Wow. I finally finished The Good Earth. What a testament to the power of putting things down in writing and/or blogging and following through on resolutions!All in all, it was not one of my favorite books. I am glad that I read it, but I really had a hard time sympathizing with any of the characters. Not that I always expect to sympathize with all characters in a book, but I like it when I do. I do have respect for Ms. Buck's ability to instill in the reader a fascination for the protagonist's emotional attachment to the land. The only stable thing. I was also fascinated by her portrayal of a man who is completely unaware of the intense political situation around him. It was also interesting to see his journey to becoming what he used to resent and helped to destroy, reminiscent of The Animal Farm. Ah well, I am so happy that I already finished one of my books. I haven't decided if this will be on my list of 12 books, but I have recently started Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. So far (just a couple of chapters in), I am enjoying her writing style and character depictions. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I don't own this one yet, but on the strong recommendation of A, I am thinking that East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, may be put on the list of 12 books for the year. If I can acquire it, I may begin reading it very soon. Has anyone read this? J? What did you think?
1 comment:
Sorry, haven't read East of Eden yet but it's a "one-to-read-when-time-permits" for me. The Good Earth can be a drainer--it took me a bit to get through it. You can't decide if you hate or simply feel deep empathy for the plight of the main character--especially when he gets his mistress. I always sorrowed for the wife. I'm still working through A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. The next on the list is My Name is Asher Lev. Ahhhh...good books.
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