[.ca] Penguin Classics The Winter Of Our Discontent (ISBN 0143039482)

Steinbeck does Hemingway:
This novel was one of Steinbeck's last, and delves heavily into themes of disillusionment with one's country and one's lot in life. While The Grapes of Wrath was arguably a more heartbreaking book, in that novel, at least the characters still cared and still maintained ideals. In this book, the character of Ethan Allen Hawley has lost hope for the future and lapsed into a great abyss of depression and despair. In this way, Steinbeck seemed much more Hemingway-esque than he had in his earlier, and in my opinion greater, works of fiction. While I did not enjoy this book as much as earlier works like The Grapes of Wrath, there is still much to appreciate in this tale about an American patriarch who has lost his way. Ethan lives in New Baytown, a fictional New England town, with his dissatisfied, materialistic wife, daughter and son. Both children are writing an essay regarding why they love America, though only the son is able to finish it--and he does so by plagiarizing speeches by Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln. Ethan's family was once well-to-do but lost their fortune with speculative investments after WWII, relegating Ethan to working as a grocery clerk at the store he once owned. His boss is an illegal Italian immigrant who encourages Ethan to be less generous with the customers. New Baytown itself is a major character in the novel. The entire town operates within a realm of corruption. Yet things have operated that way so long that no one remembers it is corrupt anymore. All of the major and minor characters are seriously flawed--Margie Young-Hunt, the town seductress and witch; Mr. Baker, the greedy banker; Joey Morphy, the bank clerk who describes the perfect way to rob a bank. Gradually Ethan realizes that the only way to be happy is to get money. The only way to get money is to bend his own moral standards. And once he bends his moral standards, he is more miserable than ever. This short novel is delightfully written, with superb dialogue and clever references to religion and American history. It is basically an indictment of America's materialistic lifestyle as it entered the 1960's. I enjoyed it very much on that level, but did not feel it withstood comparison to Steinbeck's earlier, more emotional novels. This story was more allegory than novel, which is fine--but which one should keep in mind while reading this little gem.

Makes an impact:
This book, along with Steinbeck's EAST OF EDEN, are the two best things he ever wrote. It took me a while to get into WINTER, but once I did, I couldn't stop reading. I was absolutely overwhelmed at the ending, just as I usually am with this writer's great finishes. If you've never read anything by this author, this is a good place to start. Would also recommend THE BARK OF THE DOGOWOD for another really great read.

Discontent? Read this book.:
A powerful novel, with a plot that most can relate to. Ethan Hawley, the main character struggles to provide for his family. Comes from a family of successful business men, until The Great Depression hits his family hard and he must start from the bottom, working as a produce market clerk. He feels that he must own up to his name that has been made by his predecessors. He is confronted by opportunities that question his integrity and common sense. What I like about this novel is that present day situations arise which grabs my attention and makes me think. Ethan, married with two children, thinks of his family first, because all he wants is to give them what he feels they deserve. He would sacrifice his own happiness to make his family happy. I also can relate to how he sometimes feels disappointed by how his life is panning out, but doesn't forget all the things he should be grateful for. I strongly recommend this novel to all who love to read. Whether you can relate to it or not, it will make you think, and help you appreciate some things that are taken for granted.

Very Good:
"The Winter Of Our Discontent" is not Steinbeck's best, but it's really a good read and you can't go wrong spending a few hours reading the works of this master of American Lit!

A beautifully written book:
Steinbeck had this book in a different fashion than I found the many others I read of his. I have always found him to be a literary god at creating character clashes (in each and every other of his I read). I loved how he had the characters interact. Althuogh this book was different. It was changed in that one character clashed with himself as much as everyone else... I was expecting maybe a lower personal ranking to his other books, but I found it just as good, and literally beautifully written. The book not only is fun to read (and im not that much of a reader) but I found its moral lesson very agreeable and useful to societies commonly immoral business habits. i suggest it to be read... though sometimes hard for some of us non readers to keep up with such deep thought, it is none the less a great read and understandable...