ISBN10: 0822309947, ISBN13: 9780822309949, [publisher: Duke University Press] Softcover The Grapes of Wrath is generally considered Steinbeck's masterpiece, but the short novel was the form he most frequently turned to and most consciously theorized about, and with constant experimentation he made the form his own. Much of the best%u2014and the worst%u2014of his writing appears in his short novels. This collection reviews what has been categorized as the %u201Cgood%u201D and the %u201Cbad,%u201D looking beyond the careless labeling that has characterized a great deal of the commentary on Steinbeck's writing to the true strengths and weaknesses of the works. The contributors demonstrate that even in the short novels that are most often criticized, there is more depth and sophistication than has generally been acknowledged. The essays examine the six most popular short novels%u2014Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, The Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, and The Pearl%u2014in addition to the three usually thought of as less successful%u2014Burning Bright, Sweet Thursday, and The Short Reign of Pippin IV. Because most of Steinbeck's short novels were adapted and presented as plays or screenplays, many of the essays deal with dramatic or film versions of the short novels as well as with the fiction. The collection concludes with a comprehensive checklist of criticism of the short novels. Contributors. Richard Astro, Jackson J. Benson, Carroll Britch, ...

ISBN10: 0822309947, ISBN13: 9780822309949, [publisher: Duke University Press Books 1990-06-30, Durham] Softcover Language: ENG
[London, United Kingdom] [Publication Year: 1990]