Customer Reviews

The Promise (Oriental Novels of Pearl S. Buck)

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"The Promise" like all Buck's books I have read that are set in China, gives a compelling portrait of the country and its people. Set during the early years of World War II when the Japanese army was pounding the Burma Road, "The Promise" relates the story of a brave division of Chinese who have been sent on a suicide mission to rescue the remnants of an Anglo-American force trapped in Burma. There are a couple of telling portraits of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his wife that show them in all their venality; their remoteness from the individual masses of Chinese arouses more contempt than admiration. What really affects the reader is the disdain of the Anglo soldiers toward the Chinese who attempt to rescue them and whom, in their desperation to escape from the Japanese, they abandon to their fate, cutting off their retreat and leaving them to save themselves. The open contempt the English express towards the native Burmese ("We own this country, after all; it's part of our Empire"), and their genuine puzzlement when the Chinese confront them about their attitudes, shows up all too clearly their inherent sense of superiority which is based on nothing but a blind ethnocentricism. Buck's sympathies clearly lie with the valiant Chinese who are seething under a viciously brutal Japanese occupation and longing for freedom, but not at the price of European domination. We don't get to know her characters in "The Promise" as intimately as in some of her other books, but we admire them none the less for their courage and their self-sacrifice. "The Promise" is not on a par with "The Good Earth" or "The Three Daughters of Madame Liang", but it's definitely a worthwhile read.

If you read Dragon Seed, the prequel to this book, you will know that you read this book because you couldn't live with the ending that was given! So you read this book and it continues to provide more historical information and answer some of those questions that you had from the last book. However, by the time this book ends, you seem to have more questions than before. I won't spoil it for you, but I was thinking that perhaps the title might explain all unanswered questions simutaneously! Also, the book tends to become a little boring at some parts. Yet every second of boredom is compensated for by later events of extreme excitement. Doubtlessly though, it is a GREAT book and a fine sequel, though more could have been done with the plot. Read it!

Well, I might say this is a great book, believe me. It was the first book i read of the author and I enjoy it for over 7 years. And for 6 years i looked it all over my country and didn't found it. [thanks God there are places like Amazon.com :-) ] This novel makes you dream inside the characters. I love China, although I am not of that country and this book makes me feel the difficulties of the epoch, the thinking and the hope of people. I can grant that you won't be dissapointed. 4 stars up! ENJOY

The book I ordered arrived on time and was in the same or better condition as was described by vendor. I would buy products from this seller again.

The Promise continues the story from The Dragon Seed and I enjoyed reading it so much. Sheng and Mayli's love is put on hold yet again as they sacrifice all in order to fulfill their duty to their country. How can they enjoy happiness when all around them are struggling just to survive? When the orders are given by the Chairman that the best of the Chinese soldiers are to be sent to Burma to rescue the British and American troops trapped there, they all know that this is a suicidal mission. The outcome will not be good but the loyal soldiers go anyway, determined to give their all for China. Sheng, the favorite of the Chinese General is to lead his men on the march to Burma, and then into battle against the Japanese; Mayli, whom Sheng loves, is going also, in charge of the nurses who will care for the dying and wounded--but neither knows that they will both be involved in the same battle. The hopeless situation they both find themselves in, the struggle to survive in a jungle environment, and ultimately trying to determine what is best to do when all is lost and only a handful have remained alive is a story of courage and determination that few are willing to sacrifice for. You will have to read the story to discover how loyalty and love gives one strength they did not know they possessed.

If you love the writing of Pearl S. Buck, you will not be disappointed in this book.

I'm wondering why the book covers do not identify The Promise as a sequel to Draqon Seed. I discovered this by accident as being very fond of Pearl Buck's writing I ordered The Promise and immediately recognized the Chinese family identified in the first chapter. However, nowhere on the cover or inside the book does it say this nor does Dragon Seed identify itself as a prequel. IS THERE A SEQUEL TO THE PROMISE...I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ORDERING IT.