Summer Reading - The Good Earth?

Question

I still have to read a book called The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Is it boring? How long did it take to read? Will a 13 year old girl like it?

Answer 1

From what I know about the book, I think you'll like it, and you should be able to finish the reading easily in a couple of days if you stick with it.

I haven’t read this novel, but you’ll find a whole range of resources on the Internet to help you with The Good Earth.   Additionally quite a few questions have been asked here on Y!A about the novel so do a search for it in the Yahoo Answers search window and you will find lots of Q’s and A’s that should help you.    Here are a few study guides.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/goodearth/

http://education.yahoo.com/homework_help...

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitN...

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/t...

http://classiclit.about.com/b/2005/06/26...

Answer 2

Yes! It is a great book for women (both I and my mother read it when we were about your age and loved it). It really shows the difficulties a family faces, so much more harder for women in China at that time. Wu-Lan is inspiring. Read it, you will enjoy it and treasure it dearly.

Answer 3

Maybe a little mature for a 13 year old but a terrific book nonetheless. It's not a book I'd rush through, give yourself at least a few days. Some parts will probably be fairly sluggish, personally I recall taking about a week to get through the first hundred pages, but once you do its quite an endearing look at the struggles in an agrarian society.  

Answer 4

It depends. If you like historical fiction, you might like it. I had to read it when I was 16 for English class and really enjoyed it. It might be a little too mature for you, but then again, it depends on your tastes and reading level. It took me three days to read it.

Answer 5

It's a great book.  Go for it.  You should be able to finish it easily in a week..

Answer 6

It is considered classic fiction by one of the greater writers of the early 20th century. I believe she won several writing awards for this one. It expresses the relationships of a poor Chinese family with their land. It seemed really good when I read it, about 50 years ago? Not great action, but great, if understated, relationships.

Answer 7

It's hard to say if you'll like it. I've always loved reading, and usually hated "assigned reading". The Good Earth was one of the few books I was forced to read that I actually enjoyed, but you may find it boring.