The Pearl

I read this book as a 12 year old in High School. I’ve always remembered it. I recently bought it because I thought it would be challenging, but accessible, for my 9 year old daughter. It hasn’t disappointed. It’s of a manageable length and has enough unfamiliar vocabulary to make her have to dig deep. The themes and tropes are relatable to her, even at her tender age. I’m pleased with my choice of book to initiate my daughter into the wonderful world of literature.

This is such a superbly written, moralistic little novella and I truly cannot recommend it enough.I found Steinbeck’s writing to be beautiful, and it definitely made for a thoroughly engaging and easy read. I found the plot to be, while simple, fast paced and in keeping with Steinbeck‘s support of the oppressed. Kino’s storyline is a brilliant portrayal of love, friendship and finding what it means to be happy.This Penguin Clothbound Classic edition is so very charming. It feels sturdy in hand, is made of great quality materials and looks delightful. Coralie Bickford-Smith is a true genius when it comes to cover design.

A stark, powerful allegory, written so well that it passes swiftly in a few readings. The theme is Steinbeck's perennial concern: the crushing of good by evil - and yet life is enhanced.Though many love this novella, it does not quite work well enough for me because the personalities of the people are cursory, almost cliched. This is no doubt deliberate, but it gives a flatness to the story: I did not care strongly what happened to Kino and Juana, because their responses and emotions were so formulaic.A minor quibble is that the narrative voice occasionally sounds intrusive, breaking the spell of the tale (eg commenting on page 17 that the native remedy was 'probably better than [what] the doctor could have done').What worked well was the sense of doom and the pathos of Kino and Juana's situation. Also, the physical details of their stark lives were deftly illuminated by brief, powerful descriptions of the natural scenery.

`The Pearl' is another book by Steinbeck of such searing beauty that it leaves you breathless and in awe. You know from the first few pages and the simple, yet captivating descriptions of a family's early morning habits, that this book will live up to the promise you feel from reading past Steinbeck works. Following a pearl fisherman who finds a life changing sized pearl and how it changes him, his family and more importantly the reactions of those around him. This starts with wonder and hope for the future and descends into blackness and misery because of the wealth the pearl represents and the jealousies it arouses. This easily matches the short, succinct beauty of Hemingways `The Old Man and the Sea' and I'm surprised it isn't given more attention by school syllabus setters or lovers of fiction in general. This is a short, powerful novella and it is as terse and well written as all of Steinbecks masterly works. If you know his style you'll know what to expect and if you're new to Steinbeck, then you are in for a real treat. This also includes some wonderful line drawings to illustrate the story. Stunning, beautiful and highly recommended.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

There's a moral in this story about simple but impoverished life compared to rich and obnoxious.....but I am afraid I found it a tedious read. Just made it to the end.