John Steinbeck

(Febryary27,1902-December20,1968)

John Ernst Steinbeck (February 27,1902 -December 20,1968) was one of the most famousAmerican novelists of the20th century. He was awarded theNobel Prize for literature in1962, though his popularity with readers never was matched by the literary critics.
He was born inSalinas, California, which acted as a setting for many of his stories. His novels are called as California novels or dust bowl fiction, referring to the era of dustbowl in American plains. He had a wide range of interests like jazz, politics, philosophy, history, and myth. For many he was just a pseudo intellectual, for many others, the authentic voice of Depression.
Steinbeck wrote in the naturalist/realist style, often about poor, working-class people. His most famous work,The Grapes of Wrath, tells the story of the Joads, a poor family fromOklahoma and their journey to and subsequent struggles inCalifornia. It is often understood as anovel in defense of the poor as against the rich. In2001, the book would be listed as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century as selected by the editorial board of theAmerican Modern Library.
East of Eden is probably Steinbeck's most substantial work. In it Steinbeck stops looking towards social injustice as the source of evil, and instead explores the roots of evil in human psychology.
Steinbeck received the Nobel prize for literature in 1962 for his “realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.” He died inNew York.

Selected bibliography:

TO GOD UNKNOWN, 1933
IN DUBIOUS BATTLE, 1936
OF MICE AND MEN, 1937
THE RED PONY, 1937
THE LONG WALLEY, 1938
THE GRAPES OF WRATH, 1939
EAST OF EDEN, 1952Taken from:

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

Also see:
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck

http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html

http://caviews.com/john.htm