The Eternal Wonder: A Novel

This narrative begins, literally, when the main character, Rann, is still in his mother's womb. It wasn't clear to me at first, so I started over after a few pages, and it was that re-reading that opened my eyes to the complexity and beauty of Buck's writing. The impression the reader has of Rann from his first moments of awareness in real life is the quality that moves the entire narrative: his curiosity about what things are and why they exist. At first this curiosity comes from inside an infant's mind, but that eventually shifts to a more traditional third person perspective. Structurally, the book is presented in two "parts" without chapters within them. There are some natural break points provided, but it took me awhile to pick up the rhythm. The first part (65% of the total narrative) presents Rann's life growing up with his parents and the travels he takes alone at age 13 before going to college. His travels begin in Manhattan, where he eventually meets and lives with his maternal grandfather. While there, he learns much about the life his grandfather lived in China and receives encouragement to pursue life as it presents itself to him. On an ocean voyage to England, Rann mets a widow with whom he spends a number of months learning about life with a woman. He then moves to France, where he meets a young woman whose Chinese heritage connects him back to his grandfather. He then returns to New York, bringing that discovery portion of his life "full circle." By the end of Part 1, he has lost both his father and his grandfather, forcing him to learn about death.Part 2 begins with Rann's military service in Korea, during which he spends a lot of time studying Korean people, whether across the lines of battle or within the towns in which they are stationed. At this point in his 16-year life, Rann has decided that he can learn more from people than from formal schooling, and this eventually leads him to write a book about Korea that is eventually published and receives both acclaim and controversy. Even though the second part is only 35% of the total narrative, Rann's personal awareness expands signficantly. By the end of the book, he knows he wants to be a writer; he also knows that love isn't destined to be a significant part of his life yet and ends as he began: unsure of what lies ahead in life but with his mother still present when he needs her.

I fell in love with Buck's novels in junior high so naturally, I had to read this one when it became available. I'm glad I did. I found it vastly different from her other novels as I remember them. Some of the character came across as one dimensional stereotypes - but I'm left wondering if that would have been the case 30 years ago. Perhaps that was a fresh realization by Buck back when The Eternal Wonder was written. Sexuality(not sex per se) is a major component of this novel - more so than in her previous works - but how could it not in a coming of age story. I think Buck was bridging her own blend of US and China cultures and it was interesting to read of her(?) perspective on issues such as immigration, assimilation, discrimination as well as extreme intelligence, parenting, and privilege. What I was unable to relate to and what was most off-putting was the affluence of the characters, especially Rann, that allowed them the freedom to navel-gaze at great length and be self-absorbed. Given her past writings about Chinese poverty, this was a big departure from Buck's prior focus. It left me thinking there was no small part of autobiography in The Eternal Wonder. I felt that The Eternal Wonder provided more insight into Buck's beliefs. This may have been because of the US setting at the beginning. It left me thinking I had glimpsed into the mind of this writer from an earlier generation.I agree with others that this novel was a bit rough around the edges and I wish she would have been able to finalize it. I suspect it would have been quite different. But I am happy to have it at all.

I am a long-time fan of Pearl Buck. I read "The Good Earth" and the next two books in the series, in high school. I loved these so much that I read anything I could find by Buck--almost every book she wrote--and her output was prodigious. Some of her books were better than others, of course, but all were enjoyable. I read "The Eternal Wonder" on my Kindle, after being excited to learn that an incomplete manuscript had been discovered. I understood that it was an early draft and that I should not expect it to be as polished as other works by Pearl Buck. Understood--but I still quickly purchased it and began reading this "lost" Buck manuscript with anticipation.So I am sad to have to be so negative about anything with her name on it.I made myself finish the book. I kept wondering, "Did Pearl Buck really write this?" I recognized bits of her gentle style, always one which allows the reader to discover and never telling us what to think. But this book took this too far. It was ponderous, pointless and seemed without a plot. Yes, its long, wordy, repetitive passages needed editing, but there is more wrong than a lack of editing.I wanted to care about the brilliant and remarkable Rann, but I never did. There were moments when I thought perhaps I would, but my faint interest soon faded. The descriptions of Lady Mary and her seduction of the brilliant but too-young Rann were disturbing and confusing. The instant fame he finds in the last half of the book is completely unbelievable, and he becomes even more flat. His "romance" with Stephanie is so platonic as to be completely bizarre, especially after the excesses of his "body's incessant demands" with Lady Mary. I felt no flicker of emotion at Stephanie's tragic end.This sad book is a complete waste of time. I can't believe this had Pearl S. Buck on the cover, and I can't believe the glowing reviews by some readers. I'm wondering why I forced myself to read this. Actually I know why. I have loved everything by Pearl Buck. I thought that surely it would get better. It did not.

Il s'agit d'un livre mineur d'un écrivain exceptionel, prix Nobel 1938. En effet, on a trouvé le manuscrit par hasard, après la mort de Pearl Buck. C'est à dire qu'elle 'a pas eu l'occasion de corriger rien, comme était son habitude: c'est peut être la raison de la qualité finale de l'oeuvre, à coté de ses plus grandes succés. De toute facon, le livre se lit avec beaucoup d'intêret, et l'on avertît à travers la lecture la main d'une artiste de la plume.

Excellent and interesting book by a fantastic author. Book arrived on time and in perfect condition. Can be recommended without any hesitation for a public interested in classical reading.

Was a different kind of story but after starting to read it I had a very hard time to set it down. I am happy that I read it just because it was written by a very fantastic author. Pearl S Buck has & always will be my favorite author. I recommend this book to anyone that has always liked Pearl S Buck It is different from her other books but still a very good book to read.

Based on an implausible premise, the story grabbed me right from the beginning and didn't let go. Pearl Buck captures the essence of her characters and we feel we know them. Her inimitable gift for story telling is evident in this book.

I would not recommend this book. I found the character very self-absorbed and not believable. He went out on a journey to discover himself and did not consider the feelings of others. He was not moral, however close the end of the book through a very short relationship you see him immerse with some feelings of care and love for someone other than himself. I felt it was not good work for a master writer.