‘For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. ’

I love short Steinbeck novels. They tend towards brevity while being profuse in beauty, often written in idyllic tones that contrast with the darkness inside them. The Pearl is such a novel, a condensed tale warning against greed and materialism and a critical look at colonialism that is quite deeply moving. When a poor pearl diver discovers a giant pearl, dubbed the Pearl of the World, he thinks his luck is about to change. However, the innocence of his life becomes marred as finds that great wealth does not beget happiness but rather greed and sorrow as he must constantly defend his wealth. It becomes a parable of sorts, one that reminds us how often our possessions come to possess us and not the other way around.

‘Luck, you see, brings bitter friends,’

Originally began as a movie script, Steinbeck published this as a short story under the title The Pearl of the World in 1944 before expanding it to the novella length a few years later. Perhaps from that, there is a cinematic quality to the narrative here that really pulls you along. Set on the coast of the Gulf of California, which Steinbeck would later write about in The Log from the Sea of Cortez detailing a 1940 expedition with his friend, marine biologist Ed Ricketts (who is the basis for Doc in Cannery Row), Steinbeck is at home in his themes of good natured people living in poverty and the gatekeeping of society that ensures they stay this way. In many ways, The Pearl can be read as a parable of colonialism or how for the poor and colonized any attempt to rise above their status is swiftly, and often violently, dealt with. When Kino has possession of the pearl and upward mobility, the plans and evils of men conspire to take it from him and we see how his poverty of spirit would be required for the wealth of materialism (something later expanded upon in The Winter of Our Discontent).

‘If this story is a parable, perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it.’

This book has all the elements of a great tale, one that feels much older than it actually is, as if it has been a moral parable passed down for generations. There is the whole man vs nature with the scorpion attack at the beginning, man vs man with the people coming to take the pearl away, and man vs himself as Kino’s ambitions become an increased zeal to obtain wealth from the pearl. Calling it the Pearl of the World initially seems a commentary on it’s great size, but as the story progresses we see how it is much more abstract than that and a commentary on the universal nature of greed and violence in the name of wealth. Steinbeck does well to keep everything pointed and direct, but still vague enough to feel like a moral lesson that can be applied in many ways. The ending leaves much open and I sort of love that.

This is a nice little book, rather devastating as short Steinbeck’s tend to be, but quite powerful and beautiful all the same. I read this originally back as a high school freshman and this is a good one for a classroom.

3.75/5

3.5

Steinbeck's Pearl

John Steinbeck's short novel "The Pearl" (1947) is unusual in that the book appeared after Steinbeck wrote a screenplay for a film of the same name. The film was released to coincide with the publication of the book. The novel is short, deceptively simple, and deservedly famous. It is based upon a Mexican folk tale and tells the story of a poor family who become, potentially, wealthy by the discovery of a pearl of rare size and beauty. This sudden wealth does not result in happiness.
Steinbeck sets the stage with a short, two-paragraph preface introducing the main characters: "Kino, the fisherman, .. his wife, Juana, and ... the baby, Coyotito." Steinbeck describes the story as "a parable" in which, "perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it."

Kino, Juana and Coyotito are poor and and live in a simple thatched house. The baby is bitten by a scorpion and Kino and Juana become concerned for his life but have no money to pay a doctor. Kino miraculously finds a pearl of great worth and the couple dream of a better life. But from the outset, the pearl provokes jealousy and violence and leads to great unhappiness for the little family.

I was moved by the figures of song and music that appear throughout the story. We are told at the beginning that Kino's people "had been great makers of songs so that everything they saw or thought or did or heard became a song." Kino hears in his heart various songs throughout his book, the most important of which is the "Song of the Family" or the "Whole" which celebrates his life with his wife and baby. Other songs that figure prominently include the "Song of Evil", the "Song of the Sea" and the "Song of the Pearl". It is interesting to follow the song imagery as the story progresses.

The other part of this story that most struck me was the scenes of nature -- of the water and mountains. The theme of wandering comes through poignantly in the last part of the book in which the family struggles through mountains and valleys in an attempt to evade stalkers who are pursing them for the pearl. This last portion of the book includes much moving writing.

Many people read this book as part of an introduction to American literature in high school or college. The book is accessible and short and is a highly appropriate way to get to know a major 20th Century American novelist. Still, I remember how easy it is to dislike a book forced upon a reader when young. In my own case, I did not read this book in school (I read other Steinbeck) and only came upon it recently too many years later. In any event, it is a short and beautiful story that glows with the many colors and ambiguities as did the pearl which Kino discovered and which inspired the book. This is a lovely work of American literature which the reader will enjoy getting to know.

Robin Friedman

n  اللؤلؤلة .. رائعة شتاينباك .n

وفجأة .. الآن بين يديك الوسيلة لتحقيق حلمك، وفجأة .. أنت الآن تنظر بعينين زائغتين، تنظر إلى الماضي وهو يختلط بالمستقبل، ما كان حلما سيصير حقيقة، تزدحم داخلك الخواطر فتعبر الأمنيات من الماضي إلى المستقبل وتختلط وتتداخل فيغدوا الماضي وهما كأنّه لم يكن ويغدوا المستقبل حقيقة كأنّه لم يكن من قبل رسما على خيال، وفجأة .. بين يديك الآن تذكرة تقلّك من وإلى .. من حالة إلى حالة .. من وضعية إلى وضعية .. من ظرف إلى ظرف .. من فقر إلى غنى .. من شقاء إلى راحة .. من حلم إلى واقع مستقبلي مبني على معطيات هذا الحلم، وفجأة .. تتذكر أنّ الأعين كلّها ستصوب نحوك، وأنّك لن تكون ذلك النكرة الذي كنته من قبل، وفجأة .. ستعرف أن باب الشيطان قد انفتح اتجاهك، وأن الحسد، والحقد، والإستغلال ستكون أبرز ملامح هذا الباب المفتوح .. فهل ستقاتل حتى النهاية ؟ وهل ستتحمل وتتمرد على كافة التقاليد وتناضل من أجل ذلك ؟ وإلى أي مدى تستطيع الصمود وسط عواصف الحياة المرعدة ؟ ... هذه هي قصة اللؤلؤلة.

أحب هذا النوع من القصص، القصص البسيطة، العميقة، الغريبة، والجذابة جدا .. ولكن ما عشقته هنا صراحة هو الأسلوب، ذلك الأسلوب الذي اكتشفته في رواية " صورة دوريان غراي " للمشاكس أوسكار وايلد، وصادفته في هذه القصة المطولة، ذلك الأسلوب الذّي يجمع بين ثنائية العمق والوصف، فقرات صعبة بحوارات كثيفة وأحداث مثيرة تعصر عقل القارئ وتجعله مركزا، فاتحا عينيه محملقا ومبحلقا في الجمل، معيدا قراءة بعض العبارات، يتوغل ويغوص في المعاني، يحاول قراءة الأسطر وما بين الأسطر وما تحت الأسطر، وتتلوا هذه الفقرات العصيبة الرائعة والجميلة فقرات ساحرة من الوصف البديع والساحر، كأن الكاتب يخاطب القارئ فيقول له: " ارتاح قليلا وتخيل كثيرا. " فتعود العروق النافرة على الجباه إلى طبيعتها، وترتسم على العيون نظرة الإرتياح، ويتحول داخل القارئ إلى جو يشبه الأجواء التي تتلوا العواصف من هدوء وسكينة، ويسرح الخيال في الوصف .. وهكذا دواليك، تتوالى الفقرات ما بين عمق ووصف، ثنائية تشد القارئ وتجذبه، ثنائية المد والجزر، ثنائية العقل والقلب، ثنائية المنطق والعواطف ..

n  قصة قصيرة رائعة وساحرة أرشحها لكل شخص لم يقرأ قصة أو رواية منذ وقت طويل، وأرشحها أيضا لمحبّي هذا النوع من الأسلوب.n

The Pearl by John Steinbeck is an American Literature Classic!

n  “It is not good to want a thing too much. ..." ~ John Steinbeck - The Pearln

Kino, like the men in his family before him, is a pearl diver in the Gulf of Mexico. He leads a meager life in a poor fishing village, living in a straw hut with his wife, Juana, and their baby son, Coyotito.

Soon a series of incidents will pass through Kino's life that will impact his quiet, humble lifestyle in ways he never would have imagined...

Once again, I'm mesmerized by Steinbeck's engaging and simple prose. He paints the landscape in vivid detail. His characters have breadth and depth. There is palpable tension in the air and I'm transfixed by Kino's plight. The urge to intervene is overwhelming as I watch it all play out in my head.

Steinbeck takes an old Mexican folktale and turns it into an evocative novella about a man's visions of a better life who becomes blinded by his innocence.

The audiobook is narrated in the soft and soothing voice of Hector Elizondo. The story transpires in a short 2H 35M listen. It's perfection!

And, I had no idea The Pearl would break my heart...

Highly recommended!

5⭐

I read this book in high school (doesn’t everyone?) and then recently re-read it, surprising even myself. Initially I had picked it up because it was such a small book, and the 89 pages were just long enough to get me through the day. I normally try and avoid massive literature greats like Steinbeck, as the easy reading I normally do helps me to escape my reality without a huge deal of thought.
Anyway, Steinbeck’s story (for those who don’t know) tells the tale of Kino, his young bride Juana and their new baby Coyotito. Kino is a poor pearl diver (like his father before him), who lives very humbly in a grass shack, in a community of other pearl divers. Although the nationality of Kino is not divulged, we are told he is “brown skinned” and it is hinted at that he could possibly be early Native American, or early Hispanic (keeping in mind this book was written in the very early 20th century). Kino’s life changes when he finds a massive pearl during one of his dives- all of a sudden he has dreams for his family, his future and his son. Kino is soon overpowered with feelings of distrust (of those in his close-knit community that he once trusted) and takes his family away from the village, after frequent attacks and robbery attempts have left him skittish and scared of losing his future (the beloved Pearl). When tragedy happens, Juana and Kino blame the “cursed” pearl and return to the village they once disowned, where they are welcomed back into its folds. Steinbeck’s tale of course, speaks to the greed of humanity, the immediate distrust of others once something of value is in one’s possession, and the importance of having more than money and riches in one’s life. This small book is a quick read, and a great reminder of the important things in life. However, re-reading it now as an adult, it is evident that Steinbeck’s time and our time is very different (although perhaps I am just bitter) as I was quick to think Kino’s protectiveness of his Pearl and the immediate distrust was not entirely misplaced- I likely would have acted exactly the same way. I was grateful to get a chance to re-experience this tiny masterpiece.

This is one of the first novels I have ever read. The story is simple but very genuine. The plot is interesting and the messages the story contains are timeless and universal. It is also a very quick read.

n  "Measure your wealth by what you'd have left if you lost all your money."n
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Kino, an impoverished pearl diver, one in a long line of the same, lives with his wife, Juana, and their infant son in a brush hut among a colony of friends in a Mexican coastal village. They can barely scratch together enough to feed themselves, but what they lack is made up for with love.

When a scorpion stings their baby, and they can't afford to pay a doctor, Kino and his wife desperately launch their canoe, searching for that elusive pearl which could mean the difference between life and death.

There is something to be said for the art in simplicity. Steinbeck's scant-yet-beautiful writing style painted a vibrant picture of this family and their journey. I was wholly invested from the beginning.

I read The Pearl, a novella, in the space of a few hours. Its symbolic message led me to consider the meaning of true wealth and the price we pay to capture our own 'pearls.'

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend this thought-provoking tale.

I will preface this by saying that I'm a HUGE Steinbeck fan. A friend and I took the time to follow through the route of many of his books in the west just to see where he wrote, the places he wrote about it. It was one of the greatest highlights of my life. With that said, I recognize that this is not his greatest work, but it still is a great work of literature.

Steinbeck is very well recognized for his lean writing style. It is what made him so very popular at the time after years of reading the verbose Faulkner who never runs out of adjectives - ever. His style of writing should be something that all Americans are used to simply from having read him in school: grade school - The Red Pony, Middle School - The Pearl, High School - Grapes of Wrath, etc. etc. Apparently not. When adding this book to my "read" list and re-reading today for the umpteenth time, I came across reviews from folks who did not understand the writing style, didn't understand the story - HELLO? It's literally the re-telling of a very well-known, OLD, Mexican parable. I write all of this because in today's society it doesn't matter a wit or whittle if you like this mystery or that thriller, Nobel Prize winning authors are considered Classical writers whose works were chosen because they were great, because they represent a body of work that contributed to society. They deserve more than a cursory 1 star because you didn't "get it." John Steinbeck wrote about the American West and the Southwest poor, native Americans and Mexicans and migrants at a time when no one else was doing so. He wrote in a language that everyone could understand. He wrote simply, to the point and yet in beautiful detail so that you - the reader - could visualize what it must have been like. To say "the pearl was a story about an Indian who finds a pearl so his sick kid could help from a rich doctor, MEH, 10th grade reading" tells me that the reviewer should go back to 10th grade and start over again. Perhaps there is no hope at all for us if we are incapable of reading one of the most simplest yet greatest writers of our time and understand the moral of a simple parable as well as the depth of his writing.

This book is less than 100 pages long. I would think any reader from middle school forward could read it in less than a day and should be able to appreciate the beauty of the parable within.

First of all, thanks a lot from my good friend:أصدقاء القراءة for recommending this great book

اشتاین بک نویسنده ای بود که 3 کتاب ازش خونده بودم و در نظرم واقعا ضعیف بود...اما کتاب مروارید خط بطلانی بود بر تفکر من!!!
داستانی کوتاه و کوبنده! باید در برابر این داستان و بیان استادانه اون سکوت کنم!
در ابتدا گفته شده بود: اگر این قصه تمثیلی است، شاید هرکس مفهوم خود را در آن بیابد و زندگی خود را در آن بخواند!!!!

موضوع داستان در مورد خانواده بسیار فقیر غواصی در مکزیک هست. صبح یک روز عادی، عقربی کویوتیتو پسر کوچک خانواده رو نیش میزنه. کینو و همسرش جوانا شتابان بچه رو پیش پزشک طماع و درنده خو شهر میبرند اما به علت اینکه خانواده‌ای فقیر و بومی هستند و پولی برای پرداخت ندارند، دکتر بچه رو نمیبینه. کینو و همسر و فرزندش برای جستجو مروارید به دریا می‌روند تا مرواریدی پیدا کنند و بتونن خرج درمان بچه رو بدن و ناگهان معجزه خدایان اتفاق می افته و بزرگترین مروارید دنیا رو پیدا میکنند.
به نظرم کینو واکنشی کاملا عاقلانه در پیش میگیره. اون میخواد وضع زندگی فقیرانه خودشو عوض کنه. جشن عروسی بگیره، لباس بخره، وسایل غواصی نو بخره، بچشو وقتی بزرگتر شد بفرسته مدرسه...
اما....اما امان از آدمها که چشم دیدن موفقیت و شادی و خوشبختی هیچکس رو ندارن...آدمای دروغگوی پست که در ظاهر لبخند میزنن و طلب خوشبختی برای دیگران رو دارن اما در دل نمیتونن پیشرفت هیچ کس رو ببینن...و اشاره بسیار بسیار زیبای اشتاین بک به پدر روحانی که قبلش به این خانواده فقیر نگاهی نمیکرده ولی یاد تعمیر کلیسا که می افته سریع میاد خونه کینو...
اینجاست که مشکل برای کینو شروع میشه....دیگران هستند که مشکل برای کینو ایجاد میکنن نه ثروت و مروارید....
و نمیدونم چرا سرتاسر داستان به یاد "ناخدا خورشید" بودم...یاد صحنه ای می افتادم که خواجه ماجد طماع رو توی اب انبار انداختند و مرواریدهاشو دزدیدن
n  n

n  n

4+★
This short novella (90 pages) brings to mind the biblical parable of The Pearl Of Great Price. Like the parables, the telling juxtaposes contrasting motifs of good and evil and what defines them or makes them so. How sudden wealth can corrupt depending on one’s choices, needs, or morals. Is it better to let things be or risk irreperable change for possible transformation or benefit? The reader has much to ponder throughout the pages which turn beautifully. I could hear the sounds of water, smell the woodsmoke from the fires, taste the grilled corncake, feel the tension as oppression, ambition, and greed warred with opposites. The movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre kept flicking through my head. A timeless story no doubt told in many cultures and voices throughout history, this little treasure of a book is well worth your time and could make for good group discussion.

I can’t help it. I’m seeing everything I’m reading these days through the metaphor of our insane political culture. Maybe that’s because we are in the midst of iconic metaphors—the stuff of Shakespeare, Aristotle, and more recently John Steinbeck.

The Pearl, based on a classic Mexican folk tale, tells the story of Kino, Juana, and their infant son. They are simple people, whose life explodes with a scorpion bite. Poison! Poison leads to a need to pay for a bogus antidote, which leads to the discovery of the world’s greatest pearl, which leads to devastation.

“I am a man,” says Kino in explanation of why clinging to the pearl at all costs is right. “It meant that Kino would drive his strength against a mountain and plunge his strength against the sea. Juana, in her woman’s soul, knew that the mountain would stand while the man broke himself; that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it.”

In my opinion, this is where we all are right now—at the apex of the shift from “might makes right” to, I hope, something equally male and female. The apex is a precarious place where winds blow, people tumble into oblivion, and everything feels like life or death.

Thank you, Mr. Steinbeck. In a mere 90 pages you told the story of the human race.