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

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.

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).

This is such a nice collection of short novels by the great John Steinbeck. The main thing I want to address is some of the negative reviews for this based on people being misinformed about the condition of the edges of the pages on this book (and any Penguin deluxe edition classic). The feathered edges of the pages are not a manufacturing flaw; it's called a deckled edge, and it's a deliberate design choice. It's an homage to the way all book used to look back when paper was handmade. It's done to create a "Classic" aesthetic. You have not received a defective product, but merely gotten exactly what you've paid for. It's going to be okay, I promise you.

I always wanted to read stories by John Steinbeck. They were not quite what I expected. I appreciate being able to read 6 tales in one book. John tells a good tale, but so much poor behavior stems from alcohol consumption. I doubt I will read these again, but I am glad to have finally read them.

Somehow I grew up in the United States of America and never read Steinbeck in high school. We even lived about a mile from Cannary Row when I was in the Army but still never got around to reading Steinbeck. It took until my son was in high school for me to read, "The Grapes of Wrath" but that is another review entirely. So about a month or two ago I decide that it is time to catch up on my Steinbeck. I read "Travel's With Charley" and enjoyed it, but it's was (mostly) non-fiction. I really enjoyed each of the stories in this collection. I did not enjoy reading them as an ebook collection in my Kindle. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading, and commenting, on my Kindle. But I'd have preferred to read each story individually on my Kindle. I'm not going to go through and discuss each story. They really are classics and show a glimpse of life long gone. Read Steinbeck! Read every day and read for fun!

I have read six or seven of John Steibecks books. They are entertaining. He was a very good story teller. Having six of his books in one collection was a great way to experiencing his tales.

This collection of Steinbeck's shorter works was a real breath of fresh air from today's standard fare of angst filled, post-apocalyptic teens or the sad reminiscence of the post-war novel that is all the rage among the literary set of late. The Short Novels is undeniable proof, if it was even necessary, that good writing wins out over trendiness every time. That Steinbeck's writing has resisted the test of time is no secret. The hidden beauty in his works, however, is the cross-generational appeal. I read most of these works some 15-20 years ago, when the stories and the characters and the lessons where oddly entertaining and cautiously educational to a small town teen trying to make sense of the wide world all around. Two decades later, the stories are even more powerful and relevant while I watch my own children come to terms with a tumultuous, seemingly out of control world. As a reader who identifies Steinbeck as his favorite writer, this collection is a rare and beautiful gift. As a writer, this collection helped me re-discover the dreadful ecstasy and the elegant agony that is writing. Surely, no writer could read Chapter 14 of Cannery Row without a quickening pulse or perhaps a few hidden tears. A true master, this collection hammers home how Steinbeck made it all look so simple and so easy.

I have a little deal with my grandsons. I find some books and challenge them to read them. Some are a bit advanced for their understanding, some are a little tough to understand due to language (Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn), some, they think are "little kid's books"(Alice in Wonderland- not the Disney book) I thought I was doing great when I could buy this Steinbeck book for them and they were actually reading 6 little books. They were told that each story had very deep meanings. Not just the boy with a Little Red Pony, or someone who was poor finding The Pearl. This was a wonderful experience. We could discuss it across the 3000 miles that separate us. It was wonderful when a teacher assigned "Of Mice and Men" to the class, and my grandson had read it 2 yrs before in his Steinbeck book. I also paid my 5th grader $20 to read Watership Down. His older brother teased him about reading a "bunny book". When my grandson finished it (it was agony in some parts), he said, "It sure wasn't just about rabbits was it"? Well worth the $20. I often buy used books for the grandkids. The Amazon venders are so good. New books for presents, used books for a mental exercise.

Très mauvaise qualité de fabrication. Les pages sont massicotées n'importe comment.

名作をいつでも読めるように、Kindleに入れておくため購入しました。

It was a gift which my niece did really like. Great novels in a very stylish presentation. I do recommend. Steinbeck is one of the greatest authors I have ever read. Glad to share these novels and short stories.

Such a good selection. Love the book.

ALRIGHT