The Pearl by John Steinbeck (1947)
This is one of those books I think everyone read in High School (jr high?) but I don't remember at all... and 20+ years after reading Cannery Row (for the first of many times) and reading lots of other Steinbeck, kinda funny I never got to this one... until now!
I loved it, it made me angry, I expected bad things to happen -- but not that -- and was a little drained and quite impressed as I finished it... which is why Steinbeck is one of the greats, and I'll force my children to read him and love him and take my picture next to the "Steinbeck was here" signs every time we visit Monterey...
3 comments:
You know, for me this book is kind of like "Bridge to Terabithia". I read them both and don't remember details besides I didn't like how they ended, they left me depressed and unhappy. I don't know that I would subject myself to either one again.
I taught this book for several years to 7th graders. I could usually get some good discussion while we were reading it. I have a different curriculum in 8th grade, so I'm not able to use it anymore. The novel in its entirety was included in the 7th grade literature book we used at the time. Unfortunately, the school doesn't have a set of this novel, so even if I could squeeze it into the curriculum, I couldn't teach it.
SiL, you can't avoid the unpleasant aspects of literature/life, or we'd never get married or subject ourselves to children... pain begets great art...
b.h., would you get in trouble for teaching it? I may be in for a lot of trips to the Principal's office if that's the case...
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