The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck | Teen Ink

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck MAG

November 26, 2012
By Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."
—Apple’s “Think Different” commercial, 1997
“Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn't understood.”
― Weihui Zhou


Set in revolutionary China, The Good Earth is a real-life fairy tale depicting the hardships of poverty and corruption of wealth of a Chinese family. Centered around the life of Wang Lung, The Good Earth details his transition from pauper to prince, so to speak.

Wang Lung's main goal is to find peace. Nevertheless, he struggles to find it – can he buy peace with all the money he has accumulated – or was he better off poor?

Pearl S. Buck's descriptions are breathtaking. As a novelist and a denizen of China, she masterfully brings China to life, describing the beauty of the expanses of rice fields, the frailty and softness of a lotus flower, the collage of multi-colored silks, and the unappreciated beauty of O-Lan, along with her unrequited love. Her characters too are believable, all displaying either a vice or virtue.

The Good Earth is a classic that will continue to endure for years to come. By the way, it is the first of The House of Earth trilogy, which follows the lives of Wang Lung's descendants. Additionally, The Good Earth won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel in 1932 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938.


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This article has 3 comments.


on Jun. 8 2014 at 9:25 am
honest_iago BRONZE, Midway, Utah
2 articles 0 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else." --Tom Stoppard

I loved this book! We read it in my eighth grade English class and haven't thought of it in a while--such an eye-opening story.

Mckay ELITE said...
on Mar. 14 2013 at 5:45 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."
—Apple’s “Think Different” commercial, 1997
“Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn't understood.”
― Weihui Zhou

Thank you for commenting. I do hope you'll read this novel and enjoy it as much as i did. it's a masterpiece. Do tell how much you liked it after you're done reading it.

on Mar. 14 2013 at 9:55 am
beautifulspirit PLATINUM, Alpharetta, Georgia
35 articles 0 photos 1398 comments

Favorite Quote:
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
--Eleanor Roosevelt

I was gonna read a poem of yours but I've never heard of this book before. Your use of language is inspiring and original. You get straight to the point and don't reveal the story--no spoiler alerts. I'm definitely reading this~