Sons (The Good Earth Trilogy Book 2)

I am just starting this book that follows the Wang family after the father has died (The Good Earth). They are a wealthy family of three sons and a daughter. They have a rich and interesting court life in their inherited houses and land. Would rate higher, but I have not finished it yet. I"ll come back later I hope to give it 5 stars like the first book.

Pearl S. Buck is masterful at describing human nature, attitudes, and human conflict within and without--in the unique culture of pre-revolutionary China. I learned so much, and gain increasing understanding of this highly definitive people group.

Pearl S. Buck is masterful at describing human nature, attitudes, and human conflict within and without--in the unique culture of pre-revolutionary China. I learned so much, and gain increasing understanding of this highly definitive people group.

This second book of The Good Earth trilogy picks up exactly where the first book, The Good Earth, left off. Wang Lung, the protagonist of the first story, is on his deathbed and his sons solemnly promise not to sell this precious land. But as time passes, the men who have barely known the sweat and blood that went into that land begin to sell it off piece by piece. Meanwhile, Wang "The Tiger" has become a rising warlord. In distant parts of China, a revolution is gaining force. The story takes place in a time of warlords between between Imperial China and WWII. It focuses most of its attention on Wang the Tiger and his slow rise to power, though it jumps over to Wang Lung's other sons frequently.

This book was powerful - almost as powerful as the first. It was a story of disintegration and rebellion. It showed how dedicated sons of a hard-working land-owner can become soft and negligent with wealth. The sons of Wang Lung rebel against his wishes not to sell his land. Their sons become even softer and less willing to fight for the wealth they've been born into. And, of course, the seeds of revolution are rumored but never seen.

Buck's writing is as subtle as it is powerful. I found myself learning a bit of Chinese history while listening, even though there was no outright explanation of what was going on. It just became clear. What's more, it made me want to read more about the fall of Imperial China, the time of warlords, and the subsequent revolution. To me, the fact that she can teach and make me crave to learn more shows what a fantastic author she is. I definitely recommend that everyone interested in classics pick up a copy of The Good Earth. And if they really enjoyed it, this is a fantastic sequel.

Sons, originally published in 1932, is the second novel in Pearl S. Buck's The House of Earth trilogy, which begins with her best known work The Good Earth and concludes with the novel A House Divided. Sons picks up right where the The Good Earth left off, with Wang Lung on his deathbed while his family prepares for his funeral. As is foreshadowed at the end of The Good Earth, as soon as he dies his sons begin selling off his lands in order to pursue their own fortunes. The eldest son becomes a landlord, and wastes much of his wealth gratifying the desires of the flesh. The second son, a grain merchant, is a shrewd businessman and miser. The third son, who had previously gone off to become a soldier, returns to announce to his brothers that he wishes to become a warlord. To achieve this goal he enlists their help and financial backing. The novel primarily focuses on this third son, nicknamed Wang the Tiger, as he gradually increases his military might.

Sons is a novel that moves at a rather slow, measured pace. The first half of the book could even be called dull. The characters all basically act as one would expect them to, with few surprises. Even the steps that Wang the Tiger follows to achieve warlord status are rather predictable to anyone who's ever seen a Chinese historical epic. Thankfully, the second half of the book is much better. There are some truly moving scenes, several of which involve the character of Pear Blossom, Wang Lung's former concubine, who is possibly the only character in the book who doesn't act out of pure self-interest. While the sons struggle to amass their fortunes, she alone pays proper respect to Wang Lung's memory. Sons is not as compelling a novel as The Good Earth, probably because the whole warlord story line is not as readily identifiable to the common reader as the more universal family themes explored in that previous novel. One recurring theme that does strikes a chord with the reader, however, is the frequent disappointment that fathers feel toward their sons, which is brought on not only by the unrealistic expectations of the parent but also by the child's inevitable need to rebel and assert his independence.

While The Good Earth depicted life in China under the old imperial order and the fall of the Qing dynasty, Sons deals with the period of unrest that followed, when China was divided up into the territories of battling warlords. One assumes that the third volume, A House Divided, will cover the rise of Communism. If you haven't read The Good Earth then Sons will be meaningless to you. It mainly serves as a bridge between the first and third volumes and doesn't really stand alone as a novel in its own right. Nevertheless, it serves its purpose quite admirably. Even when the plot fails to impress, Buck's prose is a joy to read. Her simple, unadorned phrasing imbues this story with the poetic beauty of a Chinese folk tale. The narrative is punctuated by moments of great emotional power and poignancy. Though this may not be her best book, Sons amply exhibits the literary talent and skill that earned Buck the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Moyer Bell publishing company deserves a hearty thanks for keeping so many of Buck's novels in print for all these years. For those looking to read beyond The Good Earth, they have long been the one reliable source to turn to. Even so, the typesetting of their paperback editions is so tight it causes eye strain to the point of exhaustion. Luckily, Open Road Media has recently come out with a series of Buck novels for the Kindle that are much easier on the eyes. Regardless of which option you prefer, Buck's body of work deserves to be read.

This second volume to the "House of Earth Trilogy" takes off right where "The Good Earth" ends. I was fortunate enough to find a copy with all three books in one so for me there was no space between the two. Written in the same style of the first novel, this story begins with the lives of three sons of Wang Lung: Wang the eldest (Landlord), Wang the second (Merchant) and particularly, Wang the third (The Tiger). By far the most important and interesting character in this book is Wang the Tiger, who became a powerful war lord. Much was written about his life and how he longed to live the life of a soldier, having nothing but disdain for the farmer's life his father wanted for him. It's an interesting irony, how none of the sons respected what Wang Lung, their father, had left for them. The eldest only interested in the façade of the rich life, the second only interested in money, and of course, the Tiger, whose main purpose was to be a strong and powerful leader.
It's an exciting and sad novel. Reading the evolution of the Tiger's rise to power made the Merchant's and Landlord's lives pale in comparison. Wang the Tiger was a most fascinating character, always obsessed with control not only of others, but of his own inner feelings. It was as if he was driven to be more than human...strong and willful, void of any weakness, void of any softness of heart, setting impossible standards for himself.
Once his son was born, he transferred all of his focus from warring, to raising his son as a warrior like himself. His love for his son, like his love for power, was unwavering, unbending, and suffocating. For example, this was evident in the times when the Tiger noticed that his little boy was so grave and quiet for one so young. Also, though his son did whatever he was told to do, he lacked any spirit or enjoyment in his tasks. Unfortunately, every time the Tiger saw this, he had a moment of clarity, but was quick to ignore or bury it, and thus never really attained the wisdom to forsee what would become of his only precious son.
This was a wonderful and exciting novel to read, very different and lively feeling to that of "The Good Earth." Yet it's absolutely necessary to read it as part of the trilogy. Once you finish, you'll be anxious to know what becomes of the Tiger's son, and how the coming revolution will change their relationship.

This second book following The Good Earth tracks the lives of the three sons of the humble farmer who worked to become wealthy and respected. It shows the loyalty of family at that time with competition for wives, land and money to become more powerful. These are pre-revolution times but she foreshadows the rising discontent that would lead to the successful revolution in China. Pearl Buck was a wonderful storyteller and many decades later her books remain a wonderful experience. Tim

Sons is actually a book about the differences between the three generations. Wang Lung died peacefully in the beginning. The story continued with the three different kinds of life the three sons of Wang Lund led. All of the three sons were concisely portrayed, with a slight emphasis on the third, Wang the Tiger. He rose slowly to the position of a warlord. In order to pass his position to his son as he was growing old, he sent his son to a military school to learn western war techniques. However, his sons turned against him by joining the New Revolutionary Army which was against all old lords.
The story is a little bit long, in a way. However, it wis certainly worthy to be read as it shows me how men, no matter how "straight" they are outside, have after all been self-centered. The book is also not in very difficult language. It needs a little bit patience, bit will make a difference in people's life. Give it a try!

Pearl Buck is my absolute favorite, and I quickly read through this novel after reading Good Earth again (I've read it nearly a dozen times, it is my favorite). Out of the trilogy, Sons is my least favorite, although it is still good and gives some really good biographical information on a Chinese man of the time. Focusing mostly on Wang the Tiger, I enjoyed the second half immensely. If you read Sons, be ready to get right into A House Divided (the last third of the trilogy), as this one leaves you hanging.

A great work by a great author. My love of The Good Earth just overshadowed this book, which is why it only got 4 stars.

After devouring "The Good Earth," I was dying to read more and see where Pearl Buck would go next with this dynamic family. I found that "Sons" was a good read, but a little slower and not as exciting and thrilling. But true to the original, right as I starting losing just a little bit of interest she would introduce a new twist or turn which made me always come back for more. She is an amazing writer and her insights into the culture are always fascinating. If you really liked The Good Earth, Sons will probably be a fun, quick read, but I don't feel that it is as vital of a work as The Good Earth.

An absolute and thoroughly interesting saga and drama of the sons of Wan Lung. The book mostly follows the life of the departed son, Wang the Tiger. His mission is to have his own army and a son of his own. Pearl S. Buck skillfully details Wang the Tiger's desires, emotions and thoughts. Wang the Tiger removes his son from his sisters and mother to ensure the lad's education and guidance & preparation to follow Wang the Tiger's footsteps. This book is as excellent reading as "The Good Earth" and completely to the end!

always realistic and warm in the sense that you are close to a family. The struggle of the grandson is very much like the inner battles wang lung had to contend with in the first book. love is always found and always conquers.

Pearl S. Buck does a terrific job of dramatizing the civil disorder in China following the dissolution of the QIng Dynasty...all of the civil strife of China in the 20s, the strife that would lead to the civil war which the communists won in 1949, is given a face as the grandsons of Wang Lung take roles in various and often opposing factions.