John Steinbeck Turns 60

John Steinbeck turns 60 years old and it makes the press. I think now when writers/celebrities have a birthday, it's a blip in an Entertainment magazine or thrown in next to the comics in the newspaper. Of course, this is Steinbeck we're talking about.

Mr. Steinbeck was born in California and ended up going to Stanford, but only to appease his parents. He left without a degree. He wrote The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 and then went on to serve as a war correspondent in WWII.  After the war, he gave us Cannery Row, East of Eden, The Winter of Our Discontent, among others. He left us 27 books in all. He died just 8 years after this article was published, in December of 1968 of a heart attack.

I loved Cannery Row. East of Eden, I own, but haven't read yet. Now, the horrible, terrible, confession of mine concerning Steinbeck. I couldn't read The Grapes of Wrath. I know the story is fantastic, hello Henry Fonda, but reading it was sooo difficult. It's written so we can hear how the characters are speaking in this broken English, something.....whatever it is, it's painful.  I couldn't do it!  I know! A self proclaimed lover of books and I cannot get through this classic. Although, I am convinced that some "classics" are really not books that earned that spot rightfully.  This isn't one of them, this one is supposed to be brilliant! I have properly chastised myself, I promise.