Pearl S Buck's The House Of Earth Trilogy

January 16, 2008 by kitnet

After 48 years of marriage, Gary and I settle the “what to get him/her for Christmas” problem by buying for ourselves. What we buy becomes our gift from each other. We’ll even go so far as to wrap them. This year we just put them under the tree not to be touched or used until after Santa has been here.

This year I wanted Pearl S. Buck’s “The House of Earth” trilogy. I had read “The Good Earth” when I was in my early 20s Joan loaned it to me and that started my love of books and my thirst for more books, better books, older books, new authors and so on. I digress.

So, after “Santa” came to our house I was able to claim my book and add it to my “waiting to be read” stack. I was finishing up a “Patricia Cornwell” Scarpetta novel.

Soon I was done with Kay, her dead bodies and odd friends, and was able to begin “House of Earth”. Have you seen this book?? It’s as thick as any of my bibles. I’m about half way through “The Good Earth” which is the first in the trilogy. I’m amazed at how much I have forgotten, or should I say, how little I remembered of it. That brings up the subject of aging and it’s affect on our memories etc. but that’s a subject for another blog, I think. =)

So, each night I crawl into bed, turn on my electric blanket and cozy up to Wang Lung, his wife O-lan, their children and the goings on in the House of Wang. What can I say. I’m there with them. Buck isn’t very descriptive when it comes to surroundings, so I decorate it as I see it. However, I’ve come to know this interesting Wang Lung, his gentle spirit, great mind, and his capacity to work like a horse and consider it the greatest honor bestowed on mankind.

As the saga continues one’s heart is wrenched by images of a little baby girl who is so starved that she doesn’t cry anymore, but just lays there, wrapped in her rags. Her mom is expecting yet another child to add to the three they have (”Please wooden god statue, let this new child be boy rather than a worthless girl child”. Little wooden god wasn’t listening, however, because O-lan goes off into the bedroom to be alone and soon one hears moaning, smells blood, and hears the feeble cry of an infant. One hears it only once. Is it a wonder that this baby made it?? Mom has had no food in so long her skin hangs on her bones too. But wait!!! When dad, Wang Lung goes in to see his newborn he finds her, (ohhhhhh nooooooooooooooooo, not another GIRL. “God does not look down upon me with favor”) lying in the corner. While wrapping this little one in rags to take it out of the house, Wang notices a couple of bruises on it’s neck. Mom O-lan, has “taken care of things”. Arghhhhhh. Some lucky wild dog will have one heck of a feast tonight out there on the burial grounds. Let’s scroll back a bit. Didn’t I say something about Wang Lung being such a gentle spirited, good man?? He is all of that and more. However, it’s a different time, a different country, and a different culture that the Lung family lives in.

Well, have I whetted your appetite for The Good Earth? I certainly hope so. I don’t think you can find it free online, but am sure you can download an audio book for a small fee. Maybe you could try Project Gutenberg. They may have it as a free download there or audio book. Just get it, read it and enjoy it. You’re in for a wonderful journey when you do. Let me know what you think.

For now………….Kitnet