28 May in Literature

This day in 1935 Steinbeck's first successful novel, Tortilla Flat was published.

Steinbeck who never graduated from his writing studies at Stanford, moved to New York and became a journalist. In parallel he wrote his first two novels which did not have much success. His most famous books are Grapes of Wrath which landed him the Pulitzer Prize in 1939. Other books to remember is Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, Viva Zapata and East of Eden. He won the Nobel Prize in 1962 and died in New York in 1968.

This is the second entry of John Steinbeck. For more info go to 6 May.

I have not read that many of his novels. I recently read The Pearl which my son had to read in school, and we have read Of Mice and Men in our book club. Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden would be on my list to read. And why not Tortilla Flat!

Do you have any experience of John Steinbeck? Anything to recommend?