Customer Reviews

A Journey into Steinbeck's California (ArtPlace series)

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I bought this book for my folks--who were planning a visit through California--and ended up reading it myself. I've been to the Steinbeck Institute (and loved it) in Salinas, but this book has a broader scope and takes you to the places in California where Steinbeck grew up and lived, as well as the places that appear in his books. I heartily recommend it for any Steinbeck fan.

While this book works wonderfully as a travel guide for your visit to California's Salinas, Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula, it is equally enjoyable when you read it from the comfort of your armchair at home. The vivid pictures, poetic descriptions and interesting sidebars help Steinbeck's California come alive to diehard Steinbeck fans and the uninitiated alike. Beware though, because after reading Shillinglaw's book, you'll want to read all those Steinbeck books you missed in high school and college.

Last weekend our family had a great time on vacation in Monterey. Following Steinbeck's story as it intertwined with places and people in Monterey made my walks around town alive with history. We spent part of a day in Pacific Grove and loved looking at pictures of the past incarnation of present buildings and sites. Definitely added a rich dimension to our trip.

I accidentally found this book in the library and was amazed by it and will be purchasing it for my library. This book isn't only for Steinbeck readers, it's also for anyone who grew up in California during its Golden Years and wants to remember the way it was, not the way it is now. Yes all the negative aspects are covered as well, that are infused into Steinbeck's heartbreaking stories, such as the migrant workers lives. But also mentioned is the beauty of California's landscape and early productivity, and the various types of people who helped it grow by either their sweat, money, or entrepreneurial spirit. For example, Steinbeck's long description of the hierarchy of produce growers and the rise of bottom-rung dwellers toward the snobbish top of the ladder as the different types of produce increased is hilarious ("...Sugar People might never have got any place socially if lettuce had not become the green gold of the Valley...These Lettuce People had Carrot People to look down on..."). His friends and family are included in the landscape of his influences as well. And each of the places that inspired his well known stories are described and referenced, along with the actual people he knew who ended up being a part of those stories. This is just an all around enjoyable book, even for someone not heading out for a vacation in Monterey.