A. Susan Williams, "John Steinbeck � Life and works"
Holy hell. This is the third book I�ve read today and it�s not even six o�clock yet. Yeesh. Sure, they weren�t very long books, and I know I�m trying to pad my monthly ratio by reading all of these but ... yeesh.
Frankly, I don�t get this. This kind of reads like something that�s written for children, particularly since they have an index AND a glossary for things like �Novel� and �Plot.� But the writing within is on a higher-education level talking about form and content, with a little comparison with Hemingway and Faulkner. They also had a ton of photos, many that had little or nothing to do with Steinbeck or his novels. Like why show a bread line in New York City when you�re talking about �The Grapes of Wrath?�
Then I figured it out � it�s because this is from a writer in London. And if there�s one thing I figured out from my little jaunt in England, it�s that people like to talk about New York.
Anyway, there was nothing really new or insightful in this, although I�m sure some prat in the East End would enjoy it. There are some good photos as well (when they actually relate to the subject, that is) and I realized something I hadn�t noticed before: John Steinbeck was one ugly son of a bitch. But he knew how to write, and that got him three wives, so it looks like there�s hope for me.
I�m fairly certain that I�m close to having all the stuff on or about Steinbeck that�s still available, so hopefully I can stop buying things like this. I may only have a few obsessions, but when I do, it�s usually pretty serious.
