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)

~ (Author), Robert DeMott (Editor), (Editor) "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,..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 909 pages
• Publisher: Library of America; First Printing edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883011019
• ISBN-13: 978-1883011017
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #205,779 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some pretty amazing Steinbeck magic, December 14, 2001

By	Assaf Tal (Israel) - See all my reviews

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, June 12, 2000

By	Joe (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pastures of Heaven, February 21, 1998

By A Customer

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?