The Winter of Our Discontent (Penguin Classics) (original 1961; udgave 2008)

I've been catching up on classics I've missed. Two-thirds of the way into this one, I was glad I hadn't tried to suffer through it in high school. By the end, I understood why it's on the reading lists. There's plenty to debate within these pages, and perhaps more now than when it was released. This book showcases Steinbeck's mastery as a writer. The characters are interesting. He employs impressive shifts in perspective, descriptive language and nuanced characterization. The plot eventually takes off, after an excruciatingly slow build. The dialogue is well crafted. I can't tell if it feels dated because of the age of the book or the nature of the time it was written in. In the end, Steinbeck succeeded in his goal of illustrating the decline in character he saw in the middle 20th century. ( )

Having read Of Mice and Men in high school and The Grapes of Wrath recently, I turned with delight to one of Steinbeck’s later novels, The Winter of our Discontent. It was a slow book to start, the pace was a bit uneven and stumbled a bit, but I did finish it last night before bed. The last one hundred pages flew by.

The story is told in first person, from the perspective of a man in New Baytown in the New England region. He is a proud man, an honest man, and one who’s current situation belies his long and proud family history as whalers and important men about town. Working as a clerk in a store, he takes life as it comes, remaining honest and faithful to his principles. But with pressure inside and from his family and peers, he decideds to embark on a short detour to his integrity. The ensuing story unwinds differently than expected, but still with a great deal of introspection.

The ending has a definite Hollywood feel about it, perhaps reflecting on Steinbeck’s time in the film industry. The book also contains lots of stereotypes and cardboard characters that was certainly not his style in the first two books I mentioned at the beginning of this entry. One could say it was a sign of the times, but this book was written in 1962 (and situated in 1960) and Steinbeck’s prior works from 20-30 years earlier didn’t have such limitations. The only fully drawn character is Ethan Allen Hawley, the narrator. Perhaps as a study in male psychology this novel excels, but as a piece of literature, it falls far short of his earlier works. ( )

This is a sad story which ultimately rings true. Steinbeck gives us an incredible look into the undercurrent of a small town. Considering recent headlines, it seems that even now, over fifty years later, he understood the human tendency toward greed, manipulation and complacency. ( )

It was satisfying to sink into a more psychological and reflective novel, comfortably delivered with good writing and dialog.

The style, mentality and tone read a bit like it was written in the
1930's even though it is set in the 60's. This includes outmoded (even for the time?) views on race and gender - as if Steinbeck was unswayed by the civil rights and social changes taking place in the country at the time it was written. Some books might get a pass on this, but not one which sets out to make critiques about how the nation and society were changing at that time. Particularly when depicting it through life in a small town on the cusp of being swept up by larger, outside forces.

(the upper end of ~3.75) ( )

This novel didn't seem like Steinbeck at his best. I am a big fan of his oeuvre, but this seemed to be too placid and lacking action that I did not enjoy the reading experience. Overall, it was disappointing.

2 stars. ( )