Steinbeck, anyone?

[Courtney Hughes]

Who loves Steinbeck? What's your favorite?

I read Of Mice and Men many years ago, and wasn't terribly impressed. Didn't read Steinbeck for years afterward. Then I read The Grapes of Wrath. Loved it. That inspired to me read East of Eden. I had seen the film with James Dean, but never read the book.

The film is actually only a section of the book (as is often the case). East of Eden is easily one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's incredibly well written, and the main antagonist is one of the most disturbing and fascinating characters you'll encounter in American literature. It's a book that stays with you after you've finished reading it. You won't soon forget it.

I loved East of Eden. It was such a great story, fully encompassing life over generations and how characters deal with circumstances. It has the drama, and biblical parallels that people can relate to in a way. It’s real life (for the time period) and that is what makes it transcendent to me.

[Majd Ali]

I read Cannery Row and of Mice and Men and enjoyed both. What is fascinating about his characters is how absurd they are. Also his way of writing makes you feel that writing is so much simple and easy. His characters appear simple when you first start reading but shock you of how complex they are as you go on. Absolutely one of my favourite authors.

[Courtney Hughes]

East of Eden was such an impactful book on my reading life. I absolutely loved the story, The characters, and their flaws. I read Of Mice and Men in high school and loved it. It was full of life lessons and not very long. I couldn’t get into Grapes of Wrath in high school but I haven’t tried to read it since.

[Elendu Ekechukwu]

I'm not a fan of his work. But I think I would give his books a try

[Janelydia Mwangi]

Definitely "The pearl" a short novel focusing on a young family (Kino,Juana and their child Coyotito). A book that potrays a man running away from his destiny. However he is eager to be a 'man' that can only be achieved by fishing the great pearl and when he does the wife notices it's evil as it changes his character- he becomes wild and physically abusive for the first time, he becomes greedy to earn more that leads them to leave their village and find better pearl buyers in the capital in this hurry he also kills. He doesn't arrive at the capital because the trackers follow his path and want to get the great pearl from him. They fight and he kills them and accidentally his only child is also shot. He returns as a man as he gets a riffle but is humbled to return the pearl that has killed his dreams. He returns back to his village , to his destiny where he though he would never return.

[Duha Khan]

I've read The Pearl. It was so sad and showed how wealth can change a person. A lot of people dislike Kino - the protagonist - for his actions but personally, I think he is justified to have done what he did. He deserved a happy ending

I loved it though. Brilliant Author. Brilliant story.

[Soumini Banerjee]

Yes! Steinback will always remain in a weird place in my heart with his novel "Of Mice And Men". The way he depicted friendship and betrayal along the same lines, at the backdrop of slavery and oppression, still astounds me to this day. I'll recommend it to anyone who questions the relevance of classics, especially.

[usef nahg]

ive only read of mice and men by him and i thought it was a bit average. ill have to read more stuff by him in the future

[Julia J 1]

I read the Grapes of Wrath a few years ago because I picked it up at a thrift store. I don't live in America so it was never in my school syllabus. Perhaps that's maybe why I enjoyed it. It was also one of my first classic reads not soully based on romance (I had previously read Jane Eyre, Pride and prejudice etc.)

As someone unfamiliar with the history I found it fascinating. It was very long-winded and very character orientated than story. Very little happens. But I am glad I read it.

I also read The winter of our discontent. Which had much more of a plot. It took me a few tries to get into it but I enjoyed it a lot and I would recommend it to those who want a more story driven book.

I think Steinbeck is a great writer, but every classic has its issues.

[Hafeezblove]

The pearl by John steinback is what I really fall in love with. I read it first in 1995, since then I try to spare time to read it again and again. I suggest it to my children and other youngsters. This is about the deep feeling of pain by a great writer, for the people of a subjugated race. Though this novel mentions only two casts, that is, the masters and slaves but it carried universal application to several other races having suffered alot. The harsh reality of how wealth is respected and the suppressed one is stopped from coming up the ladder. It explains how priests deprived the poor of basic religious rights and why the doctor ignored the suffering one. In my opinion, the situation still prevails in one form or another, particularly in third world under developed countries. The market of pearl with several apparent buyers working for a single person in reality. Can we say that stock exchanges of several regions depict the same: hundreds of stock exchange members infact surviving under handful of the big guns?

[Hannah Oakey]

I think that John Steinbeck is a fantastic author. We studied Of Mice and Men in secondary school and our English teacher really brought it to life. I have only now, years later, read Grapes of Wrath and thought that it was a brilliant novel. I am looking forward to discovering more of his novels. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.