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Brina's Reviews > The Pearl
The Pearl
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John Steinbeck's chilling novella The Pearl is the short story selection in the group catching up on classics for January 2017. In his retelling of a Mexican folktale, Steinbeck tells the tale of a fisherman named Kino who finds the pearl of the world on one of his dives. Showing how money is the root of all evil, Steinbeck delivers a poignant tale.
First published in 1945, The Pearl is the story of Kino, Juana, and their baby Coyotito who one day discover a giant pearl on one of their fishing expeditions. All of a sudden, their entire village measures time against when Kino found his pearl. Even though fish and pearls are the source of Kino's livelihood each member of the village desires part of his newfound wealth. Rather than congratulating him on his prized discovery, each villager offers their unique suggestion as to how Kino should spend his winnings.
Tragedy strikes. Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, and Kino and Juana rush to town in attempt to persuade the doctor to treat their child. In a situation permeated with racism, the doctor of Spanish descent refuses to treat the apparent Native American Kino unless he comes up with substantial monetary payment. The only item of value that Kino possesses is the pearl, and he assures the doctor that he will be rewarded once the pearl given to brokers.
Just like the doctors, the pearl brokers attempt to swindle Kino. Even though Kino has large dreams of what to do with his money, tragedies continue to befall him throughout the novella. Juana urges him to rid himself of this object that is clearly an agent of the devil. Through this folk tale, Steinbeck conveys that money is the root of all evils in the world. Underlying is a message of socialism, which was the world's response to the fascist dictators defeated in World War II.
Although Steinbeck's skills as a master storyteller are evident in this novella, The Pearl does not resonate with me the way it does with others. At first I was elated that a poor villager found a jewel that could turn his life around only to see him face tragic tests. A literary masterpiece that should be read nonetheless, I rate The Pearl 4 stars- 5 for Steinbeck's prose and story telling skills, and 2.5-3 for a story that does not captivate me enough as perhaps it should.
First published in 1945, The Pearl is the story of Kino, Juana, and their baby Coyotito who one day discover a giant pearl on one of their fishing expeditions. All of a sudden, their entire village measures time against when Kino found his pearl. Even though fish and pearls are the source of Kino's livelihood each member of the village desires part of his newfound wealth. Rather than congratulating him on his prized discovery, each villager offers their unique suggestion as to how Kino should spend his winnings.
Tragedy strikes. Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, and Kino and Juana rush to town in attempt to persuade the doctor to treat their child. In a situation permeated with racism, the doctor of Spanish descent refuses to treat the apparent Native American Kino unless he comes up with substantial monetary payment. The only item of value that Kino possesses is the pearl, and he assures the doctor that he will be rewarded once the pearl given to brokers.
Just like the doctors, the pearl brokers attempt to swindle Kino. Even though Kino has large dreams of what to do with his money, tragedies continue to befall him throughout the novella. Juana urges him to rid himself of this object that is clearly an agent of the devil. Through this folk tale, Steinbeck conveys that money is the root of all evils in the world. Underlying is a message of socialism, which was the world's response to the fascist dictators defeated in World War II.
Although Steinbeck's skills as a master storyteller are evident in this novella, The Pearl does not resonate with me the way it does with others. At first I was elated that a poor villager found a jewel that could turn his life around only to see him face tragic tests. A literary masterpiece that should be read nonetheless, I rate The Pearl 4 stars- 5 for Steinbeck's prose and story telling skills, and 2.5-3 for a story that does not captivate me enough as perhaps it should.
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Reading Progress
December 16, 2016
– Shelved
December 16, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 17, 2016
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Started Reading
December 18, 2016
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short-stories
December 18, 2016
– Shelved as:
classics
December 18, 2016
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Finished Reading
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Rebbie
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 18, 2016 08:32AM
What a great review! It's very informative, thank you. Although I love Steinbeck, it appears that the ending probably has socialist leanings, which lets me know that it should be a pass. Oh well, he's got several other stories that can be enjoyed! :)
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Rebbie my thoughts exactly which is why I am lenient to read East of Eden. I do enjoy Grapes of Wrath though although it's been years since I last read it.
Ooh, I LOVE East of Eden. I really like Grapes of Wrath as well, but EOE is the better of the two novels imo. Some people disagree, of course, but either way you will probably enjoy it if you like GOW.
Rebbie I try to space out works by authors so I don't have preconceived notions about their books. One book per author a year unless it's a trilogy or I'm doing a study on plays. Saving for near the end of next year.
Brina, I love Steinbeck, but tend to agree with your review and was also underwhelmed by The Pearl. What's great about Steinbeck in my opinion is that he shows a great understanding, respect, and even love for all of his characters. But to me, Kino seemed like a 2-dimensional stereotype of a noble "peasant", who had to suffer so that Steinbeck could make his point. I also feel that Steinbeck's attempt to render Kino's stream of consciousness in a kind of formalized Spanish-like language is partly due to the author's ignorance of the range and subtlety of that language. That said, this is NOT typical Steinbeck. I would highly recommend East of Eden, though it's pretty massive. If not, you might want to read one or two of his other short stories to get a better idea of what Steinbeck is about.
Adam, I read Grapes of Wrath years ago and enjoyed the epic. Here it seems that Steinbeck was recreating a Mexican myth and because this was a novella he did not have time to draw out his characters. Juana seemed slightly more developed than Kino, but neither thrilled me all that much. East of Eden is on my someday, maybe list.
What a great review Brina. I'm looking forward to reading it with the group next month.
Thank you, Milena. I decided to read ahead in case certain group reads don't fit my Bingo. Hope you enjoy this.
Brilliant review! I find it ironic that every single one of my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends (including myself) has so far given it five stars! I agree with every single point!
Thank you, Fred. I try to save 5 star reviews for my personal favorites or for what I think are the best of their genre. The Pearl just didn't do that for me.
No absolutely fair enough! It's good to have a different opinion out there, we would be bored to tears if every single review was just "it is amazing". Plus 4 stars is still an excellent rating (it is, after all, the equivalent to 8/10!) :)
I really enjoy Steinbeck. The Pearl to me is his Old Man and the Sea, although with different themes. The edition I read had an "introduction" by Linda Martin-Wagner, which was quite lengthy and way too detailed. It serves more as a thorough synopsis, than an intro.I would suggest to readers to skip the "intro" if you don't want to know most of the story before reading it.
