In Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, readers will experience the trials and successes of a farmer as well as become accustomed to ancient Chinese culture, life, and hierarchy. Wang Lung is an ancient Chinese farmer who struggles to maintain balance in a changing world partially due to an ever changing socioeconomic status.
As the story develops, prepare to experience the emotions of those around Wang Lung that he is oblivious to and feel their pain, desperation, and longing as well as gaining an understanding of who he is through a third person narrative where Pearl S. Buck does not state emotion, but chooses to let the reader connect and infer.
As the characters grow and learn, the reader is introduced to a different perspective and invited to process and form an opinion about the events unfolding. The story withholds the climax, building through a lifetime until it nears its end, as does Wang Lung.
This book will appeal primarily to open minded readers willing to revel in the plot, embrace the culture and mindsets, and connect with the characters emotionally.