John Steinbeck
Salinas, California had a population of 3000 when John Steinbeck was born in 1902. Son of a County Treasurer and a schoolteacher, he had roots in the farming community that made many of his stories come alive. Before settling into the exclusive job of writing fiction, he was employed in various jobs, such as painter, laboratory assistant, caretaker, and reporter.
John Steinbeck was an avid reader, loving George Eliot, Flaubert, Dostoievsky, Hardy, Milton, and the Bible. Steinbeck's major novels grew out of his experiences. In the early 1930's he and his first wife, Carol Henning, lived in Pacific Grove, where conservative Republicans lived with the flamboyant "paisanos." Mr. Steinbeck mingled with both extremes. This relationship prompted the novel, Tortilla Flat.
In 1937 he followed a group of migrant workers headed west from Oklahoma, prompting the novel The Grapes of Wrath
Most of John Steinbeck's work centered on a message of warmth and compassion toward the downtrodden, such as the slow-witted character in Of Mice and Men, and the unfortunate migrant workers in The Grapes of Wrath.
Mr. Steinbeck did what other authors of the time writing with a social commentary failed to do: comment on the ills of society within the context of the story, rather than having the characters delve into social themes by long-winded speeches or conversations with other characters. John Steinbeck gives you an entertaining story and weaves his message in the story with descriptive genius and makes you sympathetic for the characters' plights as they unfold.
John Steinbeck has succeeded in becoming an author of classic fiction that was not only entertaining but examined pieces of life in a deeper context.
Product Format: Paperback
| Cannery Row | by John Steinbeck |
| Cup of Gold | by John Steinbeck |
| In Dubious Battle | by John Steinbeck |
| The Grapes of Wrath | by John Steinbeck |
| The Grapes of Wrath (CliffsNotes study guide) | by John Steinbeck , Kelly McGrath Vlcek |
| The Pearl | by John Steinbeck |
| The Red Pony | by John Steinbeck |
| Tortilla Flat | by John Steinbeck |