The Short Novels of John Steinbeck

by John Steinbeck

A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Steinbeck's brilliant short novels

Collected here for the first time in a deluxe paperback volume are six of John Steinbeck's most widely read and beloved novels. From the tale of commitment, loneliness and hope in Of Mice and Men, to the tough yet charming portrait of people on the margins of society in Cannery Row, to The Pearl's examination of the fallacy of the American dream, Steinbeck stories of realism, that were imbued with energy and resilience.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Literature, Short Stories, Novels, American, Literary Fiction

643 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

John Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters."
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward F. Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. By the 75th anniversary of its publishing date, it had sold 14 million copies.
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

my becoming-a-genius project, part 13!

what you (dreadfully) need to know:
i have decided to become a genius.

to accomplish this, i'm going to work my way through the collected stories of various authors, reading + reviewing 1 story every day until i get bored / lose every single follower / am struck down by a vengeful deity.

doing a modified version of this project where i attempt to read one short NOVEL a day, because a) i'm leveling up, b) i am a deeply unpleasant and insane person to be around, and c) i own this book and am running out of other genius project options.

let's do this.

PROJECT 1: THE COMPLETE STORIES BY FLANNERY O'CONNOR
PROJECT 2: HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES BY CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
PROJECT 3: 18 BEST STORIES BY EDGAR ALLAN POE
PROJECT 4: THE LOTTERY AND OTHER STORIES BY SHIRLEY JACKSON
PROJECT 5: HOW LONG 'TIL BLACK FUTURE MONTH? BY N.K. JEMISIN
PROJECT 6: THE SHORT STORIES OF OSCAR WILDE BY OSCAR WILDE
PROJECT 7: THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK BY ANDREW LANG
PROJECT 8: GRAND UNION: STORIES BY ZADIE SMITH
PROJECT 9: THE BEST OF ROALD DAHL BY ROALD DAHL
PROJECT 10: LOVE AND FREINDSHIP BY JANE AUSTEN
PROJECT 11: HOMESICK FOR ANOTHER WORLD BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
PROJECT 12: BAD FEMINIST BY ROXANE GAY
PROJECT 12.5: DIFFICULT WOMEN BY ROXANE GAY
PROJECT 13: THE SHORT NOVELS OF JOHN STEINBECK

NOVEL 1: TORTILLA FLAT
immediately this is a terrible idea. these stories are written in COLUMNS. columns! two blocks of text per page! also my copy is extremely old and i am concerned about handling it this frequently!
perhaps i will do what i did with the poe collection and read online editions of each story due to terrible book formatting.
i did that. and also switched to an edition where it's the more-accurate 600 pages, rather than the unholy 400 of my actual copy.
currently about a quarter of the way into this and already feeling like if i have to read the words "gallon of wine" one more time i'll explode.
halfway into this and deciding i'm going to read either one short novel or one HALF a short novel per day.
DAY 2
back at it with little to no excitement.
three quarters of the way done now and having almost no fun. am i a grump? do i misremember liking john steinbeck? is this not steinbeck-y? so many questions, none of them pleasant.
currently our protagonist danny is depressed and i am finding it far and away the most relatable part of the story so far.
...aaaand danny's depression has now been cured by a party. never mind.
okay wait now danny is dead? i can call you many things, steinbeck, but i can't call you predictable! or "not bigoted."
god damn i hate when the end of a book is the best part. makes everything so confusing. the whole time i was at 3 but now i feel like i should go higher?
no! i will not be fooled.
rating: 3

NOVEL 2: THE RED PONY
i have a terrible feeling about this.
just finished the first chapter or whatever and what the hell? what the f*ck? i thought i was going to come here and just be like "man animal stories are boring am i right ha ha" but suddenly the horse is dead? screw you, steinbeck.
onto chapter two. this kid sucks. he didn't deserve to be friends with that pony, he doesn't deserve to have this lovely dog that he keeps hurting, and he DOES deserve to be named jody.
HE JUST KILLED AND CHOPPED UP A BIRD. is this a serial killer origin story? what the hell is this, steinbeck?
and like father like son because now daddy-o is talking about how old horses should be shot in the hopes that the old man he's talking to will realize the similarities. burn this goddamn ranch down, i say.
that was the end of that chapter! it was like 5 pages of people casually being monsters and then it ended. what. the. hell.
chapter three off to a rip-roaring start as a little boy watched two horses f*ck.
THE HORSE HAND JUST SAID HE'S HALF HORSE BECAUSE HIS MOM DIED SO HE DRANK HORSE BREAST MILK INSTEAD OF HUMAN. EITHER THIS IS THE WORST THING I'VE EVER READ OR THE BEST I CAN'T TELL ANYMORE.
end of chapter three and ANOTHER GODDAMN HORSE IS DEAD. it's the worst thing, confirmed.
chapter four. i'm dying.
and it's over as suddenly as it began. and as pointlessly.
rating: 1

NOVEL 3: OF MICE AND MEN
i have loved this one ever since i read it in freshman year english and wrote a song parody of it (to the tune of I Knew You Were Trouble) for extra credit with my best friend and we had to perform it in front of the class at 7:35 a.m. it wasn't a project or anything. we made it up.
in hindsight, not worth it.
halfway done and forgot how intently john steinbeck hates women but it's like...those memes where it's like "the feminism leaving my body when i need my car fixed." that's me reading steinbeck. this story is just simply good as hell.
OKAY I HAVE TO GO NOW DUE TO I'M CRYING.
rating: 4.5

NOVEL 4: THE MOON IS DOWN
many days have passed, to be honest. like...three of them.
if i had not been busy celebrating the birth of our nation by getting drunk and sunburnt, i would have finished by now.
(just kidding. i did not celebrate. i stayed inside because i'm depressed and the smartest people i know don't celebrate it.)
anyway. 150 pages in a normal PDF version. let's do this. maybe if i'm brave i'll catch up.
halfway done this. no way am i catching up. 3 stories in a day? no. this is already a war one that is either exactly the same as every war story or slightly different.
i sure spent a lot of energy trying to like this, considering it includes the words "you may rape her."
rating: 2.5ish

NOVEL 5: CANNERY ROW
got an icepick headache and i'm ready to rock and roll!
oh, god. i'm not in the mood. i'm going to be reading this in teenytiny chunks for the entire day.
true to form i am at like 20% after approx ninety minutes. love to assign myself homework.
now i'm 11 teenytiny chapters in and starting to see the charm of it and wishing i was in a better mood damn it!!!
5 hours in and just hit the halfway mark. gotta pick up the pace, emma, what is this.
knocked out the remaining half in under an hour and a half. she's still got it. kinda.
i did end up liking this! just not as much as i like to complain.
rating: 3.5

NOVEL 6: THE PEARL
all right, folks. let's finish this out.
this is both the shortest one and one of the most boring sounding ones (it sounds like a worse old man and the sea and i didn't even like that), so as always our trials come with tribulations.
ugh. fairytales over fables every time.
especially ones that describe all men as "half insane and half god."
super glad i read this story, because otherwise how would i have ever known that money corrupts? so creative and important.
rating: 2

OVERALL
just read Of Mice and Men and spend the 500 pages you saved reading East of Eden.
rating: 3

[Debbie W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I chose to read this book:
1. in the past, I've read John Steinbeck's books East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath. I borrowed this particular book from my dad as it contains six of Steinbeck's short novels; and,
2. February 2024 is my "Classics" Month.

Tortilla Flat: 130 pages = 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Living in Monterey County during the Depression, main character Danny and his handful of paisano buddies are depicted living a hand-to-mouth existence. So many times, I would shake my head in exasperation as his friends, although initially having the best of intentions, would often talk themselves into accepting a less-than-generous course of action. I did muse over the ending - how the lack of meaning and purpose can bring a person to the depths of despair. If it wasn't for that ending, my rating would have been lower. This particular story took the longest for me to get through.

The Red Pony: 63 pages = 2 ⭐⭐
I so wanted to love this story! Steinbeck did a fine job depicting descriptive scenes and settings (life on a farm isn't always idyllic), and his characters are quite flawed, but I was extremely disappointed by the misleading title and by how so much is missing or left hanging from this story, including the ending!

Of Mice and Men: 69 pages = 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In just a few short pages, Steinbeck wrote such a moving story featuring excellent characterization, believable dialogue, and a compelling plot line that it just broke my heart! I was bawling my eyes out over the heartbreaking ending. Perfectly eloquent in a brutal way!

The Moon Is Down: 79 pages = 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Meant to depict the occupation of Norway by the Nazis during WW2, I appreciated the strong characterization of both the invaders (who take orders without thinking for themselves, eventually leading to the wearing down of nerves), and the conquered (although under control, demonstrate the power of resistance). I loved the quote: "... it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars."

Cannery Row: 112 pages = 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Once again, excellent descriptiveness and character development! It reminded me a little of Tortilla Flat where some characters try to do something nice, but it goes awry. Several times, I was confused by the addition of pointless chapters, characters, and/or scenes.

The Pearl: 54 pages = 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I felt tension throughout this heartbreaking, ironic story about greed that occurs over a handful of days. Excellent character development and anxiety-filled plot line!

Overall Thoughts:
Steinbeck is a master at building flawed characters within descriptive settings; however, I was often left scratching my head over some dangling plot lines and/or unnecessary characters and scenes.
Definitely a great collection for Steinbeck fans!

[Lesle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Mice and Men 2017 is a quick and easy read. Steinbeck writes with beautiful and physical descriptions that for me, painted a detailed picture of every setting along the journey.
George and Lennie are a mismatched pair of migrant farm workers. George is small and has a knowledge from life not schooling. Lennie is mountainous (for lack of a better word) and childlike in mind. Lennie is so strong, he is unaware of this strength, when he connects with anyone from mice to men, he may unknowingly do them fatal harm, until it is too late.
To try and help Lennie stay in line George retells a dream of having their own land, working the little farm and raising animals. Lennie, in this dream farm, takes care of the rabbits, but from experience I know Lennie would only kill them in the end. Lennie does not want to make George mad so, George retells the story to Lennie of the farm and the rabbits as a way of getting good behavior out of Lennie.
Lennie as George's partner, makes employment hard to keep. Not allowing stakes to be set for any length of time. George continues to care for, travel with, and does his best to protect Lennie.
The love and kindness George shows for Lennie even happens in the end. Lennie would not understand the 'why' of what was happening to him. George does what he thinks is the most honorable thing to do for Lennie and again protect him.
Absolutely one of the saddest stories I have read. Without a doubt will pull at your heart...tragic

The second read from this book was The Red Pony. 2017
“The Red Pony” left me feeling as if the story was incomplete. All of the 4 stories have no happy ending. Jody does not learn anything but heartache and pain from his experiences. Steinbeck shows that responsibility, not always, has lessons of value and in the end Jody is angry with his Dad and spiteful.

My third read is Cannery Row. 2017
About a small fishing town in California, where not a lot takes place but what does is striking. The story has some unique individuals who are all poor but are great pals. Chong the grocery store owner who does the same thing everyday, Henri the painter, Doc the marine biologists/doctor and a group of guys known as Mack and the boys (bums). There are many others you meet along the way where not one is the same as the other.
The tale follows Doc and Mack and the boys on their adventures (troubles) of everyday life. They rent (rent they do not pay) from Lee Chong a fish meal house. Doc is so admired by Mack and the boys they decide to throw him a party, without him and it turns out horrible. Nothing goes the way they want it to 'stuff happens' and Doc finds love.
No real plot to speak of but there is plenty of kindness between them. I found the read to be full of charm and many different comical personalities among all of the individuals. In the beginning the descriptions are very detailed of the characters and the prescription of 'Beer Milkshakes' makes this a must read and fun book.

In Dubious Battle 2021 (doubious=suspicious)
Set in the 30's during the Depression has an underlying dark tone and straight forward about the time of the Labor Strikes. In the Battle...workers attempt to work for fair wages and to be given the chance to be treated fairly to take care of their families, in California's agricultural valley of picking apples in the orchard groves, labor agitators Mac and Jim set out to stop the injustice of workers being promised one wage and than cutting it severely as well as their camp conditions.
Jim has nothing going for him and he wants to amount for something with the loss of his family. Picking up the cause, he is guided through by Mac who is committed to spending his time going from one camp to another organizing the workers to strike. Mac gains trust and acceptance by any means possible. He uses any and all means to advance the cause. Actions are orchestrated incidences to help in the beginning and throughout the strke, like the shooting of Joy which Mac believes justify the means to further the cause. Mac and Jim are set up in the end and Mac takes power in the moment to rally the men for the cause once again.
I don't know how much I have got over, but I have used a small strike in an orchard valley as the symbol of man's eternal, bitter warfare with himself. I'm not interested in strike as a means of raising men's wages, and I'm not interested in ranting about justice or oppression, mere outcroppings which indicate the condition. But man hates something in himself. [. . .] And this self-hate which goes so closely with self-love is what I wrote about.

The Pearl August 2021
This short story is a tale of a family that among others are very poor but happy. Music fills the sensuous of Kino's being. It is the sounds of nature that bring him peace and a sense of family.
Kino goes diving for oysters in hopes of having the village doctor take care of his son. Upon finding a unique pearl the Villagers immediately think about themselves and out of their own greed they low ball the worth of the pearl in hopes of making a huge profit. And than it begins there is extreme violence and trackers are hired to steal the pearl. The greed that others seem to think they have a right to, in the end causes devastation of the heart and the sweet music does not return to the family.
Steinbeck's writing is beautiful in the beginning, inticing you into Kino and Juana's life, bringing emotions of worry and concern, and then the terror for Kino and Juana turns slowly into grief and indifference towards the pearl. Written simply yet oh so powerful in it's symbolic warning against the greed and evil of humans and their dark sides of selfishness.

"The poison sacs of the town began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed with the pressure of it."

The Moon Is Down September 2021 (4 stars)
Pages 273-354
The Moon is Down follows eight people in a Norwegian town that is very peaceable. There are enemies that invade and try to take over. We get to know these folks and their love of town and members. They all live their lives, they love their life in this town but are faced with evil tring to destroy them by taking the town, as the ones in charge want the funding from the coal mines. The town tries to rebel and continue to love and not give in. At one point they fight back by sabotage.
The forces get mad about things not going their way. They even force the Mayor Orden to tell the towns people to give in. He does not do what they ask of him and he gives his life for democracy by telling the people to keep resisting.
The soldiers are victims in a way. Missing home and girlfriends, not totally on board. It bothers them that they are so hated. Loft wants to be promoted and is passed over for someone much less qualified. I felt bad for him (in a way).
Seeing the forces as human is another of Steinbeck's moral tale.
There is not really a main scenario, but morally Steinbeck is setting a precedence that violence doesnt always have to be the answer.

"I wrote The Moon Is Down as a kind of celebration of the durability of democracy."


***********************************
I am very enchanted with John Steinbeck's way with words and the way he weaves a story of life for his characters, who tend to have layers of realism about them.

2023 a Reread of The Red Pony For a story that truly captures the human ability to overcome life's disappointments one must read The Red Pony. It is truly a sad tale for me.

[Jen from Quebec :0) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It's Steinbeck, and he is amazing.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've decided to start a tradition of reading several novels from my favorite author, John Steinbeck, every summer. This summer I chose a collection of Steinbeck's short novels, and although I had read all but "Cannery Row" and "The Moon Is Down" before, I hadn't read "The Pearl" or "The Red Pony" in about 15 years. I've really enjoyed returning to these classics after so many years, and I found like that I liked "The Pearl" a lot more than I remembered it and I liked "The Red Pony" a lot less. "The Moon Is Down" was more like Ibsen than Steinbeck, and I found it refreshing. At first glance, "Cannery Row" seemed like a latter-day version of "Tortilla Flat," but it idealized poverty less and provided a more balanced perspective of the Monterey, CA classes. I am about to start re-reading "Of Mice And Men," which I remember loving when I read it in college. I'll re-read "Tortilla Flat" if I have time before my library due date arrives, but I just read it two summers ago, so I feel like I've given it a fair recent re-read.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite novels were The Red Pony and The Moon Is Down. These didn't blow me away like East of Eden. I listened to all on audiobook, which was quite enjoyable. Perhaps I'll get more out of these stories when I reread them.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortilla Flat 2.5/5 stars

Synopsis:
Tortilla Flat was written by John Steinbeck and published in 1935. This short novel is about a group of Paisanos ( Native Californians who are a mixture of Spainish, Mexican and Native American) in the area around Monterey, California in the years following World War 1. The story centers on a man named Danny, his group of friends and his house that they all live in. This novel takes inspiration from the legends of King Arthur and his knights of the round table, but with a group of rapscallion men. These men spend their days jobless, drinking wine and having adventures. Yet, these men have good intentions at heart and have a strong sense of brotherhood.

Storyline:
There wasn’t really a plot to this novel, it was more a bunch of anecdotes about this group of friends. The story was amusing at times, but also held a little bit of darkness under the surface as well. The inspiration from the legends of King Arthur was clever and I appreciated that. I just didn’t really love this story. At first I didn’t get the point at all. I just saw a bunch of purposeless guys who drank way too much wine. After awhile I appreciated the story more, but it still just didn’t appeal to me. Once I saw this crazy group’s good intentions and friendship I felt for them more. It was also an interesting portrait of a group of outsiders in this period of American history when jobs and money were hard to come by. Yet, this still was not one of Steinbeck’s greatest pieces of fiction in my opinion.

Setting:
This novel is set in a place called Tortilla Flat in Monterey, California. I liked this setting and liked the way Steinbeck described this place. I’ve always admired Steinbeck’s descriptions of place. He doesn’t always spend tons of time on it, but what he does share is always done well. I was born in California and have lived here all my life, so I always enjoy Steinbeck’s novels set in California.

Characters:
I liked and disliked the characters all at the same time. On one hand they were a lovable band of outsiders and I could see their good intentions and friendship. On another hand I didn’t like their drunkenness and their views towards women. All the portrayals of women were not really that great and there were quite a few racial slurs as well to be honest. Yes, a product of it’s time, but kind of hard to not be bothered by in this book. I liked how the characters were based on the myths and legends of King Arthur though. Danny was obviously meant to be King Arthur and he was always at the center of everyone’s deeds, yet remained elusive. Just like King Arthur does in Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. My favorite character was The Pirate. He was so lovable and sweet. He had a pack of dogs that he loved and they seemed to be his entire world. He also had a very pure idea of friendship as well. He was the only character who truly tugged on my heartstrings.

Did I Like it?:
This was the fifth book of John Steinbeck’s that I have read and to be honest it was my least favorite. While I came away with more of an appreciation then I had at the beginning, this just wasn’t my kind of book. I will be continuing with my Steinbeck journey though and I hope some of his other books will be more my cup of tea.

Do I Recommend This?:
If you have not read any Steinbeck I highly urge you to pick up East of Eden as a starting point. Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath would be good starting places as well. If you are already a John Steinbeck fan and this appeals to you, go ahead and pick it up. Perhaps it may be someone else’s cup of tea. I just don’t recommend it as a starting point.

The Red Pony 4/5 stars

Synopsis:
The Red Pony was written by John Steinbeck and published in 1937. This novella is about a boy named Jody growing up on a ranch in California. His experience with a red pony awakens him to the facts of life.

Storyline:
Going into The Red Pony I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew it would be about a boy and his beloved pet and that it probably was going to have a sad twist. What I didn’t expect was how much depth there was to this novella. I felt this was similar to the structure of Of Mice and Men in the way that every event and moment seems deliberate and important. Nothing extraneous. In this novella Jody begins to grow up. Through his experiences at the ranch he realizes death, birth, sex, and old age are all part of life. He gets this magnificent view of the cycles of life, which was a theme that I loved. It’s mostly through the horses that Jody witnesses these things, which was quite interesting.

Setting:
The Red Pony is set on a ranch near Salinas, California probably sometime in the early 20th century. Being a native Californian I like all Steinbeck’s California settings. Steinbeck’s descriptions of his settings and of nature are always so on point even if he doesn’t always spend a lot of time dwelling on them.

Characters:
Now I know a lot of the significant meaning in this book centers around the horses. The characters are interesting too though. There are only a few and they seem significant. Through our characters we have innocence and youth juxtaposed with old age and harshness. Jody, our main character, is just ten years old and we witness his coming of age as he witnesses the cycles of life. As he becomes a man he has various male figures to take example from. In fact, as an exploration of different types of males this book was quite interesting. In Jody we have a sweet innocent boy. In his father we have the classic example of the tough, hardened male. At times he is even a bit cruel. In Billy Buck the hired man, we see a man toughened by working on ranches all his life, but he tries to do his best for Jody to make up for his father’s harshness. Through Jody’s grandfather we see a man who is stuck in the past, his glory days of settling the west are over. Jody gets to look at these men as examples for how he’s going to be when he reaches full maturity. Some of these types of masculinity are sadly lacking and we see how Jody will have to navigate that in his adult life. Something else we are shown through the characters are various outsiders and how society treats them. The grandfather is one of them and this old Paisano man is another. Now that their glory days are over and their families are gone there is nothing really left for them to do and Jody’s father rejects them. I feel like one thing Steinbeck always explores really well are the people who are outsiders and rejected by other parts of society.

Did I Like It?:
I really liked this novella! It was pretty brutal at times, but I found a lot of depth in this story. While this may not be my favorite Steinbeck, ( my favorite will probably always be East of Eden) I recognized the Steinbeck that I love in this book.

Do I Recommend This?:
Yes! Beware if are an animal lover though. You will be able to understand certain feelings, but then you may also get your heart broken. I am a huge animal lover and I was able to handle it, although it was definitely intense at times. If you are new to Steinbeck I recommend East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men as starting places. If you have already ventured into the world of Steinbeck, I think you should check out this powerful little novella.

The Moon is Down 4/5 stars

Synopsis:
The Moon is Down was written by John Steinbeck and published in 1942. This book is about a small town during World War II that gets conquered and occupied by it’s enemy.
This piece of propaganda shows how unprepared people are for war and how you cannot suppress free people.

Storyline:
I’m not usually one for war fiction, so I was surprised at how much I actually liked this story. It’s simple and not filled with action packed scenes, but it packs a punch. In this simple story we are not shown the grandiose parts of war and it’s larger purpose, we are shown the little details. Details that give us clues to the whole of what is going on though. We see how unprepared soldiers are for war. We are shown that no matter whose side people are on, the devastation of war is never easy. For those that are not hardhearted, they really don’t want to do what must be done in terms of killing and whatnot. We see the hopelessness of some government leaders, but the power of people who band together. I think Steinbeck’s biggest purpose in writing this book was to give strength to suppressed people. To tell them that people who were once free and are now suppressed can be more powerful than people who are just under orders from a leader.

Setting:
The Moon is Down is obviously set during World War II, but we are not told where exactly. There are many hints that the occupied town is in Scandinavia and that the soldiers who are occupying the town are from Germany. I did like though that Steinbeck didn’t tell us exactly where this was set because it made it more about the ideas, than it was about taking sides. His descriptions of the snowy setting were lovely and atmospheric. I’ve always loved the way Steinbeck describes his settings.

Characters:
This wasn’t a book about in depth character study, but I did like how the characters were used to show us certain ideas and concepts. The soldiers who occupy this town we see as unfit and unprepared for war. There was one chapter in the book where some of the soldiers are described and you see that they really don’t understand what war is about and they want to go home as badly as the people in the town want to be free. You see the soldiers miss their homes, their families and women. I like how even though the main message is for free people to fight against suppression, this book doesn’t really take sides very easily. It shows human beings who happen to be enemies, fighting in a war that is more destructive then they originally imagined and who don’t really like this place in history they find themselves in.

Did I Like It?:
Yes! I really liked it. I found this short book to be quite powerful in it’s message. While I don’t think it’s the best of Steinbeck’s work, I am very glad I read this one.

Do I Recommend This?:
Yes! Now as usual, if you are new to Steinbeck I recommend East of Eden as a place to start. Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men are also good places to start. If you have already ventured into Steinbeck and this one sounds interesting to you, then I definitely recommend it! If you have particular interest in World War II fiction, then of course this is something you should check out as well.

Cannery Row 5/5 stars
* I reviewed this for Taylor Magazine Check it out here:
http://www.taylormagazine.com/review-...

The Pearl 4/5 stars

Synopsis:
The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck and published in 1947. This novella is about a native man named Kino and his family living in the Gulf of California. They live in a community of brush houses and Kino is a pearl diver. After their baby is stung by a scorpion, Kino finds an extremely large pearl that he think will solve all of their problems.

Storyline:
This novella is told in a parable type format, which Steinbeck even explains to us in the beginning. As a parable, this story was profound and important. It was mostly a parable about greed and what money does to people. This is a theme I have seen woven a little bit into Steinbeck’s other fiction, but he fills this entire novella with that concept. I found his storytelling to be concise. In this short novella he gives us the story he needs to in order to get his point across.

Setting:
The Pearl is set in the Gulf of California specifically in La Paz. As usual, Steinbeck did a wonderful job with the setting and descriptions of the surrounding nature.

Characters:
This novella was really about the messages it contained. The characters in here are means to that end, but not Steinbeck’s most fleshed out lovable characters. Steinbeck says in the beginning that because this is a parable, things are very black and white. It’s more the concepts that remain. Through Kino, Juana and their protection of their baby Coyotito, we see the importance of family. We see what lengths people will go to in order to protect their ‘perfect’ family life. We also see the effects wealth has both on the people who have obtained the wealth and the people around them. Again Steinbeck explores with his characters those that are outsiders or marginalized in society. This is a character exploration that I have seen in every book of his that I have read so far.

Did I Like It?:
Yes I did. This was actually my second time reading The Pearl. I first read it as required reading when I was 13. I didn’t understand or appreciate it much at the time, but I’m happy to say that I did appreciate it this time around. It’s a short little book that doesn’t contain too much, but it has an important message that it really drives home.

Do I Recommend It?:
Not as a starting place for Steinbeck. I usually recommend East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men as starting places. If you already have delved into Steinbeck though, I do recommend checking this out if it appeals to you.

[Johnathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I reviewed the individual books separately, so I’ll sum up this collection by saying that I think it’s excellent overall. As a product it’s great. I love the cover and I love the deckled edges. The print is nice. What really matters is the stories themselves and that’s what makes this book such a great value, because they’re so good. Of my individual ratings, only one book got as low as 3 stars while all the rest were at least 4 stars. It was hard for me to imagine reading 6 books (however short) by the same author in a row, but I was enraptured throughout the process. It has given me a new level of respect for John Steinbeck, who I already admired. He is one of the greats, in my view. His characters are real people rooted in the real world and he breathes life to their stories with profound empathy and humanity. This paperback I paid $23 for is now a prized possession.

[Theresa Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Red Pony today. It is such a sad, coming of age story. Life lessons come up constantly in this book. I particularly enjoy the setting of the book on a ranch in California. It paints a clear picture of farm life. I gain an appreciation for the harshness of the land and hard work. The boy, Jody, learns how to be a man in this rudimentary environment. Although his father models a man with little emotion, the boy goes through a myriad of emotions. I found myself crying at certain points because of the intensity in which Steinbeck wrote his books.

[Colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this after several weeks of working my way through the stories! I’m a huge John Steinbeck fan, but, other than THE GRAPES OF WRATH and THE PEARL, I hadn’t read any of his other works (I was mostly a fan of his film adaptations and I knew the broad ideas of most of his stories and they all sounded interesting to me)! If I had to rank the six novels included here, I’d rank them:

1. Tortilla Flat — this was definitely the biggest surprise to me as I hadn’t heard a ton about it before starting this book, but I loved the vignettes of this small village and the characters (especially Danny and The Pirate) really stood out to me. 5/5

2. Of Mice and Men — Definitely Steinbeck’s most famous story included here and probably the best, even if it didn’t have the surprise factor that Tortilla Flat has for me. 5/5

3. The Pearl — Read this in high school and I enjoyed it just as much this time. One of the best parables on greed ever written. 5/5

4. Cannery Row — Like Tortilla Flat, this is a series of vignettes about a small town, but the stories here are much shorter (1-2 pages usually) and the novel jumps around a bit too much for my liking. Some stories are 5/5, but the whole package is just okay. 3/5

5. The Red Pony — Very descriptive imagery of horse eyeballs being eaten brings this down for me. It’s okay but noticeably weaker than my top 4. 2/5

6. The Moon is Down — I love Steinbeck for his depictions of American life, and so I was less interested in his war story taking place in Europe. If you’re into war stories, you’ll probably love this. 2/5

Overall, this is a must read, and I imagine I’ll return to my top 3 again and again!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. The Pearl
2. Of Mice and Men
3. The Red Pony

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok, so I haven't read all of the stories yet. Still, I wanted to post my review on the copy that I own.

The first story I read in this collection was the Red Pony. It is easily a four star read. Too start with, some of the imagery in the book is stunning. Steinbeck is an approachable writer but he can craft a powerful image. A birthing scene in the barn stands out in my mind. The character, a farm-hand, in a violent but powerful scene is able to come through. And Steinbeck does a great job of setting the importance of the scene to all the characters involved.

I really enjoy the era that Steinbeck rights in. It is foreign to my own childhood but reminds me a lot of the stories my father told me of his childhood. It was a less complex but certainly more demanding time. And Steinbeck, for me, does a great job of capturing (what I presume is) the feeling of that era. I also enjoy the characters that he creates. The main character, a child, is a moving character. He can be sweet natured without being too cloying. The book is full of well developed characters like this. Although a quick read he does a good job of capturing the essence of a character in only few passages.
Steinbeck also does a great job, I think, of capturing the duality of human nature. A good example of this is the father of the main character. He can be tough and awkward but also capable of love and generosity in his own confused way. And characters like this are interesting to me. As no person is every any one thing or of any one mindset. People are complicated. But what I most appreciate, as said above, is Steinbeck’s efficient ability to paint these characters.

[Julie Richert-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began this collection because of a Wallace Stegner essay regarding Steinbeck’s mastery of the short story form, of which I had been completely ignorant. The introduction includes a quotation, attributed to Steinbeck: “My whole work drive has been aimed at making people understand each other. “
Reading these stories together is a beautifully tender, compassionate illumination of that objective.
And I probably now consider “Doc” of the Western Biological Laboratory one of the greatest friends I wish I’d had.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent stuff

[Vanessa Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why John Steinbeck is a celebrated author. He catches human emotion and pain, in a raw, honest light.

[Mark Whittum · Rating 4 out of 5]

My three best picks of Steinbeck's short novels are - 'The Pearl', 'Of Mice and Men' and 'The Moon is Down'. The other three were just so, so.

[Emilio Águila Escalante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hace ya poco más de un año que compre este libro, en su momento la excusa era que quería adentrarme a este autor por sus cuentos cortos. Quería ver si adentrarme a este autor por su lengua materna sería demasiado reto, ya que desde un principio me imagine, y estaba en lo cierto, que escribe con bastante detalle cosas muy específicas en ingles que no se aprecian igual en otros idiomas. Lo que no me esperaba era que en ciertas cosas la cultura Californiana de la primera mitad del siglo XX tuviera tantos nexos a México. Hace darme cuenta de que culturalmente si que estamos muy ligados. En lo general fueron historias agradables, unas mejores que otras como es de esperarse. Pero que al final me confirman que vale completamente la pena leerme en ingles sus grandes novelas como Grapes of Wrath o East of Eden.
Tortilla Flat: Historia episódica de chicanos post-primera guerra mundial en Monterey, California. Creo lo mejor de esta novela es que nunca me había puesto a pensar en la vida de aquel tipo de personas y el tono melancólico con el que termina al final. Igual fue un contraste fuerte empezar con esto, cuando justo había acabado con la Montaña Mágica, mundo aristócrata viejo y en descomposición, muy serio y que justo acaba al estallar la primera guerra mundial.
Red Pony: Novela igual episódica, pero en esta ocasión un poco más aburrida, lei que se trata de un Bildungsroman, pero siento que, al intentar hacerla tan detallada en el día a día de una granja, la hizo más aburrida.
Of Mice and Men: Creo que la mejor novela del libro igual retrata una realidad obrera en los plantíos del sur, pero en esta se encuentran momentos crueles, felices, de suspenso y por último tristes. Sencilla pero muy bien lograda.
The Moon is Down: La peor novela por otro lado es esta, creo haber leído que se hizo como propaganda de la segunda guerra mundial. Siento que es la historia de alguien que se imagina como debe ser una ciudad ocupada por una fuerza enemiga, pero que nunca lo ha vivido o siquiera investigado. A mis ojos no es convincente la trama de la historia, quizás funciona como una fábula muy exagerada.
Cannery Row: Esta novela se siente muy similar a Tortilla Flat, pero en esta ocasión la descripción de muchas más personas hace que tenga más vida la ciudad. Aparte de que el tono con el que termina es positivo.
The Pearl: No me termina de convencer la historia, igual muy descriptiva y con una trama interesante, pero creo que fue muy rápida en su ejecución.

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was only somewhat familiar with John Steinbeck's written words prior to reading this collection of six short novels, some of which are his most famous titles. There's not much new I could possibly say about this author. It's obvious to me why he is one of America's most famous and well read. What struck me most in all of these novels is his incredible ability to capture each individual character's quirks, personality and humanity. He often did this with great humor, which makes reading him a genuine pleasure.

I watched a few of the film adaptations of these stories and, as expected, the novels were much better. I don't know how the filmmakers thought they could improved upon what Steinbeck had written, but they can't seem to resist trying. I gave up on trying to watch all of the versions of Of Mice and Men that are out there, but obviously this book strikes a cord with both audiences and creators for its amazing depth.

One title in this collection I had never heard of - The Moon is Down. In all honesty I think it was my favorite. Even though it is decades old, the themes and political/societal absurdities it points out are every bit as relevant today as when it was written. There is a film version that I feel obligated to view, but it is seemingly almost impossible to find. From the few reviews I've found, it doesn't look like they ruined it!

I will read more Steinbeck in the future. I'm hooked.

[Karin Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so handy to have this collection in one tome.

[J. Scott Frampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whole basket of classics. If you have ever lived in the Monterey California area, this is required reading.

[Cheryl Hieber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me captured from the beginning. It reminds us that others do not always respect one's dream for a better life, and greed and collusion are evil and can lead to tragedy.

[Daniel Suhajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t appreciate Steinbeck before starting this. We had to read the Pearl , Red Pony, and Mice and Men in HS, but I was too young to enjoy them. I look forward to reading his longer works.

[Dana Halek Damato · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pearl

When a poor fisherman in Mexico finds the largest, most perfect pearl, he immediately sees a better future for his family. The pearl buyer tries to cheat him and others try to steal the pearl. Bad things keep happening, forcing Kino to flee with his wife and child. Instead of good fortune, the pearl brings evil into their lives.

[Richard Koerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read Cannery Row before and I am sure that I reread Of Mice and Men. The others were generally delightful. The Moon is Down made me think I was reading a different author. I was confused as to location of the story and I wonder what Steinbeck was aiming for in his writing. I loved, however, all, and although I prefer his novels, these were great. I am almost done with Travels with Charley but my Spotify audiobook told me that I was out of time so I did not yet complete it.

[Jordyn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steinbeck is now officially one of my favorite authors. The dialogue is incredible, and the imagery is so unique I often read sentences several times. I had only read East of Eden so I was interested in how I would like a short novel— I greatly enjoyed each!

The Pearl was more metaphor than pure story (I think) and my least favorite (3-4 stars rather than 5); the characters and setting seemed too foreign to the author to be as personal as the other novels.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Moon is Down Review (9/02/12)
Gave 4 stars
Interesting novella that follows the story about a "silent" rebellious coastal townspeople who have recently been conquered by an invading army. While the townspeople do not outwardly or actively rebel or resist, they look on to the invading army with cruel, cold, and un-trusting eyes which kills some of the invading army's soldiers. The dialogue was really creative and the characters were well-crafted.


The Red Pony Review (9/01/12)
Gave 2 stars
To tell you the truth, I just felt like the story was a bit too depressing. To me, The Red Pony has an aimless plot with static characters. The read was interesting enough to get me to finish the book, but this isn't one of Steinbeck's best works. If you started out with this book thinking that Steinbeck is a mediocre writer, you really have to read his master pieces - like The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and/or Of Mice and Men! Those are the works that truly exemplify Steinbeck's genius in literature.


Of Mice and Men Review (2/02/11)
Gave 4 stars
I recommend to all Steinbeck reader fans. The ending is extremely sad, but Of Mice and Men is a worthwhile read that cannot be ignored.

The friendship between George and Lennie is extremely complex, and they have a genuine companionship that is not parasitic-but rather mutual-istic. Lennie needs George for intellectual and emotional support, but George leans on Lennie for enthusiasm and hope. Once their dreams of someday owning a rabbit farm are shattered, George has to man up in order to save Lennie from a painful torture and death.


Cannery Row Review (8/29/12)
Gave 3 stars
This novel is not plot-driven, but the story focuses more on delineating the town and characters of Cannery Row. Cannery Row is a good book for a quick read. As he always does, Steinbeck implies important short lessons about life in his story about the struggling between the rich and the poor.


The Pearl Review (8/30/12)
Gave 4 stars
The novella is widely entertaining with great plot and characters, still, I was just really hoping that the infant, Coyotito, could have gained something. I was anticipating a happy ending. I was not hoping for Kino and Juana to become rich after they found the pearl (that would go against Steinbeck's message), but I was disappointed when Coyotito was killed off like that! Once Kino and Juana found the pearl, I was rooting for them the whole time and sharing that same enthusiasm with Kino-hoping that Coyotito would get an education. My wishes for a different ending is probably silly though. Killing off Coyotito, unfortunately, is probably the only way for Kino to understand how corruptible the pearl became. Unlike Juana, Kino did not recognize the pearl's evil until very late (actually, too late) in the novel.

Either way, the techniques used to craft the novella were really clever. I liked Steinbeck's use of different characters and the balance between Kino's idealistic dreams and Juana's practicality. The story was focused primarily on the plot and characters, so it was not a dull read (not too much description on setting involved this time). The read is not too difficult or long, so I recommend to everyone! I read this in one sitting.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

JS is a marvelous writer however his style demands that the reader enjoy a change in emotions constantly.
His characters are aptly described and the story line
Is well done however there is a an underlying subtle
Negative content that permeates and drives the story
To a not so pleasant or rather unhappy conclusion.
Somehow he finds a way to Conclude the story with
An emotional low even though the story itself is great
Reading. My preference is not to end a story depressed

[Matthew Hyndman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves John Steinbeck, I don’t recommend reading a ton of his stuff in a row. Had a few of these been spaced between other authors I would’ve appreciated them more. His range is bananas though. BANANAS.

[Jenni DaVinCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to get into each individual short novel in this review, but they are available as individual reviews if someone were to be interested in reading what I think about it.

I thought this was a very good collection of short novels. The Pearl and Tortilla Flat didn't really tickle my fancy but the remaining stories are all very well done and very interesting to read. Just bear in mind that Steinbeck is from an older generation. I could see someone easily getting offended by the way he talks about/to women, or people of other ethnicity. He also tends to use animal cruelty/death far more often than I would care to read about, but that's unfortunately one of the things that has to be overlooked to enjoy Steinbeck in this day and age. I still maintain the opinion that Steinbeck is one of the best American writers that we have ever seen. He was just writing in a time period that happened a loooong time before now.

I suspect The Moon is Down is a short novel that many people hadn't heard of, but I found it to be one of the most interesting and unique works of war fiction that I have ever read.

Each book comes in at around 100 pages, which makes for an easy 1-day read on a story. It's an excellent collection and well worth the time to read!

[Ja · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories by the great John Steinbeck.

One thing I re-realized while reading this collection was that all good things should be taken in moderation. The same goes for good books. As much as I love the work of Steinbeck, it's nice to read something else every once in a while, if only to have the desire for exceptional writing to gnaw at you once again, forcing you to go back to a favorite author. What I mean is that instead of reading this within the time frame that I did, I should have read a different book in between each of the shorter stories. I think it would have given me time to digest each individual novel on its own before delving into another classic tale.

Regardless, this is a great collection of stories that I absolutely loved. Other than Of Mice and Men, I had never read any of these other stories. I'm happy to have read each and every one of them. I think I'll read a couple other books for now…and then go back to reading another Steinbeck novel in the near future.