@Louise Steinbeck used to write letters to friends daily as a warm-up to his writing….these were the ones he wrote while writing East of Eden and share about his life during that time….loved the book…Also there’s a book–Steinbeck: A Life in Letters which are letter collected from the people he wrote to throughout his whole life….love that, too
Definitely The Grapes Of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden but you can’t go wrong with anything he’s written in my opinion, he’s one of my favorite authors.
A small part of me is jealous at you having so much Steinbeck before you. Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden are magnificent epics. There are shorter works you might want to try first, like Sweet Thursday (the sequel) and Tortilla Flat. I love the characters and their comradeship in these works. The powerful tragedy of The Pearl and Of Mice and Men makes these thoroughly engaging stories.
Reminds me: I was on a bus tour and stopped at the Steinbeck Resource Center in Salinas, CA, I think. Every book has an exhibit. I was so engrossed the bus almost left without me. I was the last to board but got 2 books which included all of his novels.
Love Steinbeck. He was my first literary hero. I consider East of Eden his best. Of Mice and Men is brief but beautifully sad. I also recommend one of his least known, In Dubious Battle which is about union organizers in the farm fields.
I went through a crazy Steinbeck binge in my 20’s (had read many as a teen; growing up in California near Monterey, he was practically required reading). Travels with Charlie was fun. Tortilla Flats. Pastures of Heaven (takes place in Carmel Valley, one of my most favorite places on Earth). Grapes of Wrath is stunning, but intense and long and well…. have tissues nearby as it’s a jerker.
I agree with @Zaga. I also grew up near Monterey (Santa Clara County) and read Steinbeck from an early age. Loving the Monterey area may be one of the reasons I like Steinbeck.
“In Dubious Battle” has been mentioned and is excellent and some of the lesser novels would be huge for other authors, “To A God Unknown”or “The Pastures Of Heaven” are well worth discovering but “Journal Of A Novel” is a collection of letters that JS wrote whilst trying to write “East Of Eden” and an insight into the great man himself. Don’t know if I mentioned it but I am rather fond of Mr.Steinbeck.
I have a love hate relationship with Steinbeck but I loved “Of Mice and Men” and “East of Eden”. Hated almost everything else I’ve tried to read by him.
Travels with charley
The audiobook of Cannery Row is amazing! Some really funny parts.
Of mice and men!!
The Grapes of Wrath.
East of Eden…. it’s absolutely fab
East of eden!
East of Eden.
Love the old Cannery Row movie!
Grapes of Wrath.
Never heard of cannery row but am so gonna read it now ????
East of Eden
East of Eden
Anything by John Steinbeck is great.
Journal of a Novel–The East of Eden letters
Hi…. I’ve never heard of these…. can you tell me what they are please? ??
Sweet Thursday, East of Eden, Travels With Charley. It’s hard to go wrong with Steinbeck.
@Louise Steinbeck used to write letters to friends daily as a warm-up to his writing….these were the ones he wrote while writing East of Eden and share about his life during that time….loved the book…Also there’s a book–Steinbeck: A Life in Letters which are letter collected from the people he wrote to throughout his whole life….love that, too
@Barbara Thank you, I will definitely try and get my hands on a copy of this….. ???
Louise Pearce I just downloaded a sample of Steinbeck: A Life in Letters via Amazon.
All of them.
2nded!
I have always loved “Travels With Charley”. Not his usual fare but vey enjoyable.
Although I’d read it years ago, my husband and I listened to it while on a cross country car trip this past summer. A good choice!
I have a nice Penguin edition of this.
Definitely The Grapes Of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden but you can’t go wrong with anything he’s written in my opinion, he’s one of my favorite authors.
East of Eden and Winter of Our Discontent are my favorites
East of Eden is my favorite Steinbeck but I love all his books.
this one is now on my list. thanks!
I’ve read most of the above-forgot all about Winter Of Our Discontent-that was a very good book.
East of Eden
Love Steinbeck – of mice and men and east of eden are my favorites
East of Eden.
A small part of me is jealous at you having so much Steinbeck before you. Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden are magnificent epics. There are shorter works you might want to try first, like Sweet Thursday (the sequel) and Tortilla Flat. I love the characters and their comradeship in these works. The powerful tragedy of The Pearl and Of Mice and Men makes these thoroughly engaging stories.
East of Eden favorite.
Of Mice and Men is a perfect book, and Grapes of Wrath is wonderful.
Winter of our discontent
MIce and Men is pretty straight forward.
The Pearl–Love his work. 🙂
The Grapes of Wrath
Sweet Thursday is sort of a sequel to Cannery Row (and is actually the story used in the 1982 movie adaptation of Cannery Row).
Winter of Our Discontent.
Of mice and men, the grapes of wrath
Of Mice and Men one of my favorites
East of @Eden
The movie is good too.
I second this recommendation. ?
The Grapes of Wrath
Every last one of them is great.
is it Grapes of wrath that has the man with no nose? I read it when I was in highschool and that is what I remember most..
Anything-he is a genius.
To A God Unknown
All of them
East of Eden
Hands down
Sweet Thursday is my favorite.
Reminds me: I was on a bus tour and stopped at the Steinbeck Resource Center in Salinas, CA, I think. Every book has an exhibit. I was so engrossed the bus almost left without me. I was the last to board but got 2 books which included all of his novels.
Of Mice and Men
East of Eden
All of his novels.
Grapes of Wrath…
I liked Grapes of Wrath but East of Eden is my favorite. Cannery Row is interesting but there isn’t really a story.
Since so many others mentioned East of Eden, I’d also like to add Tortilla Flat.
I am actually reading Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck right now.
After discovering it here tonight, I’ve just purchased it on Amazon….hope to be reading it by Thursday…… thank you ??
I really liked East of Eden.
Travels with Charley.
Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden
Loved Cannery Row! He wrote a sequel, Sweet Thursday
East of Eden for sure!?
the pearl
All
Love Steinbeck. He was my first literary hero. I consider East of Eden his best. Of Mice and Men is brief but beautifully sad. I also recommend one of his least known, In Dubious Battle which is about union organizers in the farm fields.
In Dubious Battle is a great, powerful book. Heard a while back there was a movie being made of it, don’t know what’s come of it.
I went through a crazy Steinbeck binge in my 20’s (had read many as a teen; growing up in California near Monterey, he was practically required reading). Travels with Charlie was fun. Tortilla Flats. Pastures of Heaven (takes place in Carmel Valley, one of my most favorite places on Earth). Grapes of Wrath is stunning, but intense and long and well…. have tissues nearby as it’s a jerker.
I’d recommend anything by Steinbeck — And his acceptance speech when he got the Nobel Prize is a masterpiece.
Do you know where I could find that?
Travels With Charlie.
East of Eden and grapes of wrath.
I recommend no Steinbeck books. I’ve read 4 of them and just don’t see the appeal.
How very unusual,but to each his own. ?
I agree with @Zaga. I also grew up near Monterey (Santa Clara County) and read Steinbeck from an early age. Loving the Monterey area may be one of the reasons I like Steinbeck.
He’s always been my favorite male author.
Loved Travels with Charlie and East of Eden
Travels With Charley is a favorite. More of a memoir, and a true glimpse into a country that’s moved on. I love his books. Read them all. ?
Oh my gosh! The Red Pony! I must have read that one ten times!
All of them!!!
“In Dubious Battle” has been mentioned and is excellent and some of the lesser novels would be huge for other authors, “To A God Unknown”or “The Pastures Of Heaven” are well worth discovering but “Journal Of A Novel” is a collection of letters that JS wrote whilst trying to write “East Of Eden” and an insight into the great man himself. Don’t know if I mentioned it but I am rather fond of Mr.Steinbeck.
Have read them all but this chain has spurred some re-reading……been a while ?
Or is it “thread”? ?
Did you ever read “The Short Reign Of Pippin IV” @Barbara ? Only one I have never finished, I must try again soon.
Yes, but frankly did not recall plot……think I may have not been too enamored…….will try again also
ALL of them! East of Eden is my personal favorite, but for a short, quick read you can’t beat Of Mice and Men.
I have a love hate relationship with Steinbeck but I loved “Of Mice and Men” and “East of Eden”. Hated almost everything else I’ve tried to read by him.
“East of Eden”
Agree with “East of Eden”. I couldn’t put it down. I also loved “Grapes of Wrath”.
I like The Pearl
Of mice and men
East of Eden
Grapes of Wrath
The Pearl
Tortilla Flat, The Wayward Bus. The Wayward Bus is quite different though.
Grapes of Wrath, followed by the nonfiction “The Worst Hard Time”.
All of them. ?
Everything! ?
Of Mice and Men. Then watch the movie with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich.
Just watched that on tv this afternoon ?
What did you think?
I’d seen it before, but I love that Book and movie.
Me too. Such a gentle, horrific, beautiful and sad examination of human behavior. All of his books strike me that way. Has anyone read, The Red Pony?
Travels with Charlie, a non-fiction about his journey around America with his dog.
Great book!
East of Eden, and Winter of our Discontent
Of Mice and Men. East of Eden. Grapes of Wrath.
I recommend all three.