Wednesday, January 19, 2005

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

I'm usually annoyed when the jacket copy for a book includes words like 'lyrical' or 'evocative.' But in its early chapters, this book really is lyrical and evocative. Flash to the end, where all is lost, and I assume that there must be a moral to the story: How did we get from heaven to hell? In my flu-induced stupor a few nights ago, I could think of several possible theories. (And if I weren't still sick, I'd spell them out.) But I'm not sure which theory Buck intended (was that the point?). I don't like to think this hard about novels.

3 comments:

  1. I picked this one up at the library yesterday to finally read for the first time. You don't give me much hope for the end, though. :)

    I hope you feel completely better soon- and that your children aren't sick too.

    By the way, could you recommend a book or two about women in the Bible?

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  2. Well, I did enjoy reading it, tho. I'll be curious to hear what you think.

    By the way, I can't check books out of the library. To me, that is like having an affair: how can you give something back after being so intimate with it?

    I'll do a big post on women in the scriptures when I'm better, for now, I'd start with Cullen Murphy's _The Word According to Eve_.

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  3. I'm just loose with books. I can't bring myself to buy something that I might not like.

    Thanks for the book suggestion- it will be coming soon through ILL. :)

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