The Good Earth
The Good Earth is Pearl S. Buck's novel of rural China, first published by the John Day Company in New York in 1931. It follows the farmer Wang Lung and his wife O-Lan through the rise and fall of their fortunes; it won the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and opens the House of Earth trilogy.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- John Day, 1931
- First published
- John Day Company, New York, 1931
- First UK edition
- Methuen, 1931
- Worth
- Not yet valued
Which edition do you have?
First edition
Later and other editions
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
On screen
- The Good Earth Film, 1937
From Wikidata. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by Pearl S. Buck
Questions about The Good Earth
No questions yet. Not sure which edition you have, or whether a detail matters? Ask, and collectors will help.
Reviews of The Good Earth
No reviews yet. Members can say what this book is like to read or collect.
Read it or own it? Share what The Good Earth is like to read or collect.
Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Good Earth?
The first edition of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck was published in New York by John Day in 1931.
How many editions of The Good Earth are there?
We track 2 editions of The Good Earth, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has The Good Earth been adapted for film or television?
Yes, including The Good Earth (film, 1937).
How can I tell if my copy of The Good Earth is a first edition?
Check the title page and its reverse (the copyright page) against the edition: publisher, place and date should match, with no later printing or edition stated. Where we know the issue points, they are listed on the edition's page.
Where these facts come from
- The Good Earth, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Good Earth editions, Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026.