The Pearl in Vampires, Weres and Fae!

Oct 25, 2021 Keli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: now-i-know-what-the-hype-was-about, enjoyed-quite-a-bit, oooh-that-is-a-good-character

Synopsis- Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security....

A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Synopsis- Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security....

A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl explores the secrets of man's nature, greed, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love.

Review- I have to admit I was a little worried about this. Originally written in 1947 by a white American man about poor Indigenous Mexicans, it could have left a sour taste in the mouth. Luckily, Steinbeck proves why he is lauded. He is a superb writer. And, yet again, he represents the downtrodden and highlights the inequalities in society.
I have read a few of the reviews on here that question the moral behind this story. They wonder if Steinbeck is saying not to reach beyond one's station. That it's better to be happy and poor. And rightly, it's upset quite a few of those readers. However, I think Steinbeck is saying that the idea of equal opportunity & upward mobility is fallacy. That the "Haves" have so thoroughly stacked the deck against the "Have nots" that there is very little one can do to break the mold, no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try. So the lesson isn't that Kino shouldn't try to better his life, but that we have to create a society that would actually allow Kino to prosper. But we let obstacles like class, religion, education (its access and quality) and power remain. We keep the Kino's of the world on their knees and convince ourselves that everyone has the same opportunities, the same chances to "make something of themselves." We refuse to acknowledge that if Kino had a better education he might have seen the doctor for what he was. If people weren't beholden to a religion, Kino might has seen the priest for what he was. If the wealthy were no longer allowed to write all the rules to keep the wealth in their hands, Kino might have recognised the set-up by the middlemen and figured out a better plan of where to sell his pearl.
But most of us aren't Kino. Why rock the boat when we can get shit next day at stupidly low prices from Amazon. Never mind that Bezos could single-handedly end world poverty and still have billions left over. Just let Steinbeck remind you that the world is still a cruel and unfair place, even 60 years after publication, for the Kinos of this world. Well, that's what I got from it anyway.

Rating - Four still relevant after 60 years stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Devoured the book, couldn't put it down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really liked it, consumed within days
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyed a fair bit, better than average
⭐⭐ - Meh
⭐ - Absolute drivel ...more

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Sep 22, 2017 Paul rated it liked it

Sometimes...
With some authors;

When you finish one of their works you have to give it time to settle in and 'become' before casting your immediate judgement, so to speak. Steinbeck is one of those authors.

Full Review (no spoilers) >> https://www.modquokka.com/single-post...

I would certainly recommend this novel as a good read. I enjoyed it. But with that one flaw I was just left with an unconvinced taste in my mouth which was a shame. 3.8 stars from me, truth be known; ...more

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