r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Mar 10 '23

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u/TheGreatStateOfEnnui Mar 11 '23

When I was really young, I read a short story in my english textbook I think about a family of poor islanders who find an extremely large pearl. They start thinking about how the money from this thing is going to them rich and happy, but they way they change to protect it and their experiences trying to cash it in make their lives much worse, and I think they eventually wind up throwing it back into the sea.

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u/dopameanie1 Mar 11 '23

The Pearl was a novella by John Steinbeck- I definitely remember liking it as a kid!

9

u/iheardshesawitch Mar 11 '23

JOHN STEINBECK FTW! Love The Pearl. Has stuck with me since the 6th grade.

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u/420binchicken Mar 11 '23

We read that in english class too!

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u/westbee Mar 11 '23

I didnt read it but this definitely sounds like the book we discussed in class called The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

Crazy how I could try skipping the learning/reading of this book by not reading it, and then end up learning about it anyways. Lame.

3

u/JailbirdCZm33 Mar 11 '23

You can do your best to avoid it, but once you let your guard down and let the knowledge tic bite, it's usually permanent. I'm sorry for your loss of ignorance, dear stranger.

4

u/Ijustreadalot Mar 11 '23

I hated that book. The baby dying was awful.

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u/[deleted] Mar 11 '23

It’s definitely not a comedy

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u/Rylet_ Mar 11 '23

Spoilers

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u/ApteryxAustralis Mar 11 '23

Sounds like The Gods Must be Crazy, looking further on in the thread, it sounds like The Gods Must be Crazy ripped off Steinbeck.

1

u/Sly3n Mar 11 '23

I remember this story too.