A Month of Books :: Guest Post – Top Three Steinbeck Novels…

Last updated on 27 February 2017

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Today I have the lovely Lauren, from The Best F Words here to post about an author who lived in the town she grew up in, and her three favourite books that he wrote. I’m really excited that Lauren is here today, and I can’t wait for you guys to read what she’s got to say! Enjoy!

Top Three Steinbeck Novels

Hi everyone, my name is Lauren and I grew up in a little farm town near the Monterey Peninsula in California named Salinas. Salinas has two claims to fame: 1) lettuce (seriously, I see Salinas lettuce in just about every grocery store, even internationally!) and 2) John Steinbeck.

John Steinbeck is a famous American author who grew up in Salinas in the early 1900s. I have visited his childhood home, walked the streets of his novels, and I graduated from the same high school he graduated from. Salinas has recently really embraced Steinbeck; they have even opened a museum in his honor. This is a stark contrast to how the townspeople of Salinas reacted to Steinbeck during his life. A handful of Steinbecks’ books were inspired by the stories of people living on the Monterey Peninsula and this type of “public gossip” ostracized Steinbeck. People in Salinas even burned his books.

But anyone whoever took offense is now dead and gone; they have been replaced by a town that loves to let Steinbeck’s fame shine on them on the city.  And yup, I’m one of those people. I love Steinbeck’s writing and I thought I’d share with you my three favorite novels penned by his hand.

3. The Moon is Down
After serving as a war correspondent during World War II, Steinbeck was motivated to write The Moon is Down. The book details the happenings of a small European town under occupation and without referencing Germany, Nazis, or World War II, The Moon is Down became one of the biggest anti Nazi propaganda pieces of its time. In the story, the occupiers veil themselves in civility but their brutality is eventually made known and a resistance is formed. This novel was translated into dozens and dozens of languages and inspired tons of resistant movement in Europe. In and of itself, this book is amazing – but reading it within a historical context makes it that much more powerful.

2. The Pearl
This book comes in as a close second in my list of favorite; I can read this short book in one day because it is not only an easy read but it is absolutely captivating. Its plot is based around a poor pearl diver named Kino and his family who lives in La Paz, Mexico. At the start of the book, despite his meager circumstances, Kino is a happy man. But one day he finds a HUGE pearl and the promise of wealth that comes with it ends up ruining his life. I love this book because although it is about a family in rural Mexico it speaks volume about “The American Dream,” greed, and the unhealthy pursuit of excessive material wealth. It makes the reader really think about what matters in life – family not money.

1. Cannery Row
From hearing about the other two books that both have international settings, you are probably wondering why Salinas townspeople burned Steinbeck’s books and hated him for “gossiping” about them. Well, Cannery Row is the reason why. It is filled with short vignettes that thread together a beautiful and authentic story about friendship and the beauty of real people. We become immersed in the humorous antics of a gang of homeless bums, become a fly on the way of the socially awkward marine biologist, find empathy for the romantically hopeless prostitutes and the list goes on. This is a novel about REAL life; in all of its sorrow and all of its beauty. It speaks to the soul and for that reason it is my number one favorite Steinbeck novel – and possibly my favorite novel of all time. Plus, when I’m missing home I just nuzzle my nose into Cannery Row and I’m right back on the Monterey Peninsula.

So there you have it – The Steinbeck guru’s three favorite Steinbeck novels! Are you the guru of any one author? Who would you recommend I check out and why? I always love learning about new authors! And if you are curious about other books, I occasionally review them on my blog The Best F Words so feel free to stop by! Make sure you say hello too!

With love,

 

Isn’t she awesome? Thank you so much, Lauren, for hanging out here today. I’ve never read a John Steinbeck novel, so I think I need to add one to my To Be Read list! Make sure you guys head over to The Best F Words and say hello (and thank you!) to Lauren!