Synopses & Reviews
As a writer who, beginning in the 1930s, gave voice to the ordinary man and woman, Steinbeck came to be the conscience of America. He witnessed and recorded with clarity much of the political and social upheaval of the 20th century: the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam. Yet his place in the literary canon of American literature has been much debated and often dismissed by academics. Beyond Boundaries challenges that dismissal and replaces it with a fuller, more nuanced and international appreciation of the popular Nobel laureate and his works.
Topics treated in these wide-ranging essays include the historical and literary contexts and the artistic influence of the eminent novelist; the reception and translation of Steinbeck works outside the United States; Steinbeck's worldview, his social vision, and his treatment of poverty, of self, and of patriotism; influence on Native American writers; the centrality of the archetypal feminine throughout his fiction; and the author's lifelong interest in science and philosophy.
Truly international in scope, this timely study reevaluates the enduring and evolving legacy of one of America's most significant writers.
Review
"This book takes Steinbeck criticism beyond the frozen boundaries of the past and pushes out over boundaries in many different directions. It shows Steinbeck as an explorer of form and a far more profound thinker than he has been credited to be. It refutes the clichés of criticism and takes us into new territory."—Jackson J. Benson, San Diego State University
Review
"Shillinglaw contends the Pulitzer Prizeand#150;winning Grapes of Wrath is their 'shared creation.' She argues that Carol was a much larger influence on the novelistand#8217;s life and work than has been previously acknowledged. In this lively, absorbing biography, she describes Johnand#8217;s and Caroland#8217;s families, the impact of friends and travel, and the creative process that culminated in Johnand#8217;s writing. Carol left few written records or letters, thus her life is portrayed here from previously unavailable scrapbooks, photographs, and poetry. . . . Recommended for Steinbeck enthusiasts as well as readers interested in 20th-century American novelists." Library Journal, Nov. 13, 2013
Review
"Impressive . . . Shillinglaw writes with eloquence and grace. . . . Carol Steinbeck . . . has been blessed with a terrific biographer." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Scholars and fans of John Steinbeck are fortunate to have two fine biographies availableand#151;Jackson Bensonand#8217;s (1990) and Jay Pariniand#8217;s (1995). . . .and#160; And now another indispensable source can be placed beside these classics, Susan Shillinglawand#8217;s Carol and John Steinbeck: Portrait of a Marriage published by the University of Nevada Press." -- Tom Barden, The Steinbeck Review, Fall 2013
Review
"Nobody knows more or writes better about the life of Steinbeck than Susan Shillinglaw . . . Her superb scholarship and elegant style are equally evident in Carol and John Steinbeck: Portrait of a Marriage, the biography of Steinbeck?s marriage to Carol Henning, a Jazz Age rebel with a Great Depression conscience. As Shillinglaw observes, John and Carol were no Scott and Zelda. But their dramatic story book reads like a novel -- unfortunately, one with a similarly unhappy ending." William Ray, Steinbeck Now
Review
and#147;A fascinating story that needs to be made known widely . . . Not just the story of Carol and her relationship to John, but a new and revealing look at Steinbeck himself. So much is new here, and the manuscript pushes so deep into the lives of the Steinbecks, that it might well become the primary biography of that period.and#8221; --Jackson Benson, author of John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography
Review
"Shillinglaw's primary research makes this book impressive, and her writing is wonderfully clear and effective. A book that will appeal both to sophisticated scholars and the general public. I loved this book!" Melody Graulich, editor of Western American Literature
Review
"Fascinating as it lays open the background of two intriguing personalities" New York Journal of Books
Review
"Shillinglaw -- resident scholar at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas and professor of English at San Jose State -- draws a compelling portrait of this intelligent modern woman."
San Jose Mercury News
"The Grapes of Wrath grabs the reader with a singular energy that makes it easy to miss the dedication: 'To CAROL who willed this book.' The Carol in caps is Carol Steinbeck, who not only picked the title, but also rode herd on the manuscript, the research and the hard years of creation in a rare kind of artistic synergy. . . . . In Carol and John Steinbeck: Portrait of a Marriage, Susan Shillinglaw fleshes out the bookand#8217;s dedication and gives Carol Henning Steinbeck her full due. This strong-willed, opinionated, forceful, sharp-witted woman was more than just a supportive wife, more than a repressed Zelda Fitzgerald: 'Her story is, in effect, his. His greatest triumph, hers,' Shillinglaw argues." Michael S. Gant, SantaCruz.com
"As biographer Susan Shillinglaw reminds us in her insightful, important, and necessary new work, there was a time when the man who wrote The Grapes of Wrath was a mere struggling writer; an acknowledged talent, yes, but always on the edge of failure with an uncertain future. Thus we have Carol and John Steinbeck: Portrait of a Marriage. And in this new book, Shillinglaw makes a powerful case for the idea that Steinbeckand#8217;s first wife had everything to do with his ability to persevere, to create a body of work that drew notice to his burgeoning talent, and to carry on despite all the pressures (fiscal, psychological, and otherwise) that plague serious writers attempting to emerge. . . . This wonderful new biography offers plenty of echoes of Steinbeck, but its real value is in restoring to memory the voice, style, and persona of Carol Henning Steinbeck." M. J. Moore in Neworld Review, vol. 7 no. 48
"A combination of biography, history, psychology and literary observation, this reads, too, like a novel. Be assured that you will want to read again the Steinbeck that you remember as well as his work that you missed. You will wish you had known Carol Henning, but reading this, you will possibly consider her now a friend." Phil Bowhay, Monterey County Herald
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Synopsis
This collection of 23 essays is the result of a worldwide effort to assess both the current state of critical understanding of John Steinbeck's works and the extent of his cultural influence as we near the centennial of his birth in 2002. Essays by contributors from the United States, Japan, France, England, Thailand, and India explore the enduring themes of Steinbeck's work. Further, they simultaneously employ recent, increasingly sophisticated literary critical methodologies to create a more subtle and theoretically grounded evaluation than has been previously possible of Steinbeck's many works in multiple genres.
Synopsis
The result of a worldwide effort to assess both the current state of critical understanding of John Steinbeck's works and the extent of his cultural influence As a writer who, beginning in the 1930s, gave voice to the ordinary man and woman, Steinbeck came to be the conscience of America. He witnessed and recorded with clarity much of the political and social upheaval of the 20th century: The Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and Vietnam. Yet his place in the literary canon of American literature has been much debated and often dismissed by academics.
Beyond Boundaries challenges that dismissal and replaces it with a fuller, more nuanced and international appreciation of the popular Nobel laureate and his works.
Topics treated in these wide-ranging essays include the historical and literary contexts and the artistic influence of the eminent novelist; the reception and translation of Steinbeck works outside the United States; Steinbeck's worldview, his social vision, and his treatment of poverty, of self, and of patriotism; influence on Native American writers; the centrality of the archetypal feminine throughout his fiction; and the author's lifelong interest in science and philosophy.
Truly international in scope, this timely study reevaluates the enduring and evolving legacy of one of America's most significant writers.
Synopsis
In Steinbeckandrsquo;s formative years, she was his mainstay, his partner, his inspirationand#160;
Synopsis
Carol Henning Steinbeck, writer John Steinbeckandrsquo;s first wife, was his creative anchor, the inspiration for his great work of the 1930s, culminating in The Grapes of Wrath. Meeting at Lake Tahoe in 1928, their attachment was immediate, their personalities meshing in creative synergy. Carol was unconventional, artistic, and compelling. In the formative years of Steinbeckandrsquo;s career, living in San Francisco, Pacific Grove, Los Gatos, and Monterey, their Modernist circle included Ed Ricketts, Joseph Campbell, and Lincoln Steffens. In many ways Carolandrsquo;s story is all too familiar: a creative and intelligent woman subsumes her own life and work into that of her husband. Together, they brought forth one of the enduring novels of the 20th century.and#160;
About the Author
Susan Shillinglaw, professor of English at San Jose State University, directed the Center for Steinbeck Studies there from 1987 to 2005. Her published works include A Journey Into Steinbeckandrsquo;s California and introductions to The Portable Steinbeck and other Penguin Classic editions. She is currently scholar in residence at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas and lives in Pacific Grove, CA.and#160;