The Pearl

Quality product and top shelf customer service. highly recommend

So good but so sad

One thing that I think this book was incredibly successful in was its ability to make readers reflect upon their own lives by pushing the boundaries of issues like poverty, and the true meaning of happiness. And the ability to relate to a story is something that I constantly look for when I want to read a book. I also very much enjoyed how Steinbeck set up the entire plot of the story to coincide with the discovery of the pearl and to emphasize how bad its discovery was. The story starts out very peacefully in a Mexican town with the main character Kino, his wife Juana, and their baby Coyotito. They live in a rather poverty stricken community with not much opportunity to make money. Kino provides for his family by gathering food from the ocean and simultaneously looking for pearls inside of clams. Trouble does eventually arise though when his baby is stung by a scorpion and the only doctor available refuses to help them due to their lack of money. But their luck seems to turn around when Kino comes upon an enormous pearl, promptly name "the pearl of the world" by his neighbors. It soon becomes apparent though that the pearl is perhaps not all that it seems. This book constantly reminded me of Gollum from Lord of the Ring, who frequently obsessed over the power of the ring. Much like Gollum, Kino began to change after he found something of great value. As Baron Acton once said "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Kino soon falls victim to the promises that the pearl holds as he is consumed by his own paranoia of losing the pearl. I have also read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and I think both the books are very good but I did enjoy Of Mice and Men more because it focused more on an entertaining story rather than focusing on the morale of the story. If you do enjoy learning lessons from books than I would definitely recommend the Pearl, but if you are looking for an action packed story, I would look for another book. All in all though, I still think the Pearl was a very good book and would recommend anyone looking for a nice and easy book.

Great story was in perfect condition

The version I got on Kindle had an introduction that comprised 20% of the entire text, which was quite a lot!!! It is basically a complete analytical book review that has 100% spoilers for the entirety of the original book. It provides an analysis of the author's biography and explores the circumstances surrounding writing the novel. It was extremely annoying and it just wouldn't end. I have nothing against Professor Linda Wagner-Martin, and in a sense her analysis was wonderful and well constructed, but alas, misplaced at the beginning of the novel, one that I've never read before and in a great way she spoiled it for me. But fortunately, I did manage to enjoy the novella quite a lot actually. I don't know why I conjured up the same feeling I had reading "The old man and the sea" by Hemingway. It's the same allegorical tale theme set in similar scenery. The political issues that Professor Linda touch upon did not concern me the least. The poetry of the story and the timeless wisdom it carries was enormously interesting and enjoyable to me. This was the perfect appetizer for me to delve into the world of John Steinbeck.

The pearl represents the corrupting power of money / wealth. I was touched by how much Kino cared about the education of his son (to him, the pearl represents financial resources to put his son through school and help him escape the cycle of poverty) but also appalled by his transformation when he becomes blinded with rage and greed. The pearl appraisers and the behavior of the townspeople and the doctor represent the jealous and coveting part of human nature; people will rarely celebrate others’ successes, as they are much more likely to try to drag them down to their own level. It is always in our best interest to keep our accomplishments to ourselves and celebrate quietly; making these known will only bring more jealousy. This book was kind of disappointing after having read Steinbeck’s magnum opus, East of Eden, but overall it was a short and philosophical novella with interesting ideas.

Thank you! Very fast shipping..

Lately I have been rereading some of the old classics I had read in high school and college. One of these books I purchased on Amazon for a bargain price was this 90-page paperback edition, (The Pearl by John Steinbeck), which I found to be an amusing and interesting read even though I had read it more than 50 years ago. The short story, like many of the novels by John Steinbeck, deals with people who lead hard working lives. This particular novel takes place in Mexico and in some ways reflects the way many people thought about certain things in the 1940s. This story revolves around a family, who follows the same kind of work their ancestors did, which is diving for pearls in the Gulf. Unlike the early pearl searchers, Kino and Juana barely make enough to support their family; however, one day Kino pulls from the ocean a large pearl. He thinks this will finally make his family wealthy enough to get his family out of the meager living existence they now live in. As always, there are twists and turns and issues that make this an interesting read. I never give away too much information when reviewing any novel, but there is a lesson here we can all learn from in this family tale. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Martial Art and Warrior Haiku and Senryu).

Great book, arrived in perfect condition

Se tiene que leer esta pequeña joya.

It arrived damaged from the back and it was bended in half

`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.

Extraordinary prose and morality tale. Almost biblical in its story telling and suspense. I think it's up there with Mice and Men.