This is my first book for Sarah's challenge - Not a Rat’s Chance in Hell Challenge
Pearl Buck is the first American women ever to receive the Nobel Price in literature (1938). She also won the Pulitzer in 1932 for her novel The Good Earth.
East Wind: West Wind is a novel written in 1930 and I've read it fairly quickly because I was so into it and looking forward to the ending, although I knew the greater ending. It is about the huge differences between the Chinese culture and the American/western civilization, about following rules and customs, about parents and sons and love boundaries. The Chinese way of life, the obedience, different perspective of life may seem strange and hard to take in.
"O, raspunse ea cu indoiala, stapanul nostru stie foarte multe. Dar, e deajuns sa te uiti in jur ca sa te convingi ca pamantul nu este deloc rotund. Uite ce, daca te urci in varful pagodei de pe muntele Stelei Nordului, poti vedea pamantul pana la o departare de o mie de mile, numai munti, ogoare si tarini, lacuri si rauri, dar totul afara de munti este neted ca o lipie de secara, asa ca nimeni n-ar putea spune ca este rotund. Cat despre tara noastra, ea trebuie sa fie la mijloc. Altfel, ce motiv ar fi avut batranii nostri intelepti, care le stiu pe toate, sa-i spuna Imperiul de Mijloc."
"Oh, she replied with doubt, our Master knows a lot. But it's enough to look around to convince yourself that the earth is not round. Look, if you climb to the top of the North Star pagoda on the mountain, you can see up, as far as a thousand miles away, just mountains, fields, lakes and rivers, but everything is smooth like a rye pita, so nobody could say that it's round. And our country must be in the middle, otherwise, why would our wise elders, who knew it all, call it the Middle Empire."
I have another book by Pear Buck in my library The Mother, I am impatient, curious to discover that strange Asian world and atmosphere and I am sure that I will find it in her books time and time again.
So my "rather not" turned out to be a surprising book and I've enjoyed reading it.
Bețe în roate cu cadourile
4 months ago
I knew the name Pearl Buck, but not well enough to follow her up. She sounds like a real find. I have never seen her reviewed on a blog before and it is always exciting to read about accomplished but obscure authors!
ReplyDeleteEvery so often I go on a crusade to read more women writers new to me, and here is another one to add to the list. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the novel; fascinating.
Sarah, thank you for your comment, I'm enjoying the challenge so much :)Pearl S Buck deserves to be read and appreciated so much more.
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