Where should I begin with Steinbeck?

[dna1964dna]

I was at the bookstore today and I came across a nice copy of The Winter of Our Discontent, but I passed it up because I wasn't sure this was the best place to jump into his writings.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[dfloyd]

is with his shorter, humorous novels such as Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat. Before delving into The Grapes of Wrath, try In Dubious Battle. Grapes and East of Eden are considered his apogee. East of Eden is probably his longest novel and the hardest to read, especially if you are a young reader. To get in the mood for East of Eden, try Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck is a very prolific writer and one of America's best so don't give up on him.

[dna1964dna]

I studied a considerable amount of Faulkner and earlier American Literature, but none of my professors ever touched on Steinbeck. I have been pretty intrigued by people's conversations about his works and can't wait to dive in.

Thanks for the quick response.

[minstrelbard]

I agree strongly with dfloyd. Cannery Row is a great place to start. But I disagree about East of Eden. I didn't find it hard to read at all, and it was the first Steinbeck I ever read. It's his longest, and most ambitious (I guess - I haven't read all of Steinbeck), but it's very readable. It's as philosophically dense as Steinbeck got, though, but if that's your thing, jump right in!

[MaineTim]

"Grapes Of Wrath" and "Of Mice And Men" were (in that order) the first two Steinbeck works I read, and having left strong impressions on me, they remain my favorites so far. Although I liked "Cannery Row", and to a lesser degree "Tortilla Flat", had I read them first, I think my view of Steinbeck as an author worth pursuing might not have been as strong.

[damondarkwalker]

Seems like I read "The Pearl" first. Either that or "The Red Pony". Then there was a story about this guy trying to reach the border before the posse got to him. It was in a lit collection.

[joebob]

of mice and men.

but really, it doesn't matter. it's not like he has a writing style that you have to adjust to or anything.

also, grapes of wrath blows. east of eden is where it's at

[Alexander III]

I would suggest Of Mice and Men

[Themis]

I second dfloyd and suggest you start reading "Tortilla Flat". I'm not a big fan of Steinbeck, but I did like that one.

[Old Crow]

I would say The Wayward Bus since, to me, it feels like the most succinct and mature of his shorter novels. The range of characters that come into painfully clear and empathetic definition is remarkable for the size and consumability of it. It is pretty hard to go wrong with Steinbeck, though, since all of his work is at least readable.

[kelby_lake]

Of Mice and Men would be a good place to start, seeing as that's one of the most famous ones and you'll definitely find a lot of discussion on it. It's also very short- but it is very sad too.

[Mariamosis]

I started with "Tortilla Flat" and went from there to "Travels with Charley". I don't think it matters where you start as long as you start. However, the book that really put Steinbeck on the map for me was "The Grapes of Wrath" which is a must read!

[applepie]

I would say don't start, but then I read The Grapes of Wrath in school and that left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Something about an entire chapter on dirt and a turtle just didn't keep me enraptured

Perhaps it is time I Steinbeck another shot...

[loe]

Steinbeck was one of the authors who led mit into literature long time ago.
I would recommend to start with "Tortilla Flat".
Starting with "Cannery Row" could make every Steinbeck-book after it a bit disappointing because in my opinion this is the lovliest story he has ever written.

Best regards

[Der Wegwerfer]

the great thing with Steinbeck is that his style of prose is easy to understand and very straight-forward. Any of his shorter stories (about 100 pages) would be a good way to get a taste of him (Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat)

I'd also like to mention there is a sequel to Cannery Row called Sweet Thursday as well, so if you liked Cannery Row it might be worth checking out. Also Travels with Charley is great as well.

I haven't heard too many people say East of Eden is a hard read, I've actually heard some people say it's better than Grapes of Wrath.

I'm sorry I don't know anything about Winter of our Discontent.

Steinbeck was truly a great American author.