10 facts about john steinbeck
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He suffered a lot of illnesses
Steinbeck was nearly killed by pleural pneumonia when he was 16 years old. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 for his “realistic and imaginative writing, combining as it does sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”
Steinbeck’s enduring influence on literature and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience in times of adversity have cemented his place in the canon of American literature, making his works a cornerstone of both academic study and popular reading.
John Steinbeck
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Steinbeck’s family did not achieve full financial security until he enrolled at Stanford University.
One of the stories he reported on was about a group of American soldiers who planted trees in England, which had been devastated by the war. He had a few other jobs before becoming a writer
Steinbeck attempted to earn a living as a freelance writer after graduating from Stanford.
She is also interested in writing about historical events, celebrity news, travel stories, and diverse cultures from all over the world.
Beyond serving as a mouthpiece for society’s minority, there are other interesting facts associated with John Steinbeck which revolve around his writing career, travels, and personal life.
A Cute Romance With Pencil
John Steinbeck’s works are known and have been read by millions of people, but only a few who have read more than his books know about what an interesting love story the prolific writer had with pencils at the time.
On days he felt gingered to write, he would use as many as 100 pencils to pen his words down.
He gained widespread acclaim with his novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” published in 1939. Steinbeck went back and forth between school and home for the next six years, eventually dropping out without a diploma in 1925.
His mother was a schoolteacher, while his father worked in a variety of occupations, including operating a grain mill in the area.
Rocinante, named after Don Quixote’s horse, was Steinbeck’s mode of transportation.
Throughout his life, Steinbeck had dogs. The author was gracious to the mutt in a letter to his agent, explaining, “The poor little fellow may have been acting critically.”
Most authors aren’t like John Steinbeck.
Lifeboat (1944)
The 1944 American drama-thriller film Lifeboat, based on a narrative by John Steinbeck, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Tortilla Flat (1935), an affectionately recounted narrative about Mexican Americans, was his first big hit.
6. The working-class heroes in his works are heavily influenced by his humble origins.3.
Steinbeck’s ability to illuminate the complexities of society, empathy for its inhabitants, and commitment to exploring the depths of human nature have firmly secured his place among the greatest authors of all time.
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Top 15 Unbelievable Facts about John Steinbeck
*Originally published in May 2023 by Vanessa R and Updated by Ian.S in March 2024
John Steinbeck is one of the most well-known authors of the twentieth century, noted for his astute social criticism and comprehension of ordinary people’s lives.
The pony escapes from the stable during a storm and after getting wet, develops a fever.
Despite Buck’s best attempts, the pony suffers from strangling and needs a tracheostomy.
This was one reason why the book’s publication was delayed – Steinbeck had to rewrite the parts of the story that his dog Toby had destroyed by eating.
14.
While at it, he reported also doubled as a reporter for a fairly reputable print media outlet at the time.
After a while of not finding his true purpose, Steinbeck moved back to California and resigned full-time to his creative writing career.
George and Lennie Became Household Names
After the release of one of Steinbeck’s best books ‘Of Mice and Men,’ the two major characters in the book, George and Lennie, soon became popular with Americans and almost immediately became household names due to the popularity of the book.
A Calling Found At Age 14
Although the bulk of his best works would later come at a much-matured age, by age 14, Steinbeck had already known all he wanted to do for a living was to write.
The writer was a shy kid and most likely didn’t socialize or get out much with his peers, and this made him devote time to himself, and at that tender age, he would often lock himself up for hours writing stories and poems.
More Than Thirty Books Written In His Prime
During his hay day, the prolific American writer wrote more than thirty good books, and that’s not including other great pieces he did as a prodigy.
FAQs
What book is Steinbeck most popular for?
John Steinbeck is most popular for ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ arguably the greatest book he ever wrote.
How prolific was John Steinbeck?
During his best days, Steinbeck was very active in his writing career and completed more than thirty books before his death.
What other jobs did Steinbeck embark on aside from writing?
Aside from being a celebrated novelist, Steinbeck initially did other jobs, including serving as a caretaker and working as a construction laborer.
What is considered Steinbeck’s biggest inspiration?
Salinas Valley, California, is considered Steinbeck’s biggest inspiration seeing as he grew up there, loved and got attached to the place, and then went on to use the place as the primary setting for his best books.
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About Victor Onuorah
Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Victor is as much a prolific writer as he is an avid reader.
Of Mice and Men (1939)
The movie follows two men named George and Lennie, who have a mental disability, as they struggle to survive in the dustbowl of the 1930s while following their ambition of owning their ranch rather than constantly working for other people. Hemingway preferred graphite to ink, though he did like sharpening pencils while working on a novel to help him think!
Steinbeck posthumously won the Nobel Prize
Despite garnering tremendous critical acclaim, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck had to wait over two decades more to receive the highest literary honor of the Nobel Prize in 1962, awarded for his full body of influential fiction portraying compelling yet often overlooked perspectives of American society.