Review: The pearl

Steinbeck's peculiarly intense simplicity of technique is admirably displayed in this vignette -- a simple, tragic tale of Mexican little people, a story retold by the pearl divers of a fishing hamlet until it has the quality of folk legend. A young couple content with the humble living allowed them by the syndicate which controls the sale of the mediocre pearls ordinarily found, find their happiness shattered when their baby boy is stung by a scorpion. They dare brave the terrors of a foreign doctor, only to be turned away when all they can offer in payment is spurned. Then comes the miracle. Kino find a great pearl. The future looks bright again. The baby is responding to the treatment his mother had given. But with the pearl, evil enters the hearts of men:- ambition beyond his station emboldens Kino to turn down the price offered by the dealers- he determines to go to the capital for a better market; the doctor, hearing of the pearl, plants the seed of doubt and superstition, endangering the child's life, so that he may get his rake-off; the neighbors and the strangers turn against Kino, burn his hut, ransack his premises, attack him in the dark -- and when he kills, in defense, trail him to the mountain hiding place- and kill the child. Then- and then only- does he concede defeat. In sorrow and humility, he returns with his Juana to the ways of his people; the pearl is thrown into the sea.... A parable, this, with no attempt to add to its simple pattern.

This book is poorly written. It is very repetitive, and it seems that some sentences will never end. It took Steinbeck 3 paragraphs to repeat one sentence over and over, re-wording it each time, but having the same meaning. The idea of the story is very interesting, so it sounded like it would be great book. But the author simply went nowhere with it. I was extremely disapointed. This book is also highly confusing when it comes to metaphors. When he is talking about the songs Kino hears, I had no clue what he meant until the fourth chapter. If I could re-write this, I certainly would. 

my name is hameed

Its a good book.

I think most people that hated the ending don't seem to realize that there's no other way this could have gone. That said, I think the story itself is another piece of the pure genius of Steinbeck's writing.

As the title suggests, The Pearl is just that, a literary treasure. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cheering for a loser. We quit often identify closely with these types of characters, the ones whos flaws makes our own flaws feel less blatant for a time. Being short as it is, it is the type of novel (or novella) that one should be prepared to devote enough time as to read it all at once, and it well written enough to allow a one sit reading.  

GOOD BOOK HORRIBLE ENDING

An absolute classic. The age old question of one's moral compass.

The Pearl
Kino has a family of three members; he, his wife Juana and their small baby Coyotito. They are living in a village named La Paz, Mexico, enjoys their simple life until the day his son, Coyotito was stung by a scorpion.
The town doctor did not treat the baby because Kino cannot pay the doctor's fee, so Kino and his wife, Juana, are left only to hope their child is saved. That day Kino goes diving, and finds a great pearl, the Pearl of the World, and knows he is suddenly a wealthy man. The word travels quickly about the pearl and many in the town begin to plot ways to steal it, but no body could steal it.
Kino's ears ring with the Song of Family as he and Juana walk through the town and to the edge of the sea. Kino holds the pearl up and looks into it. It reflects images of his burning hut, the eyes of the man he killed with the rifle and Coyotito in the dark with the top of his head ripped away by a bullet. The frantic and lunatic music of the pearl swells in Kino's ears and he holds the cursed object to Juana. She knew that he throw it. They watch the pearl splash into the Gulf and it settles to the bottom of the sea among the algae and seaweed. "And the music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared."
This story is called The Pearl the author of this story is john Steinbeck, it has been published a couple of times but the book I have it has 90 pages. It is published by the Penguin Group USA Inc. The main character is Kino. Kino was Juana’s husband and also the young pearl diver who feels his duty to his family very strongly. He knows his place as the provider and works hard to supply for his family's needs. He finds The Pearl of the World and wants to use it to pay for his son; Coyotito's illness. He also dreams that with the pearl he can buy his family new clothes and a rifle for himself, but the pearl only brings him trouble. His neighbors turn on him and try to steal the pearl from him and he has to leave his home after killing an attacker. Although it was self-defense, he knows that his family is in danger. He and Juana run away with Coyotito, but trackers follow them. He knows that they are after the pearl and that they will catch his family, so he sneaks into their camp and kills them all. In the shooting that goes on in the camp, a stray bullet kills his son. Juana was Kino's strong and quiet wife who takes care of her family. She obeys her husband in most instances, but when she realizes that the pearl is only bringing trouble to her family, she tried to throw it away but Kino take it from her and also beat her. Coyotito was Kino and Juana's first-born child who was stung by a scorpion and needs medical treatment, but the local doctor will not treat the baby because Kino has no money.  

It is OK. I like it kinda. This isn't a good preview.