What U.S. state is the most frequent setting of John Steinbeck novels?
John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was born in Salinas (otherwise known as the Lettuce Capital of the World), in California’s Central Valley, and California is the setting for many of his novels. His early success (which many still consider his masterpiece), ’The Grapes of Wrath,’ is about Okies coming to California to look for work to escape the Dust Bowl. ’Of Mice and Men,’ his stunning novel that was made into a powerful play, is about migrant laborers in the Central Valley. ’Tortilla Flat’ is about young men in Monterey, California, during the Great Depression. ’Cannery Row’ takes place in Monterey’s historic Cannery Row area, which is still a tourist attraction. ’East of Eden’ is primarily set in the Salinas Valley. Californians are proud of Steinbeck. Stanford (his alma mater) and San Jose State University have great collections of his books and manuscripts. He’s probably the most important novelist to come out of California. He won the Nobel Prize in 1952. Sources: mostly personal readi
