I read 'Of Mice and Men's back in school. Steinbeck has been on the 'to read' list, particularly after I came across the diary he kept during the writing of 'The Grapes of Wrath'.
Annette, there are some of his works that I absolutely love. Others are so so. I am enjoying the process of reading through his complete works in order to get a better understanding of him and his development as a writer.
It's a very good approach. Charlotte Bronte was my first victim, followed by Thomas Hardy, then Dostoyevsky. Tolstoy is my current bill of fare. You learn so much, a surprising amount of which you are unaware; and those ideas stay with you a very long time.
Thanks for highlighting these Steinbeck titles, Matthew. I read a lot of Steinbeck in my teens, partly because of high school assignments - “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Of Mice and Men” - and partly because I loved Monterey - “Cannery Row” (I grew up in the Bay Area). I also recall reading “The Pearl” and liking it, and you’ve sparked me to read it again - and how I wish I’d read “Bombs Away” before watching the streaming series “Masters of the Air” recently 😉
Martha, thanks for sharing your own Steinbeck experience. So far, my favorites have been "The Long Valley," "Of Mice and Men," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "The Pearl." "East of Eden is one of my all time favorite and I am looking forward to rereading it again soon.
Like Annette, Steinbeck was required reading in high school. But I was fascinated to learn more about his life through you. I'm particularly interested in the writers who were influenced by WWII and WWI. And thank you for recommending Bombs Away, as I do have a love for historical adventure, and this sounds right up my alley. Cheers.
Lani, thanks for reading and commenting. Seems like most of us had to read something from his works in high school! Bombs Away wasn't my favorite work of his but it is very informative for those interested in the subject matter, especially WWII enthusiasts. All the best.
Matthew, thanks for this. I have The Pearl and Cannery Row on my to read list. East of Eden is one of my favorite books ever. I love Travels with Charley and The Grapes of Wrath is really good too. Time to reread that one.
Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, both a very long time ago. I'm curious about Cannery Row; your essay reminded me of a visit to Monterey many years back. I am astounded by your thorough research, Matthew. Some understanding of how a writer came to a story shines different, and more, light on our reading.
Thanks Maria. This has been an interesting project for me as I read through his works in the order he wrote them. I can see his development and different phases of his career. It also becomes apparent how his personal life and historical events impacted him.
Excellent overviews of the books and the interesting personal history surrounding them, thank you. I have not read the first two, but I have read the last two and really enjoyed them.
Jenn, thanks for your kind words. I am never very sure how these articles are going to be received since they tend to be more academic and less personal but it appears there is enough interest to make it worth my time. All the best!
I enjoy them because I like Steinbeck and it feels almost like an indulgence to have someone present well written and researched info on something that I find interesting. So thank you for creating something that is well worth reading and giving time to!
As an aside, I was looking for another book in my stash of un-reads today and I came across one by him titled “The acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights” that I forgot I had.
Yes, he was fascinated with the story of King Arthur his entire life, since childhood. He always wanted to rewrite the story in his own way. I haven't got to that one yet because it was written later in life but I am looking forward to it because the idea was a big influence on him throughout the years.
That’s so interesting, I didn’t know the story had such an impact on him, how cool. I have to look into it a bit more, but I think it’s going on the list of books to read to my kids.
Matt, I confess, I haven’t read any. But as I only started on Cormac McCarthy last year (standfast ‘The Road’, which I read before watching the movie back in the day), I have time to read some Steinbeck. I’m drawn to ‘lesser known’ pieces so this introduction is very helpful. Nicely put together. Interesting background on the context within which he was writing, both global and closer to home.
Thank you so much, Matthew. I haven’t read Steinbeck since school, over fifty years ago!These titles are new to me, so your excellent piece is a wonderful guide.
Maureen, you are very welcome and thank you for the kind words. I am reading through all his works this year in the order they were written and it has been a fascinating journey so far. I had read a few of his works back in my school days as well but I have also discovered some new works.
From these examples he didn't change much that I can see. My take on Steinbeck is good writer, adequate though unremarkable style, good stories, plenty of heart
Thanks Matthew. It's interesting to learn more about Steinbeck and his lesser known works. I see you're citing a quote from the biography. Is that where the rest of the paraphrasing comes from, too? Or are you using multiple sources of information?
Abra - The bolded quotes that are listed after the photo of each book come from that particular book. The one other quote that is listed in the footnote is from one of the biographies I have read. I have read three biographies of him now along with all his personal letters so I have quite a bit of his personal story in my head. Most of the editions I am reading have some biographical context in the forward of the book which I have referred to on occasion. The biography by Parini is what I read most recently and referred to when I needed to verify information. Everything else is just me, for better or worse. Not sure if that answers your question or not. Hopefully so.
Yes— it sounds like you are synthesizing and paraphrasing from a variety of sources so your readers don’t have too. I saw a Note recently that has me thinking carefully about how newsletters, which are not academic papers and don’t automatically come heavily footnoted or with bibliography, should acknowledge other published (online or print) sources they’re drawing upon, so I was curious about your approach.
In the academic world, not citing all the sources would be considered plagiarism and I think in book publishing also. This is different— this is email: should we have some shared modality-appropriate way of acknowledging sources? Curious what others think!
I have wondered about this myself to be honest. I guess one way would be to just put a list at the bottom of the article and state that those books were used as general reference material. I always cite the source when using a specific quote but widely available biographical info is more ambiguous. I appreciate the line of thinking though because it is important to credit original sources. Thanks Abra!
I read this exchange between you and Abra because I find it interesting. My newsletters are heavily influenced by what I'm reading/learning. And I do give the source material when it's a direct quote. I just wonder, when is it something I've already absorbed and "just know" versus when I'm using a specific reference material. I suppose it's also quite a different application, as you're talking about biographical information that would "have naturally originated" from a reference material at some point. Hmmm. Interesting. I'm glad I got to listen in to your convo here. 😊
Absolutely Lou. I have been reading biographies of Steinbeck alongside his books and it has given me so much insight into how and why he wrote the way he did.
Tamara, yes, I am actually reading all his books this year. The Log is coming up soon and will probably be in next month's review. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. It is really appreciated.
Cannery Row is one of the books I read with colour pencils…. To study the sheer beauty, the simplicity yet extraordinarily masterful use of language. I want to understand how and why he uses the verb forms he does- why does he use simple past rather than continuous as an example? What subtle rhythm does he provoke? I once read the whole book looking for adverbs to understand how he describes emotion and in the scene when Doc finds the body, which is so very powerful, there is only one adverb (from memory). I haven’t delved into or persevered with any of his other works but Cannery Row is a masterpiece of literature and a treasure of literary craft.
Melody, this is an intriguing technique you describe. I think your approach allows for a very detailed depth of understanding the work. My favorite is East of Eden which will be the topic of my next review.
I read 'Of Mice and Men's back in school. Steinbeck has been on the 'to read' list, particularly after I came across the diary he kept during the writing of 'The Grapes of Wrath'.
Annette, there are some of his works that I absolutely love. Others are so so. I am enjoying the process of reading through his complete works in order to get a better understanding of him and his development as a writer.
It's a very good approach. Charlotte Bronte was my first victim, followed by Thomas Hardy, then Dostoyevsky. Tolstoy is my current bill of fare. You learn so much, a surprising amount of which you are unaware; and those ideas stay with you a very long time.
Thanks for highlighting these Steinbeck titles, Matthew. I read a lot of Steinbeck in my teens, partly because of high school assignments - “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Of Mice and Men” - and partly because I loved Monterey - “Cannery Row” (I grew up in the Bay Area). I also recall reading “The Pearl” and liking it, and you’ve sparked me to read it again - and how I wish I’d read “Bombs Away” before watching the streaming series “Masters of the Air” recently 😉
Martha, thanks for sharing your own Steinbeck experience. So far, my favorites have been "The Long Valley," "Of Mice and Men," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "The Pearl." "East of Eden is one of my all time favorite and I am looking forward to rereading it again soon.
Yes, East of Eden! How could I forget?
Like Annette, Steinbeck was required reading in high school. But I was fascinated to learn more about his life through you. I'm particularly interested in the writers who were influenced by WWII and WWI. And thank you for recommending Bombs Away, as I do have a love for historical adventure, and this sounds right up my alley. Cheers.
Lani, thanks for reading and commenting. Seems like most of us had to read something from his works in high school! Bombs Away wasn't my favorite work of his but it is very informative for those interested in the subject matter, especially WWII enthusiasts. All the best.
Matthew, thanks for this. I have The Pearl and Cannery Row on my to read list. East of Eden is one of my favorite books ever. I love Travels with Charley and The Grapes of Wrath is really good too. Time to reread that one.
Yes! I read Travels with Charley when I left home as a young man. That and Kerouac's On the Road were well-worn by the time I was finished with them.
Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, both a very long time ago. I'm curious about Cannery Row; your essay reminded me of a visit to Monterey many years back. I am astounded by your thorough research, Matthew. Some understanding of how a writer came to a story shines different, and more, light on our reading.
Thanks Maria. This has been an interesting project for me as I read through his works in the order he wrote them. I can see his development and different phases of his career. It also becomes apparent how his personal life and historical events impacted him.
Excellent overviews of the books and the interesting personal history surrounding them, thank you. I have not read the first two, but I have read the last two and really enjoyed them.
Jenn, thanks for your kind words. I am never very sure how these articles are going to be received since they tend to be more academic and less personal but it appears there is enough interest to make it worth my time. All the best!
I enjoy them because I like Steinbeck and it feels almost like an indulgence to have someone present well written and researched info on something that I find interesting. So thank you for creating something that is well worth reading and giving time to!
As an aside, I was looking for another book in my stash of un-reads today and I came across one by him titled “The acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights” that I forgot I had.
Yes, he was fascinated with the story of King Arthur his entire life, since childhood. He always wanted to rewrite the story in his own way. I haven't got to that one yet because it was written later in life but I am looking forward to it because the idea was a big influence on him throughout the years.
That’s so interesting, I didn’t know the story had such an impact on him, how cool. I have to look into it a bit more, but I think it’s going on the list of books to read to my kids.
Matt, I confess, I haven’t read any. But as I only started on Cormac McCarthy last year (standfast ‘The Road’, which I read before watching the movie back in the day), I have time to read some Steinbeck. I’m drawn to ‘lesser known’ pieces so this introduction is very helpful. Nicely put together. Interesting background on the context within which he was writing, both global and closer to home.
If you need any help deciding where to start let me know. His work is hit and miss but when he is good, he is really good.
Thanks Matt.
Thank you so much, Matthew. I haven’t read Steinbeck since school, over fifty years ago!These titles are new to me, so your excellent piece is a wonderful guide.
Maureen, you are very welcome and thank you for the kind words. I am reading through all his works this year in the order they were written and it has been a fascinating journey so far. I had read a few of his works back in my school days as well but I have also discovered some new works.
From these examples he didn't change much that I can see. My take on Steinbeck is good writer, adequate though unremarkable style, good stories, plenty of heart
Thanks Matthew. It's interesting to learn more about Steinbeck and his lesser known works. I see you're citing a quote from the biography. Is that where the rest of the paraphrasing comes from, too? Or are you using multiple sources of information?
Abra - The bolded quotes that are listed after the photo of each book come from that particular book. The one other quote that is listed in the footnote is from one of the biographies I have read. I have read three biographies of him now along with all his personal letters so I have quite a bit of his personal story in my head. Most of the editions I am reading have some biographical context in the forward of the book which I have referred to on occasion. The biography by Parini is what I read most recently and referred to when I needed to verify information. Everything else is just me, for better or worse. Not sure if that answers your question or not. Hopefully so.
Yes— it sounds like you are synthesizing and paraphrasing from a variety of sources so your readers don’t have too. I saw a Note recently that has me thinking carefully about how newsletters, which are not academic papers and don’t automatically come heavily footnoted or with bibliography, should acknowledge other published (online or print) sources they’re drawing upon, so I was curious about your approach.
In the academic world, not citing all the sources would be considered plagiarism and I think in book publishing also. This is different— this is email: should we have some shared modality-appropriate way of acknowledging sources? Curious what others think!
I have wondered about this myself to be honest. I guess one way would be to just put a list at the bottom of the article and state that those books were used as general reference material. I always cite the source when using a specific quote but widely available biographical info is more ambiguous. I appreciate the line of thinking though because it is important to credit original sources. Thanks Abra!
I read this exchange between you and Abra because I find it interesting. My newsletters are heavily influenced by what I'm reading/learning. And I do give the source material when it's a direct quote. I just wonder, when is it something I've already absorbed and "just know" versus when I'm using a specific reference material. I suppose it's also quite a different application, as you're talking about biographical information that would "have naturally originated" from a reference material at some point. Hmmm. Interesting. I'm glad I got to listen in to your convo here. 😊
Knowing what's going in his life when he wrote Cannery Row makes me want to re-read it! Thanks Matthew.
Absolutely Lou. I have been reading biographies of Steinbeck alongside his books and it has given me so much insight into how and why he wrote the way he did.
I hope you have The Log Book from the Sea of Cortez on your reading list. I have always loved Steinbeck, but this is one I treasure.
Tamara, yes, I am actually reading all his books this year. The Log is coming up soon and will probably be in next month's review. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. It is really appreciated.
Thanks for this. Haven’t read Steinbeck since school NIW i want to read cannery row.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts on Cannery Row once you finish.
Cannery Row is one of the books I read with colour pencils…. To study the sheer beauty, the simplicity yet extraordinarily masterful use of language. I want to understand how and why he uses the verb forms he does- why does he use simple past rather than continuous as an example? What subtle rhythm does he provoke? I once read the whole book looking for adverbs to understand how he describes emotion and in the scene when Doc finds the body, which is so very powerful, there is only one adverb (from memory). I haven’t delved into or persevered with any of his other works but Cannery Row is a masterpiece of literature and a treasure of literary craft.
Melody, this is an intriguing technique you describe. I think your approach allows for a very detailed depth of understanding the work. My favorite is East of Eden which will be the topic of my next review.