The Good Earth

Wang Lung may go down as one of the most interesting characters I've read thus far in fiction. He goes from a despicable anti-hero, to a caring patriarch with some progressive values, to just a downright villain. He is flawed, but whether that is within him or molded by Chinese society is debatable.

Every single character is given so much depth and goes through so much change throughout this decade-spanning story, how much they change is quite remarkable.

The prose is so elegant and the scope of the story is so vast - detailing a man's life as he rises from poverty to raise a family in an unfair society. Even in the most mundane moments of his life are treated with such care. It felt like a predecessor to East of Eden - a generation spanning familial epic, but with more nuance and less allegory.

Amazing work