interesting read by a great writer. As is usually the case, this novel is better than the film version, which starred Katherine Hepburn. I'm not criticizing Hepburn's acting abilities; it's just that I think they made a big mistake by 'Americanizing' the main female character, O-lan. We must remember that the novel is set in China of the 1920's, a time when Pearl Buck was also living there. At that time, Chinese women had few rights of their own, and though not to the extent depicted in the film, the novel does depict O-lan as a strong female character.

THE GOOD EARTH is an enjoyable, well written read, and it gives the reader great insight into rural and political China at a time when the last emperor reigned. It's the story of a young farmer and his new wife and their life together into old age.

Pearl Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize. Thoughout her life, she was a human rights activist in many arenas, including campaigns for African American civil rights. She founded 'Welcome House' to find homes for mixed-race children fathered by servicemen in Asia and established the 'Pearl S. Buck Foundation' to provide foster care for Asian-American children that remained unadopted by American families.
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GigiBeanz avatar reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 52 more book reviews
In The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck present a graphic view of the China that was-when the last emperor reigned, and the vat political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary people. Tis moving epic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century.
reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 17 more book reviews
One of the great modern classics.
reviewed The Good Earth (House of Earth, Bk 1) on + 87 more book reviews
Buck's classic Nobel Prize-winning novel of a peasant in China, struggling with issues of class and issues of love. Simply written but emotionally powerful and accurate.


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