Books by John Steinbeck

Book SynopsisOriginally published at the zenith of Nazi Germany''s power, The Moon Is Down explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. Occupied by enemy troops, a small, peaceable town comes face-to-face with evil imposed from the outside and betrayal from within the close-knit community. As he delves into the motivations and emotions of the enemy, Steinbeck uncovers profound and often unsettling truths both about war and human nature.

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Book SynopsisEach of these delightful interconnected tales is devoted to a family living in a fertile valley on the outskirts of Monterey, California, and the effects that one particular family has on them all. Steinbeck tackles two important literary traditions here; American naturalism, with its focus on the conflict between natural instincts and the demand to conform to society''s norms, and the short story cycle. Set in the heart of ''Steinbeck land'', the lush Californian valleys.

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Book SynopsisIn 1960, John Steinbeck set out in his pick-up truck with his dog Charley to rediscover and chronicle his native USA, from Maine to California.He felt that he might have lost touch with its sights, sounds and the essence of the American people. Moving through the woods and deserts, dirt tracks and highways to large cities and glorious wildernesses, Steinbeck observed - with remarkable honesty, insight and a humorous eye - the gamut of America and the people who inhabited it.His 10,000-mile journey took him through almost forty states, where he saw things that made him proud, angry, sympathetic and elated. A rugged and passionate adventure of self-identity, Steinbeck''s vision of the changing world still speaks to us prophetically through the decades.''Delightful. This is a book to be read slowly for its savor.'' The Atlantic

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Book SynopsisThe Wayward Bus travels through the backroads of the lush California countryside, transporting the lost and the lonely to new destinations. Juan Chicoy is at the wheel, a man of the land, hot-blooded and uninhibited. His passengers include Ernest, a travelling salesman out for fun, seventeen-year-old Kit, also known as Pimples, and Camille the stripper who dances at stag nights and takes the star-struck young Norma under her wing. This powerful and unsentimental novel becomes a story of crisis and passion, love and longing, as the travellers reveal their secrets and journey away from their pasts and towards, possibly, the promise of the future. The Wayward Bus, with its profound insight into human desires and failings, remains one of Steinbeck''s most powerful novels.

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Book SynopsisSteinbeck''s first posthumously published work, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights is a reinterpretation of tales from Malory''s Morte d''Arthur. In this highly successful attempt to render Malory into Modern English, Steinbeck recreated the rhythm and tone of the original Middle English.

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Book SynopsisEthan Allen Hawley has lost the acquisitive spirit of his wealthy and enterprising forebears, a long line of proud New England sea captains and Pilgrims. Scarred by failure, Ethan works as a grocery clerk in a store his family once owned. But his wife is restless and his teenage children troubled and hungry for the material comforts he cannot provide. Then a series of unusual events reignites Ethan''s ambition, and he is pitched on to a bold course, where all scruples are put aside. Steinbeck''s searing examination of the evil influences of money, immorality, greed and ambition on America drew acclaim from the Nobel Committee who hailed him as an ''independent expounder of the truth''.''Returns to the high standards of The Grapes of Wrath and to the social themes that made his early work ... so powerful''Saul Bellow, author of Herzog

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Book SynopsisMasterful linked short stories by Nobel prizewinner John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath. The Red Pony is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first. Young Jody Tiflin lives on his father''s California ranch. He is thrilled when his father gives him a red pony, and later promises him the colt of a bay mare. Both these gifts bring joy to Jodi''s life - but tragedy soon follows. As Jodi begins to learn the harsh lessons of life and death, he starts to understand what growing-up and becoming an adult really means. The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man''s Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe - Esther Hautzig, Buddy - Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades - Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard, No Turning Back - Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah - Richard C. O''Brien, The Wave - Morton Rhue, The Red Pony - John Steinbeck, The Pearl - John Steinbeck, Stone Cold - Robert Swindells.Trade ReviewThere is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic * Time and Tide *

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Book SynopsisThe Pearl is a haunting and timeless tale of the dangers of unexpected wealth by Nobel prizewinner John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath. It is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first.Kino is a desperately poor Mexican pearl diver. But when he finds ''The Pearl of the World'' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed, fear and even violence the pearl arouses in his neighbours - and himself. The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man''s Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty,

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Book SynopsisWhen Kino, an Indian pearl-diver, finds 'the Pearl of the world' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. He will marry Juana in church and their little boy, Coyotito, will be able to attend school. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed, fear and even violence the pearl arouses in him and his neighbours.

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Book Synopsis''I''ve done my damndest to rip a reader''s nerves to rags, I don''t want him satisfied.'' Shocking and controversial when it was first published, The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck''s Pultizer Prize-winning epic of the Joad family, forced to travel west from Dust Bowl era Oklahoma in search of the promised land of California. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and powerlessness, yet out of their struggle Steinbeck created a drama that is both intensely human and majestic in its scale and moral vision.Trade ReviewA novelist who is also a true poet * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisWhen Kino, a poor Indian pearl-diver, finds ''the Pearl of the world'' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. He will marry Juana and their son Coyotito will be able to attend school. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed and even violence the pearl arouses in him and his neighbours. Written with lyrical simplicity, The Pearl sets the values of the civilized world against those of the primitive and finds them tragically inadequate.

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Book SynopsisDrifters in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie, have nothing in the world except each other - and a dream. A dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch, but their hopes are doomed as Lennie becomes a victim of his own strength.Trade ReviewA novelist who is also a true poet * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression, in a deluxe centennial edition   Over seventy-five years since its first publication, Steinbeck’s tale of commitment, loneliness, hope, and loss remains one of America’s most widely read and taught novels. An unlikely pair, George and Lennie, two migrant workers in California during the Great Depression, grasp for their American Dream. They hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him. Of Mice and Men represents an experiment in form, which Steinbeck described as “a kind of playable no

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Book SynopsisSteinbeck's tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society, dependant on one another for both physical and emotional survival Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society. Henry the painter sorts through junk lots for pieces of wood to incorporate into the boat he is building, while the girls from Dora Flood’s bordello venture out now and then to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Lee Chong stocks his grocery with almost anything a man could want, and Doc, a young marine biologist who ministers to sick puppies and unhappy souls, unexpectedly finds true love. Cannery Row is just a few blocks long, but the story it harbors is suffused with warmth, understanding, and a great fund of human values.First published in 1945, Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as it is—both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual

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Book Synopsis“There it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon.” One of Steinbeck’s most taught works, The Pearl is the story of the Mexican diver Kino, whose discovery of a magnificent pearl from the Gulf beds means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. His dream blinds him to the greed and suspicions the pearl arouses in him and his neighbors, and even his loving wife Juana cannot temper his obsession or stem the events leading to tragedy. This classic novella from Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck examines the fallacy of the American dream, and illustrates the fall from innocence experienced by people who believe that wealth erases all problems. This Centennial edition, specially designed to commemorate one hundred years of Steinbeck, features french flaps and deckle-edged pages.For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With mor

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Book SynopsisA Penguin ClassicIn Monterey, on the California coast, Sweet Thursday is what they call the day after Lousy Wednesday, which is one of those days that are just naturally bad. Returning to the scene of Cannery Row—the weedy lots and junk heaps and flophouses of Monterey, John Steinbeck once more brings to life the denizens of a netherworld of laughter and tears—from Doc, based on Steinbeck’s lifelong friend Ed Ricketts, to Fauna, new headmistress of the local brothel, to Hazel, a bum whose mother must have wanted a daughter. This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction and notes by Robert DeMott.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Book SynopsisSteinbeck''s only work of fantasy literature—in a  deluxe edition with a foreword by Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of Eragon, Eldest and BrisingrA Penguin Classic   Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur was the first book that John Steinbeck truly enjoyed reading as a child. Fascinated by Arthurian tales of adventure, knighthood, honor and friendship, in addition to the challenging nuances of the original Anglo-Saxon language, Steinbeck set out to render these stories faithfully and with keen animation for a modern audience. Here then is Steinbeck’s modernization of the adventure of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, featuring the icons of Arthurian legend—including King Arthur, Merlin, Morgan le Fay, the incomparable Queen Guinevere, and Arthur''s purest knight, Sir Lancelot of the Lake.   These enduring tales of loyalty and betrayal in the time of Camelot

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Book SynopsisA Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Steinbeck's brilliant short novelsCollected here for the first time in a deluxe paperback volume are six of John Steinbeck's most widely read and beloved novels. From the tale of commitment, loneliness and hope in Of Mice and Men, to the tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society in Cannery Row, to The Pearl's examination of the fallacy of the American dream, Steinbeck stories of realism, that were imbued with energy and resilience.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Trade ReviewBy the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

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Book SynopsisThe collaboration of two friends—one a novelist, one a marine biologist—produced a volume in which fascinating popular science is woven into a narrative of man’s dreams, his ideals, and his accomplishments through the centuries. Sea of Cortez is one of those rare books that are all things to all readers. Actually the record of a brief collecting expedition in the lonely Gulf of California, it will be science to the scientist, philosophy to the philosopher, and to the average man an adventure in living and thinking. The teeming and wildly competitive world of the sand flats is seen in terms of history, politics, ethics, and sociology; a starfish is important, not only because it is a new variety, but because it is essential to the delicate balance of the whole region in which it is found. Steinbeck and Ricketts are the opposite of “pure” scientists: it is not only their work that fascinates them, but the complicated and enormously exciting implications of that work. Sea of Cortez is a book to be read and remembered on two levels. It is a journey through a remote and beautiful corner of the world, a diary filled with the daily excitements and triumphs of skillful and energetic men. It is also an invitation to see the world anew from a fresh vantage point and perhaps with a broader and more understanding spirit.

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Book SynopsisCuando la noticia del gran hallazgo de Kino --la Perla del Mundo-- se esparció por el pueblo, nadie imaginó el poder que ésta tendría para engañar, corromper y destruir.Al igual que su padre y su abuelo, Kino es un humilde pescador que recoge las perlas de los mantos del Golfo que alguna vez significaron enormes riquezas para los reyes de España y que ahora proveen a Kino, Juana y su pequeño hijo de un magro sustento. Un día como cualquier otro, Kino regresa a la superficie con una perla tan grande como un huevo de gaviota, tan perfecta como la luna. La perla trae consigo la esperanza, así como la promesa del bienestar y la seguridad.La perla, una historia de simplicidad clásica basada en el cuento popular mexicano, explora los secretos de la naturaleza humana, las profundidades más oscuras del mal y las luminosas posibilidades del amor.Ganador del Premio Nobel de Liter

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Book Synopsis''Everything was dead, everything unreal; the dark mob was made up of stiff lay-figures''One of America''s greatest writers explores mob violence, voyeurism and betrayal in these unforgettable tales of Californian life.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisA special student edition of the iconic American author''s most enduring novel, with an introduction and study notesDrifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie have nothing in the world except the clothes on their back and a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California''s Salinas Valley, but their hopes are dashed as Lennie becomes a victim of his own strength.This special student edition of John Steinbeck's moving novel of friendship and inequality is specifically designed for readers who are studying the text in detail. It has extra-wide margins to leave space for notes, and includes and includes an introduction, chapter synopses and a vocabulary list by Steinbeck expert Dr Barbara Heavilin.

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Book Synopsis''Steinbeck at the top of his form'' New York Times''In the town they tell the story of the great pearl - how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino, the fisherman, and of his wife, Juana, and of the baby, Coyotito. And because the story has been told so often, it has taken root in every man''s mind.''The Pearl is Steinbeck''s heartbreaking short parable about wealth and the darkness and evil it can instill in even the most generous of men''s hearts. This edition features a stunning new cover by renowned artist Bijou Karman.''[The Pearl] has the distinction and sincerity that are evident in everything he writes'' New Yorker''There is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic'' Time and Tide''Steinbeck is to be judged by the highest standards'' New York Herald TribuneTrade ReviewSteinbeck at the top of his form * New York Times *[The Pearl] has the distinction and sincerity that are evident in everything he writes * New Yorker *There is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic * Time and Tide *Steinbeck is to be judged by the highest standards * New York Herald Tribune *

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Book Synopsis''A little masterpiece'' New York TimesJody Tiflin is a ten-year-old boy, living on his father''s ranch. One day his father brings home a small pony. He''s Jody''s, if the boy will learn to feed, clean, stable and care for him. But Jody learns, through the colt, and through his other adventures on the ranch, that with responsibility can come sacrifice and pain. Joy may swiftly turn to tragedy. And he also discover that the simplicities of childhood must eventually turn into the complications of adulthood.The Red Pony is Steinbeck''s brilliant, and sometimes brutal, celebration of adolescence, with a stunning new cover by renowned artist Bijou Karman.Trade ReviewA little masterpiece * New York Times *Steinbeck is to be judged by the highest standards * New York Herald Tribune *Pure gold * New York Times Book Review *There is no more impressive writer on either side of the Atlantic * Time and Tide *A novelist who is also a true poet * Sunday Times *

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