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Title John Steinbeck / editor, Don Noble.

Publication Info. Pasadena, Calif. : Salem Press, [2011]
©2011

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Location Call No. Status
 Bristol, Main Library - Non Fiction  813.54 N665    Check Shelf
Description xxiii, 414 pages ; 24 cm.
Series Critical insights
Critical insights.
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 398-400) and index.
"Works by John Steinbeck": pages 396-397.
Contents On John Steinbeck / Don Noble -- Biography of John Steinbeck / Gordon Bergquist -- The Paris review perspective / Hua Hsu for The Paris review -- Critical contexts -- John Steinbeck's critical reception / Matthew J. Bolton -- "Roar like a lion": the historical and cultural contexts of the works of John Steinbeck / Jennifer Banach -- John Steinbeck, Frank Norris, and literary naturalism / Gurdip Panesar -- "You're kind of untouchable": women, men, and the environment in The long valley / Cynthia A. Bily -- Critical readings -- John Steinbeck: the favorite author we love to hate / Jackson J. Benson -- Tortilla flat and the creation of a legend / Joseph Fontenrose -- Sharing creation: Steinbeck, In dubious battle, and the working-class novel in American literature / Thomas M. Tammaro -- A historical introduction to Of mice and men / Anne Loftis -- Of mice and men: the dream of commitment / Louis Owens -- Come back to the boxcar, Leslie honey: or, don't cry for me, Madonna, just pass the milk: Steinbeck and sentimentality / John Seelye -- California answers The grapes of wrath / Susan Shillinglaw -- Steinbeck's "self-characters" as 1930s underdogs / Warren G. French -- John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts: understanding life in the great tide pool / James C. Kelley -- Steinbeck's environmental ethic: humanity in harmony with the land / John H. Timmerman -- Steinbeck and the woman question: a never-ending puzzle / Mimi Gladstein -- Steinbeck and ethnicity / Susan Shillinglaw -- Steinbeck's war / Robert E. Morsberger -- Beyond evil: Cathy and Cal in East of Eden / Carol L. Hansen -- Sweet Thursday revisited: an excursion in suggestiveness / Robert DeMott -- "John believed in man": an interview with Mrs. John Steinbeck / Donald V. Coers.
Summary Easily one of America's most important novelists, John Steinbeck has been a favorite among readers of all kinds for decades. A versatile, restless writer who constantly experimented with new forms and genres, he seems to offer something for everyone-whether rapturous descriptions of the California landscape, fierce denunciations of social injustices, simple morality tales, or just picaresque adventure stories. His simple prose style makes him a perennial favorite among students, yet the layers of meaning his simplicity conceals give many readers deep, lifelong enjoyment. Edited and with an introduction by Don Noble, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Alabama, this volume in the Critical Insights series brings together a variety of classic and contemporary essays on this American author. Countering some of the more severe criticisms leveled against Steinbeck, Noble's introduction argues that readers have good reason to respect the Nobel laureate's accomplishments, and Hua Hsu, writing for The Paris Review, celebrates the author's social vision. For readers studying Steinbeck for the first time, four new essays provide a framework for studying the author in greater depth. Matthew J. Bolton reviews Steinbeck's critical reputation, and Jennifer Banach describes the social and historical contexts to which Steinbeck responded in his work. Gurdip Panesar evaluates the novelist's relationship to literary naturalism by comparing him with one of America's quintessential literary naturalists, Frank Norris. Finally, Cynthia A. Bily offers an ecofeminist reading of the stories of The Long Valley. Next, a selection of classic and contemporary essays introduce readers to key issues in the critical discussion of Steinbeck. Opening this section is Jackson J. Benson's "John Steinbeck: The Favorite Author We Love to Hate," in which Benson attempts to explain why Steinbeck's popular reputation is at such variance with his critical reputation. Steinbeck's most popular novelsTortilla Flat, In Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrathare then treated in several essays. Joseph Fontenrose explains how the underlying structure of Tortilla Flat incorporates Arthurian legend and ecological theory, and Thomas M. Tammaro describes the merits of In Dubious Battle. Of Mice and Men is treated by Anne Loftis, who guides readers through its composition, and Louis Owens, who explicates the novel's themes of paradise, loneliness, and commitment. Finally, John Seelye compares The Grapes of Wrath to another sentimental protest novel, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Susan Shillinglaw describes how California writers responded to the challenges issued by The Grapes of Wrath. Next, a group of essays examine themes prevalent across Steinbeck's work. Warren G. French illustrates the psychological commonalities between Steinbeck and some of his most famous protagonists, and James C. Kelley and John H. Timmerman take up the author's views on science and nature. Mimi Gladstein and Susan Shillinglaw also analyze Steinbeck's portraits of women and racial minorities. Finally, the work of Steinbeck's middle and late career is covered by three essays. Robert E. Morsberger describes the author's involvement in World War II and evaluates his wartime writing. Carol L. Hansen takes up the moral schema of East of Eden, and Robert DeMott attempts to rehabilitate the critically panned Sweet Thursday as an experimental comedy. Concluding the section is a revealing 1995 interview with Steinbeck's third wife, Elaine. Rounding out the volume are a biography and chronology of John Steinbeck's life, a list of his major publications, and a bibliography of resources for readers wishing to study Steinbeck and his work in greater depth. - Publisher.
Subject Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968 -- Criticism and interpretation.
Added Author Noble, Donald R.
ISBN 9781587657030 alkaline paper
1587657031 alkaline paper
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