A retelling of an old Mexican folk tale involving the discovery of a great pearl and the ensuing misfortune of the fisherman who found it.
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Aug 03, 2009
brian
rated it: 
goodreads david writes this: I'm convinced that the general besmirchers of Steinbeck are fucktards, asswads, and vibrating pustules.
it's nice as a reader (bad, i guess, as a reviewer) when a writer achieves can-do-no-wrong status. reading steinbeck i feel less distance between the writer -> his words -> myself than with nearly any other writer. his prose stylings can't touch his contemporaries, his structure and pacing can be sloppy, he's sentimental, preachy, overly didactic, More...
it's nice as a reader (bad, i guess, as a reviewer) when a writer achieves can-do-no-wrong status. reading steinbeck i feel less distance between the writer -> his words -> myself than with nearly any other writer. his prose stylings can't touch his contemporaries, his structure and pacing can be sloppy, he's sentimental, preachy, overly didactic, More...
20 comments
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(15 people liked it)
Dec 30, 2011
Matt
rated it: 
It surprises me that almost everyone on my GR friends list who has rated this book gave it three stars or less. Is this because you all were forced to read it in junior high? I don't recall being assigned this book in school, but back then I probably would have not read it and just faked my way through the test. The books that I do remember reading in school such as Flowers for Algernon, The Outsiders, and The Late Great Me (teenaged boozers get the Reefer Madness treatment) are remembered throu
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3 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Nov 09, 2007
Stephen
rated it:
A sad tale of a happy, young family whose discovery of a pearl of great wealth brings only death and misery.
A fisherman, Kino, discovers a large pearl while harvesting oysters with his wife. Believing they are now rich, the fisherman formulates plans that will allow him and his family to live a better life. The plans are modest and include sending their baby son to school, formally marrying his wife in a church, and buying a rifle.
The Plot
A young fisherman disco More...
A fisherman, Kino, discovers a large pearl while harvesting oysters with his wife. Believing they are now rich, the fisherman formulates plans that will allow him and his family to live a better life. The plans are modest and include sending their baby son to school, formally marrying his wife in a church, and buying a rifle.
The Plot
A young fisherman disco More...
2 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Jul 31, 2007
Darren
rated it: 
This is a very powerful book that's mostly about deceptive treasures - finding certain things that are out of reach to be of utmost importance, or getting to excited about material goods. I really liked how this book shows us that family and our own ways of life are to be appreciated and maintained for their sake, that we shouldn't cast aside the way we want to do things and pursue earthly treasures or the ways that others (in this book, the white folks) do things. Kinda like a story about pulli
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2 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 17, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
Trying to add a bit of fiber to my reading diet, too much teen romance may rot my teeth. I found this one sweet enough to be suspect though.
It has that sad whimsy that says John Steinbeck to me and it's a fast read that's probably good for you. In some ways the pearl that Kino finds reminded me of Frodo's ring. Even down to the fugitives hiding from a dark rider!
Mexico has had a sad history and not all of that sorrow has yet been exorcised. This story gives a flavor of More...
It has that sad whimsy that says John Steinbeck to me and it's a fast read that's probably good for you. In some ways the pearl that Kino finds reminded me of Frodo's ring. Even down to the fugitives hiding from a dark rider!
Mexico has had a sad history and not all of that sorrow has yet been exorcised. This story gives a flavor of More...
0 comments
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(3 people liked it)
May 20, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
In this book by John Steinbeck, many surprising things happen- some good, some not so much, but all surprising. Steinbeck words it with care and precision, leaving no space for questioning thoughts and yet leaves suspense, mystery, fear, love, and a sense of family connection. Although it might not turn out how you suspect, it turns out with another emotion. All sorts of feelings run through this book, read to find out.
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 24, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Taylor Rector for TeensReadToo.com
Kino and his wife, Juana, have a beautiful baby boy, but one morning he gets stung by a scorpion. He is rushed to the doctor, who will not treat him because they have no form of payment.
The parents get in their boat to look for a pearl to use as payment, and, amazingly, find one that is referred to as the "moon" -- and is about the size of a goose egg.
What happens when they go to the dealers to collect More...
Kino and his wife, Juana, have a beautiful baby boy, but one morning he gets stung by a scorpion. He is rushed to the doctor, who will not treat him because they have no form of payment.
The parents get in their boat to look for a pearl to use as payment, and, amazingly, find one that is referred to as the "moon" -- and is about the size of a goose egg.
What happens when they go to the dealers to collect More...
2 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 06, 2009
Nicholas
rated it:
I love Steinbeck's writing style. He is one of the most powerful and addicting writers that I have read. The Pearl is a short tale about, what else, human nature.
A young family is raised in a private culture which is dominated by 'civilized' people. They have accepted their role in life, when along comes an object that could change their position in life. It changes much more then that. The development in the main character, Kino, throughout the hundred plus pages is believable and More...
A young family is raised in a private culture which is dominated by 'civilized' people. They have accepted their role in life, when along comes an object that could change their position in life. It changes much more then that. The development in the main character, Kino, throughout the hundred plus pages is believable and More...
3 comments
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(1 person liked it)
May 21, 2009
Jen
rated it:
Jen Starkey
English 7—Wildcats
Mr. Kilby
May 20, 2009
Pearl Review
This book, The Pearl, was nothing special. The book was a parable, so it did have a lesson, to be careful what you wish for, but many stories do. In this book, a poor family living in Mexico has a stroke of luck by finding what comes to be known as “The Pearl of the World”. It is described to be about the size of a seagull’s eye, which is quite big for a pearl.
The style of the book see More...
English 7—Wildcats
Mr. Kilby
May 20, 2009
Pearl Review
This book, The Pearl, was nothing special. The book was a parable, so it did have a lesson, to be careful what you wish for, but many stories do. In this book, a poor family living in Mexico has a stroke of luck by finding what comes to be known as “The Pearl of the World”. It is described to be about the size of a seagull’s eye, which is quite big for a pearl.
The style of the book see More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
May 09, 2010
Madeline
rated it: 
Poor pearl diver in South America finds giant-ass pearl, decides to sell it and use the money to buy medicine for his baby, who just got bitten by a scorpion. The mierda hits the fan, people die, everything generally goes to hell in a handbasket, and it all happens in about the space of time it took you to read this review.
Verdict: meh.
Read for: 10th grade English
Verdict: meh.
Read for: 10th grade English
9 comments
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(3 people liked it)
May 26, 2009
I have read The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. I am aware that we all have many different opinions about this book. This is my thought of it.
I would rate The Pearl a seven out of ten. I thought that it was overly detailed. And due to having a lot of detail in the book, it got confusing at some parts. In my opinion, I thought that the book started off slow. I thought that it got more interesting near the end. At the end there were many unexpected events.
I found it hard to really More...
I would rate The Pearl a seven out of ten. I thought that it was overly detailed. And due to having a lot of detail in the book, it got confusing at some parts. In my opinion, I thought that the book started off slow. I thought that it got more interesting near the end. At the end there were many unexpected events.
I found it hard to really More...
3 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 03, 2008
Stephanie
rated it:
This book in my opinion was exactly how I except the concept of wealth. It bring nothing but trouble upon those who are happy without it. I couldn't have written about any better situation to show how money brings about the evil in others and the greed and selfishness in yourself. I thought this book was pretty good.
:)
:)
0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Oct 17, 2011
You have heard the saying that small things make big changes. Well, that saying is related to this book. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, is about a man named Kino and his wife Juana, and thier child, Coyotito. Kino and his family live in a small shack in a town with many other neighbors. One day, the family was just having a usual day when suddenly a scorpian stings Coyotito and he becomes very ill. Juana decides to take the risk of finding the doctor. The doctor is a very rich and selfish man who
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5 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 18, 2011
Liam P
rated it:
This book was about a poor man named Kino. He finds this pearl, that he believes is worth tons. His wife Coyotito and his baby Coyotito are part of his family. Coyotito sufferes a scorpion sting and has to visit a doctor. The doctor is very greedy and selfish, and all he cares about is money. Read this book to find out if Coyotito gets cured or not.
Some people beleive that this pearl has corrupted Kino. Juana believes that the pearl is evil and tries to convince Kino that. Do you thi More...
Some people beleive that this pearl has corrupted Kino. Juana believes that the pearl is evil and tries to convince Kino that. Do you thi More...
3 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 03, 2011
Isabel
rated it:
I didn't enjoy reading this book, but it's a really good piece of literature. My rating reflects partly my own enjoyment of the book and mostly the rating I think it deserves. By reading it, I've learned a lot about how to actively read and discuss books.
Here are the three discussion questions I came up with for homework:
1. Why is Juana always "trotting" after Kino? Is the narrator comparing hr to an animal? What is the symbolism in this, and when Kino and Juana More...
Here are the three discussion questions I came up with for homework:
1. Why is Juana always "trotting" after Kino? Is the narrator comparing hr to an animal? What is the symbolism in this, and when Kino and Juana More...
19 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 11, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
Steinbeck knows how to reach into the human heart and bring out what supports it, sensitivity, love, affection. All ingredients that we surpass with objects, things, Steinbeck writes about them, making us remember.
The Pearl came to me I think, when I was a child the only title I had ever picked up from John Steinbeck was Cannery Row because I went to Monterey Bay so often it was like a letter from home for me to read it. But what gets me about the Pearl is that it isn't appreciat More...
The Pearl came to me I think, when I was a child the only title I had ever picked up from John Steinbeck was Cannery Row because I went to Monterey Bay so often it was like a letter from home for me to read it. But what gets me about the Pearl is that it isn't appreciat More...
2 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Sep 15, 2007
Janis
rated it: 
I had to read this for school. It did keep my interest, but the ending made the story pointless to me. Actually the story does have a point - it just hits you over the head with it like a hammer. Basically a man continues to strive and struggle, and keeps losing. This I think is an unintended "lesson" in this book, and what I found so annoying. Of course the intended lession is regarding striving for the wrong things, missing what is important.
Books like this should have More...
Books like this should have More...
2 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Feb 22, 2009
So far, I have learned that good fortune can lead to pure evil. When Kino finds a great treasure, everyone turns against him. His people think that he is going to become greedy and selfish. When Kino decides to sell this treasure, all of the buyers try to cheat him because of their jealousy. Kino is not willing to be cheated, though, just because of his lack of education makes him vulnerable of being cheated.
5 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Apr 06, 2009
Aaron
rated it:
A brilliant little read from Steinbeck. I'd have given it 5 stars, but I just wanted more. I do like the way Steinbeck never really names the evil. You suspect a lot, but there's no definitive answer.
7 comments
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(1 person liked it)
May 22, 2009
By: KL
The Pearl: Review
The pearl, Written by John Steinbeck, published in 1945 is in my opinion a very good school book. The book starts of by grabbing the reader’s attention right away in the first chapter. The first chapter really keeps the reader wanting to read more but then the book gets a little boring during the middle part. The book I still a good book though and I would give it a seven if ten was the best.
The pearl starts off by explaining the wonderful view of More...
The Pearl: Review
The pearl, Written by John Steinbeck, published in 1945 is in my opinion a very good school book. The book starts of by grabbing the reader’s attention right away in the first chapter. The first chapter really keeps the reader wanting to read more but then the book gets a little boring during the middle part. The book I still a good book though and I would give it a seven if ten was the best.
The pearl starts off by explaining the wonderful view of More...
May 21, 2009
The Pearl by John Steinbeck wasn’t incredibly horrible, but it wasn’t a great book, either. It had a valuable lesson and there were some interesting points to it, but overall, the story was boring. I’m not saying it was dull to read. It was easily read because it didn’t have anything extra. It was clear and concise, which I like. Although, the story wouldn’t make me want to read it.
The Pearl is about a poor family, which is usually Steinbeck’s main characters, who live near La Paz More...
The Pearl is about a poor family, which is usually Steinbeck’s main characters, who live near La Paz More...
May 21, 2009
The book The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck in the 1940’s and is still popular today. Although it was written then I think that the book closely resembles the time we are going through now. I thought the book had a great lesson behind it: Don’t let greed come between those that you love.
The book is about a poor family living in the Gulf of Mexico. When the baby, Coyoyito, is stung by a scorpion the family becomes worried. They go to the doctors, but he is very greedy and will not he More...
The book is about a poor family living in the Gulf of Mexico. When the baby, Coyoyito, is stung by a scorpion the family becomes worried. They go to the doctors, but he is very greedy and will not he More...
May 21, 2009
The Pearl Review
There are many classic novels that everyone knows about or has to read in school. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, is one of those novels. Just because it is written by one of the most famous American authors and is a novel everyone seems to be familiar with doesn’t make it a book everyone likes. Personally I thought that The Pearl was an interesting but it wasn’t a book I particularly liked.
The Pearl is about a poor family struggling to live in a hut village who’s ba More...
There are many classic novels that everyone knows about or has to read in school. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, is one of those novels. Just because it is written by one of the most famous American authors and is a novel everyone seems to be familiar with doesn’t make it a book everyone likes. Personally I thought that The Pearl was an interesting but it wasn’t a book I particularly liked.
The Pearl is about a poor family struggling to live in a hut village who’s ba More...
May 21, 2009
William Coggins
5/20/09
Mr.Kilby English 7
“The Pearl” Review
The 1947 Classic, The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck. The pearl is written incredibly by John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck does an amazing job of setting the scene in this book, truly a master piece. It is hard to match the word choice he wrote in The Pearl. The Pearl is an extraordinary book and I am not surprised it has stood the test of time.
The Pearl is a book that tells the story of a fat More...
5/20/09
Mr.Kilby English 7
“The Pearl” Review
The 1947 Classic, The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck. The pearl is written incredibly by John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck does an amazing job of setting the scene in this book, truly a master piece. It is hard to match the word choice he wrote in The Pearl. The Pearl is an extraordinary book and I am not surprised it has stood the test of time.
The Pearl is a book that tells the story of a fat More...
May 21, 2009
Pearl Book Review
The Pearl is a book about a poor family with not very much money. The characters are Kino, Juana and Coyotito. Kino is the husband of Juana and the father of Coyotito. Kino is a diver who dives for fish and oysters sometimes he would pray the one-day he will find a pearl. Juana is the wife of Kino and is very cautious about what Kino does and what could happen to them. Coyotito is the child of Kino and Juana who is suddenly attacked by a scorpion and poisoned b More...
The Pearl is a book about a poor family with not very much money. The characters are Kino, Juana and Coyotito. Kino is the husband of Juana and the father of Coyotito. Kino is a diver who dives for fish and oysters sometimes he would pray the one-day he will find a pearl. Juana is the wife of Kino and is very cautious about what Kino does and what could happen to them. Coyotito is the child of Kino and Juana who is suddenly attacked by a scorpion and poisoned b More...
May 21, 2009
Does money bring everything to a person’s life? Is money always the answer to a person’s worries? It sure seems to be when Kino, finds a pearl larger than all. His son, Coyotito, is just a baby when he gets sting by a scorpion. Juana, Kino’s wife is worried and anxious about Coyotito, and decides to bring Coyotito to the doctor. The doctor is an avarice man, greedy for the worldly riches, when Coyotito is brought to him; he refuses, because that Kino and Juana have no money to pay him. Then wit
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May 19, 2009
The Pearl by John Stenbeck is a very interesting novella. It's all about Kino and Juana, a poor couple who live in a brush house in Baja, California. They have to face a new challenge when there baby Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion. He is very ill and the doctor they take him to is very mean and refuses to treat the baby. Then Kino finds this valuable "Pearl of the World." The rest you will have to read to figure out.
This book is very emotional about a struggling family. More...
This book is very emotional about a struggling family. More...
May 19, 2009
The Pearl is a story about Kino, Juana, and Coyotito, their young son. Their lives spin out of control when Coyotito is bit by a scorpion, and they can not pay the doctor bill to help him stay healthy. Kino finds a pearl that creates some problems for the family. I won’t spoil the story but, my friend who speaks Spanish, pointed out that Coyot is coyote in Spanish and ito on the end of any word means little, so Coyotito means little coyote in Spanish. This shows Steinbeck had a sense of humor
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May 18, 2009
This review will be on “The Pearl”, a novella by the master of modern literature, John Steinbeck. Steinbeck is able to bridge the gap between where writers once went in their writings, and where they venture now. This is one of the most challenging novels you’ll ever read because the messages it contains are much larger than they seem. It looks at the world as no other piece of writing has. It shows the evil that man contains along with the good qualities of mankind. “The Pearl” is a truly wonde
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May 18, 2009
Stephen Born
English 7- Wildcat
Mr. Hopkins
May 18, 2009
Book Review
In the novella, The Pearl by George Steinbeck, much detail and depth was given. This book was outstanding and is one of the best books I have read. Even though this book was quite short, all the detail needed was given.
In the beginning of the novella, a poor, young pearl diver who lives in La Paz in his brush hut is struck with bad fortune when his first son, Coyotito, is stung by a More...
English 7- Wildcat
Mr. Hopkins
May 18, 2009
Book Review
In the novella, The Pearl by George Steinbeck, much detail and depth was given. This book was outstanding and is one of the best books I have read. Even though this book was quite short, all the detail needed was given.
In the beginning of the novella, a poor, young pearl diver who lives in La Paz in his brush hut is struck with bad fortune when his first son, Coyotito, is stung by a More...
