One of the greatest American authors, John Steinbeck, was born in 1902 Salinas, California. It’s a place that would serve as the inspiration for many of his novels. Steinbeck is often credited, along with Hemingway, with transforming American literature.
Steinbeck’s Sociological Writing
Steinbeck was a college dropout, having attended Stanford University without ever graduating. He worked as a laborer during his first few trying years as an author, before his novel Tortilla Flat (1935) delivered him his first taste of success.
As Steinbeck’s career blossomed, his works increasingly reflected the social clime and economic situation of the labor class. In Dubious Battle (1936), Of Mice And Men (1937) and Grapes of Wrath (1939) all grapple with the challenges farmers and migrant workers faced.
Nature, Spirituality and The Human Spirit
Steinbeck’s novels also showcase a love of the earth and highlight the connection we share with nature. His second novel, To A God Unknown (1933), deals with a family building a homestead, while the protagonist simultaneously experiences a spiritual connection with his land. Ultimately the novel grapples with the idea of belief and how it affects people differently.
The Pearl (1947), was adapted from a Mexican folk tale and explores the yin and the yang of fortune. Other highlights include East Of Eden (1952) and The Winter Of Our Discontent (1961). He published Travels With Charley in 1962. It’s a travelogue documenting a 3-month road trip around 40 states with his canine companion.
Steinbeck’s Legacy
Like many authors, Steinbeck lived a life almost as colorful as his fiction. He acted as a war correspondent on the European front in WWII. He was married several times. And he won the Pulitzer Prize (for Grapes of Wrath) and the Nobel Prize For Literature (1962). Steinbeck was chosen for his “realistic and imaginative writing, combining as it does sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”
In 1968, John Steinbeck died on the other side of the continent, in New York City. His writings continue to inspire new legions of authors. We’re fortunate to have several first editions of his novels in our collection — a must-have if you’re a Steinbeck fan!
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