High Gear

by John Steinbeck

book, used classic anthology

184 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

John Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters."
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward F. Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. By the 75th anniversary of its publishing date, it had sold 14 million copies.
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.

Reviews

[Skipptymonster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of stories about cars, not just hot rods and racers of the 40s and 50s, but also some more reflective, spooky and wry moments. Standouts for me were 'The 20,000,000 Decision' by Cameron Hawley, about an automotive baron suffering nerves at the launch of his latest model, and '1924 Cadillac For Sale' by William Saroyan, a clever patter from a master car salesman.