The Long Valley

by John Steinbeck, John H. Timmerman (Introduction)

First published in 1938, this volume of stories collected with the encouragement of his longtime editor Pascal Covici serves as a wonderful introduction to the work of Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck. Set in the beautiful Salinas Valley of California, where simple people farm the land and struggle to find a place for themselves in the world, these stories reflect Steinbeck’s characteristic interests: the tensions between town and country, laborers and owners, past and present. Included here are the O. Henry Prize-winning story “The Murder”; “The Chrysanthemums,” perhaps Steinbeck’s most challenging story, both personally and artistically; “Flight,” “The Snake,” “The White Quail,” and the classic tales of “The Red Pony.” With an introduction and notes by John H. Timmerman.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Classics, Literature, American, 20th Century, The United States Of America

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

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

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories aren't my forte. However, I'm currently on a quest to read all of Steinbeck's work, so it had to be tackled at some point.

While the stories are good, and obviously well-written (as one would expect from Steinbeck), I always feel slightly cheated by short stories. Although John Steinbeck does an excellent job of portraying the human condition and piquing our interest in a few short pages—which can't be easy—I inevitably find myself wanting more. A few of these stories could easily have been turned into full-length books. It feels like you're just getting involved in the story, just getting started, your interest has been piqued, and then it's over. But alas, those are my personal issues with the short story format.

Overall, Mr. Steinbeck does an excellent job as always. His writing, descriptions, and depictions of scenery are all top-notch and unbeatable. If you're a fan of short stories, you'll likely love this collection. If you're not a fan of short stories, this won't change your mind.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to re-examine my own writing every time I read a Steinbeck novel. My trite phrasing and flat descriptions look like ugly stepchildren next to his princely prose.

Even this slim volume of four, lesser-known short stories is packed with some beautifully powerful writing. The scenes are spare in their breadth, but not in their ability to reach into your heart and imagination...

HOLD THE PRESSES!!!

I just discovered that my copy was truncated! The Long Valley originally came with more than twice the number of stories. I've been abridginated! I loath abridged books. Well, it's not the books' fault. It's the publisher who's to blame! Damn them to Hades!

Okay, looks like I have some more reading to do before I can do a proper review.

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★
I’m going to be lazy and quote Wikipedia. “The short stories were written over several years and are set in Steinbeck’s birthplace, the Salinas Valley in California [all but one]. They include the prize-winning tale The Murder [yikes!], The Chrysanthemums, the representation of lynch mob violence in The Vigilante [double yikes!!] and the classic Red Pony tales" [which was later published on its own]. I would also hi-light here the devious passive-agressive husband-gets-back-at-his-wife account in The White Quail .

I originally set out to read just one of these for a challenge, then read the entire book because it revealed a different side of Steinbeck to me. I found them surprising, fascinating, shocking, and enjoyable side reads in between my other books. What more can I ask for? As a native Californian I have loved all his novels set in this beautiful part of our state centered around a vanished way of life and this collection was like a generous serving of whipped topping on that body of work.

On a side note, I sing the praises of group challenge reads. Not all turn out to my liking but I just love when I end up wallowing in books that I would not have read otherwise. What a treat! I also believe this would make a great audio book collection.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every word!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prove tecniche di capolavori in alcuni dei brevi racconti qui contenuti: in nuce ci sono temi e personaggi di capolavori come Furore e di grandi romanzi come Vicolo Cannery. Non fosse stato per gli strepitosi Il pony rosso, Il finimento e Johnny Orso non sarei arrivata a 4 stelle. O forse sì, Steinbeck è Steinbeck.

[Afaf Ammar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"كل يوم هو حياة جديدة، وكل حبة نبتت في الأرض تعتبر أملًا جديدًا."

مجموعة فائقة الجمال من القصص الاستثنائية القصيرة التي وُضعت جميعها في قالب روائي متماسك ومتناغم، فكل واحدة من القصص وإن كانت تحكي قصة مختلفة، إلا وأنها كلها كانت مترابطة بخيط الزمان والمكان وخيط الحبّ والألفة، تحكي بدفء عن أهل وسكان الوادي الأخضر، وكم لمست ما بينهم من طيبة وودٍ وترابط وحب للخير ...
أشعر أنه لن يقرأ هذه القصص أحد إلا وسيشعر أن كل سكان الوادي أهله، وأنه هو أيضًا مثلهم لامست قدماه أرض الوادي الأخضر الخصبة، وشعر بعطرها الخفي الذي ينساب في كل أرجائها، وشارك أهله حياتهم وحكاياتهم، وتجول بصحبة أحدهم في طرقه المحفوفة بظلال أشجار الزيزفون وأشجار السرو في جو مفعم بأريج الأزهار البرية وزقزقة العصافير بينما يهب هواء التلال المنعش، ومر بجوار البيت المكسو بأزهار الياسمين البيضاء العاطرة فخطف بجماله عينيه وقلبه كحال كل مَن مروا عليه يومًا.

جون شتاينبيك كاتب مبدع بلا شك ... ليست أول مرة نلتقي فيها،
عقدنا صداقتنا بالفعل من قبل.

24.10.2019

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of short stories, but the stories in this collection are as well crafted as Steinbeck's longer fiction. The characters, settings and plots are authentic (with the exception of a strange story about a pig, which I just didn't get). The stories deal with (among other things) the aftermath of a lynching, suppressed dreams, a husband in a literal and figurative harness, a misguided and doomed view of manhood, a brutal crime of passion and a young boy just getting to know some of the harsher sides of life. I particularly liked The White Quail, The Chrysanthemums, The Murder and The Red Pony. I listened to the audio book, with excellent narration by Holter Graham, and also read the interesting annotations in the Penguin paperback version of the collection.

[piperitapitta · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'è tutto il mondo a Salinas, Salinas è tutto il mondo.

Doveva pensarla proprio così John Steinbeck che ambienta gran parte della sua produzione letteraria proprio nella valle californiana in cui è nato e vissuto.
Questi racconti, dopo le parziali delusioni di La Santa Rossa, I pascoli del cielo e Al Dio sconosciuto, mi restituiscono finalmente il vero Steinbeck, quello conosciuto e immediatamente amato con Furore.
I dodici racconti e il dramma Che splendida ardi riassumono in sé tutte le tematiche alle quali Steinbeck dedicò la propria attenzione: la terra, i braccianti, il lavoro, la lotta sindacale, l'incomunicabilità e la solidarietà umana.
Alcuni, come I crisantemi e La quaglia bianca contengono appena un accenno di vita, sono uno squarcio improvviso in una realtà immobile, fissata da secoli di abitudini e consuetudini, ma pieni di colori, rigogliosi come i fiori e la vegetazione della fattorie, in cui per la prima volta la donna non è più solo procreatrice e dispensatrice di cibo nella comunità contadina, ma anche essere indipendente, capace di nutrire dei suoi propri sentimenti indipendenti e finalizzarli esclusivamente al proprio benessere; Elisa Allen e Mary Teller infatti sono due donne che non hanno più il problema di sfamare la propria famiglia, che non devono combattere per la quotidianità- così come la madre di Tom Joad - vivono un'agiatezza ed una sicurezza che consente a entrambe di dedicarsi alla cura dei propri giardini, l'una coltivando crisantemi, l'altra creando un vero e proprio giardino segreto e che finiscono per diventare una proiezione del proprio essere e riflettere nell'uno e nell'altro caso delusioni, speranze e assenze.
Alcuni altri, come La fuga, La colazione e L'assalto sembrano essere invece "prove tecniche di romanzo", o capitoli alla fine, per un motivo o per l'altro, non inclusi in storie più lunghe: il protagonista del primo, potrebbe benissimo essere un paisanos di Pian della Tortilla così, come i due braccianti del secondo, essere gli stessi due protagonisti del romanzo La battaglia o, infine, la famiglia incontrata durante La colazione essere una delle tante famiglie che la famiglia Joad incontra durante il lungo esodo di Furore dall'Oklahoma alla California.
E il biologo protagonista di La serpe - racconto la cui atmosfera piuttosto insolita per Steinbeck, con risvolti quasi pulp, mi ha ricordato i racconti di Faulkner Una rosa per Emily - non è tale e quale al Doc di Vicolo Cannery?
Insomma, sembra quasi che Steinbeck - anzi, sicuramente è così - abbia fatto mille studi preparatori, schizzi su schizzi, prove su prove, per mettere a fuoco tanti di quei personaggi che poi, con un più ampio respiro, sarebbero diventati gli indimenticabili protagonisti dei suoi romanzi.
Accennavo a Faulker prima, o meglio al Faulkner di quegli unici tre racconti da me letti finora; la stessa atmosfera sospesa, lo stesso mistero che sembra avvolgere tutto il racconto, lo stesso sovrannaturale finale che lascia sgomenti i lettori, caratterizza anche quello che secondo me è uno dei racconti più belli di questa raccolta, Johnny Orso, un storia incredibile, nel vero senso del termine: una storia che si stenta a credere reale, ma che allo stesso tempo sconvolge e fa rabbrividire; una storia con cui Steinbeck si dimostra non solo abile narratore e incommensurabile descrittore della realtà sociale che lo circonda, ma anche autore capace di spingersi ai confini del credibile con altrettanta sicurezza e capacità di ammantare le proprie storie di suspense e mistero.
Infine, una nota a parte meritano il racconto lungo Il cavallino rosso, quasi un romanzo breve per struttura lunghezza e intensità, e Che splendida ardi, terzo tentativo di dramma teatrale - il primo fu Uomini e topi - dell'autore.
Il cavallino rosso è struggente, dolorosissimo nel racchiudere in sé tutto il dramma della crescita e dell'abbandono delle sicurezze di Jody, un bambino che ancora prima di diventare un ragazzino capirà quanto sia difficile diventare uomini; lo capirà attraverso la responsabilità e la dedizione per un cavallino rosso che il padre gli affiderà e che curerà dedicandogli tutto se stesso; una figura, quella di Jody, che mi ha richiamato alla mente quella drammatica ed altrettanto intensa di un altro Jody, quello protagonista del romanzo Il cucciolo che tanti pianti mi ha fatto fare da adolescente tutte le volte che l'ho letto e del bellissimo film con Gregory Peck che ne è stato tratto; entrambi amano senza riserve il proprio cucciolo, l'uno di cavallo, l'altro di cerbiatto, ed entrambi sono costretti a crescere attraverso quell'amore che li cambierà per sempre e capire che la rinuncia fa parte di quella crescita.
Che splendida ardi, per concludere, articolato in tre atti ma non necessariamente pensato per una rappresentazione teatrale - Steinbeck scrive in una breve presentazione di aver voluto offrire al lettore una duplice possibilità di lettura dello stesso - è la storia di un grande sacrificio d'amore: un sacrificio nel quale non si muore però, come la parola potrebbe indurre a credere, ma che genera vita e che nutre l'amore stesso.
Originalissima è l'idea di ambientare i tre atti del dramma in tre situazioni ambientali completamente diverse, pur proseguendo da una all'altra con lo svolgimento della storia che conserva così un unico corpo narrativo.
Imperdibile per chi ama Steinbeck!

[Lawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review to follow. This book is among my top ten favorites. Often overlooked, these short stories are masterpieces of characterization, dialogue, and sense of place. These are stories that may easily be read many times over. I have, four times. The Red PonyThe Red Pony was originally published in this volume. However, readers will find haunting tales here that will linger far longer in their memory. If you admire Steinbeck, pick up this volume you've likely not read. You will treasure it.

[Carlo Mascellani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storie di gente dura che vive una vita dura, che trova ancora la forza di volgersi il viso all'orizzonte per lasciarsi sedurre dai sogni e in sé trova poi la forza per resistere alla disillusione ogni qualvolta il destino non consente loro di realizzarsi.

[M.J. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Valley was published in 1938. The majority of its stories had previously appeared in various American magazines. The stories themselves, Saint Katy the Virgin being the exception - a strangely whimsical tale set in mediaeval France - are set in Steinbeck’s birthplace, the background for so much of his writing, the Salinas Valley in California. Apparently, Steinbeck demanded that Saint Katy the Virgin be included in the collection, and although I enjoyed it, I have to admit that it does seem a bit of a puzzle alongside the rest. In all the other stories, Steinbeck does what Steinbeck can do like no other: informs us about the human condition. He uses symbolism to good effect, and his descriptive imagery is admirably lean; sometimes a tale’s starkness certainly left this reader with a haunted, almost desperate feeling. However, I never feel that Steinbeck is ever being wantonly bleak. Above all, Steinbeck is telling us stories about human beings and of their relationships to others. He lets us make our own inferences. The scholars, critics and academics have it seems from the very start often been divided on their appraisal of these stories. I’m perfectly happy to let them go on arguing! This collection is eminently readable and worthwhile.

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like being in the midst of immense creativity. Steinbeck was a young writer writing these stories. They are seeds of his future. It was a huge treat and honor in a way to have the opportunity to read these early works.

Lately I’ve had an urge to read some more of Steinbeck’s writing. A couple of GR Friends read his Breakfast story. And I couldn’t find a link ( though there was one in another review) So I bought the book instead. And very glad I did. It was an unabridged Penguin ebook edition and it had interesting notes about his life and the 16 stories I included. The notes were like dessert after a nice meal.

These early short stories were first published in a collection in 1938. They are an unusual and diverse group of stories all set in the Long Valley where Steinbeck was raised, wrote, and lived his life. The Long Valley goes from the mountains east of Salinas to Monterey and the ocean on the central coast of CA. Even these early stories show he is a great writer. He has a knack of making the complex simple so that it’s well understood. His details make the stories ping alive. He writes some terrific dialogue in Vigilante. He captures people and their nuances and emotions excellently and he has a fabulous understanding of the ways of people. I like reading his sentences. Most of the time it seems so natural. And it is as if you are there with the characters or on the land. There is a strong sense of place in these stories. Many of his later books were also set in this area. (Long Valley, East of Eden, Canary Row, Tortilla Flats, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony; Pastures of Heaven, Indubious Battle, and Sweet Thursday to name some.)

The 16 stories in this book are filled with interesting details and he created some unusual and terrific characters. Some stories have a deep closeness to nature. It includes the 4 short stories that later became his novella “The Red Pony. Enjoyed this collection a lot. Most stories had a surprise. Reading these I got to see how Steinbeck experimented and grew his craft. He uses material from where he lives and what’s familiar. You can really feel that in the best of these stories. These stories show us small pieces of life in the early 1930’s .

“The Chrysanthemum” is about a women who loves to garden. It’s a beautiful piece of writing in its simplicity and her love of the earth. Our gardener is kind and generous. These huge plants - 10 inch diameter - naturally sprout themselves. A tinker shows up at their farm and the book is about their meeting.

In “White Quail” a wife dreams the creation of a peaceful garden and her husband helps create it for her. He often tries to quell her fears. Once the garden grows and flourishes the wife has fears about animal night visitors hurting it. In its own way, the relationship between husband and wife is at the heart of the story.

“Flight” - On this night Emilio becomes a man. His mom had called him lazy. He would sit in the yard with his younger sister and brother practicing throwing his dads knife. His mom asks him to go to Monterey and do some errands on his own. He wears his deceased dads hat with its tooled band and green bandana. His jet black bangs are cut straight across his forehead. Off he goes. Something happens in Monterrey and he is now a wanted man. I liked how Steinbeck developed the strong character of his mom and brought us close to nature, and the critters who live in the mountains and fly it’s skies.

“The Snake” starts thus:
“It was almost dark when young Dr. Phillips swung his sack to his shoulder and left the tide pool. He climbed up over the rocks and squashed along the street in his rubber boots.”

This story was a little creepy and different than the prior ones. Steinbeck offered 2 unusual characters -a biologist and a female customer who wants to buy a snake. The story was set in Canary Row in Monterey CA. This was not my cup of tea story - not because of the writing- which was well done- but because of killing animals in a lab- seahorses cats rats etc. He periodically feeds the rats to the snakes. Some of images are surprising. This biologist is also in a couple of Steinbeck’s later books; as is Canary Row.

Often in these stories, and later in his novels, Steinbeck created brilliant openings and details of the land and nature. So visual. This is one of the ways he makes the stories so alive and rich and real. And he sees the beauty of the earth and simple things in life in lovely ways. Like the story of a generous free “Breakfast” and a woman creating privacy to nurse her child. And generosity of 2 men offering to “put in a good word in” for our main character if he needs a job.

In the intro to the story “Raid.” we are told that “The old wooden buildings were silent and resting.” At first it felt to me like an old western story! Two men -one young and one more experienced -are quietly walking down the street at night going to a meeting outside the main part of town. They can’t hear others around.

Living thru the 1930’s depression he sometimes did farm work or manual labor jobs. He was familiar with labor organizing. Labor issues showed up here and in his book “In Dubious Battle” and later in “Grapes of Wrath.”

“The Harness”- is a play on words and an in-depth look at a farmer’s character. “Peter Randall was one of the most highly respected farmers of Monterey County… He was tall and broad. He held his shoulders back as though they were braced, and he sucked in his stomach like a soldier. Inasmuch as farmers are usually slouchy men, Peter gained an added respect because of his posture. “

“The Vigilante” is true to its title. Mob violence. Racism. He does an unusual take on it after the event. The crime was so visual and detailed I couldn’t get it out of my head. Even now a few days later it’s there. A lot of these stories have stayed with me over the couple of weeks I’ve read them. I’m impressed. Often these days I read books and they don’t stick over time. But his details in these stories do.

Johnny Bear- This was a sad story and off putting. Johnny Bear was a man that was dumb yet he was a mimic who remembered exactly peoples words. If you bought him a whisky at the lone bar in town, he would repeat something he had heard and intoned their authors voice spot on.

The Murder- the story is about a husband and wife on a farm. She was “a foreigner.” Had his meals ready as soon as he came in the house. Not much of a talker. At one point he decided to go into Monterey on a Saturday night and she didn’t want to go. He went by himself…. There are so many choices writers can make in situations; Steinbeck’s choices were most of the time interesting and usually not what I expected. Reading these stories was different then reading his novels. We get to see his writing skill unfold in a different way.

Saint Katy the Virgin -a farce about a pig and some monks.

Red Pony parts 1, 2,3,4

I don’t remember the Red Pony the novella well. Will reread it at some point soon to see how these 4 stories influenced the novella.

And now the book is over. I’m a little sad. Repeating : Reading this book was like being in the midst of immense creativity. He was a young writer writing these stories. These stories are the seeds of his future. I’m not usually a short story person. After this enjoyable experience I am definitely more open to read other collections.

[John Hatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Steinbeck, for years a favourite author, demonstrates here clearly that a great novelist can also be a great short-story writer

[Jessaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long book gladly shortened

Due to the surly characters in this book I disliked most of the short stories, but John Steinbeck sure can write!

And then I came up on the story, the red pony, And I realized that I was at the end of the book for I had read the stories that followed. And the stories were the best In this book.How glad I was to put the book down.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike Steinbeck's other short story collection, The Pastures of Heaven, this book lacks thematic unity. First published in 1938, many of the stories in the collection had been published previously. The stories differ widely in tone and subject matter, from the rather creepy "The Snake", to the prize-winning "The Murder", to the four stories which make up "The Red Pony".

What the stories share is their Salinas Valley location, wonderfully descriptive prose, unsentimental depiction of the beauty and terror of the natural world and a compassion for human frailty. A worthwhile read for Steinbeck completists.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Long Valley by John Steinbeck

4.5 stars

I had the opportunity about six years ago to visit the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. It is a lovely modern museum and as much of a paean to the Salinas Valley as Steinbeck. The place oozes with history of the artist and the area, just like Steinbeck's writing. All of his books are on sale in the gift shop. It was then I decided to read all of his books. I have only six to go after having recently returned to reading Steinbeck.

There are thirteen stories in The Long Valley which was published in 1938. With the exception of The Red Pony, these are not lengthy stories and they all take place in the Salinas Valley. It is remarkable to me how quickly Steinbeck can sketch his characters. He is also the rarest of authors, those who are equally proficient at writing short stories, essays or novels.

Here are my ordered favorites in this collection. There are some five star stories here to be sure.

1. Flight - I've seen great writers who don't need plot twists to create drama. Steinbeck is one of them. This is a nearly perfect short story even though you know exactly what will happen.

2. The Harness - this is a crushing story about a man who remains under his wife's spell. Steinbeck deftly articulates the flaws that lie deep in our souls.

3. The Red Pony - a famous multi-part story. Much attention is given to those two chapters (1 and 3) which are focused on the two ponies. The writing was exquisitely detailed in these chapters but they are also a little too sentimental. I for one was most impacted by the scene in chapter 2 when the old man Gitano is asked to leave and takes the old horse Easter with him. The image of them walking in silhouette over the ridge, ostensibly to their deaths, is seared into my memory.

4. The Leader of the People - this was the epilogue to The Red Pony. It is about the boy's grandfather reliving his past when he led the first Anglo settlers into Monterey. This was also an emotional story.

5. The Raid - a short vignette of two union organizers (one old and one young) as the mob descends on them. Could have easily been a five star story if longer. The tone reminded me of The Grapes of Wrath.

6. The Murder - similar to The Harness except in this one the husband becomes jealous of his wife. The plot is a really common one but Steinbeck makes it better.

[Lesle · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 shorts. Some I enjoyed more than others but not as I had hoped.
Here are a few thoughts on a few tales. You may read and decided for yourself as a Steinbeck fan.

Flight
Pepe has gone into manhood with the worst possible sceniro. He is hunted.

The Breakfast
A simple tale of satisfaction of a simple life of sharing what one has when one has nothing.

The Raid
Dick and Root are quite a pair bantering back and forth. One seems to accept the role he plays with little thought and the other seems struck by work and seems to go with his fear and anxiety.

The Murder
The old castle needs to go. Moore contemplates setting it on fire but cannot bring himself to do so. His new wife's father advises him in beating Jelka often. He finds her nonconversational and uses it as an excuse of bar and women. A man is killed and Jelka whipped.

The Red Pony
Jody is given a pony for what is to be a lesson in responsibility turns out to be nothing but harsh lessons for Jody to endure. I have read this before and find my thought has not changed about it. I find it is a tale for an adult not a youth.

Most of the tales begin in the Steinbeck way, of descriptive settings to give an understanding and clear view of what is to come in the tale of values. Their lives are not fair. They must struggle for their own self respect.

"The earth is colored unnaturally dark, like metal; the fields hold no crops, only stiff stubble, and there is only thick scrub along the riverbanks."

[António Jacinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steinbeck é muito mais versátil do que eu supunha. Estes contos provam-no. O seu vocabulário é de grande rigor e nada surge sem oportunidade. Da degradação do corpo à crueldade dos seres humanos, da natureza ingénua dos homens à consistência de consciência de classe, tudo isso passa pelas suas mãos com facilidade. Erotismo, tragédia, trabalho, violência e camaradagem reúnem-se num livro maravilhoso.

[Anthony Panegyres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several excellent stories, including the exceptional 'Johnny Bear'.

[Frank Scozzari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steinbeck's great storytelling style shines in this early collection of his short stories.

[Hodove · Rating 4 out of 5]

یه مجموعه داستان خوش خوان و خوب از جان استاین بک. داستان های جانی خرسه و مار و کتی قدیسه عذرا رو از بقیه بیشتر دوست داشتم.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still making my way through Steinbeck's books. I'm pleased that I decided to space them out throughout the year so that I can feel the potency and singularity of each volume. With these stories that immediately precede Grapes of Wrath I can truly sense Steinbeck coming into his stride. These stories worked as something of a literary apprenticeship--writing exercises that prepared his skills for the great novels to come. But they are powerful and evocative in their own right, too. Easily 5 stars.

[Troy Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of Steinbeck's beloved Salinas Valley in the 1930s. I particularly loved "The Snake" and "The Chrysanthemums".

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty strong, albeit a bit uneven, collection of short stories. I enjoyed rereading the Red Pony stories, and some others in this collection are stand outs, including The Murder and Johnny Bear. I enjoyed the diversity of the selections, including the humor in some of the stories like Saint Katy the Virgin, which was about a peculiar pig.

[Chris Blocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read about half of this collection before in various places. And I would agree that the best stories in The Long Valley are those which have been heavily anthologized. But reading them again in the context of the whole collection was surprisingly enjoyable. Here you get a wide range of Steinbeck's tone with a single theme throughout: violence.

As with all collections, some stories were weaker than others. In particular, I wasn't a fan of “The Murder,” a story which seemingly justifies the abuse of a wife. Having never seen Steinbeck as a raging misogynist, I chalk this story up to an objective portrayal of the culture at the time. Other stories in this collection may imply I'm wrong, however. We'll leave it at that.

Certainly, Steinbeck was primarily a novelist. He wasn't a masterful short story writer, but that doesn't mean he couldn't write a short story. Obviously, he could. I enjoyed this collection despite its limitations. Steinbeck fans should definitely get around to reading this one. Others may just wish to stick with the more heavily anthologized stories (e.g. “The Chrysanthemums,” “Flight”).

[Mercedé Khodadadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب در فارسی با عنوان «دو داستان» ترجمه شده است. متشکل از چهار داستان

[Jeff Koeppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of Steinbeck short stories, and includes the novella, The Red Pony (all four parts). Most of the short stories are set in his Salinas Valley and are not feel good reading. But it's Steinbeck and you'll be wowed by his writing, vivid characters, and well painted settings. The stories and my grades are as follows:

The Chrysanthemums: a sad woman and her flowers - 5*
The White Quail: a garden-obsessed woman and her jealous husband - 4*
Flight: a lazy son is on the run - 4*
The Snake: a mysterious woman admires a scientist's rattle snake - 4*
Breakfast: a very short and quaint tale of a camp breakfast - 4*
The Raid: two guys prepare for a raid on their building - 2*
The Harness: an odd tale of a widower who wore a harness for posture - 3*
The Vigilante: post-lynching conversation in a bar about what happened - 4*
Johnny Bear: a mimic goes too far, bizarre - 5*
The Murder: an odd marriage takes an odder twist - 4*
St. Katy the Virgin: the strange tale of Katy the pig - 3*
The Red Pony: reviewed previously

I'm looking forward to reading more Steinbeck. He's one of my favorites.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Io, digiuna di Steinbeck, in quarantena mi approccio all'unico volume che ho in casa; racconti. Li leggo e vengo sorpresa dallo sconforto più totale: ma come, non mi piace Steinbeck? Ma come, trovo Steinbeck inconcludente, io? Io, amante delle Americhe e del sogno americano, io e Steinbeck non funzioniamo?

La verità è che la maggior parte di questi racconti sono opere minorissime, stralci di idee, soffici come il burro e inconcludenti, pure se sono di Steinbeck. Tre racconti (Il vigilante, Johnny Orso e Il pony rosso) sono strepitosi. E infatti, mi sa che poi io e Steinbeck funzioniamo eccome.

[Lucinda Elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writing - shame about the women..

I almost never give less than three star ratings, and least of all for somethihg well written, but am giving this a two-and-a-half star rating as a matter of principle, because despite my admiration for the quality of Steinbeck's writing, my impression was of a dismal current of underlying misogyny in several of the stories and a disturbing amount in 'The Murder', which seems to advocate wife beating as a method of solving marital problems.

I'd like to think the situation is portrayed ironically; but it doesn't come across that way to me, partly because of the questionable portrayal of women in this collection of stories generally.

I believe some argue that this shouldn't be taken to reflect any endorsement by the author, and that in 'The Murder' he is merely commenting objectively on the masochistic urges of one woman from a particular background, but even so, his manner of writing of it doesn't really portray it as a sick aberration. The 'objective' tone here does seem almost like an tacit approval to me, though I'd like to think it isn't. I don't think the same special pleading would be extended by critics if an author had written about a relationship exhibiting racism, say, which was also widespread in this era and which Steinbeck notoriously opposed (if there is an element of racism - against Eastern Europeans in this story, then it's convoluted). I'm disappointed that so few other readers express any unease over this story having won critical such acclaim or over Steinbeck's general unsympathetic portrayal of women.

I've always admired Steinbeck's writing style, while accepting that his view on women was questionable even for his time, and am dismayed to have come across this story again after so many years. I'd happily forgotten it's existence!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories that give you a vignette glimpse into life in the West and always leave you wanting more. They fade out just as you want to see what happens next. Steinbeck was an incredibly gifted writer who knew how to craft a character and a scene. Lovely!