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As soon as I started to read the story, the details of it came back to me rather quickly. Perhaps. I think that Steinbeck is an incredibly gifted writer. And this is said in disparagement, whereas it is one of the greatest talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have." On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:"This book is a quick, yet powerful reminder of appreciating what you have. All of his focus centers around obtaining monetary wealth as the result of his discovery of this great pearl. This tale is about what greed does to the human spirit.
All along, Kino's wife can see what the greed is doing to their family, shrouding it with evil. However, all Kino can see is his pride. The ReviewI vaguely remember reading this book in high school and over-analyzing it TO DEATH. Although, I think it's a story that would be great for my girls to read and discuss with me afterwards. Will greed and pride bring the ultimate destruction of what you love the most. Steinbeck said,"For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. It lends itself to great discussion.For the genre Fiction: Classics, I am going to rate this book an 8 OUT OF 10.
with food, family, friends and a meager lifestyle. It's one of those perfect "the moral of the story is." books. He writes like a painter, painting a canvas with thoughts, scenes, people, and pictures. However, Kino will lose what is the most precious and important of all to him along the way.Is happiness a little shack on the beach. Is happiness the truth of the love that you've surrounded yourself with. His immense talent is very much appreciated, however this wasn't my "favorite" book of his.
As a fan of Steinbeck, I had high hopes for The Pearl. In The Pearl, it is clear from the start that there is no hope for Kino and Juana, so I read a story with no twists and turns. Unfortunately, I found the moral of the story to be disappointing and disheartening: Poor people must remain poor. This message is etched in Of Mice and Men too, but at the very least, Lenny and George's dream was viable. Moreoever, there is an element of magic in The Pearl, and I don't mean this in a good way. I like fantasy and I like Steinbeck, but they really do not mix.
I was warned about the horribly tragic theme of this novel, but I fell in love with "Of Mice and Men", so I decided to crack open the shell and grab The Pearl as well.Admittedly, the sadness and sense of hopelessness of human dreams, similar to that found in "Of Mice and Men" pervades this novel. If you want to read something fun and light, then this novel is not for you and John Steinbeck is not the author for you.The plot is simple, like other Steinbeck's novels, but the emotional journey the heart and mind takes with this novel has no equal. "The Pearl" is yet another Steinbeck masterpiece, worth exploring time and time again.
And the best of all about the book is the simplicity of the story told, rather a sad one. The Pearl is a simple novel, short and sweet with only 90 pages. The Pearl is a classic Steinbeck literature. The poor Mexican town gives me a feeling that it looks like a great place to live, at least from the American point of view. The ending doesn't make sense, at least on practical level, because the pearl means money which brings security and comfortable living. That's typical of John Steinbeck's books. Although mostly outdated, the practice still exists today, even in the rivers of Ohio and Tennessee.
I want to make a mention of two situations in the book. The writing is beautiful and is very descriptive. And the Steinbeck feel of the book goes a long way too. I like the characters and how well constructed they are. During the reading of The Pearl, I looked up the internet about pearl hunting, and it is quite fascinating. When the doctor came to treat the baby, I really think that he caused the baby to get sick on purpose just to profit for the hell of it. Anyway, I know John Steinbeck wanted to make his book to have layers of figurative meaning, and he wholly succeeds in this department.
It describes how greed can corrupt anyone and the evils that men are capable of. Kino goes to sell his pearl the next day, but the pearl dealer only offers a thousand pesos when Kino believes that he deserves fifty thousand. Kino and Juana leave the doctors and take Coyotito down to the sea, where Juana uses seaweed to help Coyotito's shoulder. At the beginning of the book, Kino watches as a scorpion crawls down the rope that holds the hanging box where Coyotito lies. He wants to send Coyotito to school and buy a rifle for himself.
Juana and Kino go to see the local doctor, who refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino cannot pay. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is a great story that is full of suspense and action. Kino attempts to catch the scorpion, but Coyotito bumps the rope and the scorpion falls on him. After the pearl is almost stolen again, Juana tells Kino that the pearl is evil one last time but he does not listen and says that they will leave for the capital tomorrow.The Pearl explores man's nature, how greed can motivate people to be evil, and how far one man will go to better the life of his family. I thought that this book was very good.
Kino claims that he is being cheated so the pearl dealer calls the other dealers in to inspect the pearl. The doctor comes to check on Coyotito now that Kino has money and says that Coyotito needs to be treated for the scorpion bite. Kino wishes to get married to Juana in a church and dress Coyotito in a sailor suit. Although Kino kills the scorpion, it still stings Coyotito.
Kino dives for oysters the next day and finds a very large oyster that contains a huge pearl. In the story, Steinbeck shows how wealth does not necessarily bring you happiness and solve your problems. The Pearl is about a poor pearl diver who is trying to sell one of the biggest pearls ever seen in his hometown in Mexico. That night, someone attempts to steal the pearl but Kino protects it and fights the robbers off. Juana tells Kino that the pearl is evil, but Kino insists that the pearl is their one chance to succeed and that they will sell it tomorrow. One dealer after another gave similar prices, but Kino refuses all of them and decides to go to the capital to sell it there. The news that Kino has found great pearl travels fast through La Paz. Reading this book helps us stop and appreciate the life we have instead of always wanting more.
It is an easy and fast read but is still a thought provoking book.The Pearl takes place in La Paz, Mexico and begins by describing the life of Kino, his wife Juana and son, Coyotito. It shows through symbolism that the old saying "money does not buy happiness" is true. The pearl is "as large as a seagull's egg" and "as perfect as the moon". Kino's brother asks him what he will do with his money. Even though the pearl was beautiful, everything that it brought was not good for the family. This review is posted on Amazon.com.
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