I recently decided that I would like to read "Travels with Charley" for no other reason than I liked the title and it was written by a well respected author. So off I trotted to the library only to be told they don't have it!! Funnily enough they can get it in for me from a tiny little area school. They only had two books by Steinbeck "The Pearl" and "Cannery Row" so I took both of those for now.

I haven't read any of Steinbeck's books so didn't know what to expect. I started reading "The Pearl" and after the first few chapters thought "uh oh, I don't like where this is going" and after skip reading (which I wouldn't normally do) decided not to finish it. I was very disappointed in it. Well you all know I'm a woosy, but I'm of an age where I no longer feel obligated to do things that don't agree with me.

I then started "Cannery Row" and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's a long time since I've enjoyed a book so much. The characters are wonderful.

So my question is "Which of Steibeck's novels have you read and would recommend to me bearing in mind that I can't tolerate violence and am definitely not a romantic?"

If it's any help my favourite book has long been "One day in the life of Ivan Densovich" by Solzhenitsyn.

Any help appreciated.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), March 04, 2005

Answers

Nudging up the list.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), March 04, 2005.

Carol, that's pretty ambitious reading for spring up here in the top hemisphere. (If the book was printed up here, do you have to hold it upside-down in Oz?) May be better with blowing snow, a nice fire, and some of Bee's brownies.

Steinbeck is someone who I intend to read one of these days, especially "Travels With Charley", because it just sounds like something I'd like. In fact, I've always wanted to write a book titled "Travels With Catfish Charlie" (Catfish Charley is an old and beloved brand of stink bait here in the South. It's lingering aroma has had a big influence on my social standing here on the bayou)

I remember Solzhenitsyn, maybe "The Gulag Archepelego"? I'll have to try "One day..." someday. But not right now, as my check hasn't come in yet. So, don't look for me and Kit to show up this weekend (darn!)

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), March 04, 2005.

That must be it Lon. The weather is cooling down here and I feel the need to read. I hope you get the chance to read "One day..." someday, I found it a much better read than "The Gulag". I think you'd like the characters in Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" too.

I also picked "Travels with Charley" purely for the title. We could be very disappointed couldn't we. The library has ordered it in for me, so I'll let you know what it's like in time for the next northern winter. Might take me that long to read it.

If I ever smell the scent of "eau de stink bait" I'll boil kettle and put some chips out in case it's Lon and Kit come to call.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), March 05, 2005.

I read a bunch of Steinbeck back when I was young enough to remember better. Now, I don't recall all the details. But from your criteria (although I don't have a handle on what you qualify as "romantic"), I'd say a lot of his work involves, well, misery (or "realism," if you prefer). The Grapes of Wrath, the work for which he's best known, is about Okies (people from Oklahoma) who migrated with little except their muscle to California in the Dust Bowl drought days or after they were "tractored off" their small farms in hard times by bigger farmers, and it has a smattering of grossness in it. Of Mice and Men is about a conniving little weasel who's the brains for a hulking semi-retarded but good hearted fellow who comes to no good end. I don't remember much of Cannery Row, but don't be surprised if he's got a few tricks up his sleeve with the characters you like. East of Eden was downright mean, though the antagonist got it in the end. Your decision to buy Travels with Charlie seems a good one to me. Charlie was his dog and it's just a bunch of notations from Steinbeck's knocking around the country. It's pretty safe ground, since he's not trying to sell you on the ugliness of life in general.

-- J (jsnider@hal-pc.org), March 07, 2005.

Thanks J. That's very helpful to me. I would have been very disappointed if I waited several weeks for a book to come in on the inter-library exchange system only to find out it wasn't suitable. I am still waiting for "Travels with Charley", but at least it is something to look forward to now.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), March 09, 2005.

Carol, it's interesting you mention Travels with Charley; my husband is just now reading that for the first time. How about that for a coincidence? He's very well read, but for some odd reason hadn't ever gotten around to reading this particular work of Steinbeck's. He's thoroughly enjoying it.

I remember my mother reading it back in the early 60's (maybe when it came out in paperback, I don't recall), and I read it myself when I was about 10 or so. I remember Mom thinking that it might be "too old" for me, but it wasn't, for the most part. I've since re-read it any number of times and it's one of my all time favorites.

Another author, William Least Heat Moon, wrote a book along similar lines, Blue Highways, and you also might find it interesting.

-- Brooke (BooksAbound@Hill.top), March 11, 2005.

Hi Brooke. Well that is a coincidence isn't it? I'm still waiting for the library to get a copy in for me. If it takes much longer I think I'll just buy a copy by mail. I'm not real patient am I? Even though I've lived in the country for 25 yrs I still find it frustrating not having access to many things that city people take for granted.

Lol if I'm having trouble getting Steinbeck, I wonder what my chances of getting "William Least Heat Moon" are. What a great name. I will put him on my list of books to read though, thank you.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), March 11, 2005.