BOOK REVIEW: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

I was ready to read a classic, so turned to The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I read it way, way back in middle school, but remembered nothing about it except that it was set in China. I wish I could remember what middle-school me thought about it, because I’m sure I couldn’t have understood the half of it.

Written in the early 1930s, it portrays rural Chinese peasant life through the eyes of Wang Lung. He starts out as a dutiful son, a farmer on his wedding day, going to the house of the local lord to obtain the slave, O-lan, that his father had purchased for him to marry. Much is made of the fact that she is not physically attractive and rarely speaks. But fortunately for Wang Lung, she is an incredibly hard worker and also fertile, giving him two sons in fairly rapid succession, with more children to follow.

The family endures hardship and famine. At one point, on the edge of starvation, they must flee south to the big city, where O-lan and the children beg and Wang Lung works menial tasks, until there is a local revolt. The house of the rich family there is invaded and looted. Wang Lung takes the owner’s money and O-lan finds a stash of jewels. With this, they are able to return to their home and buy more land. Wang Lung works hard, but it is really O-lan who makes it possible for them to survive. She is the brains in the family.

It turns out the only thing worse that grinding poverty is wealth and status. Wang Lung may be one of the most unpleasant protagonists I’ve come across in a long time. As his wealth increases, he feels embarrassed to be a farmer and hires laborers to work the land for him. Even though he misses it, and still understands the value of owning land, he believes he’s above working it. Worse, he never gives O-lan much thought or credit, seeing her always as little more than his slave. While this is likely historically and culturally accurate, it’s still heart-breaking. Or maybe infuriating.

As soon as he has the money, he heads off to a brothel, falls in love with a prostitute, buys her, and installs her in his house (after building her a second wing, decorating it lavishly, and providing her with a servant – all while his wife continues slaving away for the rest of the family.) For good measure, he insults O-lan, telling her he couldn’t possibly love her because she’s so ugly.

Eventually, O-lan dies. Wang Lung feels some momentary regret, but forgets about her quickly enough. He always manages to push away his better feelings with anger and a sense of entitlement. As soon as his wealth is great enough, and his grown-up sons are haughty enough, they move away from the farm into the now deserted house of the old local lord. Wang Lung essentially takes over as the new local lord. He and his family grow as decadent as the old lord. Until, as an old man, he moves back to his farmhouse to prepare to die.

But is it a good book? It’s a fantastic book. The writing is spare but beautiful. Although Wang Lung is the only viewpoint character, we can nevertheless peer into the hearts of each of the main characters. The depiction of the culture is fascinating. The book won a Pulitzer Prize and Pearl S. Buck won a Nobel Prize. So I am glad I read it, infuriating as it was.