Read complete books and articles on: John Steinbeck

Steinbeck, John - 1902–68, American writer, b. Salinas, Calif., studied at Stanford. He is probably best remembered for his strong sociological novel The Grapes of Wrath, considered one of the great American novels of the 20th cent. Steinbeck's early novels—Cup of Gold (1929), The Pastures of Heaven (1932), and To a God Unknown (1933)—attracted little critical attention, but Tortilla Flat (1935), an affectionate yet realistic novel about the lovable, exotic, Spanish-speaking poor of Monterey, was enthusiastically received. A compassionate understanding of the world's disinherited was to be Steinbeck's hallmark. The novel In Dubious Battle (1936) defends striking migrant agricultural workers in the California fields. In the novella Of Mice and Men (1937; later made into a play), Steinbeck again presents migrant workers, but this time in terms of human worth and integrity—a theme he also used in The Moon Is Down (1942; later made into a play), about Norwegian resistance to the Nazis. The Grapes of Wrath (1939; Pulitzer Prize), while treating the plight of dispossessed Dust Bowl farmers during the 1930s, presents a universal picture of victims of disaster. Steinbeck's depiction of the westward migration of the Joad family, and their subsequent struggles in the exploitative agricultural industry of California, is realistic and moving, and he endows his humble characters with nobility. Steinbeck's other works are diverse, ranging from the literal account of a voyage, The Sea of Cortez (1941; written with the marine biologist E. F. Ricketts); to a parable, The Pearl (1948); to a playful French folk piece, The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957). Love of his native land shines through the exquisitely nostalgic story "The Red Pony" in The Long Valley (1938). The somewhat sentimental attitude of Tortilla Flat appears again in Cannery Row (1945), The Wayward Bus (1947), and Sweet Thursday (1954). More ambitious are the novels East of Eden (1952), a family chronicle with the Cain and Abel theme, and Winter of Our Discontent (1961), about a suburbanite's moral conflict. Steinbeck also wrote notable nonfiction, particularly The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951) and A Russian Journal (1948), and the screenplays for the motion pictures The Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata! (1952). Travels with Charley in Search of America appeared in 1962 and America and Americans in 1966. Steinbeck was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature.

See his letters, ed. by E. Steinbeck and R. Wallsten (1975); biographies by J. Benson (1984) and J. Parini (1995); study by J. H. Timmerman (1986).

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15 of the Best Books and Articles on: John Steinbeck

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

John Steinbeck: The Years of Greatness, 1936-1939 » Read Now
by Tetsumaro Hayashi. 218 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...JOHN STEINBECK JOHN STEINBECK THE YEARS OF GREATNESS, 1936-1939 Edited by Tetsumaro...48- 1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data John Steinbeck: the years...
2.

The Other Side of Eden: Life with John Steinbeck » Read Now
by John Steinbeck, Nancy Steinbeck. 412 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

The late son of author John Steinbeck, John Steinbeck IV, labored under the burden of being the son of a 20th century legend, yet persevered to become a respected journalist in his own right. Left unfinished by his death, this memoir of John Steinbeck IV is reconstructed by his wife of 12 years, who interweaves her own memories of life with him.
3.

Understanding of Mice and Men, the Red Pony, and the Pearl: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents » Read Now
by Claudia Durst Johnson. 220 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

Although John Steinbeck's novellas, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and The Pearl are works of fiction, they provide a window on the history of the times and places they portray. Studying the historical, social, economic, and regional background of each novella is important to fully understanding...
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Although John Steinbeck's novellas, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and The Pearl are works of fiction, they provide a window on the history of the times and places they portray. Studying the historical, social, economic, and regional background of each novella is important to fully understanding each work. This interdisciplinary collection of rich collateral materials features a variety of primary documents that shed light on the background of each of these novellas--the pioneer days and life on the Western frontier, the early history of California, the gold rush, the plight of the migrant worker during the Great Depression, the problems of the homeless and the hopeless, and oppression in Mexico in the early 20th century. Documents include memoirs of mountain men and pioneers, books of travel, sociological studies, a political treatise, a journal, reports of U.S. commissions, a comic memoir, and an interview with a Salvation Army general who worked with the downtrodden during the 1930s. Most of these materials are not available in printed form anywhere else.
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4.

Understanding the Grapes of Wrath: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents » Read Now
by Claudia Durst Johnson. 276 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

When The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, it had an explosive effect on the public, calling attention to the problems of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. This casebook provides a rich source of primary materials on the period and the plight of the migrant farm worker that...
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When The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, it had an explosive effect on the public, calling attention to the problems of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. This casebook provides a rich source of primary materials on the period and the plight of the migrant farm worker that brings to life the problems Steinbeck immortalized in the novel. Included are interviews with eyewitnesses to the Dust Bowl, firsthand accounts and investigative reports of the causes and effects of the Great Depression, letters, diaries and autobiographies of migrant farm workers in the 1930s, newspaper articles and editorials of the period, affidavits by union activists, and other unique materials, many of which have never before appeared in print. All these materials can be used in literature, American history, and interdisciplinary classes to enrich the study of this novel and its times.
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5.

The Critical Response to John Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath » Read Now
by Barbara A. Heavilin. 366 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

When it was initially published in 1939, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath instantly became a bestseller. Like many phenomenally popular works, it has elicited a wide range of critical responses. Some critics have attacked Steinbeck for his alleged sentimentalism, while others have praised him...
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When it was initially published in 1939, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath instantly became a bestseller. Like many phenomenally popular works, it has elicited a wide range of critical responses. Some critics have attacked Steinbeck for his alleged sentimentalism, while others have praised him for writing a great American epic. While modern critics have generally responded positively toward his novel, they have done so at a time when its place in the American literary canon is increasingly uncertain. Through reviews, previously published essays, and original material, this volume records the critical reception of The Grapes of Wrath up to the recent editions of the 1990s. The volume additionally includes a chronology, bibliography, and extensive introductory essay.
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6.

Student Companion to John Steinbeck » Read Now
by Cynthia Burkhead. 182 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library
7.

Steinbeck's Typewriter: Essays on His Art » Read Now
by Robert DeMott. 360 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

"With this book DeMott (Ohio Univ.), the preeminent scholar among the second generation of Steinbeck critics, completes a trilogy he announced years ago would be his final words on his subject. . . . . With a bibliography of relevant volumes alongside, this is a conspicuously necessary addition to...
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"With this book DeMott (Ohio Univ.), the preeminent scholar among the second generation of Steinbeck critics, completes a trilogy he announced years ago would be his final words on his subject. . . . . With a bibliography of relevant volumes alongside, this is a conspicuously necessary addition to any serious collection. The annotation alone is worth a night's reading."—Choice
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8.

The Social Novel at the End of an Era (Chap. 3 "A Troubled Nation- 'How Nice It's Gonna Be, Maybe, in California'") » Read Now
by Warren French. 214 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...written books on Frank Norris, John Steinbeck, and J. D. Salinger and has edited...and one by Ernest Hemingway. John Steinbeck would of course be anticipated...chapter in...
9.

In Europe's Image: The Need for American Multiculturalism (Chap. 9 "Steinbeck's European Audience") » Read Now
by O. R. Dathorne. 220 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

A major contribution to the new American studies, a work that shows that even radical Black and White thinkers and writers opt for Eurocentrism as the preferred ideal.
10.

Opposing Censorship in the Public Schools: Religion, Morality, and Literature (Chap. 8 "Religion and Morality in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck" and Chap. 10 "Religion and Morality in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck") » Read Now
by June Edwards. 154 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Education, Entire Library
11.

Working the Garden: American Writers and the Industrialization of Agriculture (Chap. Three "Disciplining the Farmer: Class and Agriculture in The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and On Human Kindness (1940)") » Read Now
by William Conlogue, Jack Temple Kirby. 230 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

In 1860 farmers accounted for 60 percent of the American workforce; in 1910, 30.5 percent; by 1994, there were too few to warrant a separate census category. The changes wrought by the decline of family farming and the rise of industrial agribusiness typically have been viewed through historical...
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In 1860 farmers accounted for 60 percent of the American workforce; in 1910, 30.5 percent; by 1994, there were too few to warrant a separate census category. The changes wrought by the decline of family farming and the rise of industrial agribusiness typically have been viewed through historical, economic, and political lenses. But as William Conlogue demonstrates, some of the most vital and incisive debates on the subject have occurred in a site that is perhaps less obvious--literature.
Conlogue refutes the critical tendency to treat farm-centered texts as pastorals, arguing that such an approach overlooks the diverse ways these works explore human relationships to the land. His readings of works by Willa Cather, Ruth Comfort Mitchell, John Steinbeck, Luis Valdez, Ernest Gaines, Jane Smiley, Wendell Berry, and others reveal that, through agricultural narratives, authors have addressed such wide-ranging subjects as the impact of technology on people and land, changing gender roles, environmental destruction, and the exploitation of migrant workers. In short, Conlogue offers fresh perspectives on how writers confront issues whose site is the farm but whose impact reaches every corner of American society.
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12.

Writing the American Classics ("The Mirror and the Vamp: Invention, Reflection, and Bad, Bad Cathy Trask in East of Eden" begins on p. 235) » Read Now
by James Barbour, Tom Quirk. 287 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library
13.

Bilingual Wordplay: Variations on a Theme by Hemingway and Steinbeck, in The Hemingway Review » Read Now
by Mimi R. Gladstein. 17 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library
14.

A Sourcebook of American Literary Journalism: Representative Writers in an Emerging Genre (Discussion of John Steinbeck begins on p. 223) » Read Now
by Thomas B. Connery. 410 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

..."This book promises to be a useful reference source and would be a welcome addition to public and high school libraries....The book's focus makes it unique..." Booklist
15.

Sixteen Modern American Authors: A Survey of Research and Criticism (Discussion of John Steinbeck begins on p. 499) » Read Now
by Jackson R. Bryer. 678 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...ARLINGTON ROBINSON Ellsworth Barnard 473 JOHN STEINBECK Warren French 499 WALLACE STEVENS...Viking Press, photograph by Wm. Ward Beecher John Steinbeck ; Alfred A. Knopf...