Steinbeck Era Redux

[Purrybonker]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

The problem I have with using Steinbeck as an allegory to today's seeming dystopia, is that I never felt a sense of dread when reading any of his novels. Quite the opposite. Even when he paints a landscape as seemingly dreary as the ones in Tortilla Flats or The Pearl, there is hope in the narrative.
ALWAYS hope in the narrative.

I feel a more suitable narrator of today's world would be more of a Chuck Palahniuk, George Orwell or even Paul Theroux with his novel The O Zone...

Maybe Nevil Shute if you really think we are closing shop as a civilization.

Not Steinbeck. Not to me anyway.

But I am glad that you brought up Orwell - he has much to enlightenment to offer.

His "Down and Out in Paris and London" is an excellent (real - not a novel) demonstration of the life of the homeless person during the 1930's - this contemporary with Steinbeck's work.

So, many of us today chose to attack the homeless and downtrodden of our age as being lazy or just indolent.

Contemporary harsh judges of humanity might pick up Orwell's work about life as a "disadvantaged" person during the 1930's - he actually lived this life.

Not many men have committed so wholly to their beliefs in their actions and writing.

[jyl]

I'd not heard of Orwell's book. Thanks for posting, I'm going to find it.