Beautifully written - that first paragraph pulled me in.
I've had Steinbeck on my reading list, this gives me even greater motivation and excitement to read his work with different eyes than an inpatient teen in honors English ☺️
I was interested to find some years ago while researching war correspondents that Steinbeck worked as one during WW2 and later went to Vietnam with credentials as well. Reading a collection of his published reports I have found that he may have found the line between his two writing careers hard to see at times.
Robert, you are spot on. As part of this project I read his correspondence from WW2 and Vietnam. It is difficult at times to tell if he is writing fact or fiction. Maybe he wasn’t sure himself. Also, he wrote a serious of newspaper articles about the dust bowl and the westward migration which in turn became resource material for several of his books. There is also some drama around The Grapes of Wrath as it is nearly identical to another book written by Sanora Babb. I don’t believe Steinbeck plagiarized Babb’s work but her supervisor, Tom Collins, was passing a lot of notes/material to Steinbeck that likely came from Babb’s own notes. So there are definitely some sticky issues with him as an author. Like all of us he was human and inherently flawed. He still produced some amazing work.
Camila, I have actually been writing about him and his works for the past year. This post was kind of the wrap-up for my year with him. You can see all the previous essays that I wrote at this link: https://matthewmlong.substack.com/p/the-complete-works-of-john-steinbeck . I hope you enjoy!
I know of Steinbeck's talent and acclaim, but have never felt drawn to reading his books, primarily because of my already burgeoning TBR. But, after this piece, I am convinced to pick up at least one of his works sooner than planned. This was both enjoyable and insightful to read.
Esha, I am glad this essay was valuable for you. Steinbeck can be hit or miss at times so if you are looking for a recommendation of where to start, let me know. I would be happy to provide some recommendations.
If you would like a quick read to get a taste of his work then I recommend Of Mice and Men or The Pearl. Both are quick reads but good examples of his work. If you have some time to invest then his masterpieces are definitely The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. I read all his works chronologically this year. It was a very rewarding experience but it was a definite investment of time.
I will begin with Of Mice and Men or The Pearl then. Quick reads would be great to start with. They might just motivate me to move to the masterpieces sooner than planned. Thanks, Matthew!
Loved reading this! I’m hoping to read East of Eden this winter, and I’ve bookmarked your essay to return to as I’m working through the books’s themes and motifs
Shruti, great to hear! I am unsure if you have seen my previous articles on Steinbeck but you can find them all at this link below if you want to refer back to any specific ones. I did an article on East of Eden earlier this year which might also be helpful.
Thoroughly enjoyed your post. Thanks for putting it together and sharing. I spent one of my five years on the road traveling the country, reading most of the books by Jack Kerouac. I visited the places he wrote about and took in the views he reveled in. As a writer, I found it cathartic to have these experiences even as I read his prose. Long way for me to say, I get it. Thanks.
Robyne, thanks for your comment. I think that when we deeply study a writer we have much better insight into their writing and are better able to understand them as people. I imagine an exploration of Kerouac was equally enlightening to my own journey with Steinbeck.
Incredible, Matthew. Thank you giving us this beautifully woven description of Steinbeck’s life. You gave us a clear picture of his essence and spirit and how his values reflected deeply within his work.
On a side note, we visited Northern California a few years ago and stayed in the endearing town of Salinas. There is a great little bookstore there that I’m sure you would love called Downtown Book and Sound. https://downtownbookandsound.com/
There's quite a lot of moral ambiguity in East of Eden, which is a little perplexing since the narrator does a great deal of sermonizing. I recently listened to the audiobook after reading it years ago, and the didactic narrator really stands out more in the audio form. Even so, I appreciate the vast scope of it, how you follow characters throughout their lives, understand their origins, how twists of fate and fortune shape them. It is unfortunate that a work like this is either not taught in universities now (because no one reads books that long) or held up largely as an illustration of racism, misogyny, and patriarchy. Lee's character is problematic in many ways, but also fascinating (the sidebar about how some Chinese elders learned Hebrew to puzzle over the meaning of a biblical phrase is really something). Kate is also quite a bold character for the literature of that time.
It is en vogue now to offer small slices of life in fiction. No one is attempting anything like "East of Eden" (that I know of). It's not really an epic, since it doesn't have a single heroic figure. It's almost like a bildungsroman of the Salinas Valley. Maybe "historical epic" is close to the mark, though Steinbeck wasn't reconstructing a long-distant historical period the way that historical fiction typically does.
Joshua, thanks for the insightful comments. I haven't listened to this on audiobook yet but that might be something to do next so I can get a different perspective. What I found fascinating about East of Eden and Steinbeck's other works is how much of himself was woven into his stories. He was a complex and morally ambiguous individual. I think that while he was writing these big historical books, he was also working out some of his inner issues on the page. I don't think I would have understood that about him if I hadn't undertaken this project.
This is SO cool.
Beautifully written - that first paragraph pulled me in.
I've had Steinbeck on my reading list, this gives me even greater motivation and excitement to read his work with different eyes than an inpatient teen in honors English ☺️
Thanks Halle. Really appreciate the kind words. I read a bit of Steinbeck in high school but it was a much different experience this time around.
I was interested to find some years ago while researching war correspondents that Steinbeck worked as one during WW2 and later went to Vietnam with credentials as well. Reading a collection of his published reports I have found that he may have found the line between his two writing careers hard to see at times.
Robert, you are spot on. As part of this project I read his correspondence from WW2 and Vietnam. It is difficult at times to tell if he is writing fact or fiction. Maybe he wasn’t sure himself. Also, he wrote a serious of newspaper articles about the dust bowl and the westward migration which in turn became resource material for several of his books. There is also some drama around The Grapes of Wrath as it is nearly identical to another book written by Sanora Babb. I don’t believe Steinbeck plagiarized Babb’s work but her supervisor, Tom Collins, was passing a lot of notes/material to Steinbeck that likely came from Babb’s own notes. So there are definitely some sticky issues with him as an author. Like all of us he was human and inherently flawed. He still produced some amazing work.
Thank you, Matthew. I hope this is only part one of your writing on this author, who I also love. I look forward to reading your posts.
Camila, I have actually been writing about him and his works for the past year. This post was kind of the wrap-up for my year with him. You can see all the previous essays that I wrote at this link: https://matthewmlong.substack.com/p/the-complete-works-of-john-steinbeck . I hope you enjoy!
. I haven't been here that long. I am still discovering things in the feed Thanks so much .
You are welcome. It takes a minute to figure out all the bells and whistles on the site! No worries at all, always glad to assist.
I know of Steinbeck's talent and acclaim, but have never felt drawn to reading his books, primarily because of my already burgeoning TBR. But, after this piece, I am convinced to pick up at least one of his works sooner than planned. This was both enjoyable and insightful to read.
Esha, I am glad this essay was valuable for you. Steinbeck can be hit or miss at times so if you are looking for a recommendation of where to start, let me know. I would be happy to provide some recommendations.
I am torn between his two famous works or his non-fiction. Though, I also like the idea of going through his works chronologically. Thoughts?
If you would like a quick read to get a taste of his work then I recommend Of Mice and Men or The Pearl. Both are quick reads but good examples of his work. If you have some time to invest then his masterpieces are definitely The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. I read all his works chronologically this year. It was a very rewarding experience but it was a definite investment of time.
I will begin with Of Mice and Men or The Pearl then. Quick reads would be great to start with. They might just motivate me to move to the masterpieces sooner than planned. Thanks, Matthew!
Loved reading this! I’m hoping to read East of Eden this winter, and I’ve bookmarked your essay to return to as I’m working through the books’s themes and motifs
Shruti, great to hear! I am unsure if you have seen my previous articles on Steinbeck but you can find them all at this link below if you want to refer back to any specific ones. I did an article on East of Eden earlier this year which might also be helpful.
https://matthewmlong.substack.com/p/the-complete-works-of-john-steinbeck
Thank you, I’ll check these out!
Thoroughly enjoyed your post. Thanks for putting it together and sharing. I spent one of my five years on the road traveling the country, reading most of the books by Jack Kerouac. I visited the places he wrote about and took in the views he reveled in. As a writer, I found it cathartic to have these experiences even as I read his prose. Long way for me to say, I get it. Thanks.
Robyne, thanks for your comment. I think that when we deeply study a writer we have much better insight into their writing and are better able to understand them as people. I imagine an exploration of Kerouac was equally enlightening to my own journey with Steinbeck.
Great read!
"However, as he grew in fame and fortune, he constantly struggled to manage his finances. The more money he made, the more he spent."
I wonder if this contributed to him writing "The Pearl"
It wouldn’t surprise me if it did. He often used his life experiences to inform his writing.
One of my favorite authors. This is a beautiful tribute To Steinbeck, and for this, I thank you.
Thanks Patti, I appreciate this.
Incredible, Matthew. Thank you giving us this beautifully woven description of Steinbeck’s life. You gave us a clear picture of his essence and spirit and how his values reflected deeply within his work.
On a side note, we visited Northern California a few years ago and stayed in the endearing town of Salinas. There is a great little bookstore there that I’m sure you would love called Downtown Book and Sound. https://downtownbookandsound.com/
Visiting Salinas and the surrounding area is on my bucket list. Thanks for the link Charlene. I will keep it handy for when I get out that way.
WOW…that was amazing. Thanks for sharing your reading experience with John Steinbeck.
Thanks Debra.
There's quite a lot of moral ambiguity in East of Eden, which is a little perplexing since the narrator does a great deal of sermonizing. I recently listened to the audiobook after reading it years ago, and the didactic narrator really stands out more in the audio form. Even so, I appreciate the vast scope of it, how you follow characters throughout their lives, understand their origins, how twists of fate and fortune shape them. It is unfortunate that a work like this is either not taught in universities now (because no one reads books that long) or held up largely as an illustration of racism, misogyny, and patriarchy. Lee's character is problematic in many ways, but also fascinating (the sidebar about how some Chinese elders learned Hebrew to puzzle over the meaning of a biblical phrase is really something). Kate is also quite a bold character for the literature of that time.
It is en vogue now to offer small slices of life in fiction. No one is attempting anything like "East of Eden" (that I know of). It's not really an epic, since it doesn't have a single heroic figure. It's almost like a bildungsroman of the Salinas Valley. Maybe "historical epic" is close to the mark, though Steinbeck wasn't reconstructing a long-distant historical period the way that historical fiction typically does.
Thanks for this rich post, Matthew.
Joshua, thanks for the insightful comments. I haven't listened to this on audiobook yet but that might be something to do next so I can get a different perspective. What I found fascinating about East of Eden and Steinbeck's other works is how much of himself was woven into his stories. He was a complex and morally ambiguous individual. I think that while he was writing these big historical books, he was also working out some of his inner issues on the page. I don't think I would have understood that about him if I hadn't undertaken this project.