tuanz Trí thức Pearl S. Buck (Nobel Prize, 1938) East Wind: West Wind by Pearl S. Buck East Wind: West Wind is the first book by Pearl Buck – written in her twenties. It is an easy read. Pearl Buck’s style of simple writing holds for this book as well. She describes mundane things and does not unnecessarily analyze the actions of the characters. The book gives a good introduction to the Chinese way of life. The story is told from the eyes of a traditional Chinese girl, Kwei-lan, married to a Chinese man, a medical doctor, educated abroad. The story is a monolog told to a lady by Kwei-lan. The lady is addressed as – “Sister”. This sister is apparently a foreigner who has lived all her life in China; much like Pearl S Buck herself. Kwei-lan considers that “sister” is as Chinese as she herself is. The story is about Kwei-lan, opening up to freedom and points of view of the western world. She is brought up with the belief that western people do dark magic and are uncivilized. Her mother tells Kwei, since god divided the east and the west with a sea in between, it is not right to mix with westerners and go against god’s wishes. When Kwei gets married a man, to who she was betrothed even before her birth, she discovers that he is not what she expects. He does not take interest in her initially. But, when her mother-in-law is rude to Kwei, her husband moves out from his parents’ courts with her into a modern house. The part of the story where Kwei observes and ponders over the features of the new house is very intriguing. She wonders why they first make a hole in the wall, cover it with glass and then hang curtains over it – they could just cover the holes with colored paper – like they do in traditional Chinese houses. With her bound feet, she finds it difficult to go up and down the stairs. Later, she lets her husband unbind her feet. Then, they start bonding. She begins to believe her husband is a wise man. Also, she discovers how easily she is able to go up and down the stairs with unbound feet. When a son is born to her, she fears that she will have to part with him once he grows a little older, since he belongs to her husband’s family. When her husband stands up for their son and refuses to part with him, she first thinks, he is being selfish and not fulfilling his responsibilities towards his parents – but then, approves of it. Kwei-lan’s brother, who studies in America, marries an American lady, Mary. They come back to China to convince his parents to accept their marriage. Kwei speaks to her mother on her brother’s behalf. But her mother would not give in. Kwei’s father is good to Mary and bonds with her but does not accept her into the family. Kwei’s parents ask her brother to give money to Mary and send her back. They want him to marry his betrothed, the daughter of the house of Li’s. He is yet to fulfill his responsibility of giving them a Son. Kwei’s mother wants her son’s first son to be born out of a Chinese woman and fears Mary might get pregnant. This comes true and Mary is pregnant with their first child. In the climax, Kwei-lan’s mother dies of heartbreak because, her son would not leave the American and marry his betrothed. His Father threatens to disinherit him if he does not marry his betrothed. Eventually, both her brother and his wife, Mary leave the house courts and move out. Kwei’s brother makes the sacrifice of his family and home for Mary and Mary makes the sacrifice of her country. Kwei-lan and her husband are humbled by such love. A Son is born and ties the east and the west together. Pearl Buck takes the reader thru the journey of Kwei-lan in a way that is exotic. At each point, Kwei compares the traditional Chinese way of doing things with what her husband says is the western way to do the same. Slowly, she learns to live with a balance of what she finds good in the western way of life and the eastern (Chinese) way of life. ____ Thắc mắc : Không hiểu cái dấu ":" ở giữa hai chữ East Wind và West Wind có ý nghĩa gì nhỉ ?
The Good Earth (House of Earth #1) by Pearl S. Buck Tiểu sử Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (tên khai sinh: Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker; tên Trung Quốc: 赛珍珠 Trại Chân Châu; 26 tháng 5 năm 1892 – 6 tháng 3 năm 1973) là nữ nhà văn Mỹ đoạt giải Nobel Văn học năm 1938. Pearl Buck sinh ở Hillsboro, West Virginia, là con một nhà truyền giáo người Mỹ. Sau khi ra đời chưa đầy 5 tháng, bà đã được cha mẹ đưa sang Trung Quốc sinh sống. Từ nhỏ và suốt cả cuộc đời bà yêu mến và thích tìm hiểu cuộc sống của người dân Trung Quốc. Năm 15 tuổi, bà được gửi trọ học tại một trường dạy Anh văn ở Thượng Hải. Năm 17 tuổi, cha mẹ cho Pearl Buck về Mỹ, học tại trường Đại học Randolph Macon (tiểu bang Virginia). Năm 1917 bà kết hôn với một mục sư và theo chồng đi truyền giáo tại miền Bắc Trung Hoa. Từ năm 1922, bà dạy ở Đại học Nam Kinh và Kim Lăng. Năm 1925, Pearl Buck bắt đầu viết cuốn tiểu thuyết đầu tiên East Wind:West Wind (Gió Đông, gió Tây). Sau đó hàng loạt tiểu thuyết nổi tiếng khác về đề tài Trung Quốc ra đời, như The Good Earth (Đất lành), Sons (Những người con trai), A House Divided (Một nhà chia rẽ), The Mother (Người mẹ), The Child Who Never Grew (Đứa trẻ không bao giờ lớn)... trong đó tiểu thuyết The Good Earth được nhận giải Pulitzer năm 1931. Năm 1933, bà được Đại học Yale tặng bằng Cử nhân Văn chương Danh dự. Năm 1938, bà được Đại học West Virginia và Đại học St. Lawrence trao tặng bằng Tiến sĩ Văn chương Danh dự. Năm 1938 Pearl Buck nhận giải Nobel vì các tác phẩm mô tả đời sống nông thôn Trung Hoa một cách phong phú và xác thực. Sau khi nhận giải, Pearl Buck tiếp tục sáng tác rất nhiều, ngoài văn xuôi bà còn viết kịch, kịch bản phim, tiểu luận và sách cho thiếu nhi. Bà cũng là người đã dịch Thủy Hử (All men are brothers) và một số tác phẩm văn học Trung Quốc sang tiếng Anh. Trong Thế chiến thứ hai, Pearl Buck viết nhiều sách báo chính luận chống chủ nghĩa phát xít. Trong thập niên 1950, bà xuất bản một số tác phẩm về đề tài gia đình và xã hội Mỹ, kí bút danh I. Sedge. Năm 1951, Pearl Buck được bầu làm thành viên Viện Hàn lâm Nghệ thuật và Văn học Hoa Kỳ. Năm 1955, bà li dị chồng và tục huyền với giám đốc một hãng quảng cáo. Cuối đời, bà quan tâm đến đề tài các nhà bác học nguyên tử buộc phải chế tạo vũ khí giết người hàng loạt. Đồng thời, bà tích cực tham gia các hoạt động từ thiện, xã hội như: sáng lập ra tổ chức không vụ lợi Hiệp hội Đông Tây (The East and West Association, 1941) nhằm truyền bá những hiểu biết giữa các dân tộc trên thế giới; cùng chồng lập nên tổ chức Căn nhà tình nghĩa (Welcome Home, 1949) giúp trẻ mồ côi; lập ra Quỹ Pearl S. Buck (The Pearl S. Buck Foundation, 1963) và tặng cho quỹ này 7 triệu đô la. Bà mất năm 1973 tại Danby, Vermont (Mỹ). Nguồn: Vui lòng đăng nhập hoặc đăng ký để xem link Sau đây là cuốn The Good Earth bản Anh ngữ. Mời các bạn. Người viết bài: NatPhung Nguồn: TVE
Imperial Woman (1956) A novel by Pearl S Buck An historical novel about the last Empress of China, Tzu Hsi. In youth she was a beautiful concubine, in middle life a brilliant strategist, in old age a goddess. She ranks in history with Victoria of England and Catherine of Russia. Format PDF Trích: link die Người viết bài: Vui lòng đăng nhập hoặc đăng ký để xem link Nguồn: TVE
The Mother (1934) A novel by Pearl S Buck Within this novel Ms. Buck paints the portrait of a poor woman living in a remote village whose joys are few and hardships are many. As the ancient traditions, which she bases her philosophies upon, begin to collide with the new ideals of the communist era, this peasant woman must find a balance between them and deal with the consequences.
The Big Wave (1938) Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wipe out the whole village and Jiya's family, too. As Jiya struggles to overcome his sorrow, he understands it is in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and to appreciate how wonderful life can be.The famous story of a Japanese boy who must face life after escaping the tidal wave destruction of his family and village.
Dragon Seed (1942) The Story of China at War: A novel set in China in the early part of this century, by a winner of both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize, who spent her early childhood in China. It tells of the courage and sacrifice of a Chinese peasant family under the impact of war and the heel of the Japanese invader.
The Promise (1943) A Novel of China and Burma: heroic tale of the Chinese people sweeps into the jungles of Burma. Confronted with an impending attack from the Japanese, growing tension from the Anglo-American forces, the Chinese soldiers must make a difficult choice: abandon their posts or continue on with a suicidal mission.
Peony (1948) A Novel of China: Young Peony is sold into a rich Chinese household as a bondmaid — an awkward role in which she is more a servant, but less a daughter. As she grows into a lovely, provocative young woman, Peony falls in love with the family's only son. However, tradition forbids them to wed. How she resolves her love for him and her devotion to her adoptive family unfolds in this profound tale, based on true events in China over a century ago.
Kinfolk (1950) Kinfolk is a richly human story, with humour and pathos as well as the larger emotions. Pearl Buck explores the conflict between traditional and progress in this novel of China.
The Living Reed (1963) A Novel of Korea: Beginning with the 'Good Earth,' Pearl S. Buck has written a succession of memorable and vivid books that have made China and Japan as familiar to Westerners as their own communities. Now she has done the same thing for Korea. 'The Living Reed' is the story of four generations of a close-knit, powerful Korean family. We follow their struggles and sorrows and joy from the time of the last reigning Korean queen to the Second World War.
The Angry Wife (1947) by Pearl S. Buck The stormy tale of a wife trapped in the antiquated ways of the past, and of two brothers who have fought on opposing sides of the Civil War. The Angry Wife is a memorable and impassioned dissection of prejudice, as well as a riveting portrait of post*Civil War America.
God's Men (1951) by Pearl S. Buck This is a massive novel, in length, breadth, and depth. It sweeps from China to America to England, and in a half-century of colorful action it ranges from the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 to the critical struggles of 1950. The author brings warmth of feeling and the light of understanding to many and varied Characters, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sun Yat-sen, and Chiang Kai-shek.... A major work, this novel is in some ways the most searching yet written by the Nobel Prize winner.
Letter from Peking (1957) by Pearl S. Buck My dear Wife: First, before I say what must be said, let me tell you that I love only you. Elizabeth MacLeod received that letter in Vermont. She had been forced to leave her half-Chinese husband when the Communists entered Peking. And she had taken their son and returned to America, returned to the family farm to wait, sustained by her passionate love for the husband from whom she was so unwillingly separated. Then came that last letter and her whole existence was violently overturned.
The Goddess Abides (1972) by Pearl S. Buck Charming and attractive, Edith Chardman finds herself suddenly alone after a long and happy marriage. Into the emptiness comes Edwin, old enough almost to be her grandfather, and Jared, young enough to be her son..In the unfolding of Edith's discovery of love in its infinite variety, Pearl Buck displays her masterly skill as a storyteller and the depth of her knowledge of men and women.
