To a God Unknown (Penguin Classics)

Steinbeck's To a God Unknown probes into the question of God's personality and more directly, how the various rituals and methods used by people to try and commune with said God are all based out of the same motive. A must read for any Steinbeck fan, or for anyone interested in philosophy and/or religious studies.

I just finished rereading To a God Unknown, John Steinbeck's second novel. I first read it many years ago when I was fifteen and it made a huge impression-not quite the book that started me writing, but close. I decided to reread it to find out why it had such an influence on me.It's not regarded as one of Steinbeck's best or even a particularly good novel.Criticism ranged from lukewarm to scathing. The New York Times called it "a symbolical novel conceived in mysticism and dedicated to the soil" which "attempts too much" and "achieves too little" and hence "fails to cohere." A reviewer for The Nation judged the novel "pitifully thin and shadowy." The New York Herald Tribune called it a "strange and mightily obsessed book." In reading it, I could see the roots of Steinbeck's voice, but not enough to explain its impact on me. The plot's a bit thin , the writing sometimes over-the-top. Steinbeck was clearly still developing his voice. So why did it impress me so much? At first, I thought it was the larger-than-life and deeply passionate protagonist, Joseph Wayne. I'm a great believer in passionate protagonists . But then I realized what I so admired was that the book was original and ambitious.The young Steinbeck had taken risks. Years of living and writing have hopefully tempered my writing with craft. But in an age when originality, ambition and risk are frequently viewed with caution (how many movies today are remakes of old TV shows and comics?), perhaps aiming high should be part of the equation as well. After all, when did attempting too much become so out of favor.Four stars for a flawed book with a larger-than-life protagonist and an author that aimed high.

His second book is a mystical story. Although it may be considered one of his lesser works, I could not stop reading. The characters resonate in the Steinbeck world we live in.

This is a book I read many years ago and have assigned it to my book club. It arrived as expected and in good condition.

This book was ok. I am not the biggest fan of classic books. I get that they all have a story or moral to them and they are important- but a lot of them are king-winded and downright boring. This book wasn’t too long-winded though. The story wasn’t my favorite of Steinbeck’s and the characters were not as likable or interesting as some of his other characters. I would say this book is not a must read compared to his other novels- but if you want to read a shorter Steinbeck novel, this one’s a decent choice.

In this early novel of Steinbeck's, he writes of a man with a visceral connection to his land. Joseph goes west to homestead some farmland, and discovers a property with a huge oak growing on it. He builds his house under the shelter of the tree, and develops a close bond with it--placing offerings on and under it. Eventually, the spirit of his dead father enters the tree, and the bond grows stronger. When Joseph's religious fanatic brother kills the tree, a drought ensues.Steinbeck very eloquently illustrates that there is a strong connection among all beings on earth. As Chief Seattle spoke in 1854, "All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, He does to himself."

Not a bad Steinbeck book. I enjoyed the story of Joseph Wayne wanting to move from Vermont to the Northern California territory. I liked how he thought he was different, that the land wouldn't dry up, etc. I figured once he died, the rains would come back. And they did. I really liked the symbolism of the central rock and the tree; those were nice additions. Some of the exposition was long and unnecessary, while other parts could've been expanded upon.Also, the INTRODUCTION by Robert DeMott was excellent, though I would suggest reading it after reading the novel itself; it kind of fills in some of the gaps from the reading.

This story kept me engrossed and thinking. The prose is beautiful as always with Steinbeck. I loved the description of the land and the characters' spiritual bond with the earth. This is a fine addition to the genre of historical fiction.