Biography
A rare story about the life of the laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature John Steinbeck costs without the mention of constant takeoffs and falls of his creative energy, but written in any of these periods of the book - decent samples of American literature, in which the life of ordinary inhabitants of the United States in the twentieth artistic power is depicted with a huge artistic force , with all its difficulties and sophors.Childhood and youth
There are quite a few versions of the biography of John Steinbeck. In the US, there is even a society of fans, carefully analyzing the heritage of the writer and carefully collecting small facts about him. His most extensive life description is 1,100 pages.
John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27 in Salinas (California). He had German and Irish roots: grandfather's grandfather was signed by Grosstaineinbeck (he cut her after moving to the USA), and his mother took place from Ireland.
John's father worked as a treasurer, mother - teacher at school. Both loved books and taught to read all their four children. As for the money, at first the family lived quite safely - they owned a spacious housing in Salinas and a house for the vacation on the coast, but when it was time to pay for the education of older children, financial difficulties began.
In the summer, parents worked on the nearest ranch, attracting the rest of the family. From the young Youth, John got used to severe physical work and learned a lot about nature and agriculture, which later was reflected in his works.
After graduating from high school in 1919, Steinbeck became a student of the University of Standford, but then threw him, and without having accustomed. The children's dream of a young man was a writer's career, and he did not part with her even when the publisher one after another sent him refuses. In his youth, John was interrupted by random earnings, working as a guard, guide, workers, but not overpowered "in the table".
Books
The situation has changed in 1930, when John's father decided to support his son, letting him live in her cottage and even providing paper for writing. Steinbeck Jr. threw a job and focused on new works, which eventually began to bear fruit. The first 3 works are the novels "Golden Bowl" and "Unknown God", as well as a collection of stories "Paradise pastures" - published a very modest circulation, in the amount not exceeding 3 thousand copies.
Only the next work was included in the list of bestsellers - "Quarter Tortilla-Flat", a humorous story about the adventures of vagrants in the seaside town. She was awarded the state awards, and the paid fees the family of Steinbeck was enough to build his own home in Los Gatosa. The final recognition in the environment of professional writers brought John the book "On Mice and People".
The cultural "clusters of anger" became the 10th work of Steinbeck, and their release was prepared by the publishing house for all the rules - only $ 10 thousand was spent on the preliminary advertising. Roman about the adventures of the numerous family of Jaudov justified all expectations: fans disassembled him for quotes, and popularity spread far beyond California.
The critical tone of "Greaves Anger" was close to ordinary readers suffering from the economic crisis. The book of Steinbek wrote on the basis of a living material that carefully collected on a trip to his native state.
The film "Greaves Anger", shot in 1940, received 2 Oscar Prize. The shooting was held secretly, as the director feared that the leadership of Texas and Oklahoma could not allow the show of their territories to the cinema. In the USSR, the film was banned due to the fact that American farmers, even ruined, looked overly prosperous compared to the Soviet farmers.
After the revenue of the novel, the place of the writer in American literature decided finally - his heroes were representatives of the society, the purpose of works is a social protest, and manner of writing - aged classical style without complex experiments with a form and plot.
Politics and social activities
In 1940, John with his wife at the invitation of friends went on a trip around the California Gulf. He later described this trip in the novel "Sea Cortes". During World War II, Steinbeck entered the service of the military correspondent and participated in the operation of Douglas Fairbenx to Junior Beach. In 1944 he went to North Africa, where he was injured, being near the explosion place in the warehouse of ammunition.
Strong health, the writer went home. The post-war years were for the Steinbeck fruitful time - it was then that he wrote the novel "Winter Anxiety Ours", after which the Nobel Prize in Literature was received.
In 1947, the American writer visited the USSR. The company made him a famous photographer Robert Kapa, together with whom he visited 5 major cities. It was the first large-scale trip of Americans for the Union since the revolution. John recorded his impressions in the "Russian Diary", illustrated photo of Kapa. After the publisher of this book, he received an invitation to become a member of the American Academy of Arts and Literature.
In the same year, a story "Pearl" was written, originally conceived as a scenario. After it, the writer began a personal problem. From California, it came to the news that the longtime friend of Steinbeck, Ed Ricketto, was seriously injured in a car accident.
John rushed to his homeland, but no longer found him alive - Ed died in just an hour before his arrival. The pain from the loss of a loved one was aggravated by the problems in his own family, and the writer was plunged into depression, from which he climbed with difficulty.
At the end of the life of Steinbeck again decided to affect the themes of war and the world. Both of his son fought in Vietnam, and the sharp political articles of Steinbeck pounded meaninglessness and cruelty of what was happening. However, when he spent 1.5 months at the personal request of the president, he prepared a series of reports, in which actually supported the war than a pretty surprised by the public. The newspaper New York POST called the change of the position of Steinbek betrayal.
Personal life
In the personal life of the writer there were 3 marriages. The first time he married Karol Henning in 1930. Together they lived 11 years old, but it all ended with divorce. The second wife Gwendolen gave him two sons - Thomas and John. The marriage turned out to be the shortest, 5 years, after which in 1948 they broke up at the initiative of Gwen himself. The author dedicated to his children to the East of Paradise, who considered the best in his work (in 1981 he was filmed on him).
Steinbeck was seriously worried about the divorce, especially since he coincided with the death of a friend and accumulated personal problems, but soon his loneliness scratched a new girlfriend - director Elaine Scott. Together they lived until the death of the writer. They did not have common children.
Death
After returning from Vietnam, health began to bring a writer. In 1967, Steinbeck suffered a complex operation, after which 2 infarct followed one after another.
On December 20, 1968, he died, the cause of death was heart failure. The famous author then was 66 years old. He died in New York, but the body for the funeral was taken to his native California.
Quotes
Smoloda seems to be enough for a thousand lives, but on the very matter of God to live one to live. The women and the children knew firmly: there is no such trouble that could not be squeezed, if only she was not broken by men. It's hard to part with the rooting life Even if you hate this life.Bibliography
- 1929 - "Golden Bowl"
- 1933 - "Unknown God"
- 1935 - "Quarter Tortilla Flat"
- 1936 - "And the battle lost"
- 1939 - "Breaks of Wratve"
- 1945 - "Canning Row"
- 1947 - "Lost bus"
- 1952 - "east of Eden"
- 1954 - "Bless Thursday"
- 1957 - "The Short Board of Pipina IV"
- 1961 - "Winter Anxiety Ours"