American writer John Steinbeck is famous his compassionate treatment of his characters. Aside from his best known novel The Grapes of Wrath, also considered a classic book is Of Mice and Men. He was awarded Pulitzer Prize, 1940, and Nobel Prize for Literature, 1962.
Early Life of John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California. He attended Stanford University and studied marine biology, but he never got a degree. He wanted to be a writer and worked his way to New York seeking for literary fortune. Soon after, he returned, unsuccessful.
In 1928, he was 26, Steinbeck moved to San Francisco to be with his girlfriend, who he married two years later. Eventually, he settled in California and was married three times.
Literary Life
Steinbeck's first novel, Cup of Gold, came out in 1929 when he was 27. It was not a great success, but at least the income from its sales allowed him to write. It was his fourth novel, Tortilla Flat, about Mexican-American farmhands that claimed him success. However, his most famous book is The Grapes of Wrath.
The Grapes of Wrath is a portrait of poor Oklahoma farmers forced off their land and onto the road by drought, a frequent occurrence during the Great Depression of the 1930s. This novel, a strong voice of social protest, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. One of Steinbeck's best works, Of Mice and Men, is a tragic story that demonstrates simple human values. It explores the close bond between George, a physically strong but mentally impaired farmhand, and his friend and guardian Lennie. It is heart-warming.
He also wrote some history books including The Sea of Cortez and Once There Was a War. Steinbeck died at the age of 66, December 20, 1968.
Steinbeck Quote:
"Tell you what – I use to get the people jumpin' and talkin' in tongues an' glory shoutin' till they just fell down an' passed out… An' then – you know what I'd do? I'd take one of them girls out in the grass an' I'd lay with her… Come the nex' time, them an' me was full of the spirit, I'd do it again." ~ Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath.
Major Books by John Steinbeck
- Cup of Gold, 1929
- The Pastures of Heaven, 1932
- Tortilla Flat, 1935
- In Dubious Battle, 1936
- Of Mice and Men, 1937
- The Long Valley, 1938
- The Grapes of Wrath, 1939
- The Seas of Cortez, 1941, History
- The Moon is Down, 1942
- The Wayward Bus, 1942
- Cannery Row, 1945
- The Pearl, 1947, Novella
- Burning Bright, 1950
- East of Eden, 1952
- Once There Was a War, 1958, History
- The Winter of Our Discontent, 1961
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Edinburgh: Chambers, 2002
Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, New York: Larousse, 1994
The A-Z of Great Writers by Tom Payne, Carlton, 1997
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