A selection of essential writings by one of the greatest writers in American history It would be impossible to overstate John Steinbeck's enduring influence on American letters. Profuse with a richness of language, sly humor, and empathy for even his most flawed characters, Steinbeck's books are still widely read and deeply relevant today. The Portable Steinbeck is a grand sampling of his most important and popular works. Here are the complete novels Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony, together with self-contained excerpts from several longer novels, the text of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, a fascinating introduction by Pascal Covici, Jr., son of Steinbeck's longtime editor, and brand new introduction from leading Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw that puts Steinbeck in the context of the 21st century. 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.
This volume narrows a huge gap in regard to Steinbeck translations in Eastern Europe, here considered in terms of the political division between Western Europe and the Soviet-dominated East. As the only book of its kind, and although intended for both literature scholars and the broader arts community, it makes an important contribution to Steinbeck and American literature studies, and is useful for scholars of the languages discussed here. Although Steinbeck is regarded as an American writer of high repute, his appeal and influence extend far beyond the borders of North America. As documented here, he was particularly popular in Eastern Europe, where he inadvertently served political purposes. Evaluated through an ideological lens, the sole value of his works was seen to reside in their utility to oppressive political regimes. Even works that clearly showed Steinbeck venturing into new topics and forms could not escape an ideological burden, whereas several others that lacked social necessity and documentary integrity were unjustifiably marginalised or consigned to oblivion. As this study also shows, only recently, following the fall of totalitarian rule, have Steinbeck’s works started to be approached from the various angles of contemporary criticism. The acknowledgement that there is much more to recommend in his books than that which was praised by those who, blinded by their commitment or because of imposed limitations on expectations, showed no appreciation for the variety and subtlety of Steinbeck’s writing, explains the recent renaissance of interest in the whole of Steinbeck’s oeuvre. Indeed, viewed without preconceived ideas and accepted for what they are, it is impossible not to respond to Steinbeck’s exploration of issues of freedom, individual choice, and relationships, and not to notice that he was much more than merely a proletarian writer.
The Portable Milton is an authoritative grand tour through the imagination of this prodigal genius. In the course of his forty-year career, John Milton evolved from a prodigy to a blind prophet, from a philosophical aesthete to a Puritan rebel, and from a poet who proclaimed the triumph of reason to one obsessed with the intractability of sin. Throughout these transformations, he conceived his work as a form of prayer, written in the service of the supreme being.
Discusses the life and writings of American novelist and short-story writer John Steinbeck. Includes information on stage and screen adaptations of his works, critical assessments of his writing, and the Steinbeck centennial.
Offers alphabetical and topical lists of entries, a Steinbeck chronology, an annotated list of Steinbeck archives, and an introductory essay by Steinbeck biographer Jackson J. Benson.
"Indispensable to students of antebellum culture."—Philip F. Gura, Univ. of North Carolina. "A highly valuable resource for students of American Studies and Women's Studies alike."—Donald Pease, UC-Riverside.