John Ernst Steinbeck

For determining value of first editions of Steinbeck's work, and some information on his true autograph view Collectible Books.

 

(February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was one of the best-known and most widely read American writers of the 20th century. A winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, he wrote Of Mice and Men (1937) and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), both of which examine the lives of the working class and migrant workers during the Dust Bowl and subsequent Great Depression.
Steinbeck often populated his stories with struggling characters, and his stories drew on real historical conditions and events in the first half of the 20th century. His body of work reflects his wide range of interests, including marine biology, politics, religion, history, and mythology.
Seventeen of his works, including Cannery Row (1945), The Pearl (1947), and East of Eden (1952), went on to become Hollywood films (some appeared multiple times, i.e. as remakes), and Steinbeck also achieved success as a Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.
 
Major Works
 

Of Mice and Men


For more details on this topic, see Of Mice and Men.
Of Mice and Men is a tragedy that was written in the form of a play in 1937. The story is about two traveling ranch workers, George and Lennie, trying to work up enough money to buy their own farm/Ranch. It encompasses themes of racism, loneliness, prejudice against the mentally ill, and the struggle for personal independence. Along with Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is one of Steinbeck's best known works. It was made into a movie three times, in 1939 starring Burgess Meredith, Lon Chaney Jr., and Betty Field, in 1982 starring Randy Quaid, Robert Blake and Ted Neeley, and in 1992 starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich.

The Grapes of Wrath


For more details on this topic, see The Grapes of Wrath.
The Grapes of Wrath was written in 1939 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. The book is set in the Great Depression and describes a family of sharecroppers, the Joads, who were driven from their land due to the dust storms of the Dust Bowl. The title is a reference to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The book was made into a film in 1940 starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford.

East of Eden


For more details on this topic, see East of Eden.
Steinbeck deals with the nature of good and evil in this Salinas Valley saga. The story follows two families: the Hamiltons - based on Steinbeck's own maternal ancestry - and the Trasks, reprising stories about the Biblical Adam and his progeny. The book was published in 1952.

Travels With Charley


For more details on this topic, see Travels With Charley: In Search of America.
In 1960, Steinbeck bought a pickup truck and had it modified with a custom-built camper top - rare for that day - and drove across the United States with his faithful poodle, Charley. In this sometimes comical, sometimes melancholic book, Steinbeck describes what he sees from Maine to Montana to California, and from there to Texas and Louisiana and back to his home in Long Island. The restored camper truck is on exhibit in the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California.
 
 

 

John Steinbeck Signature

In recent years, we have seen numberous forgeries of Steinbeck's signatures selling on the net. Unfortunately, the buyers think they are getting the real deal because they are persuaded by pictures or enticing descriptions. Can you identify the authentic signature from these five Steinbeck books? Link

The attached file are some collected pics of his signature. The one from the Red Pony is forged.

John Steinbeck, The Pastures Of Heaven, Tower Books in DJ
John Steinbeck, The Pastures Of Heaven, Tower Books in DJ
$10.00 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 7h 5m
Sea of Cortez - John Steinbeck& Ed Ricketts-1941 1st ED
Sea of Cortez - John Steinbeck& Ed Ricketts-1941 1st ED
$140.39 (6 Bids)
Time Left: 8h 14m
The Wayward Bus,  John Steinbeck 1947
The Wayward Bus, John Steinbeck 1947
$5.50 (4 Bids)
Time Left: 9h 49m
Franklin Library J.Steinbeck- Grapes Of Wrath-leather
Franklin Library J.Steinbeck- Grapes Of Wrath-leather
$19.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 10h 3m
John Steinbeck THE ACTS OF KING ARTHUR & KNIGHTS 1st dj
John Steinbeck THE ACTS OF KING ARTHUR & KNIGHTS 1st dj
$45.00
Time Left: 13h 27m
EAST OF EDEN John Steinbeck 1952
EAST OF EDEN John Steinbeck 1952
$83.95
Time Left: 13h 35m
Hammerstein,  Osacar PIPE DREAM SWEET THURSDAY Steinbeck
Hammerstein, Osacar PIPE DREAM SWEET THURSDAY Steinbeck
$125.00
Time Left: 15h 27m
The RED PONY:1st Edition 1945 + PiPPiN : John STEINBECK
The RED PONY:1st Edition 1945 + PiPPiN : John STEINBECK
$25.00
Time Left: 15h 54m
1940 GRAPES OF WRATH JOHN STEINBECK ILLUSTRATED BENTON
1940 GRAPES OF WRATH JOHN STEINBECK ILLUSTRATED BENTON
$6.99 (2 Bids)
Time Left: 16h 3m
THE RED PONY . BY JOHN STEINBECK  1945
THE RED PONY . BY JOHN STEINBECK 1945
$9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 16h 28m
The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck
The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck
$10.50 (3 Bids)
Time Left: 16h 56m
First Edition Library-GRAPES OF WRATH-Steinbeck-SEALED
First Edition Library-GRAPES OF WRATH-Steinbeck-SEALED
$59.00
Time Left: 17h 12m
OF MICE AND MEN BY JOHN STEINBECK 1937 HARDCOVER W DJ
OF MICE AND MEN BY JOHN STEINBECK 1937 HARDCOVER W DJ
$39.98 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 17h 46m
FAULKNER,  O’NEILL,  STEINBECK,  Nobel Prize,  Leather-like
FAULKNER, O’NEILL, STEINBECK, Nobel Prize, Leather-like
$16.99
Time Left: 17h 50m
John Steinbeck "The Winter Of Discontent" 1st. Ed. 1961
John Steinbeck "The Winter Of Discontent" 1st. Ed. 1961
$9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 18h 12m
John Steinbeck  ~  "Cannery Row"  ~   1st. Ed.  1945
John Steinbeck ~ "Cannery Row" ~ 1st. Ed. 1945
$9.99 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 18h 13m
John Steinbeck The Winter Of Our Discontent 1st 1st DJ
John Steinbeck The Winter Of Our Discontent 1st 1st DJ
$1.29 (2 Bids)
Time Left: 19h 18m
THE RED PONY BY JOHN STEINBECK PUB. BY THE VIKING PRESS
THE RED PONY BY JOHN STEINBECK PUB. BY THE VIKING PRESS
$9.95
$19.95
Time Left: 22h 44m
The Moon Is Down,  John Steinbeck,  True 1st Edition,  VGC
The Moon Is Down, John Steinbeck, True 1st Edition, VGC
$9.99 (0 Bids)
Time Left: 1d 7h 38m
1962 John Steinbeck TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY 1ST HC DJ NR!!
1962 John Steinbeck TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY 1ST HC DJ NR!!
$19.99 (1 Bids)
Time Left: 1d 9h 40m