Since I've already asked for comments, I make as well make this as polarizing as possible. While Steinbeck is definitely one of my favorite authors, I still have pieces I enjoy more than others. (Plus, I've read most, but not all, of Steinbeck's oeuvre, so it's possible that one of those final four should be on this list.)
Love of Steinbeck+love of lists=list of Steinbeck books to read first
If you haven't read much Steinbeck, here are my top 3 suggestions.
1. Cannery Row - "Cannery Row focuses on the acceptance of life as is--both the exuberance of community and the loneliness of the individual. Creating characters based on his memories of real inhabitants of Monterey, California, Steinbeck interweaves the stories where only the fittest survive." (C's note-this might be of of the least helpful annotations I've ever read.)
reasons to read it: short book, short stories, lively characters with lots great ideas and great intentions, possibly the most memorable party scene you've ever read
2. Travels with Charley - "In September 1960, John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, embarked on a journey across America. This chronicle of their trip meanders through scenic backroads and speeds along anonymous superhighways, moving from small towns to growing cities to glorious wilderness oases. Travels with Charley in Search of America is animated by Steinbeck's attention to the specific details of the natural world and his sense of how the lives of people are intimately connected to the rhythms of nature."
reasons to read it: wry take on America's suburbanization and standardization, cross-country road trip with a poodle, great mid-century example of narrative nonfiction
3. East of Eden - "Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families — the Trasks and the Hamiltons — whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new, rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives, nurtured by the love of all those around him: the other grows up in loneliness, enveloped by a mysterious darkness."
reasons to read it: epic parable, emotional investment in the characters because it takes so long to read, Lee and Samuel's language debates, sincere desire for Aron to live his life surrounded by goodness
These are some of my favorites. What about you?
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2 comments:
I, too, love Travels with Charley, both on its own merits and because it was one of the books I read to Seth when he was young. We both enjoyed the interactions between the dog and other people, including his owner. Maybe that is where Seth's love of travel was nurtured.
Cue cute awwwing here. The first present Seth bought me was a copy of Travels with Charley. He included a really nice note at the front. I'm sure that had some influence on my perception of the book. :)
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