Customer Reviews

The Angry Wife

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Pearl Buck is my favorite author! Angry Wife was different from most of the others I have read by Buck, but, in its own way, it held my interest as do all of her books! Buck's writings are so well described, you feel like you are part of the story, and she has just enough romance to make it interesting.

The Angry Wife is one of Pearl S. Buck's lesser-known novels. During my work I often come across books that are donated to the library but which we cannot use. A donor had given us three Buck paperbacks, not in the best of condition, and after I read and enjoyed The Good Earth a couple months ago I decided to read these.

The character of the angry wife refers to Lucinda Delaney, a prim and proper Southern belle. She suspects her husband Pierce of having an affair with their slave Georgia. Although the reader knows that nothing ever happens between the two, Lucinda can't help feeling suspicious of her husband's betrayal. She is constantly aware and reminded of the scandal--more a scandal in her own mind--caused by Pierce's own brother, Tom, having an affair with their other slave, Bettina. Tom is banished from the Delaney estate and although they are no longer on site, Lucinda is fearful that her children will start to ask questions about their biracial cousins.

Lucinda wears the metaphorical pants in this household, and even though Pierce was in command of a whole army during the Civil War, he can offer no resistance to his overbearing, indeed angry, and hatefully prejudiced wife. Tom and Bettina find peace and happiness in Philadelphia, living as equals in a colorblind post-Emancipation America. Lucinda, however, lives in constant fear of town gossip and the tainting of her pure white reputation by slave blood. When her own daughter elopes with a Brazilian, she throws fits of hysterics, wondering about the skin colour of her new son-in-law. In portraying Lucinda as so innately racist, Buck wisely avoids painting her in a comical light, as John Waters did with the character Prudence Pingleton in the original movie "Hairspray". Lucinda quite frankly cannot cope with even the idea of anyone in her family associating with blacks on any basis other than that of mistress over slave.

In The Angry Wife, Buck herself wrote what today would seem to be antiquated and even misogynistic ideas of women. The descriptions however would seem fitting for their time, although I could not repress a chuckle when I read this passage about Lucinda and Pierce:

"He sat ruminating and idle on the terrace, putting off his riding about the farm, listening to her. Like most women she kept on talking after she had really finished everything she had to say. He let his mind wander. Then suddenly he was drawn back to attention by her changing the subject completely."

Like The Good Earth, The Angry Wife was a rich and rapid read. Books like this are a pleasure to read but a disappointment to finish, as I wished the story would go on longer. I am happy that I have two more Buck novels to start off 2012.

Pearl S. Buck is my favourite author and recently I had the great honour of visiting her home and resting place at Green Hills Farm, Bucks County. I had picked up this book from there and as such it has a special significance for me.

What surprises me is the fact that it's hardly known! For such a fabulous book, it hasn't had much fame. I love The Good Earth but it seems to me that it has over shadowed other equally brilliant books by this great author.

As someone correctly said, it's a gem of a book. It explores the mind of a post war Southern Gentleman, Pierce Delaney, who clings to the security and old world charm of the days gone by but is perceptive enough to know that things have changed and he has not allowed himself to change with them. A good man to the core - intelligent, loving, devoted and strong, yet perhaps not strong enough. His brother Tom Delaney on the other hand fought for the North and kept up his fight by marrying the woman of his choice and breaking all old world shackles to move on in a life of his own creation, utterly at peace with himself and prepared for the future and change which must come.

The past is represented in the form of Lucinda Delaney, Pierce's wife, the war was fought and won by the other side but she sees that as no concern of hers, she must have new satin for her upholstery.

What captivates the reader is the richness of the narration, the clear articulation of the vague thoughts which crowd a human mind, despite all the subjects it touches upon, it is not a melancholy book, on the contrary it's full of the good things in life and paints a vivid picture of beauty. This thin book covers almost three decades of a man's life and is quite complete in itself. It is a book of hope, of comfort, courage and change.

This little known book from Pearl S Buck is a gem. I liked the book better than "Good Earth".When ever you read Pearl Buck you expect a grim picture but this book is of different style. With due respect to Late Mrs Buck her books in China and Korea are full with details but lack cultural integrity but this is world apart. She is in her home grounds and she knows the life style as the palm of her hand. It is very inspiring for people who want to follow their heart and not get bogged down by the pressures and biasness of the society. Its for people who do not get carried away by dot.com stocks and have no regrets for it. There is a fantastic description of life in Southern ranches - their prejudices, vanities. It also shows the supreme sacrifice of some people for their belief in equality of human life and love for knowledge.