Also in the beginning weeks of my morning sickness, I read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I'd heard of this book---mostly from women rolling their eyes and alluding the birthing scenes in which O-lan, one of the main characters, gives birth alone in her hut and then goes back to work.
Simply put, The Good Earth is a classic. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get to it.
If I were still writing papers for my English classes, this would be an easy novel to write about. Using a historical approach, I'd say this novel, published in the late 1930s, is a reflection of the depression-era American psyche realizing its link to the land. Then I'd trace the resurgence in popularity in the 1970s to the Age of Aquarius "The Earth is our Mother" and "Rise up, Women, and stop being oppressed" thinking. Piece of cake analysis. If Kristen C. would proofread it for me, I'm sure it would get an "A".
Because there are a LOT of "The Earth is our Mother/The Earth is everything/The Earth is a being" undertones. Which is fine. It's also a classic tale of the rise and fall of Wang Lung, a farmer who rose because of hard work, and fell because of lust and greed (mostly lust).
There's fodder for a hundred research papers in this novel. For many, many book club discussions, and blog posts.
There's also (shocker) a prostitute. If that offends you, you'll see it coming long enough beforehand to skip it.
(Confessional: I didn't read all of this book either. But I read most of it. I really enjoyed reading about Wang Lung's rise, his struggles, his strength. I skipped over most of his fall---I was morning sick and in no mood for actions of a morally declining character which made me want to puke. I wanted to puke enough as it was, I didn't need any help. Someday when I can stomach the fall, I'll go back and read that part. But not the prostitute scenes. I always skip those no matter what the state is of my quease.)
Last note: The writing is brilliant. Truly. And the characters are superb.
Sarah O., if you haven't read this one yet, I think you'd like it. Glad you liked Ender's Game.
1 comment:
I finally got around to reading The Good Earth. Thanks for the recommendation. It was really interesting. I am still thinking about it. I read it really fast! I may need to reread it. It is a great look at Chinese culture of the time. I am still trying to understand what she was saying about progress and the desire to improve ones self.
I think I may have my book club read it and then we can all discuss it. But then it does have a lot of prostitutes and such in it... so maybe not. It is a church book club group. I thought she handled the prostitute talk pretty well. Nothing graphic! Thank goodness.
I hope you and baby girl are doing well.
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