"The Pearl"

     Ok, I think it is about time that I finally admit what I have been hiding on here.  I hate John Steinbeck.  It is nothing against his character or him as a person, but I just hate his writing style and basically anything he touches.  Perhaps my deep hatred stems from when my fifth grade teacher forced us to go on a field trip to the John Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, CA.  It was the longest and most boring field trip I have ever endured.  But whether that is the reason or not is between me and my future string of countless therapists.  Unfortunately, THREE of his books have made it onto my list.  The first one I am writing on is The Pearl.

     This tells the story of a poor family living in La Paz, Mexico.  The main character, Kino, is a pearl diver and uses his pearls as a source of income.  Much happens to this poor family including a scorpion sting, death, illness, murder, and Lord knows what else.  The main point of the plot is that Kino finds the largest pearl anyone has ever seen; "The Pearl of the World".  This pearl initially brings wealth, happiness, and hope to the family.  But eventually that changes.  The pearl then becomes a symbol for hatred, death, and despair for Kino.
     While it is certainly and easy read, I did not find it a fun one.  Then again, that may have been because I was stewing the whole time thinking about stupid John Steinbeck and his museum in hot-as-hades Salinas, CA.  Stupid Steinbeck...

I give it 2 out of 5 Wildes.