Name: The Pearl
Rating: 3.435763888888889 (288 reviews)
ISBN: 9780142000694

John Steinbeck

A poor fisherman dreams of wealth and happiness for his family when he finds a priceless pearl.

The Pearl

Gemma

Juana sang softly an ancient song that had only three notes and yet endless variety of interval. And this was part of the family song too. It was all part. Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole.

Across the brush fence were other brush houses, and the smoke came from them too, and the sound of breakfast, but those were other songs, their pigs were other pigs, their wives were not Juana.

From the author of Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck's The Pearl is a flawless parable about wealth and the evil it can bring, published with an introduction by Linda Wagner-Martin and drawings by José Clemente Orozco in Penguin Modern Classics. When Kino, an Indian pearl-diver, finds 'the Pearl of the world' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. He will marry Juana in church and their little boy, Coyotito, will be able to attend school. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed, fear and even violence the pearl arouses in him and his neighbours. Written with haunting simplicity and lyrical simplicity, The Pearl sets the values of the civilized world against those of the primitive and finds them tragically inadequate. John Steinbeck (1902-68), winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. During the Second World War Steinbeck served as a war correspondent, his journalism later collected in Once There Was a War (1958), and he was awarded the Norwegian Cross of Freedom for his portrayal in The Moon is Down (1942) of Resistance efforts in northern Europe. His best-known works include the epics The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952), and his tragic novella Of Mice and Men (1937). John Steinbeck's complete works are published in Penguin Modern Classics. If you enjoyed The Pearl, you might like Steinbeck's The Winter of our Discontent, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. 'There is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic'Time and Tide

ikkychan

The first Steinbeck i've read is "Tortilla Flat" and i, to say the least, really like it. I love how he writes marginalized people without having to preach to its reader. I can see the same in "The Pearl". It tells a heart-wrenching story of a poor Mexican pearl diver, having a sick son, discovered a huge pearl and in the end have to defend himself and his family from those who wants to cheat him out of his fortune.

Dani

A timeless short story about human greed and lust.

Incredibly well written, with great characters, but sort of a weird lesson in the end? Poor people punished for trying to have a better life? I don't think they should've given up

Patrick Book

MEN! Am I right?

(Also: arresting prose. Astounding even.)

ilustraciones de Clemente Orozco?? Una leyenda mexicana mencionada en un libro de no ficción escrito a partir de excursiones com un biológo marino? 

Una historia muy mexicana, definitivamente un must read

Alondra Ayon

ilustraciones de Clemente Orozco?? Una leyenda mexicana mencionada en un libro de no ficción escrito a partir de excursiones com un biológo marino? 

Una historia muy mexicana, definitivamente un must read

I read this in high school and was left destroyed by the ending. For some reason, I decided to do it again and once more I am heartbroken. Steinbeck really knows how to leave you on a less-than-happy ending.

Erin Goss

Kimberly

Rohit Arondekar

The writing was sublime. I can see why Steinbeck is such a celebrated author. What I absolutely loved about this book was the use of music. How the characters interpret their lives & situations as music. This was really beautiful. The flow of the story was also really well done. I have no complaints about this book. I'm definitely going to read more Steinbeck in the future.

Ryan LaFerney

The Pearl is a novella by the American author John Steinbeck. First published in 1947, The Pearl follows a pearl diver, Kino, and explores man's nature as well as greed, defiance of societal norms, and evil. I have read this novella every couple of years since I first read it in English class in high school. The message put forth by the book -- that man invites evil by trying to better his situation -- invites a lot of questions and always causes me to reflect on how I'm living my life. And The Pearl is one of Steinbeck's most accomplished novellas. It is beautiful, lyrical, concise, and has the perfect conclusion. 

The pearl is a retelling of a Mexican folk tale. Kino and his wife Juana are poor but happy in their relationship and delighted with baby Coyotito. They live in relative poverty, but have each other and their families. One day when Kino is diving, he finds an oyster that contains a huge pearl. Convinced that this will be the solution to all his problems, Kino is ecstatic. He and Juana can get married, Coyotito can go to school and they will have the money to pay the doctor when they are ill. The whole community is overjoyed, but the pearl doesn’t bring the happiness Kino expected. People attempt to harm them and the pearl buyers try to swindle them. Forced out of their home, the family leaves their town in search for a better price for the pearl and a better life. Juana wants Kino to throw the pearl away, but he refuses until tragedy strikes.

The Pearl is slim but never fails to pack a punch. It's a simple story but one that is very powerful and universal. 

Do you hear the music of the pearl? If so, be leery.

A.L.L.

It's one of Steinbeck's earlier works and it shows. It's not as bad as Cup of Gold, which I couldn't even finish, but it's definitely not one of his better novels either. 

It has a fairytale flavor which I enjoyed and overall it wasn't a bad story.

Chiyeung lau

Picked this up as an intro to Steinbeck since I've never read his other work. Wow. I was blown away. Definitely need to read more Steinbeck.

La Perle

Sarah Escorsa

Je n'ai jamais été adepte de la prose de Steinbeck.

William Harris 

Autumn 

Emilie Thea Bohrk

Read this for school and really enjoyed it:)
The lyrical writing style is right up my alley, and the story tackles a lot of interesting themes of greed and living in an unequal society where no one can truly be trusted. Amazing read!

The Pearl

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