This is the story of Wang Lung and how he went from being a poor farmer to being a rich landowner. At times I felt sympathy for him and at other times I just wanted to wring his neck. However, at all times I felt Pearl Buck's portrayal of his character was realistic. We all make bad decisions, we all do things that others observing can see are foolish, but that we ourselves don't see as foolish. I'm not sure he's likeable, but I could never hate him, either.
Pearl S. Buck's story telling is amazing and I felt like I was living life in Wang Lung's family.