John Steinbeck
The Years of Greatness, 1936-1939
Edited by Tetsumaro Hayashi; Introduction by John H. Timmerman
University of Alabama Press
This volume is derived from papers presented by the North American delegates at the Third International Steinbeck Congress, held in May 1990 in Honolulu, Hawaii, under the co-sponsorship of the Steinbeck Society of Japan and the International Steinbeck Society. These ten essays, arranged in two parts, seek to provide a clearer understanding of Steinbeck's life and work during his most productive period. Part I discusses Steinbeck's women, with emphasis on the function of the feminine from original perspectives. It uses recent research sources, including some of the Steinbeck-Gwyn love letters and poems. Part II explores the Depression trilogy—"In Dubious Battle", "Of Mice and Men," and "The Grapes of Wrath"—Steinbeck's major works of the late 1930s.
One must agree with John H. Timmerman, when he writes in his perceptive and succinct introduction that the essays in this volume collectively form ‘one of the best pieces of expository prose I have had the opportunity to linger over in a long time.’ These essays have in common the power to achieve what all good scholarship should achieve – to send readers back to the creative works and to uncover previously hidden or unnoticed paths, thereby encouraging both reader and scholar toward further possible fruitful discovery. This is a volume every Steinbeckian should have on the bookshelf.’ – Steinbeck Newsletter
This [book] has two major emphases: the author’s portrayal of feminine characters . . . and explorations of the Depression trilogy: In Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. Extremely readable.’ —American Literary Book Review
Tetsumaro Hayashi is Professor of English and director of the Steinbeck Research Institute, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.
