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    The Pearl
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    The Pearl
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    The Pearl
    Audiobook2 hours

    The Pearl

    Written by John Steinbeck

    Narrated by Hector Elizondo

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    “There it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon.”

    Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security....

    A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl explores the secrets of man's nature, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love.

    From the Trade Paperback edition.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 29, 2011
    ISBN9781101530986
    Unavailable
    The Pearl
    Author

    John Steinbeck

    John Steinbeck (Salinas, 1902 - Nueva York, 1968). Narrador y dramaturgo estadounidense. Estudió en la Universidad de Stanford, pero desde muy joven tuvo que trabajar duramente como albañil, jornalero rural, agrimensor o empleado de tienda. En la década de 1930 describió la pobreza que acompañó a la Depresión económica y tuvo su primer reconocimiento crítico con la novela Tortilla Flat, en 1935. Sus novelas se sitúan dentro de la corriente naturalista o del realismo social americano. Su estilo, heredero del naturalismo y próximo al periodismo, se sustenta sin embargo en una gran carga de emotividad en los argumentos y en el simbolismo presente en las situaciones y personajes que crea, como ocurre en sus obras mayores: De ratones y hombres (1937), Las uvas de la ira (1939) y Al este del Edén (1952). Obtuvo el premio Nobel en 1962.

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    Reviews for The Pearl

    3.5/5

    2,907 ratings96 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A Mexican man finds a pearl of great value on a dive. He, then, attempts to trade it for security and education for his wife and their little boy.Yay! I read another classic. I thought this one was good. It kept me wondering and hoping the family would redeem their fortune. Since finishing it, though, I have pondered the progression of the story and the outcome. I find that I have ambivalent feelings about the moral/theme/lesson. It fits this story, but in general, I'm not so sure I agree. (3.5/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
    • 4/5
      Steinbeck has this great style - very matter-of-fact, but beautiful at the same time. Steinbeck is exploring a Mexican folk tale on a more personal level, relating it to Kino's quest for riches and success: "It is not a good thing to want too much. It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough, and you must be very tactful with God or the gods."

      Kino is very in tune with the Earth, the village, and his family. Everything gave off a song to Kino - good or evil: "...This was part of the family song too. It was all part. Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole."

      When Kino's infant son, Coyotito, is bit by a scorpion, he and his wife immediately set out for the nearest doctor, who never sees the poor people from the village. Kino's family takes their boat out to go pearl diving, in hopes of finding enough quality pearls to afford a doctor's visit.

      Kino does find a pearl - the biggest, most beautiful pearl anyone in the village has ever seen. But when he tries to sell it, the buyers want to rip him off. He refuses their offer and returns home, but now all the villagers are filled with greed and want the pearl. They try to steal it, they beat Kino and burn his house. The village, once peaceful, is now unsettled, and so is Kino and the music in his head: "'Who do you fear?'
      Kino searched for a true answer, and at last he said, 'Everyone.' And he could feel a shell of hardness drawing over him."

      Kino and his family decide to leave the village - to try and sell the pearl in a richer area as well as to escape all who are trying to harm them. Juana keeps noticing changes in her husband's demeanor - he has become crazed and violent, but she still loved him: "He had said 'I am a man,' and that meant certain things to Juana. It meant that he was half insane and half god. 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."

      Overall, it's the typical warning of how greed will spoil you and ruin your life, things you have are more important than what you want, etc etc. But it's well-written and enjoyable.
    • 2/5
      I really didn't like this book. I found it extreemly pretentious. I didn't understand the 'songs' that the author was talking about. Also I found it very predictable. it wasn't suspensful, nor did it have a twist to it. IT also for some reaason bothered me taht I couldn;t tell where the story took place or who the people were. They mentioned a few places/things that seemed to contradict each other.
    • 4/5
      Almost parable like, The Pearl is a quick read with a punch at the end. A young couple faces prejudice and a corrupted economic system as they move from dealing with a sick child to the rush of hope and excitement that comes with the discovery of a valuable treasure. But the treasure is not what it appears to be - instead of bringing fortune, instead the young couple must navigate the envy and villainous schemes of others as they are chased away from home, and into tragedy.
    • 3/5
      Remember that old Homer Simpson bit about beating jury duty by telling them he was prejudiced against all races? I think this book manages to exoticize all races. I wonder if Steinbeck wrote it to beat jury duty.
    • 3/5
      This was a novella from Steinbeck that was honestly very depressing. Without giving any of the story away, the book looks at depressing poverty and the influence that the chance of riches can have on a family's life. Worth the read for any fans of Steinbeck.
    • 5/5
      I read this book before, about back when I was reading The Old Man And The Sea, but I didn't know what to say about it then. And I can't say I really do now. But what can I say, really, except: well done, John, well done. (10/10)
    • 4/5
      I highly recommend Steinbeck.
    • 3/5
      Kino makes his living searching for pearls in the sea. He is a poor laborer, with a wife and new baby to care for. One day he finds a huge pearl, and begins imagining how it will change their lives. He and Juana will be able to have a proper wedding. His son, Coyotito, will be baptised and go to school. They will join a new social class. The poor villagers envy Kino's new status, and Kino becomes protective and suspicious. But when he has the pearl appraised, he finds it may not be as valuable as he hoped. He decides to travel to the city with his family, and have the pearl appraised there. Fueled by greed, Kino is willing to do just about anything to keep the pearl. And that's when his life begins to unravel. This book was vaguely familiar; I think I may have read it in school. Steinbeck does a fine job showing how greed can make someone irrational. The style and tone were probably spot on when this was first published in 1945. For contemporary readers, the theme is a familiar one, and doesn't have the same impact.
    • 4/5
      I was supposed to read this book in 6th grade, but it was so boring to 11-year-old me that I gave up after only a few pages. At 29, I'm wondering why! It's actually a pretty fascinating read. It's also a rather short book at only about 80 pages.
      The story is about a poor family man who finds a valuable pearl to help pay for his baby's medical treatment (by a despicable doctor who refers to his people as "animals") only to be corrupted by his potential wealth. He ends up hitting and kicking his wife, and even killing a man for it.
      The book has a truly tragic ending.
    • 4/5
      The Steinbeck classic, apparently based on a Mexican folktale, is a short, but powerful story of an impoverished village and the greedy who keep them so. Though few in pages, the characterization and sense of place are very strong.
    • 3/5
      The storytelling was good but I just didn't care much for the story.
    • 5/5
      I first read this one back in high school. With all the other Steinbeck I've been reading lately, I was feeling nostalgic.Poor Kino and Juana. They only wanted a better life for their child. That shouldn't be so bad, should it?The way Steinbeck explores good and evil in The Pearl is a thing of beauty. The "Song of the Family" and the "Song of Evil" vying for dominance in Kino's head. Did the doctor intentionally make Coyotito sick just to make himself useful (and to get some money off these poor rubes, knowing of their recent good fortune)? Is everyone suddenly out to get Kino or is he simply tilting at windmills? These questions are up to the reader to answer for themselves. It will probably come down to your own life experience.I've always loved this story. Glad I decided to read it again.
    • 3/5
      I'm going to tell people this is why I don't play the lottery. It's not true, but neither are most things I say, so it'll work.
    • 3/5
      The Pearl is the first book I've read by John Steinbeck, better known for Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.I thought I'd start with something easy, and a parable of just under 100 pages seemed like a good place to start. I should also admit to being influenced by this stunning clothbound classic; I'm in love with these lately.Kino is a hardworking pearl diver living a simple life, until he finds the pearl of a lifetime. Happy and content with his life before the pearl, he suddenly desires more than he has and is surrounded by greed and envy.Kino's experience from the moment he discovers the pearl to the bitter end, is an example of how greed and evil can cloud your decisions, and the consequences when we fall victim to these desires.I read that Steinbeck was inspired to write The Pearl based on a Mexican folktale, and it doesn't surprise me.Readers who enjoyed The Alchemist will love the simple life lessons contained in The Pearl. I also think this parable is suitable for younger readers, from middle school right through to high school age.
    • 5/5
      high school or junior high required reading. It was good
    • 1/5
      This was a compulsory book for English during my final year of highschool. I absolutely abhor this book and end up taking an extra subject on English Literature on the same year. It was the years I had to stay in Terengganu's school and I remembered distinctly that half of the class have difficulties with the language and the teacher was adamant to simplify the book into something that is favourable to the kampung kids in Malay with Terengganurian accent no less.

      The story unfolds beautifully with the seas and surrounding of Mexican settlement but then the paranoia sets in when one man found the most beautiful and largest pearl he had. With the treasure he had in his hand, his imagination and paranoia began to drift him towards insanity as he began to distrust everyone around him. He eventually escaped with his family and tragedy strikes him in the most unimaginable way.

      Its not one of the greatest by Steinback (even if it was a retelling of a story) but it did provide some food for thoughts. But I sincerely I hope the ministry of education would come up with another book as there was too much tragedies in the syllabus alone.
    • 3/5
      This short story, which reads like a fable, is the story of Kino, a poor pearl diver, & the horrific events put in motion when he finds what the villagers call The Pearl of the World. It's for the reader to decide for himself or herself whether the pearl itself is inherently evil or cursed, & brings the unfortunate events down on Kino & his family, or if it is just men who are evil that would steal this from him. Either way, the story ends badly for Kino, & strangely.....
    • 3/5
      The Pearl is about a man, Kino, who finds a large pearl that he hopes will sell for enough money that it will change the life of his poor family. Meanwhile, he lives in an impoverished region of Mexico where the pearl dealers have colluded to rip off the native population by giving them low-ball offers for pearls. I love Steinbeck, but I thought that this one was a little flat for me. In trying to write about a people that I'm not sure that he truly understood, I thought that Steinbeck sucked the humanity out of these characters. They were a white man's interpretation of what a native must be rather than a group of people who changed, grew, and felt emotions that all people feel. Additionally, there was something odd about the cadence of the writing that felt forced to me. The whole thing just felt a little off. It was good for most, but it was disappointing for a Steinbeck novel.
    • 4/5
      I am always impressed by Steinbeck's ability to create a powerful story with such a brevity of words
    • 4/5
      Great story that was based on a Mexican tale, I believe. Another fine example of the human condition and how pride and fortune can destroy us if we're not careful.
    • 4/5
      A brilliant tragic allegory. Almost a fairy tale or folk tale with mystical overtones. Be careful what you wish for.
    • 5/5
      The allegorical novella about a pearl diver who is bestowed with an invaluable pearl. Little does he know, this pearl causes his world to come crashing down. But the real question is, is the pearl evil or is it merely a pearl and the value that he assigned it, evil- thereby making him evil? Read the book.
    • 4/5
      "And he could not take the chance of pitting his certain ignorance against this man's possible knowledge. He was trapped as his people were always trapped, and would be until, as he had said, they could be sure that the things in the books were really in the books." Yup, still in love with Steinbeck. Using the outlines of a Mexican folktale, he demonstrates the futility of singly rising up against injustice and the often corruptive nature of wealth. Kino, an impoverished pearl diver, finds "the pearl of the world" after being turned away by the town doctor when his infant is bit by a scorpion. He envisions security for his family and an improved station in life for his son and his village. But life is not fair, at all in this case. "For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. And this is said in disparagement, whereas it is one of the greatest talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have.""Who do you fear?"Kino searched for a true answer, and at last he said, "Everyone."
    • 4/5
      Short story This is the tale of Kino and his wife Juana they are very poor, Kino pearl diver finds the biggest pearl ever they think their luck has changed for the better but it doesn't. Easy to read sad story.
    • 3/5
      3 stars I admit, I'm not the biggest Steinbeck fan. It's probably because he's too depressing. I, however, do appreciate how much he was able to pack in such a short story. Poverty, social oppression, what it means to be a man, the meaning of family and community, greed, what makes a good woman...I didn't hate the book. I just didn't love it. But I really appreciated the imagery of song - that was pretty cool. In short, I didn't love this book because I was so frustrated by the situations and limitations but did not have anything good to hold on to. I didn't really like the characters - the closest was Juana, the wife. But her character seemed inconsistent - one moment strong, one moment meek without believable reason.
    • 3/5
      This book was a challenge for me and it wasn't my favorite read either. I didn't really like the genre and it seemed a little pointless to me.
    • 5/5
      To say that this is a book about the corrupting influence of wealth would be to do it a disservice. Among the works one could happen across in your local book shop, such tales are two a penny. What this novella delivers in abundance is a love of the human, a love of family, a love of those things we see as being the most fundamentally good in our nature. When Steinbeck describes the effect of the sun, I feel warm. When he describes the food, so simple in its own way, I feel a longing to enter the scene and break bread with the man, his wife and young child. When they receive fortune, my heart lights up for them, and as the tragedy of the story unfolded I felt the heaviness of it myself.
    • 3/5
      Kino and Juana are the proud native parents of their first newborn son Coyotito. For that time they were very happy, until a scoripian stings Coyotito. They rush him to a doctor, but he refuses to do anything without pay. While canoeing, Juana prays that Kino will find a large pearl to pay the doctor when he goes pearl-diving. And her prayer is answered with an insanely large pearl.When Coyotito falls ill violently, Kino hurries to get the Pearl sold so he will have money to pay the doctor and to bring wealth beyond all means for his family. Problem is: Kino suspects the buyers of cheating him for a horribly low price. And when Kino decides to keep the pearl, trackers are after him and his family to get the pearl, and they will stop at nothing to get the pearl into their greedy hands.Wasn't my favorite book. I know it won a Nobel Prize, but IMHO, I can't see why. There was just too much that felt was missing. I can't explain what the problem were, because it was very whole book with a satisfying ending that was very real people with very real emotions who faces problems with equally as real people with equally as real ambitions of menace, so I can't figure out why I didn't enjoy it. Too short? Too fast of a pace? I don't know, but I may be the only person who didn't seem to enjoy it.Rating: Two and a Half Stars **1/2
    • 4/5
      I am a huge fan of John Steinbeck and will only continue to enjoy his simple, realistic approach to telling a story after reading this fable. Kino is a fisherman in Mexico and has a wife and infant son. Their lives are uncomplicated and set to a song in their souls: Song of Family. One day Kino makes an extraordinary discovery in the form of a magnificent pearl, and the Song of Family is joined by the Song of Evil as Kino faces those who would exploit or threaten him, his family, and the pearl.This is a quick read, and in Stenbeck fashion does not offer any easy answers. The reader is faced with his own moral dilemmas with Kino as both must decide what is right while seeking justice among friends who become enemies. A good read.