John Steinbeck

 

John Steinbeck was an American novelist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception."  

He wrote 33 books throughout his literary career, including 16 novels, six non-fiction volumes, and two collections of short tales, one of which he coauthored with Edward Ricketts. He is most known for his comedic novels Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row, as well as the multi-generational epic East of Eden and novellas The Red Pony and Of Mice and Men. The Grapes of Wrath, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is regarded Steinbeck's masterwork and an important part of the American literary canon. It sold 14 million copies in the first 75 years following its publication.

The majority of Steinbeck's works are situated in central California, namely the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges. His writings typically addressed issues of destiny and injustice, particularly as they related to poor or everyday characters.

The Grapes of Wrath is set during the Great Depression and tells the story of the Joads, a family of sharecroppers who were forced to flee their farm owing to the Dust Bowl's dust storms. The Battle Hymn of the Republic is referenced in the title. Some reviewers thought it was too sympathetic to workers' predicament and overly critical of capitalism, yet it drew a sizable audience. It was turned into a film starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, directed by John Ford, and won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.