Dragon Seed

I have read many books in my time but the two books that stand out for me are Dragon Seed by Pearl S. Buck and This Perfect Day by Irn Levin. Although The Good Earth is a fine book by any standard, Dragon Seed brought the characters to life for me. I have re-read these two books so many times that they have become a little "raggy" with time. Each time I read them I find something new, some new slant on what the authors were saying. The movie that was made from the book Dragon Seed could have been done better and although I like Katherine Hepburn, the part she played should have been played by an oriental. But, the book will live on and will continue to make itself felt for many years to come. Someday, I hope to find someone who will put these two books on a tape for those who have vision difficulty. I have not found them available for the visually impaired thus far. I feel that this is keeping a large section of the population from enjoying these books and I do hope that this will be corrected in the near future.

I always preferred reading magazines rather than novels because i thought novels were boring and reading them was a waste of time. After reading Dragon seed my perception about novels took a shift in the positive dierction. No other author can bring out the subtle aspects of life in times of difficulty as pearl buck has did. I read this novel as a thirteen year old but i still remeber every part of it(i am 22 now). Such is the impression this novel has created. one can read a lot of books on philosophy and humanity but still miss out on some key aspects. i promise u will have the feeling of having read a thousand books on the human nature in this one novel. The novel ends with a positive note and a glimmer of hope which will make every reader search for the silver lining even during the most turbulent times.

I thought I would never read a novel as outstanding as The Good Earth. And then I read Dragon Seed! Thus far, this is the greatest book I have ever read! There are truly no adjectives to satisfactorily describe the depth and poignancy of this novel. My heart filled with sorrow as I turned the pages of this mesmerizing story of the Chinese peasants' condition during World II. I would go back to re-read a paragraph every now and then in order to let the words seep into my very soul. I could not comprehend this unspeakable man's inhumanity to man, but there it was, as only Pearl Buck could write about it. Not to read this book at least once is not to have lived. I will carry the drama and heartbreak of Dragon Seed with me for the rest of my life. Dragon Seed is not just a novel; it is an experience of the heart and soul! It should be a must for everyone who truly loves great literature, and it should be required reading for every public high school student in this country.

At the age of 15 I stumbled upon this book. Who was Pearl Buck? I did not know. As I read it I became spellbound. This strange foreign family did not seem strange or foreign to me. They seemed, well, familiar, comforting. I realized they were my mother, my father, my brothers because although they lived in another place and time--their feelings, their struggles were timeless. This was my first clear introduction to understanding that human beings are the same everywhere. They are good and they are evil. Adversity brings both out in people. Dragon Seed was my first Pearl Buck novel, but now I have an extensive collection, that aside I've also traveled in Asia extensively. Not to mention the fact that my husband and children are Japanese! (Dragon Seed is in China but she's also lived in and written about Japan, India). Pearl Buck opened the windows of the world to me and more importantly, revealed the human soul. By the way, just so whoever wrote the other review knows: Dragon Seed WAS a movie starring Kathryn Hepburn. However, I think a remake starring a Chinese woman would be more appropriate. Also, frankly they distorted the plot horribly in the original movie.

I read this book because I love Pearl S. Buck books! Of all her books this is the best! And even of all other books, this is my favorite! There is just so much to this book that no movie or review such as I am giving could properly give justice to it. The sequel to it, The Promise, is a must-read only because the end of Dragon Seed will not be enough for anyone. I would describe this book as historical fiction. The events are real, the place is real (which we find out in The Promise, is a hamlet outside of Nanking/Nanjing-Pinyin), and the cultural Chinese family as presented is real. Everything else is just magical fiction! The book is humorous in places and serious in others. This is the ONLY book i have ever read twice, and i could read it for a third time! I can tell anyone in the film industry that this book can be made into the next great movie success story! This is the best review i can give for the greatest book ever written. Now the best I can do is wait to see if my review can encourage the entire world to at least give this wonderful book the chance it deserves!