Steinbeck: A Life in Letters [Paperback]

John Steinbeck (Author), Elaine Steinbeck (Editor), Robert Wallsten (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 1989

"Surely his most interesting, plausibly his most memorable, and . . . arguably his best book" —The New York Times Book Review

For John Steinbeck, who hated the telephone, letter-writing was a preparation for work and a natural way for him to communicate his thoughts on people he liked and hated; on marriage, women, and children; on the condition of the world; and on his progress in learning his craft. Opening with letters written during Steinbeck's early years in California, and closing with a 1968 note written in Sag Herbor, New York, Steinbeck: A Life in Letters reveals the inner thoughts and rough character of this American author as nothing else has and as nothing else ever will.

"The reader will discover as much about the making of a writer and the creative process, as he will about Steinbeck. And that's a lot." —Los Angeles Herald-Examiner

"A rewarding book of enduring interest, this becomes a major part of the Steinbeck canon." —The Wall Street Journal

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. His complete works are available in Penguin Modern Classics. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 928 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (April 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140042881
• ISBN-13: 978-0140042887
• Product Dimensions: 1.7 x 5.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Essays & Correspondence > Letters & Correspondence

More About the Author

John Steinbeck (1902-1968), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, achieved popular success in 1935 when he published Tortilla Flat. He went on to write more than twenty-five novels, including The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#3 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics

#13 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#59 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#3 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics

#13 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#40 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#59 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars --- if you are a Steinbeck fan April 30, 2004

By SPM

Format:Paperback

Steinbeck left an autobiography of sorts when he died, a collection of personal letters to his friends. His widow and his friend worked together to gather the letters from everyone they could. They edited them for clarity and published them in chronological order.

The result is the personal story of a very creative, complex writer who worked every day with his hands. When he wasn't writing novels using pencils and a legal pad, he was mending the fence or fixing the roof. He loved people as much as he loved solitude, so he began each day by reaching out with these letters to his friends around the world. He talked about his surroundings and his thoughts and his ongoing projects.

All of this would be enough to make a wonderful book, but there's the added benefit of Steinbeck's writing style. Steinbeck used as few words as possible, always trying for a poetic effect without pretension. He wanted to be honest and accurate, but he knew the value of capturing an image or feeling with a colorful use of words. As a result, this massive book is a pleasure to read, from start to finish. Steinbeck's writing style keeps you interested but never overwhelmed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed a few Steinbeck novels. Aspiring writers should read it, as well. When you're done, read the Steinbeck chapter in 'Alcohol and the Writer' and Jackson Benson's books on Steinbeck. You'll be glad you did.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Steinbeck fans don't miss this one... November 30, 1999

By DP

Format:Paperback

An unbelievable recount of a man's life through his own eyes. I didn't think that a collection of letters would amount into a good read, but I was blown away by Steinbecks determinedly honest prose. The candor and focus that Steinbeck displays in his interaction with friends, family, and associates is outstanding. Steinbeck once again wields his magical touch and inspires thought and introspection without preaching. A truly great writer, and a truly great book. This collection takes you through Steinbecks journey from college dropout, to published author, to two time divorcee, to Pulitzer Prize winner. My only criticism is that there were too few moments of rage, anger and outburst, which is difficult to capture in letter form. However, it is a raw, honest, and unforgiving account of a man's walk through life, as it serves as inspiration for any aspiring writer out there. The ending letters are excellent, and it is definitely worth your time.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to become a writer? Read this! January 28, 1999

By Bruce A.

Format:Paperback

How can a book of letters be as fascinating as a John McPhee book, as well-written as a Steinbeck novel, as educational as the Iowa Workshop, as well as being fun, witty, and never pretentious? This book of letters will kick-start your brain and make you say "Man, could this fellow write!"

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest Eloquence December 19, 2001

By Kenneth Blum

Format:Paperback

If you appreciate the art of letter writing, you'll be delighted with this collection of letters from John Steinbeck.

Wow! can this man, write. But perhaps "write" is the wrong term - "think" is better. Wow! can this man think. And then he is able to express those thoughts in a clear, eloquent and, most of all, honest way that is a treat to read.

The book begins with a letter from the young, penniless author to a friend. At the time, Steinbeck was in isolation when he took a job as the winter caretaker of a lodge in Lake Tahoe. From there, he takes us along on a life journey through three marriages, financial success that always made him uncomfortable, fame that he often detested, Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, adventure in settings from the Sea of Cortez to Saigon.

The insights are astounding. His lack of pretension in the midst of his success amazes.

Here was a sensitive, often gruff but completely honest man who was not afraid to reveal himself in total to the friends he cherished.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Autobiography! June 15, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

John Steinbeck wrote his own autobiography without intending to. He left us richer with his novels .... but getting to know him through his letters should be required reading. What an insight into someone who was following his passion. I could not put the book down. It's one of my most treasured and recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars couldn't put it down April 11, 2005

By Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLOGY and DEEP CALIFORNIA

Format:Paperback

Can't put it down in any sense. This collection goes right through Steinbeck's life, from his twenties into old age, and contains many letters to key people in his life interspersed with helpful commentaries by his wife to give the reader a sense of what Steinbeck was facing when he wrote. Highly recommended, and very moving in many places, whether humorous, joyful, or passionately angry.

"I learn that all of my manuscripts have been rejected three or four times since I last heard. It is a nice thing to know that so many people are reading my books. That is one way of getting an audience." -- JS

"One very funny thing. Hotel clerks here [Monterey] are being instructed to tell guests that there is no Tortilla Flat. The Chamber of Commerce does not like my poor efforts, I guess. But there is one all right, and they know it." -- JS in the years before the Chamber of Commerce boosted Cannery Row as a tourist shrine

"I'm trying to write history while it is happening and I don't want to be wrong." -- JS before penning the Grapes of Wrath

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A life told in letters June 23, 2007

By Shalom Freedman HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

This book of letters tells the story of Steinbeck's life. As his third- wife the book's co- editor Elaine Steinbeck makes clear in her introduction Steinbeck was a life- long letter-writer. Steinbeck usually started his day writing letters to his friends, and business- associates. They were the warm-up for his real writing.
Steinbeck speaks frequently in these letters of his love of writing. He writes with a refreshing frankness and directness. The book tells in no doubt an incomplete way the story of his struggle for literary success, of his three marriages, of his relation to his parents, children and a number of friends.
Steinbeck seems in these letters a fundamentally decent, loyal , hardworking person. However one of the interesting elements in the letters is seeing how his relation to certain people, most notably his wives, changes in time. His first wife Carole in the early years is described and written about almost exclusively in superlatives. After his divorce from her he speaks about those years as ones in which each was angry at the other much of the time. His second wife, the mother of his children left him after five years, and his initial enthusiasm for her naturally cooled. Though he vowed not to marry again when he met Elaine SCott, who was then the wife of the actor Zachary Scott he found apparently the great love of his life. In one especially moving letter he will thank her for their life together and for her especially good relation to his two sons. Another exceptionally good letter is written to Elaine's daughter who is about to marry. His advice to her again shows him to be caring and non- conventionally wise.
One especially notable set of letters are those he wrote to his lifelong friend Carlton A. Sheffeld( Duke).... Another are those to his publisher Pascal (Pat)Covici.
I have never been a special fan of Steinbeck, but reading these letters I have a sense I somehow did not fully appreciate his work. So these letters will probably move me to reading more of his work. Read more ›