For the first time in one volume, the early California writings of one of America's greatest novelists have been collected, including the seminal works, Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men, tracing his early growth and evolution. 20,000 first printing.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some pretty amazing Steinbeck magic,
By Assaf Tal (Israel) - See all my reviews
This review is from: John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America) (Hardcover)
This volume contains some of the earlier works of John Steinbeck. Steinbeck was a master of the English language and had the talent of using the least amount of words to convey the greatest amount of emotions. His stories are moving without being cheap. He is compassionate and had keen insight into his characters and the world at large.Reviewing each story that appears in this volume is beyond the scope of this review, and you should check out that various titles individually. I will just say a few words about the collection in general. Steinbeck's earlier works are, in my opinion, better than his later, more ambitious works. While his later works can be viewed as some sort of social criticism, these earlier works are simply his personal salute to human nature. Steinbeck knew a basic truth about writing - if you want to write a great book, before you have a great theme, make sure you have great characters, and the rest will follow. Steinbeck is both profound and very accessible at the same time, which I think is the trademark of a great author. He wrote for ordinary people (unlike, say, Joyce), and at the same time his works are complex enough to be appreciated by scholars. Whatever group you belong to, you will not regret reading this book.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The definitive Steinbeck,
By Joe (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
This review is from: John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America) (Hardcover)
I have been a big Steinbeck fan for a long time now, and I have found the ultimate collection of his works in this book. It is perfect for the long time fan as well as the beginner. The long time fans will appreciate the collection as classic Steinbeck, whereas the newcomers can get aquainted with his works. From "The Patures of Heaven" to "Of Mice and Men", you get five different tales, and a good look at the range of Steinbecks abilities. With "In Dubious Battle" you can get a taste of things to come in "The Grapes of Wrath." From "To a God Unknown" you get a good look at Steinbecks religious studies. In all five tales, you clearly see the tremendous influence that California's Salinas Valley has had on his work. All I can say is that it is a must have for any library, or just for anyone that's interested in Steinbeck.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pastures of Heaven,
By A Customer
This review is from: John Steinbeck : Novels and Stories, 1932-1937 : The Pastures of Heaven / To a God Unknown / Tortilla Flat / In Dubious Battle / Of Mice and Men (Library of America) (Hardcover)
I read chapter 6 of "The Pastures of Heaven" when I was a high school student. Since then, after thousands of short stories, I still find myself rereading Junius Maltby's story at least once a month. As part of the 'novel' it is the gravitational center. No one (Nabakov, Munro, Gallant) has ever achieved a short story with so much power. However, I still haven't figured out why?
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
WHEN the Carmelo Mission of Alta California was being built, some time around 1776, a group of twenty converted Indians abandoned religion during a night, and in the morning they were gone from their huts. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stable buck, halter chains, nice fella, lunch wagon Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jesus Maria, Big Joe, Miss Morgan, Tortilla Flat, Pastures of Heaven, John Whiteside, Nuestra Señora, Bert Munroe, Tito Ralph, San Francisco, Miss Martin, Father Ramon, Jesus Christ, Jimmie Munroe, Franklin Gomez, Tia Ignacia, Cornelia Ruiz, Raymond Banks, Aunt Clara, Johnny Pom-pom, Saint Francis, Doc Burton, Pat Humbert, Señor Alec Thompson, Torgas Valley New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
WHEN the Carmelo Mission of Alta California was being built, some time around 1776, a group of twenty converted Indians abandoned religion during a night, and in the morning they were gone from their huts. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stable buck, halter chains, nice fella, lunch wagon Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jesus Maria, Big Joe, Miss Morgan, Tortilla Flat, Pastures of Heaven, John Whiteside, Nuestra Señora, Bert Munroe, Tito Ralph, San Francisco, Miss Martin, Father Ramon, Jesus Christ, Jimmie Munroe, Franklin Gomez, Tia Ignacia, Cornelia Ruiz, Raymond Banks, Aunt Clara, Johnny Pom-pom, Saint Francis, Doc Burton, Pat Humbert, Señor Alec Thompson, Torgas Valley New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 75
books:
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24
books
cite this book:
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- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck on 6 pages
- To a God Unknown (Penguin Classics) by John Steinbeck on 5 pages
- In Dubious Battle (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) by John Steinbeck on 5 pages
- The Pastures of Heaven (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck on 4 pages
- The Grapes of Wrath (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck on 4 pages
See all 75 books this book cites
- John Steinbeck: A Centennial Tribute by Stephen K. George on 10 pages
- The Grapes of Wrath: Text and Criticism; Revised Edition (Critical Library, Viking) by John Steinbeck on 5 pages
- Orange Empire: California and the Fruits of Eden by Douglas Cazaux Sackman on 4 pages
- To a God Unknown (Penguin Classics) by John Steinbeck in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and page 187
- The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: Critical Essays with a Checklist to Steinbeck Criticism by Jackson J. Benson in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
See all 24 books citing this book
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