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Strangely, great writers' work becomes "high school reading". But it is a lot more: the pride and honor of an underclass, as well as its petty squabbles, and, overall, its helplessness. Yes, read this in high school, but then come back to it later, when you understand more. The Pearl is an often-told story about the misfortunes from sudden riches. And then, once you are a husband, a wife, a parent, the hopes and fears of parents, and the fatigues and joys of marriage. All on a simple story stage.
A voice like a melody flowing sometimes gently sometimes wildly. It has the same spirit as the story himself.
One of the main reasons we use a Kindle for some of our more challenged students is the Text-to-Speech feature. Being able to listen as well as read makes learning for these students much more complete. I am disappointed that this publisher would not make this feature available for students on a timeless classic such as this.
The Pearl is the shortest novel that Steinbeck wrote but is one of his best.The book is about the large pearl that is found and the trouble and tragedy it brings. The novel is a parable on how the obsession with wealth when put to the detriment of humane values such as love compassion othercenteredness becomes not a dream but a nightmare.It has much the same message as Matthew 6:19-34 that a man cannot serve God and money. Themessage is more like a man cannot serve his family and money and that a mans love for his family is more important as an evaluation of that man instead of wealth.Aclassic only outdone in my view amongSteinbecks works byThe Grapes of Wrath Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony
The Pearl: Novel ReviewGrade: A-Kino is a poor diver in The Pearl, and when he finds a magnificent pearl, evil and corruption soon threaten to consume him, and everybody he loves. And as for the rest of you, who are thinking that the book sounds boring, fear not--The Pearl moves along fairly fast, and its own share of action, leaving even the most closed-minded of readers satisfied. Steinbeck lays down his characters, gets the plot rolling, and wraps everything neatly up in 90 pages, although The Pearl has the lasting impact of a full-blown 600 page novel.
The good vs. For example: was the white powder the doctor gave the baby Coyotito really bad. John Steinbeck, the author, plays with his own variation on the good versus evil theme, threatening to make Kino the bad guy in the end.
Now there wasn't much I didn't like about the book, except that it leaves some questions to be answered. evil theme has been a mainstay in books for hundreds of years, but it's been quite a while since I've seen a variation this original. What I really liked though was the stark simplicity of the novel.
There are a few more small questions like that scattered around the novel that remain unanswered, but I'd still gladly recommend The Pearl to anyone who wants a short but thoughtful read.
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