I am only through the first hundred pages or so, but I have to say I love reading this book. I always loved to read about rural life, about farmers. I hope you are enjoying it too; these questions are not meant for your answers, but just some of the initial conversations that we may have when we meet:
1. What are your first impressions of Wang Lung and his wife? There are lots of surprising details to me; what are the details appealing/interesting/surprising to you?
2. What about Wang Lung's characters? We really don't know too much about his upbring, but he is such a decent guy to his wife. What are Wang Lung's attitude to his new wife?
3. What do you think of O-Lan's child birthing experience? What was amazing or what?!
4. O-lan's big plan for her return to the Great House? What are our childhood dreams that we want to impress someone or make a statement for ourselves?
5. Wang Lung the invester of the land? Perhaps Dayang can inject a few tips for us for investing? Wasn't he very smart of planning for his future? Are there people "born" smart?
6. Hunger and more hungers. Starvation have changed many, what did the villagers do to each others, what are the rumors?
3 comments:
They are very good questions to ponder. Thank, 竹林子。
I'd also like to add some:
1.Does it depict the REAL China?
2.As an "outsider" does Pearl Buck look at China in a new perspective?
3.What is her writing style? Is she sympathetic to her characters?
4.Why do you think her book made a big splash in the west?
5. What is its everlasting influence?
Great lead-ons, thank you!
After the reading, what so you think were the damages of the Opium did to China at that period?
Post a Comment