John Steinbeck, página 2 de 16

When Kino, a poor Indian pearl-diver, finds 'the Pearl of the world' he believes that his life will be magically transformed. He will marry Juana and their son Coyotito will be able to attend school. Obsessed by his dreams, Kino is blind to the greed and even violence the pearl arouses in him and his neighbours. Written with lyrical simplicity, The Pearl sets the values of the civilized world against those of the primitive and finds them tragically inadequate.

t all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film "Moonrise Kingdom" to Penguin's own bestsellers "Committed "and "Rules of Civility." With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," a 'B' for Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," and a 'C' for Willa Cather's "My Antonia." It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves. S is for Steinbeck. Unburdened by the material necessities of the more fortunate, the denizens of Cannery Row discover rewards unknown in more traditional society. Henry the painter sorts through junk lots for pieces of wood to incorporate into the boat he is building, while the girls from Dora Flood's bordello venture out now and then to enjoy a bit of sunshine. Lee Chong stocks his grocery with almost anything a man could want, and Doc, a young marine biologist who ministers to sick puppies and unhappy souls, unexpectedly finds true love. Cannery Row is just a few blocks long, but the story it harbors is suffused with warmth, understanding, and a great fund of human values. First published in 1945, and drawn from Steinbeck's memories of real inhabitants of Monterey, California, "Cannery Row" focuses on the acceptance of life as it is--both the loneliness of the individual and the exuberance of community.

''To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth.''Drought and economic depression are driving thousands from Oklahoma. As their land becomes just another strip in the dust bowl, the Joads, a family of sharecroppers, decide they have no choice but to follow. They head west, towards California, where they hope to find work and a future for their family. But while the journey to this promised land will take its inevitable toll, there remains uncertainty about what awaits their arrival . . .Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Grapes of Wrath is an epic human drama. Of this novel, Steinbeck himself said: ''I''ve done my damndest to rip a reader''s nerves to rags, I don''t want him satisfied.''

'The days and the weeks dragged on, and the months dragged on. . . . The people of the conquered country settled in a slow, silent, waiting revenge. The men who had been traitors, who had helped the invaders - and many of them believed it was for a better state and an ideal way of life - found that the control they took was insecure, that the people they had known looked at them coldly and never spoke.'

Joe Saul podría ser cualquiera, un acróbata, un granjero o un marinero, movido por el intenso deseo de transmitir a un hijo toda la herencia de los suyos. ¿Es capaz de conseguirlo? ¿Y de entender qué escollos debe superar por el camino? En esta dramática obra, escrita siguiendo la misma fórmula de De ratones y hombres y La luna se ha puesto, John Steinbeck reflexiona con desgarro sobre el valor de la sangre, el legado, el orgullo y la amistad, sobre pasiones primarias del hombre y sobre la serenidad necesaria para comprenderlas. Como señaló el propio autor en su discurso de aceptación del premio Nobel de Literatura en 1962, «debemos buscar en nuestro interior la responsabilidad y la sabiduría que en su día nuestros rezos quisieron adjudicar a alguna deidad».

Classic / American English (Available May 2008) During the Great Depression in the United States, and after the loss of their farm in Oklahoma, the Joad family is faced with a journey of more than one thousand miles to California in search of a better life. Can hope defeat poverty, illness, hunger, and even death as they follow their dream?

Classic / American English (Available February 2008) George and Lennie are friends and they have plans for the future. But Lennie is not very smart and he sometimes makes trouble. George wants to help him but that is not always easy. Then one night, when Lennie is alone, something happens. What can George do now? Can he help or is it too late?

Classic / American English (Available February 2008) All novels are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves between good and evil. John Steinbeck, one of Americas greatest writers, considered East of Eden to be his most important work. Set in California, the novel is a story of love and jealousy, forgiveness and revengeand what it means to be human

Ha terminado la guerra y Cannery Row, el arrabal conservero de Monterrey, va recuperando su pulso cotidiano. Mack y los muchachos retoman el hilo de sus borracheras allí donde lo dejaron, el burdel Bandera del Oso contrata chicas nuevas y Doc reabre su viejo Laboratorio de Biologia. Pero algo ha cambiado para Doc. El hombre al que todos recurren cuando tienen problemas ha perdido la ilusion por la vida y nada parece devolversela: ni las mujeres, ni su musica, ni el empeño en terminar una monografia sobre el comportamiento de los pulpos en situaciones de estres. Hasta que Mack y los muchachos deciden tomar cartas en el asunto: hay que buscarle una esposa a Doc. Naturalmente, sus planes acabaran torciendose y tendra que ser el ingenuo y adormilado Hazel, mascota del grupo, quien ayude a verificarse un Destino que los astros y las constelaciones ya han trazado. Emocionante y divertida, Dulce jueves continua la saga iniciada en Cannery Row (publicada en esta misma coleccion) e introduce elementos y personajes nuevos: Jose y Maria, prospero encargado de la tienda de comestibles del barrio y mafioso vocacional; Fauna, bondadosa y pragmatica madam del Bandera del Oso; Suzy, la chica desengañada que huye de si misma, o el Viejo Jinglebellicks, un millonario disparatado cuya unica obsesion es deducir impuestos y empinar el codo gratis. El estilo directo y lleno de lirismo de John Steinbeck brilla en todo su esplendor en esta novela que fue adaptada al cine en 1982, con Debra Winger y Nick Nolte en los papeles protagonistas.