Pearl

I didn't realise until I actually came to read The Pearl that Steinbeck's novella is a retelling of a Mexican folk tale he himself had heard told whilst in Mexico. The central tale itself is therefore a relatively simple story, however it is also one with which I believe everybody could relate and I loved the way in which Steinbeck creates the world surrounding Kino and Juana. Their characters are completely believable throughout and I particularly liked the idea of the gathering neighbours all rushing to peer over their hedges at every opportunity.

The Pearl isn't a happy story and is essentially a moral tale illustrating the old maxim of 'be careful what you wish for'. However Steinbeck increases the scope to encompass the racism and derogatory treatment experienced by the native people at the hands of rich white immigrants. Kino and Juana's prayers seem to be answered when Kino surfaces grasping the biggest pearl ever seen. Now they can pay the white doctor, he surely will treat their baby son? I loved how graphically Steinbeck illustrates the lifestyle differences between the two communities, each actually dependent on the other yet almost totally separate. His prose is almost poetry or song in its repetition and the idea of Song is important in guiding Kino's actions.

I read this novella in French having spotted a copy at our local Little Library. It was one of the slimmest books there and I knew from having previously read Steinbeck that his writing style is generally quite clear and direct. This proved the case in translation too so La Perle was a perfect choice from a language-learning point of view. Despite needing to look up several words on each page I was still utterly gripped by the adventure. Plus I have now learned lots of new useful words such as etouffer (to stifle) and paletuvier (mangrove). Whether I will remember them next time I see them remains to be seen!