Special thanks to MeriVial for the recommendation.
❝Happiness was waiting to be chosen.❞
~ Pearl S. Buck.
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck, also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu (Chinese: 赛珍珠), was an American writer and novelist.
Born on June 26, 1892, as the daughter of missionaries, Buck spent most of her life before 1934 in Zhenjiang, China.
Pearl Buck began to write in the twenties; her first novel, East Wind, West Wind, appeared in 1930. It was followed by The Good Earth (1931), Sons (1932), and A House Divided (1935), together forming a trilogy on the saga of the family of Wang. She also published The First Wife and Other Stories (1933), All Men are Brothers (a translation of the Chinese novel Shui Hu Chuan) (1933), The Mother (1934), and This Proud Heart (1938). Pearl Buck’s works after 1938 are too many to mention.
Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces". She was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Buck was highly committed to a range of issues that were largely ignored by her generation. After returning to the United States in 1935, she continued writing prolifically, became a prominent advocate of the rights of women and minority groups, and wrote widely on Chinese and Asian cultures, becoming particularly well known for her efforts on behalf of Asian and mixed-race adoption.
Her novels continued to deal with the confrontation of East and West, her interest spreading to such countries as India and Korea. Many of her life experiences and political views are described in her novels, short stories, fiction, children's stories, and the biographies of her parents.
She wrote on diverse subjects, including women's rights, Asian cultures, immigration, adoption, missionary work, war, the atomic bomb and violence. Long before it was considered fashionable or politically safe to do so, Buck challenged the American public by raising consciousness on topics such as racism, sex discrimination and the plight of Asian war children.
During her life, Buck combined the careers of wife, mother, author, editor, international spokesperson, and political activist.
Pearl Buck passed away on March 6, 1973.
Discussion Questions
Does 'The Good Earth' by Pearl S. Buck relate to our society nowadays? If so how?
What are your thoughts about a Westerner writing about Eastern Culture or Countries, while managing to keep the portrayal rich and genuine?
Chinese literature differs greatly from that of American and British Literature. Do you enjoy reading any works from Chinese literature?
Always open to additional comments and discussions on Pearl S. Buck and her works.
If there is another author you would like to see a discussion on, please post your suggestion in the comments below for a chance to be featured in a future chapter!
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