Literary Fiction · DarkA Chinese farmer's rise and fall, and the wife who works beside him
The Good Earth
A poor Chinese farmer, his wife O-Lan and the land that shapes their lives
The Good Earth is set in an early twentieth-century Chinese village in Anhwei. It follows the farmer Wang Lung from his wedding day as his fortunes rise and fall. He and his wife O-Lan work their land while the wealthy House of Hwang declines.
More about this book
Who
Wang Lung, a poor, hard-working farmer, and O-Lan, his first wife.
World
An early twentieth-century village in Anhwei, China.
What makes it different
It was the best-selling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize. Buck, who grew up in China as the daughter of American missionaries, wrote it while living there, and the 1937 film was based on the stage version.
Feel
Plain and hard-edged, with a long sweep of years.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Pearl S. Buck grew up in China as the daughter of American missionaries and wrote the book while living there.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- The Good EarthWikipedia