Kristin's Reviews > The Good Earth

I just finished The Good Earth and really liked it. I liked the writing style...even though it was dispassionate I felt it was beautifully and simply written. I have never read a book about China written from a man's perspective before. I loved reading about their day to day life. The words just seemed to flow off the page for me.

I definately wanted to learn more about O-lan...I thought she was fascinating. I wish we got a glimpse of what she was thinking...her having to give up those two pearls just broke my heart.

I didn't think Wang Lung was despicable...he was what he was...a man of his time and he did what men did. I think for the most part he always tried to do what was right for his family. Unfortunately we forget that it wasn't that long ago women were pretty much just property.

The closing scene at the end of the book where Wang Lung overhears the sons discussing selling the land when he is gone and he interupts them and they tell him that they won't really sell it...wink wink...brought tears to my eyes...and I think it was highly symbolic of pre and post revolutionary China.