The pearl

87 pages

English language

Published Sept. 5, 2002 by Penguin Books.

ISBN:
978-0-14-200069-4
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4 stars (77 reviews)

A novel.

60 editions

A moral tale

5 stars

I didn't realise until I actually came to read The Pearl that Steinbeck's novella is a retelling of a Mexican folk tale he himself had heard told whilst in Mexico. The central tale itself is therefore a relatively simple story, however it is also one with which I believe everybody could relate and I loved the way in which Steinbeck creates the world surrounding Kino and Juana. Their characters are completely believable throughout and I particularly liked the idea of the gathering neighbours all rushing to peer over their hedges at every opportunity.

The Pearl isn't a happy story and is essentially a moral tale illustrating the old maxim of 'be careful what you wish for'. However Steinbeck increases the scope to encompass the racism and derogatory treatment experienced by the native people at the hands of rich white immigrants. Kino and Juana's prayers seem to be answered when Kino …

Review of 'The Pearl' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

 I wish I hadn't gone to middle and high school when I did, which was the 1970s. Schools at the time were concerned about relevance, which is fine but it meant that in English class I'd be reading things like [a:Beatrice Sparks|69007|Beatrice Sparks|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1488253428p2/69007.jpg]'s [b:Go Ask Alice|46799|Go Ask Alice|Beatrice Sparks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327870536l/46799.SX50.jpg|2115708], a fraudulent teenage girl's diary written by a Mormon youth counselor, and other books designed to make us sensitive, addiction-free teenagers instead of [b:Moby-Dick or, the Whale|153747|Moby-Dick or, the Whale|Herman Melville|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327940656l/153747.SY75.jpg|2409320] and other great literature, like [a:John Steinbeck|585|John Steinbeck|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1182118389p2/585.jpg]'s [b:The Pearl|581697|The Pearl|John Steinbeck|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1205038728l/581697.SY75.jpg|195832].
 It's a short parable that even I could read in a few hours. It takes place on the Baja California Peninsula of Northwestern Mexico during the early part of the twentieth century, though the time is unclear. (There's no mention of cars or electricity, but there are rifles.) If you missed it …

Review of 'The Pearl (Steinbeck "Essentials")' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A Mexican fairy tale reworked and retold by one of my favorite story tellers. At its heart, it is a story about the evil that comes from wealth, but it's also a story of the perils living in a society rigged against you. But is the novel saying that there is no way out for Kino and Juana? There is no way to fight the system, because it will screw you over? I don't think that's the intended message, but it lends itself to an interesting discussion.

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Subjects

  • Pearl divers -- Fiction
  • Avarice -- Fiction
  • Mexico -- Fiction