The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Pearl by John SteinbeckTHE PEARL is Steinbeck's flawless parable about wealth and the evil it can bring. When Kino, an Indian pearl diver, finds 'the Pearl of the world' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. He will marry Juana in church and their little boy, Coyotito, will be able to attend school. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed, fear and even violence the pearl arouses in him and his neighbours. Written with haunting simplicty and

a dog with yellow eyes

abandoned his car and possessions

Could a cordon bleu chef be a junk-food addict

ANN HUNKINS is a writer's dream-she translates works from Nepali with the crisp diction of contemporary America

Raju's holiness is put to the test when a drought strikes the village

And everywhere there is the anguish of being black in a society that seems poised on the brink of racial war

brought to life in this lyrical translation that returns to the original manuscript of the book

The adopted son of a wealthy American family

but actually hit the financial jackpot

hiding from the world

This selection brings together verse ranging from early dramatic monologues such as the chilling 'My Last Duchess' and the ribald 'Fra Lippo Lippi'

tell of the Monpas' hospitality and warmth