This is Steinbeck's eighth novel or more accurately a novella. The writing is exceptional and it must be ranked as average or better, but it is short and cannot be compared with his best known novel "Grapes of Wrath." It is almost as good as his other famous novella "Of Mice and Men," which was his first novel. However, "The Pearl" is very short and some might not like it. I have read most of his works including the present, which is an interesting and a must read for Steinbeck fans. It has interesting prose and good drama, and it is very well written. I would rank it just below "Cannery Row" and "The Moon is Down." It is similar to but better than "Tortilla Flat" in my opinion - based on the writing.
It is about a young family living in a warmer climate where the couple earns their living by fishing. They have a single child who becomes ill. It is a story about greed and how it can change lives.
John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) was among the best known American writers of the 20th century. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize for literature. His 1939 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "Grapes of Wrath" has over ten million copies in print.
Steinbeck was born in rural California, went to Stanford, and spent most of his life in California. He has been associated with the plight of farm workers and others. His books have been very popular and many were made into movies and stage productions. He won an Academy Award nomination for best story in 1944.
I have read a number of his novels and am still surprised with the quality of his work - especially his short stories and short novels and this is another good example. The present work is short and probably ranks among the middle of his 17 novels and novellas. Readers will appreciate the clarity of the prose even if the story is short.
It is not a heavy read and takes one evenings to read. I liked the book and give it a positive recommendation, and it would be high on my list of Steinbeck novels.
As a suggestion, do not buy the book alone, but rather would buy it as part of a collection such as Steinbeck's book: "The Short Novels of John Steinbeck," from Viking Press in 1953, and updated versions of that book.
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Pearl (Classics on Cassette) Books In Print, Audio Books.