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    Dragon Seed
    Dragon Seed
    Dragon Seed
    Audiobook14 hours

    Dragon Seed

    Written by Pearl S. Buck

    Narrated by Adam Verner

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    One of the more political novels from the pen of Pearl Buck, Dragon Seed brings to light the tragedy of the Japanese invasion and occupation of mainland China during WWII. Centering her story around the fictional family of Ling Tan, Buck recreates the heart wrenching devastation that war inflicted on these gentle innocent people. Ling Tan and his family were simple farmers living in peaceful isolation. Western technology, and likewise the machinery of war, were unknown in these outlying regions of China. And even though literacy was on the rise among the younger generations, the alarming reports of foreign aggression went largely ignored. For the peasants, the transition from one political ruler to another was virtually inconsequential; life revolved around their farms and their villages. Patriotism was not the concept of loving and defending a country; their land was their country. But as the invasion moves inland and the roads are jammed with survivors fleeing west, Ling Tan and his neighbors are forced to face the harsh realities of war. "Days passed and with the rulers gone the people held themselves the more steadfast knowing that they and they alone were left to stand against the enemy and upon each man himself now depended what would happen. So it had happened again and again in other times, for rulers anywhere are always the first to fly, and the people must stay behind to be steadfast."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOasis Audio
    Release dateOct 1, 2010
    ISBN9781608147595
    Dragon Seed
    Author

    Pearl S. Buck

    Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973) was a bestselling and Nobel Prize–winning author. Her classic novel The Good Earth (1931) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and William Dean Howells Medal. Born in Hillsboro, West Virginia, Buck was the daughter of missionaries and spent much of the first half of her life in China, where many of her books are set. In 1934, civil unrest in China forced Buck back to the United States. Throughout her life she worked in support of civil and women’s rights, and established Welcome House, the first international, interracial adoption agency. In addition to her highly acclaimed novels, Buck wrote two memoirs and biographies of both of her parents. For her body of work, Buck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938, the first American woman to have done so. She died in Vermont. 

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    Reviews for Dragon Seed

    4/5

    139 ratings7 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Very graphic in places where it's not necessary. I wanted to become attached to the characters but it always seemed a little off. Ending forced but it was ok
    • 5/5
      This story is easy to listen to. Kept wanting to get back to it. The lives of these people n the insanity of war clearly depicted. A new appreciation for their struggles n strength.
    • 5/5
      A powerful story of a Chinese peasant farmer and his family and how they deal with the senselessness and brutality of war. The language of the book is simple as it comes from the farmer, but his thoughts and feelings are beautifully expressed. Some parts of the book may be hard to read. The ugliness and horrors of war are all there, but the story is told without today’s graphic descriptions. Another wonderful Pearl S. Buck story.
    • 4/5
      I'd never read any of Pearl Buck's books, but an NPR review of a new biography of the author got me interested. I found her portrayal of a traditional multi-generational Chinese family during the Japanese invasion of the 1930's absolutely fascinating. The characters were fully fleshed out, and it gave me a real feeling for the culture's stoicism and the people's attachment to both the land and the ways of their ancestors.
    • 4/5
      This book was everything I expected from Pearl S. Buck. I was taken in by the family and hardships of the time. I have read a few books covering the invasion of China by Japan and the horrors that happened, but I have to admit that this story really got to me. There were so many times that I had to put the book down just to collect myself before going on. My only wish was that it told more about what happened after the war to all the family members, but then I guess the book would be a lot longer.
    • 3/5
      Sometimes spoken of as Pearl Buck's _other_ policy-changing novel: _The Good Earth_ repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act, this one gave America the second thoughts about funding Japan that ultimately led to World War II. This is actually incorrect -- the chronology is off by a couple of years, and _Dragon Seed_ was first published in 1942 -- but believe me, had it been printed prior to the Second World War it most certainly could have started it. I recommend not reading this book unless one has a _very_ strong stomach -- the previous reviewer expressing disbelief at some of the things the Japanese did in China was significantly understating the matter. However, this may be of interest in spite of it all to _Pavilion of Women_ readers -- this book is in many ways a dress rehearsal for that one. But I would strongly recommend that one read _Pavilion_, very much the stronger novel, first...(Also, the novel that gets such prominent billing in this book is _The Water Margin_.)
    • 3/5
      Great book. I dont know enough of China's history to figure out which large city this centered around. It was a great story that touched on all the horrible things the Japanese did to the Chinese when they invaded. Very sad and unbelievable. I think it is a good look at the time period from other reading I have done. Recommend.