Books by John Steinbeck

In 1960, when he was almost sixty years old, John Steinbeck set out to rediscover his native land. He felt that he might have lost touch with its sights, sounds and the essence of its people. Accompanied only by his dog, Charley, he travelled all across the United States in a pick-up truck. His journey took him through almost forty states, and he saw things that made him proud, angry, sympathetic and elated. All that he saw and experienced is described with remarkable honesty and insight. Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the greatest and best-loved American writers of the twentieth century. During the 1930s, his works included The Red Pony, Pastures of Heaven, Tortilla Flat, In Dubious Battle, and Of Mice and Men. The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, earned him a Pulitzer Prize. In 1962, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

'A fantasia of history and myth ... a strange and original work of art' The New York Times Book ReviewDescribed by John Steinbeck as 'the story of my country and the story of me', East of Eden is an epic, engrossing family saga.'There is only one book to a man' Steinbeck wrote of East of Eden. Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this powerful, often brutal novel, follows the interwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of indentity; the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence.

Den gribende og klassiske fortælling fra 1937 om venskabet mellem to omstrejfende californiske landarbejdere, den enfoldige og stærke Lennie og hans trofaste og intelligente ven George.

Steinbeck's last great novel focuses on the theme of success and what motivates men towards it. Reflecting back on his New England family's past fortune, and his father's loss of the family wealth, the hero, Ethan Allen Hawley, characterises successin every era and in all its forms as robbery, murder, even a kind of combat, operating under 'the laws of controlled savagery.'

Steinbeck's first major critical and commercial success, TORTILLA FLAT is also his funniest novel. Danny is a paisano, descended from the original Spanish settlers who arrived in Monterey, California, centuries before. He values friendship abovemoney and possessions, so that when he suddently inherits two houses, Danny is quick to offer shelter to his fellow gentlemen of the road. Their love of freedom and scorn for material things draw them into daring and often hilarious adventures. Until Danny, tiring of his new reponsibilities, suddenly disappears...

'Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place.'George and his large, simple-minded friend Lennie are drifters, following wherever work leads them.Arriving in California's Salinas Valley, they get work on a ranch. If they can just stay out of trouble, George promises Lennie, then one day they might be able to get some land of their own and settle down some place. But kind-hearted, childlike Lennie is a victim of his own strength.Seen by others as a threat, he finds it impossible to control his emotions. And one day not even George will be able to save him from trouble. Of Mice and Men is a tragic and moving story of friendship, loneliness and the dispossessed, with a stunning new cover by renowned artist Bijou Karman.

Den fattige fisker, Kino, forsørger sin kone og sin lille dreng ved at dykke efter perler på bunden af Den Mexicanske Golf. En dag finder Kino en perle på størrelse med et havmågeæg, og fundet vækker et håb om økonomisk sikkerhed og et løfte om et bedre liv for familien. Da nyheden om Kinos fund spreder sig i den lille by, blusser det op i grådigheden hos befolkningen, der tyer til alle midler for at få fat i Kinos perle. PERLEN, som udkom i 1945, er en enkel og klassisk historie om de lidenskaber den store perle fremkalder, og om de mennesker, hvis skæbne den bliver en del af.

I Depressionens USA bliver familien Joad fordrevet fra deres hjem på grund af de enorme støvstorme, som ødelægger alle muligheder for at dyrke jorden, og på grund af finanskrisen, bankernes hårdhændede metoder og kreditorernes ubarmhjertighed. De finder vej til Californien, hvor de forsøger at tjene til dagen og vejen som daglejere i appelsinplantagerne.Men også i den forjættede stat råder nøden – gerrige og grådige plantageejere, et enormt overskud af arbejdsløse indvandrere og kampen mellem arbejdsgiverne og fagforeningerne suger familien længere ned i nøden, og Tom Joad må til sidst flygte efter at have dræbt den mand, der myrdede fagforeningsforkæmperen Caseey, som søgte at skaffe de undertrykte arbejdere bedre vilkår.Vredens druer blev ved udgivelsen et fænomen i offentligheden. Den vakte glæde og vrede, blev forbudt og brændt offentligt og blev desuden den amerikanske bog, der blev diskuteret mest i samtiden. John Fords film over bogen med Henry Fonda i hovedrollen blev en af de helt store filmklassikere.Romanen er nyoversat af Thomas Krogsbøl.

Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece.Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.

En lille kystby i Nordeuropa bliver så let som ingenting besat af en fremmed magt. Alle byens indbyggere forstår, at der ikke er noget at stille op mod den mægtige hær, der er underlagt oberst Lansers kommando. Lanser har gjort tjeneste under mange krige, og selvom han ikke møder direkte modstand blandt byens beboere, ved han inderst inde godt, at intet folk formår at forblive fredeligt og medgørligt, når dets frihed er blevet taget fra det med magt.John Steinbecks roman "Månen er skjult" udkom i 1942 i USA, og i løbet af krigen var der mange oversættelser af den i omløb i det besatte Europa. Selvom den invaderende magt aldrig bliver nævnt ved navn, er det tydeligt, at der er tale om Nazityskland, der ligesom oberst Lansers hær formåede at besætte mange europæiske lande uden at møde væbnet modstand, men som ligesom Lanser fandt ud af, at selv de fredeligste folk før eller siden vil slå igen mod overmagten.John Steinbeck (1902-1968) var en amerikansk forfatter, der skrev et væld af noveller og romaner, der er blevet oversat til flere forskellige sprog. I 1962 modtog John Steinbeck Nobelprisen, og hans værker er bredt anerkendte verden over.

John Steinbeck modtog Nobels Litteraturpris i 1962. John Steinbecks giver i Et mægtigt gilde et charmerende portræt af mennesker på kanten af ​​samfundet, der er afhængige af hinanden for at kunne overleve både fysisk og følelsesmæssig. Handlingen udspiller sig i ’Cannery Row’, der ligger i Monterey. Her ligger konservesfabrikken med deres millioner af blinkende sardiner, her har Lee Chong sin butik med alt fra whisky til fyrværkeri og her ligger Dora ’etablisiment’. På ungdomsherberget ’Palace’ bor Mack og hans venner. En flok dagdrivere, der elsker at fordrive tiden i hinandens selskab med vin og mad og som ikke trænger sig på, når der skal arbejdes.Bogen fokuserer på, at man må acceptere livet som det er: både overflod af fællesskab, men også ensomhed hos den enkelte. Steinbeck giver et indlevende billede af indbyggerne i Monterey, Californien, og han sammenvæver historierne om gadens beboer, hvor kun de stærkeste overlever.Med Et mægtigt gilde har Steinbeck skabt en roman, der på en gang er både er t af hans mest humoristiske og mest gribende værker.

Skuffet over at hans ven Adlai Stevenson led nederlag, da han for tredje gang forsøgte at blive demokraternes præsidentkandidat, foretog John Steinbeck i 1950´erne en rejse rundt i USA med sin puddel Charley. ""Jeg havde ikke fornemmet landet i 25 år,"" sagde han, før han begav sig ud på turen, som førte ham rundt i en del af USA´s stater. Om bogen På rejse med Charley skrev Steinbeck efter udgivelsen: ""Den er udkommet nu og sælges langt bedre, end jeg kunne have forestillet mig. Den synes at interessere amerikanerne meget, men jeg kan ikke tro, den vil modtagee megen interesse i Europa. Jeg ville aldrig have troet, at den kunne sælges andre steder, fordi den i alt væsentligt er personlig og amerikansk."" Det skulle vise sig, at På rejse med Charley skaffede Steinbeck en ny generation af læsere, både i USA og i Europa, og den elegante puddel Charley blev en slags national amerikansk institution. Bogen er forsynet med et forord af forlægger Otto B. Lindhardt, der i 1950´erne som forlagsdirektør på Gyldendal, havde hyppig brevkorrespondance med John Steinbeck. På rejse med Charley blev den sidste bog, Steinbeck udgav, før han fik Nobelprisen i 1962.

Scenen er Cannery Row i Monterey, Californien. Doc er gået i stå: indehaveren af Vestkystens Biologiske Laboratorium er vendt rastløs og desillusioneret hjem fra 2. verdenskrig. Hans videnskab ligger stille, han gider knap nok se til sine blæksprutter og klapperslanger.Men så beslutter Docs venner at tage affære. Dagdriverne fra Ungkarlehjemmet "Palace" og pigerne fra byens ikke helt almindelige bordel "The Bear Flag" slår sig sammen og skaffer Doc det mikroskop, der bringer hans forskning videre og tilmed skaffer ham en ung og herlig kone."En dejlig torsdag" er den uopslidelige historie om Doc, bordelmutter, købmanden og kumpanerne, der sværger til whiskymærket "Old Tennis Shoes".John Steinbeck (1902-1968) var en amerikansk forfatter, der skrev et væld af noveller og romaner, der er blevet oversat til flere forskellige sprog. I 1962 modtog John Steinbeck Nobelprisen i litteratur, og hans værker er bredt anerkendte verden over.

Da den unge Joseph Wayne, der er vokset op i Vermont, begiver sig af sted mod Californien, er det med planer om at bygge sin egen gård og stifte familie. Efter faderens død slutter hans tre brødre sig til ham, og sammen skaber de et blomstrende landbrug. Men da tørken rammer, reagerer de fire brødre meget forskelligt. John Steinbecks roman "Til en ukendt gud" handler om tro og om forholdet mellem en mand og hans jord."Bogen er en hyldest til det hedenske menneske, en naturmystikers tilbedelse af de kræfter, der får manden til at føle sig som ét med den jord, han dyrker, jorden som mor og elskerinde ...Steinbeck kender disse bønder, deres tro og tvivl, deres glæde og had, deres stædighed og stolthed, som nok kan knuses, men aldrig knækkes." – Jens KistrupJohn Steinbeck (1902-1968) var en amerikansk forfatter, der skrev et væld af noveller og romaner, der er blevet oversat til flere forskellige sprog. I 1962 modtog John Steinbeck Nobelprisen i litteratur, og hans værker er bredt anerkendte verden over.

'Everything was dead, everything unreal; the dark mob was made up of stiff lay-figures'One of America's greatest writers explores mob violence, voyeurism and betrayal in these unforgettable tales of Californian life.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York's underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Jody Tiflin has the urge for rebellion, but he also wants to be loved. In THE RED PONY, Jody begins to learn about adulthood - its pain, its responsibilities and its problems - through his acceptance of his father's gifts. First he is given a red pony, and later he is promised the colt of a bay mare. Yet both of these gifts bring him tragedy as well as joy, and Jody is taught not only the harsh lessons of life and death, but made painfully aware of the fallibilty of adults.

Just after the iron curtain fell on Eastern Europe John Steinbeck and acclaimed war photographer, Robert Capa ventured into the Soviet Union to report for the New York Herald Tribune. This rare opportunity took the famous travellers not only to Moscow and Stalingrad - now Volgograd - but through the countryside of the Ukraine and the Caucasus. A RUSSIAN JOURNAL is the distillation of their journey and remains a remarkable memoir and unique historical document. Steinbeck and Capa recorded the grim realities of factory workers, government clerks, and peasants, as they emerged from the rubble of World War II. This is an intimate glimpses of two artists at the height of their powers, answering their need to document human struggle

In 1940 Steinbeck sailed in a sardine boat with his great friend the marine biologist, Ed Ricketts, to collect marine invertebrates from the beaches of the Gulf of California. The expedition was described by the two men in SEA OF CORTEZ, published in 1941. The day-to-day story of the trip is told here in the Log, which combines science, philosophy and high-spirited adventure. An exhilarating and highly entertaining read.

Both a fast-paced story of social unrest and strike, and the tale of one young man's struggle for identity, IN DUBIOUS BATTLE is a novel about the apocalyptic violence that breaks out when the masses become the mob. Set in California apple country, a strike by migrant workers spirals out of control, as principled defiance turns into blind fanaticism. Caught in this upheaval is Jim Nolan, a once aimless man who finds himself briefly becoming the leader of the strike before being crushed in its service. IN DUBIOUS BATTLE explores and dramatises many of the ideas and themes key to Steinbeck's writing.

The Wayward Bus travelled the backroads through the lush California countryside. Its driver was a man of the land - lusty, hot-blooded and uninhibited. On the bus was a girl who danced at stag parties, a travelling salesman strictly out for fun, a boy coming into manhood and a college girl pursuing her secret, passionate quest. This is a story of crisis and passion, of love and longing. In many ways it is one of Steinbeck's most powerful novels, not least because it shows just how profound his knowledge of human beings and their emotions is.

With the inquisitiveness of an investigative reporter and the emotional power of a novelist in his prime, Steinbeck toured the squatters' camps and Hoovervilles of California. Here he found once strong, independent farmers so reduced in dignity, sick, sullen, and defeated that they had been "cast down to a kind of subhumanity." He contrasts their misery with the hope offered by government resettlement camps, where self-help communities were restoring dignity and indeed saving lives.The Harvest Gypsies gives us an eyewitness account of the horrendous Dust Bowl migration and provides the factual foundation for Steinbeck's masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath. Included are twenty-two photographs by Dorothea Lange and others, many of which accompanied Steinbeck's original articles.

O Mice an Men wis first published in 1937. It tells the tale o George Milton an Lennie Small, twa gangrel ranch wirkers, fa meeve frae airt tae airt in California sikkin oot new wirk chaunces durin the Muckle Depression in Americay. Scriever John Steinbeck foondit the novella on his ain experiences wirkin alangside traivellin fairm wirkers as a halflin in the 1910s (afore the camin o the Okies he wid brawly describe in The Grapes o Wrath). Steinbeck tuik the title frae Robert Burns' poem "To a Mouse":But Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,In proving foresight may be vain:The best laid schemes o' Mice an' MenGang aft agley.An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,For promis'd joy!Sheena Blackhall is a poet fa's scrieved mair than 130 poetry volumes, an fower novellas. She's haen twa plays televeesed an puckles o e-buiks, includin The Chimera Institute an The Honey that came frae the Sea. Recently wi Sheila Templeton she owersett Charlotte Brontë's Jean Eyre. Her maist recent owersett is L. Frank Baum's The Winnerfu Warlock o Oz. Baith o the latter buiks can be gotten frae Evertype.

Många känner till John Steinbeck. Den stora, amerikanska författaren. Nobelpristagaren som skildrade den amerikanska arbetarklassens mödor och glädje. Få känner dock till att John Steinbeck också hade en karriär som journalist. I den här spännande samlingen texter får vi stifta bekantskap med en orädd och nyfiken skribent som ger sig i kast med dåtidens mest brinnande frågor: den stora depressionen, Vietnamkriget.John Steinbeck (1902-1968) räknas idag som en av de viktigaste amerikanska författarna. Han tilldelades Nobelpriset i litteratur 1962.