The Pearl written by John Steinbeck in 1947 is a novel based on a poor family living in a small rural town in Mexico. Whilst out diving one day Kino (the father) finds what he believes to be a very valuable pearl and this is what the novel is all based around.
As a fan of John Steinbeck myself I love his tone of writing in his works and The Pearl is no different, he describes the characters in great detail and really ensures the reader has an understanding of both the plot and the characters emotions in his writing. The pearl is an intriguing read in the sense that although short in length Steinbeck touches on many issues such as wealth and greed through the story of Kino and his family with an object of such desire and value causing so much turmoil. At the start of the novel the main character Kino is caring and loyal however as the novel progresses he starts to evolve into a different person loosing his original values and with this starts to grow apart from his loved ones most importantly his wife Juana, she would like to get rid of the pearl and the trouble that goes with it.
After many violent conflicts and much distress nearing the end of the novel Kino eventually sides with his wife showing that material wealth is nothing without happiness, they both decide to throw the pearl into a near by lake to end the turmoil and suffering and to be able to continue their lives in peace however Kino'syoung son has died as a result of his greed and the pearl's value hasn't helped any of his family.
I really enjoyed reading one of what I believe to be Steinbeck's best works, I would highly recommend the novel to anyone who likes a realistic book with high drama and a fantastic story line!
