The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Kindle Edition

Loved the stories.

I like to read

With over 1650 reviews already (July 2014), it's hard to know where to being, or if saying anything will be of any consequence. But it seems the beginning of this appreciation has been given to me: most of the reviews seem to be from students or teachers who read one of the six novellas her, and reviewed that one. I have read them all.When I was in high school, I always got booted into advanced English classes, so while everyone else was reading of Mice and Men or The Pearl, I was reading something contemporary and "advanced." So I ended up missing out reading Steinbeck almost entirely (with the exception of Travels with Charlie, which was hot in my sophomore year and considered "cutting edge.") But over time I came to be familiar with most of these tales. There are films of all of them but The Pearl, of Mice and Men is frequently presented theatrically on the stage (and there's a new opera based on it), and I've know the Copland music for The Red Pony since I became a classical music fan in my teens.So I discovered that Penguin put these little gems together in a single volume and resolved to read it cover to cover this summer, in my early 60s. It has been an adventure, discovering how Steinbeck's style became more economical, more compressed over the critical years from 1933 (The Red Pony, when he was 31) until 1947 (The Pearl, when he was 45). He's attracted to strong stories about ordinary people and, from the very beginning, applies an academic craftsman's took kit to issues such as narrative arc and pacing. It's common to shrug him off as an American socialist, campaigning on behalf of the poor during the years of the Great Depression and World War II, but he is (1) not alone among American artists in that regard, and (2) so much more than that.The big surprise, by the way, is The Moon Is Down, an unexpected parable set in Europe early in World War II. I read a plea for sanity into the book, a plea for distance and objectivity in the face of the imperatives inherent in unrelenting evil bent on conquest.In the end, and with an eye on all the amazon.com reviews focused on one or another of the early novellas, my plea is that any potential reader sit down with the book, open it to the first page, and don't stop reading until the last. It's an amazing experience, one of those "Aha!" moments on why he was famous in the '40s and '50s and why he will be an enduring name in American literature in the future (pacem The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden).

I absolutely love the romantic story telling of writers from Steinbeck's time, be it Faulkner, or Hemmingway. The book has a great cover and appearance, and I really enjoyed all of his stories. I'll rank the stories from my least to most, personal, favorite: The Pearl, The Moon is Down, Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and Cannery Row. I rated the stories in based on my own emotional reactions for different scenes in each of the short novels. Cannery Row ends pm a mystic note, which the reader should discover and feel for themselves... The Red Pony is a heart wrenching story about a boy's love turned mournful, a promise with a tragic twist, mountains beyond and man with a home lost, and the passing of old glories. Of Mice and Men is, in my understanding, a character observation of the definition of masculinity and people's senses of pride and promised property. Tortilla Flat is also another elaboration on property, more so tying in the bonds between people and a community in the absence of family, and the obligations of people to one another. The Moon is Down seems to me to be one of Steinbeck's more thematically deviating novels: much of the subject matter seems to be, at the surface, about war and the unconquerable nature of community and nation. The Pearl, I liked the least, not saying it was bad, but it was not on the same level as the others. The Pearl was definitely, compared to the other five, the darkest and most brooding; themes about the failure of capitalism and the viciousness and greediness of people in the fortune of others are clear.In aggregate, the collection is AWESOME!!!!!! I had a blast reading them, and Steinbeck really makes you work to extract meaning from his novels. His writing has a pastel quality in all of his descriptions; whether it be an diving town, Monterey, a surrendering village, a farm in the countryside, in my mind's eye his settings are stylized like pieces by Monet. I'm currently working on Grapes of Wrath, and have East of Eden and The Winter of Discontent in my lined up in my queue.

Easy read

6 books for the price of 2. Very comfortable to hold, printed on sturdy ragged parchment with an extremely legible typeface. Something I will reread again and again. The stories are so masterfully written, so passionate, he makes me feel like I am living the story with them. Not for the faint of heart. Steinbeck (and Faulkner) are the greatest of all.

Hard to. ,Rate as one book with several stories,, some stories wrEre interested as d others not so much 🤔

This is another of Steinbeck's stories that becomes quite obviously set up for tragedy. Despite the predictable aspect, the story moves forward well and the author once again invites the reader into a vivid world of truth. We observe innocence in the Song of the Family and then witness its inevitable swallowing (or perhaps merging) in the unquenchable thirst of the Song of Evil. As in his other stories, Steinbeck doesn't really set up any heroes, though there is often one or more) to root for in the sympathetic sense. The imagery of The Pearl is astounding, providing the wonderful and compelling geographic and cultural context for which the author is famous. As an adventure this story could have definitely been longer, but it nevertheless effectively achieves its intended presentation as parable. Then, true to form, the author wraps up the mystery just enough to inspire some melancholy reflection.

I purchased the Penguin Deluxe edition of Steinbeck's collection. This edition is a beautiful paperback; with a front cover that folds out like a dust jacket. Steinbeck was a great writer - one of the greatest of all time - and this edition allows one to collect several of his works, in one volume. It really is great value and a wonderful addition to your collection. Recommended.

For a fistful of full coffee-flavoured, dust-shredded morning-dew greenery, everyone should read at least one Steinbeck novel. An almost unrivalled author of the human condition against a backdrop of a harsh environment. There, I've gone and said it.

Love Steinbeck and this volume covers his most important novellas. As I was looking for a book on display I was hoping for a high quality paperback. Mhm, it has novelty but needed to get used to the paper quality. Anyway, I will keep this one as it is a good talking point.

The book itself is fine, but the way they've given the pages a strange jagged edge is horrible. It's meant to be stylish and authentic, but it just looks and feels wrong. What's odd is that the top and bottom edges are nice, normal and straight. Anyway, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading the book, but just don't like the edges to the paper.

This excellent compilation contains the principal early short stories of this excellent American author. They are all more that half a century old but retain a disticnt period charm and narrative clarity. In these stories Steinback was writing about people and places he knew and loved and this affection shines through each page. Some like Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row are very well known and have become a revered part of English course work at University level. A personal favourite is The Red Pony which is more a novella with interlocking themes than a short story. But all could be read with benefit and pleasure.