The Short Novels of John Steinbeck [Hardcover]

John Steinbeck (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Viking (1962)
• ASIN: B000IZE85U
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful books, Kindle formatting problems, December 14, 2010

By 

K Wootton (Merida, Mexico) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Kindle Edition)

Steinbeck's novels are wonderful to read. I'm not writing this review for these iconic stories. My critique is for the Kindle Edition. I do love using the Kindle to read, particularly with a book like this that might be a bit large to hold for a long period of time. Yet again, and again, on the Kindle I encounter formatting problems that don't exist in the print editions. In the mad rush of offering all books digitally, publishers are not taking the time to make sure Kindle edition books are of the same quality. I've found may words in this book split in half (a space in the middle of the word), about every ten pages. It doesn't make the book not worth buying, but it is distracting and it can easily be fixed with adequate proofreading.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Buy, Great Value, February 2, 2008

By 

J. E. Robinson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Short Novels of John Steinbeck (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding collection of the best know shorter works by Steinbeck, or more accurately a collection of his novellas. The writing is exceptional and this is a highly recommended buy.

The stories are short and they cannot be compared with his best known novel "Grapes of Wrath." But this is a superb collection containing his best short work and first novel "Of Mice and Men." Also, it contains "Cannery Row," another great story. And, it has his interesting novel "The Moon is Down." It is about resistance to an invading force. We can assume that it is probably Norway during World War II, and their resistance to Germany, but Steinbeck keeps it a bit vague which broadens the appeal of the book. It could apply to any invading force.

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath" has over ten million copies in print.

Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.

I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his work - especially his short stories and short novels, so the present collection is a great buy.

The collection has his famous short works and is not a heavy read. Each of the works takes one evening to read. I liked all the stories. Readers will appreciate the clarity of the prose, the characters, and the messages. This is a great value purchase and an interesting reading experience.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steinbeck : Six Short Novels, August 6, 2009

By 

Edward H. Watts "Whole Ed" (Huntsville, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) (Roughcut)

Although no one else has reviewed this new edition of Steinbeck's shorter fiction, you'll find plenty of readers' comments on each of the component novels. Often readers are surprised that Steinbeck's works, being frequently cited as a modern classics, are easy reads. It is the characters and situations in Steinbeck's stories that are compelling -- not a lot of flowery language. I have to admit I somehow missed The Red Pony, but if it's as good as the other five (and people seem to agree that it is) this compilation easily deserves five stars.