The Pearl

If only I had this, then I would be that.

The Pearl challenges this mentality big time. I read it during Sydney lockdown while daydreaming of owning a home in a quiet town with enough financial independence to only take on work that brought me great joy. I was idealising the freedom and happiness a quick pile of money or overnight success would bring.

In under 100 pages, this book put a question mark over all that.

I don't believe life is a zero-sum game. I do believe – and this story affirmed – that you cannot gain massively in one area without losing out in another. A good reminder not to let what you don't have overshadow all you do. To not to want anything too much and to easily let go.

Full of Steinbeck's beautiful and detailed nature imagery. The climax of the story in the final five pages was absolute chaos for my adrenal glands.

It might be that the people of the Gulf trust things of the spirit and of the imagination, but they do not trust their eyes to show them distance or clear outline or any optical exactness.

It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away. You must want it just enough, and you must be very tactful with God or the gods.

It captured the light, refined it, and gave it back.

A plan once made is easily attacked.

Luck brings with it bitter friends.

The sun was setting toward the western mountains and the shadows on the ground were long.