John Steinbeck was one of America’s greatest authors.
What books did John Steinbeck write?
Why were they so popular?
Raised in California, John Steinbeck formed an appreciation for the region.
In particular, he grew to love California's Salinas Valley, which greatly influenced his
writing.
As a teenager, Steinbeck made the decision to become a writer and often locked himself
in his room to do his writing.
In 1919, Steinbeck enrolled at Stanford University, but eventually dropped out in 1925, having
never graduated.
Steinbeck briefly moved to New York City where he found work as a newspaper reporter, but
the pull of California quickly drew him back home.
While working as a caretaker in Lake Tahoe, he wrote his first novel, Cup of Gold, in
1929.
Over the next decade Steinbeck wrote The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown, both of which
were poorly received by critics.
Steinbeck eventually achieved success with Tortilla Flat in 1935, a humorous novel about
life in the Monterrey region.
The book was very popular, selling more than 26,000 copies in its first year (during the
heart of the Depression).
Two years later, Steinbeck published Of Mice and Men.
This novel tells the story of two migrant ranch workers.
Much of the book is based on Steinbeck’s own experiences traveling the country as a
hobo.
Of Mice and Men remains enormously popular and is read in classrooms across the nation.
The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939.
The novel relays the tale of a Depression-era Oklahoma family and their struggle to create
a new life in California.
In many minds, it perfectly captured the mood and discontent of the nation during this difficult
time.
At one point, The Grapes of Wrath was selling 10,000 copies a week!
It also earned Steinbeck a Pulitzer Prize in 1940.
Following the success of The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck served as a war correspondent during
World War II.
He continued to write for the rest of his life, producing classics such as Cannery Row
and East of Eden.
He was even awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
John Steinbeck died of heart disease on December 20, 1968, but left behind a monumental legacy
that included 27 books.
Over a ten year period, he produced several of America’s greatest masterpieces of fiction.
He will always be remembered for writing about social and economic issues while giving voice
to working-class America.
He is one from an elite list of authors who had a gift for creating characters that were
relatable to a broad, general audience.