Product Description
Steinbeck wrote this book to bring into the spotlight the plight of migrant workers. In The Grapes of Wrath a migrant family travels from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California only to be exploited by the agricultural system. The ferocity of resulting attacks on Steinbeck and his politics point to the truth and power of the stories told in this novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

the g of w
worth the money. it helped the girls with a book they didn't want to read cover-to-cover.

Perfect. Unless you have alot of time.
The Cliffs Notes for The Grapes of Wrath is an extremely helpful little book when you have an obscenely short period of time to read Steinbeck's excessively long The Grapes of Wrath.I had about a week to read and write an essay on The Grapes of Wrath.I then managed to read the Cliffs Notes in a few hours.Luckily I still got 100% on my essay even though I never did read the real book.

Also, the Cliffs Notes are meant to assist you in reading, not for doing what I did, but I would recommend it for either.

Nice Help, But Not Required
Some books are hard to follow. "The Grapes of Wrath" is long, but entrancing. Finishing it more a matter of time than struggle.

Granted, Steinbeck's description of the immense dust overtaking Oklahoma might seem overdone, but it sets the environment from which Tom Joad is leaving. It puts the grape fields in perspective.

Read "Cliff Notes" if you're in a jam, and need to get the gist of the real book in your system. However, if you have the time, read all 600+ pages of Steinbeck's magnificent story. Be engaged by Joad and his tender family as they plod across America and into dire and complex California grape fields.

I recommend Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath (Cliffs Notes) as an addition to the full book, not as a replacement.

Anthony Trendl

Help is on the way!!
Along with reading this very tedious but thrilling novel, Cliffs Notes help the experience greatly by offering insight and added understanding into The Grapes of Wrath.With a complete character list and Chapter reviews, the reading becomes even more exciting with Cliffs Notes at your side!!Cliffs also explains the confusing and foreshadowing intercalary chapters in full, vivid detail.Cliffs also gives the background of Steinbeck himself, so the reader knows the reasons for Steinbeck writing in the style that he does.I suggest to read the Cliffs Notes to gain FULL AND COMPLETE understanding of this famous and thrilling work of literature! ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1937, Of Mice and Men has been a staple of American literature ever since. Divided by decade, The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men provides an overview of criticism over the 70 years the book has been in print. Michael J. Meyer has assembled significant articles and book excerpts from critics and reviewers, citing the early book reviews and highlighting some of the most significant essays.While not all critical studies are included, those assessments not present in the text are evaluated by summaries and their bibliographic citations are given. The essays express various critical approaches, including those that criticize the book and examine what some consider the book's flaws. Ideal for research work at all levels, this volume collects in one place the most significant contributions to the study of the novel, making it a welcome addition to the canon of Steinbeck criticism. ... Read more

Product Description
John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath during an astonishing burst of activity between June and October of 1938. Throughout the time he was creating his greatest work, Steinbeck faithfully kept a journal revealing his arduous journey toward its completion.The journal, like the novel it chronicles, tells a tale of dramatic proportions—of dogged determination and inspiration, yet also of paranoia, self-doubt, and obstacles. It records in intimate detail the conception and genesis of The Grapes of Wrath and its huge though controversial success. It is a unique and penetrating portrait of an emblematic American writer creating an essential American masterpiece. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

skimming the surface with diary entries
I found this book to be less informative than I thought it was going to be. I was hoping to see more of whats happened in Steinbeck's physche during his labor over The Grapes Of Wrath, but it doesnt really happen. This almost feels like he was asked to perform this task and he did it as an assignment rather than a labor of love.

Interesting, but not Insightful
I found this work diary of Steinbeck to be far less informative than I had imagined it would be. Aside from his daily ruminations that he was unsure if "Grapes" would be a good book, there was little revealed as to his creative process. How did he create his characters? Why did he use certain plot devices? Where did his inspirations come from? All this was lacking.

If you read Christopher Tolkien's works on his father's "Lord of the Rings," you see the work created before you. You can see how a character developed, how a plot changed. In "Working Days" there is none of that. It is simply repetitive admonitions to himself to work harder. It became tedious and a great many times I wondered if the editor had simply repeated previous entries and only changed their number.

"Working Days" is interesting, but don't be fooled into thinking you are going to be there at the birth of a great novel.

great book from a great writer
If you enjoyed reading Grapes of Wrath, or any other books by Steinbeck...get this book. If you want to follow a writer through the process of creating an important novel, get this book. The daily journal entries written by Steinbeck show the ebb and flow of his moods, his confidence that he was indeed writing a great book, and those days when he felt that he lacked the talent to pull it off. It is rare to get the opportunity to watch an artist create....this is pretty darn close. And a good read!

A journal of a masterpiece getting written
Working Days is for Steinbeck readers or any student of creative processes and habits of successful people.John Steinbeck wrote the beefy The Grapes of Wrath like a freight train, averaging 2,000 words a day in longhand, from June through October, 1938. He did not do this in isolation.He got up an average of five days a week, had breakfast, wrote in his journal, then went to work until early evening, while hammers from neighborhood construction pounded relentlessly, amid human intrusions of all kinds, a souring stomach and self doubt.He was a purposeful journal-keeper, using it to set the goals for the day, to talk himself into character development and plot movement.No doubt the journal also served to subconsiously swat away the distractions so he could focus on the work.Working Days is edited by Robert Demott who has seemingly devoted his career to the meticulous scrutiny of Steinbeck's life, works and habits.If there can be a criticism of this volume, it's that Demott hovers too much; his is, for instance, one of the longest critical introductions I've come across.But this does not detract from the enjoyment of crawling around in Steinbeck's mind, which the journal freely permits.

Interesting and enjoyable look inside Steinbeck
This journal of Steinbeck's progress through Grapes of Wrath gives an inside view of what was on his mind when writing the novel.Interesting to see what Grapes of Wrath looked like from the inside out. ... Read more

Product Description
Travelling across America in search of who you are--now they do it on cycles, in cars, by bus or in the time-honored tradition of foot and thumb. The wanderers of today may wear their hair long and speak a different jargon, but their trip is one that men (and women) have taken for as long as this country has been pushing at its frontiers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Timeless story of friendship and heartache
If you have never read this classic, you should read it. If you read it long ago, you should read it again.

Clifton Fadiman, one of the 20th century's foremost critics, is said to have read 25,000 books in his lifetime, many more than once. "When you re-read a classic," he said, "you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before." I've read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men probably a half-dozen times since I first read it as a teenager. Each time, as a reader, I connect more with the characters than I did the last. And each time, as a writer, I learn something more about the stories I want to write.

A Poignant Classic
George and Lennie are two itinerant farm workers moving from one California farm to another. The two of them move together in order to avoid the loneliness and misery that usually accompanies nomads. Lennie is an incredibly strong and hard worker who has a mind of a child. Unfortunately for him, his strength and child-like instincts oftentimes get him in trouble. George has known Lennie since he was just a kid, and is the brains behind this unlikely duo. George dreams of a bigger life for the two of them, a life where they would settle on a small farm of their own. The questions remain, however, of how will they acquire enough money to purchase such a place and if they will be able to do so without getting into any really big trouble on account of Lennie's unpredictable behavior.

This is perhaps the most poignant and well developed of Steinbeck's short novels. The characters are some of the most memorable ones in all of the twentieth century literature, and are masterfully developed and vivid. The narrative is as compact and tight as they come. Steinbeck is nothing short of a pure genius when it comes to constructing stories: each element, each sentence has its place and serves the overall purpose. This novella is a textbook example of what good storytelling is all about and will be enjoyed by both Steinbeck's fans as well as those who are new to his writings.

Of Mice & Men
My daughter can't wait to read this. It is a school required reading for her sophmore year.Thanks for the fast delivery.

bought for daughter
Required reading for my 15 year old daughter in high school.Easiest way to buy anything is here on Amazon.No lines, driving to stores, etc..Book arrived quickly and in good condition.Thanks, mark

Great service
Received the book very quickly. I ordered it for my son for school. So I haven't read it. But it is what he needed. Thank you ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the California writer, discussing his childhood, hardships, friendships, travels, works, and awards, including the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

John Steinbeck, America's Author
Author Donne Florence has done an excellent job of over viewing John Steinbeck's life and contribution to American literature.Although this book is listed for juvenile readers it is a very solid introduction toSteinbeck for all ages.The author has done their homework.Theinformation is current and accurate.Many of the common errors I see inpublished information on Steinbeck are missing here.This author got itright!The author avoided the rumors and searched out truth.This 128page book has a easy to read font, and while not the indepth study that wesee in Jackson Benson's "The True Adventures of John Steinbeck,Writer", it covers the basics. Helpful listings are given at the endof the book - not only chapter notes, but some Internet Addresses, furtherreading suggestions, chronology and lists of Steinbeck's works. Myretirement profession is Steinbeck,I lecture, give tours, and helpresearchers.I recommend this books for new and knowledgeable Steinbeckreaders.

John Steinbeck, America's Author
Author Donne Florence has done an excellent job of over viewing John Steinbeck's life and contribution to American literature.Although this book is listed for juvenile readers it is a very solid introduction toSteinbeck for all ages.The author has done their homework.Theinformation is current and accurate.Many of the common errors I see inpublished information on Steinbeck are missing here.This author got itright!The author avoided the rumors and searched out truth.This 128page book has a easy to read font, and while not the indepth study that wesee in Jackson Benson's "The True Adventures of John Steinbeck,Writer", it covers the basics. Helpful listings are given at the endof the book - not only chapter notes, but some Internet Addresses, furtherreading suggestions, chronology and lists of Steinbeck's works. Myretirement profession is Steinbeck,I lecture, give tours, and helpresearchers.I recommend this books for new and knowledgeable Steinbeckreaders. ... Read more

Product Description
A magnificent volume of short novels and an essential World War II report from one of America's great twentieth-century writers

On the heels of the enormous success of his masterwork The Grapes of Wrath-and at the height of the American war effort-John Steinbeck, one of the most prolific and influential literary figures of his generation, wrote Bombs Away, a nonfiction account of his experiences with U.S. Army Air Force bomber crews during World War II. Now, for the first time since its original publication in 1942, Penguin Classics presents this exclusive edition of Steinbeck's introduction to the then-nascent U.S. Army Air Force and its bomber crew-the essential core unit behind American air power that Steinbeck described as "the greatest team in the world." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great insight to the selection and training of the newly formed Army Air Force Bombadier Group
For the purpose this book was written for, it was extremely insightful.My father served in WWII as an aerial tail gunner in a bombardier group and it was extremely fascinating to get a glimpse into what he went through in terms of selection and training.The book was considered propaganda when it came out, before the term had such a negative connotation.The definition of propaganda is information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause There had been much talk about the mortality rate of a bombardier crew member and the intent of the book was to correct some of the misconception about the death rate, especially in comparison to infantry men.Steinbeck actually spent time going through the entire process of selection and observed the specific training for each of the members of the newly formed Army Air Force Bombardier Group.His hope was that the expose would help family members better understand what their son would be going through, beginning with the psychological and personality assessments that helped determine if the candidate was a good fit for a bombardier group.Steinbeck them observed the training each member would receive once they were selected.The training was intense and he wanted the family members as well as a potential candidate to have an idea of what the program would be like.This is not a novel and was not intended to be a novel.One insightful piece that Steinbeck mentioned was that even as he was writing this, things in the war were changing so rapidly that some of the information would already be outdated by the time it got to print.He still felt it was important to proceed.A very informative book and Steinbeck's writing style takes something that could have been dry reading and adds the human element.

Interesting, but not the typical Steinbeck
I've become a recent Steinbeck fan, specifically for his bare-bones story telling and amazing character development ability. My two personal favorites happen to be the Grapes of Wrath and The Moon is Down (a great read for a concentrated view of why Steinbeck is so well regarded!).

Being a flight enthusiast as well, I thought this would be a happy marriage between a great author and a great hobby, with a touch of 1940s nostalgia. The story starts with a very brief history of the US Air Force, its training program, and its motivation against the war machines of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Being that this book was intended as propoganda, it holds back no punches when describing the ideologies that launched us into this war, and the incredible unified patriotism combined with the army's drive and devotion that created a new branch of the military and type of war in under 2 years. In it's descriptions of the bomber crews of the Air Force, the book also does not hold back from lavishing praise on the parents of the finest soldiers in the country!

The book then follows the training and selection of each member of the crew formulaically, describing their noble and desirable characteristics (both physical and psychological), and offers the reader a glimpse at the rigorous training courses designed to get these new air-crews in the air in under 3 months. Steinbeck also calls out a particular model airman of each chapter to give the reader a human connection within the overly descriptive chapters.

I both enjoyed and thoroughly disliked this book for many of the same reasons. I greatly appreciated the look at the spirit the nation was forced to take during the 1940s. It was incredible to realize the precision and effort that went into training these men. However, this also lended itself to thoroughly redundant phrases and descriptions for each chapter, and left me feeling quite bored, waiting for the end! I also loved the few missions they flew near the end of the book, creating some clasically tense moments that I've seen in other Steinbeck novels. However, these also felt misplaced, as there was no real attachment to the characters who seemed to be thrown in at the last moment to make everything seem more personable.

I do not reccomend this book. If you're interested in WWII flights and training, this might pique your interest, but there are other first-person testimonials or similar stories out there. However, for a great WWII steinbeck read, pick up "The Moon is Down"! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Theatrical style with an ethos of propaganda
This story takes place in a small mining town located close to the sea.The town is in a Northern European country, which, judging by the last names of the characters could be Norway.One Sunday morning at 10:45 AM a foreign force of gray uniformed soldiers drives into town and occupies it.Two officials, the postman and the policeman, are out on the ocean, on a fishing trip, in Mr. Corell's boat.The shopkeeper, Mr. Corell, has also organized a shooting competition for the local troops.They are out of town when the gray uniformed soldiers arrive.The occupation goes off without much of a hitch.A bad of occupying soldiers plays for the entertainment of the citizens.All seems calm, but in time the town's people become shocked, then angry, then view the new soldiers with great resentment.In order to gain the support of the people Colonel Lanser, the commanding officer of the occupiers, hopes to enlist the co-operation of Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter.Lanser reveals to these two that Mr. Corell has in fact been co-operating with them for some time.That is how the invasion went so smoothly.The Colonel asks why don't Orden and Winter co-operate as the shopkeeper did?Orden and Winter are greatly surprised.They wonder world the town's people follow them even if they did co-operate?The mayor and the doctor see no alternative but to quietly resist.Indeed the whole town will in secret resist.

This book was first published in 1942.Although the invaders are never clearly identified as Nazis the text reveals that: (1) they are at war with England and Russia, (2) they follow a revered Leader, who must be obeyed at all costs, and (3) they remember defeats in Belgium and France in a previous war 20 years ago.

John Steinbeck is of course a famous author and a winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature.This book was written about one third of the way into his writing career.By then he had written many of the books he is most famous for, such as Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition) and The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition).All this of course leads the reader to expect that this will be a great work of art.Unfortunately reading it is a little like seeing those old black and white World War 2 movies, where the heroes, little men, struggle on valiantly against the implacable enemy.The book was in fact almost immediately on publication made into a movie.Steinbeck wrote the book "... to motivate and enthuse the resistance movements in occupied countries ..." (Wikipedia) and editions were indeed secretly published in occupied France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark the Netherlands and Italy. (Wikipedia)The propaganda ethos is strong and to modern readers a little false.It should be noted that when Steinbeck wrote the book he had no experience of war, or occupation, and had never been to Europe.This is perhaps why the novel lacks the authenticity of his well knows depression and rural American novels.

To give Steinbeck his credit, though, it should be noted that, unlike those old movies, the Nazis are not faceless enemies of ultimate evil.We are presented with a very human array of soldiers, each one with his own motivations and reactions to various circumstances.Colonel Lanser is indeed the most interesting character in the book.He remembers the mistakes of the previous war and has doubts about his superior's orders.He is a man who looks for the path of least suffering, yet he is still a Nazi.Mayor Orden is also of some interest.He is a simple man, at times almost a buffoon, yet he knows what is right.

The novel reads very easily and the plot moves along at an interesting pace.Chapter Six, revolving around Molly and Lieutenant Tonder, is perhaps the best written, very human but somehow not quite poignant.Steinbeck writes in a very theatrical style, with much dialog, interior, one room sets and minimal narration.At times this style works and on other occasions it seems stilted.

In the past this book was a great commercial success and I do not mean to be overly critical of it.Let's face it, even today; people still like those old war movies.This novel is not bad, but not great.
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Customer Reviews (1)

ALL-TIME FAVORITE TRAVEL BOOK
Travels with Charlie



Travels with Charlie is about John Steinbeck buying a camper and taking his black standard poodle on a trip around the United States.He starts in New England and drove West across the northern border of the U. S. Then when he reaches the state of Washington he turned South and drove through Oregon and California.In Southern California he headed back East driving through the deep South.This is one of my all-time favorite travel books.

GunnerJuly 2,007

... Read more

Product Description
Hardback Book with JS in black on the front ... Read more

Product Description
A photobiography of John Steinbeck, covering his life and writing career, with excerpts from his works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Steinbeck info granted to needy student
The Book John Steinbeck gave me biographical info I needed to do my US History Project.I found anything and everything I ever needed or wanted to know about John Steinbeck, even what his life was like in the 1930's.This is what my project focused on: John Steinbeck's life in the 30's.Idefinately got what I needed from this book.I would reccomend this bookto anyone in need of general and/or specific biographical info on JohnSteinbeck. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

an unusual and excellent steinbeck resource
this is an interesting and unusual compilation of Steinbeck's periodical writings, otherwise not readily available, which I found to be very insightful regarding the Salinas community's odd dislike of Steinbeck. While the Grapes of Wrath were hardly boosterism for California growers and law enforcement, some of these articles are almost rabid in their intensity and even more poignant in their journalism. This is a really useful resource for anyone interested in getting a wider sense of Steinbeck's thinking and development.

Still true today - unfortunately
I picked up this book at a sale and was intrigued by it right away.It was written in 1966 and the photos are so interesting to look at.But, the best part - every single one of his essays in the book is still relevant today.Which is not a good thing.It really made me stop and think about how far we haven't come as a nation - even though we think we're leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else.We are a selfish group of people, we contradict most of what we say and do, and we are blind (or look the other way) to many of our actions.

I really was appalled by the truth in which he spoke.I have a new found respect for Mr. John Steinbeck - not only as a writer, but as a politically aware individual. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

one of his best
In Dubious Battle, along with many other Steinbeck's, really shows the life and hardships of life from the depression.Set in California during a workers strike, this novel takes off and never lets up until the last unforgettable page.The characters come to life with their own personalities.Overall it is just as good as either The Grapes Of Wrath, or Of Mice And Men. ... Read more

Product Description
The novelist who wrote The Grapes of Wrath and the director who produced Crisis and Lights Out in Europe combined their superb talents to tell the story of the coming of modern medicine to the natives of Mexico. There have been several notable examples of this pen-camera method of narration, but The Forgotten Village is unique among them in that the text was written before a single picture was shot. The book and the movie from which it was made have, thus, a continuity and a dramatic growth not to be found in the so-called "documentary" films.

The camera crew that, headed by Kline and with Steinbeck's script at hand, recorded this narrative of birth and death, of witch doctors and vaccines, of the old Mexico and the new, spent nine months off the trails of Mexico. They traveled thousands of miles to find just the village they needed; they borrowed children from the government school, took men from the fields, their wives from the markets, and old medicine woman from her hut by the side of the trail. The motion picture they made (for release in 1941) is 8000 feet long. From this wealth of pictures 136 photographs were selected for their intrinsic beauty and for the graceful harmony with which they accompany Steinbeck's text.

This new script-photograph technique of narration conveys its ideas with unexcelled brilliance and immediacy. In the hands of such master story-tellers as Steinbeck and Kline, it makes the reader catch his breath for the beauty and the truth of the tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Steinbeck the Great
In my humble opinion, John Steinbeck was one of the greatest writers who ever lived.However, The Forgotten Village: Life in a Mexican Village is merely a simple little story.It is not bad reading, and was apparently made into a movie, though I've never seen it. ... Read more

Product Description
A wonderful and inspiring collection of Christmas stories from leaders, authors, generals and important persons. In slip case and bound for presentation. Reading this is a fine way to get yourself and the family into the true Christmas spirit. ... Read more